This app for a smartphone generates automated custom ringtones for incoming calls.

The way it works is that the app listens to the audio on an incoming call and uses complex and as-yet-undiscovered algorithms to parse the recieved speech and identify greeting phrases especially at the beginning of the call. Words of greeting or exclamation are stored and processed inside the phone.

On a subsequent call from the same number, the greeting phrases are played back through the phone's loudspeaker as a ringtone.

The app monitors all calls from the same number and combines the greeting phrases from multiple calls to refine its ringtone.

Obviously calls from new numbers would have to use a generic bland ringtone.
-- pocmloc, Feb 21 2013

This would be dangerous given my circle of friends. Ringtones during office hours would probably be rendered 'ARRRGGHHH!!' or 'I'M NOT TOUCHING YOU!' or just some really creepy heavy breathing.
-- RayfordSteele, Feb 21 2013


After the first couple of calls, the algorithms should be able to home in on or assemble a reasonable greeting I would think?
-- pocmloc, Feb 21 2013


In fact there could be a control panel where you set how free you want it to be - you could set it to sample the audio and extract phonemes to make the voice announce "hello".
-- pocmloc, Feb 21 2013


// complex and as-yet-undiscovered //

Sp.: complex and still highly classified. There's a thing, or rather a multi-national network of various expensive and undisclosed things, that we discuss here from time to time. It's called Echelon, and if instructed to do so it listens to you talk on the phone, and if it listens to you long enough it learns to recognize your voice. And then everytime you place a call (from any phone), it will tell somebody who you're talking to, what you are saying, and where both of you are.

So if you get a chance to bend the ear of somebody who works with Echelon, pitch them this idea and maybe you'll get your algorithms.
-- Alterother, Feb 21 2013


Cool, so the storage and processing could be done server-side, so that every call, even from an unknown caller, could have the appropriate vocal greeting ringtone.
-- pocmloc, Feb 21 2013


Sure, why not? If Big Brother is listening, we might as well get a little something back from it.
-- Alterother, Feb 21 2013


Hmm, it's supposed to be possible to measure stress from the voice, so in theory the app could measure your stress on the microphone and map it against the number of the caller.

In short, after a while the phone can go "it's that scary guy again, don't answer it".
-- not_morrison_rm, Feb 21 2013



random, halfbakery