Methods and apparatus for implementing customized ringback

A customized ring-back tone generator comprising:

• a first link to a phone switch for receiving an inbound call connection request forwarded from a phone switch that receives the inbound call connection request from a caller phone attempting to connect to a target phone;
• the first link for supporting a call connection on which to provide the customized ring-back tone to the caller phone;
• the phone switch for transmitting an outbound call connection request to the phone switch to establish a second link for supporting call connection through the phone switch to the target phone, and a flag at the phone switch and associated with the outbound call connection request from the ring-back tone generator to differentiate the outbound call connection request from the inbound call connection request, the phone switch responsive to the flag for allowing the first connection and the second connection to pass through the same phone switch;
• receiving an indication from the phone switch that the target phone is being alerted of an attempt by the caller phone to connect to the target phone;
• a bridge in the ring-back tone generator for coupling the first call connection and the second call connection, the bridge connecting the caller phone to the target phone until a bridge can be established at the phone switch;
• the ring back tone generator for providing a custom ring-back tone of the target phone on the first call connection to the caller phone;
• an out of band signal sent to the phone switch for establishing a bridge at the phone switch between the caller phone and the target phone in lieu of coupling the caller phone to the target phone at the ring-back tone generator system;
• and
• the ring-back tone generator configured to release trunk line resources used for maintaining the first call connection and the second call connection following establishment of the bridge.

A computer program product having an encoded set of instructions on a non-transitory computer readable medium that, when executed by a processor, perform a method of providing a customized ring-back tone in a ring-back generator system, the method comprising:

• receiving an inbound call connection request forwarded from a phone switch that receives the inbound call connection request from a caller phone attempting to connect to a target phone;
• initiating generation of a first call connection on which to provide the customized ring-back tone to the caller phone;
• transmitting an outbound call connection request to the phone switch to establish a second call connection through the phone switch to the target phone;
• providing a flag at the phone switch and associated with the outbound call connection request from the ring-back tone generator to differentiate the outbound call connection request from the inbound call connection request, the phone switch responsive to the flag for allowing the first connection and the second connection to pass through the same phone switch;
• receiving an indication from the phone switch that the target phone is being alerted of an attempt by the caller phone to connect to the target phone;
• providing a custom ring-back tone of the target phone on the first call connection to the caller phone;
• establishing a bridge at the phone switch between the caller phone and the target phone in lieu of coupling the caller phone to the target phone at the ring-back tone generator system;
• and
• releasing trunk line resources at the ring-back tone generator used for maintaining the first call connection and the second call connection following establishment of the bridge.