On-hold message system
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Accused Products
Abstract
A programmable in-the-skin or intelligently connected message on hold delivery system is disclosed which comprises a message storage system and a processor for generating prompts which are transmitted to a control device. The prompts are received at the control device and allow an operator to select from a number of options in order to select, among other things, certain ones of the messages stored on said message storage system for playback, as well as the sequence in which said messages are to be played back. The message playback devices are each provided with one or more libraries of messages, and comprise at least one or more audio and/or visual advertising messages. Said system enables the user to start a pre-recorded audio or visual message at the beginning each time a caller is placed on hold in the telephone system.
40 Citations
52 Claims
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1-17. -17. (canceled)
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18. An on-hold message system, comprising:
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a telephone system comprising a plurality of lines or extensions;
a storage device for storing a plurality of messages;
a message playback device for playing said messages; and
a control device for permitting a user of said telephone system to select one or more messages from among said plurality of stored messages and one or more lines or extensions from among said plurality of lines or extensions on which said one or more selected messages are to be played by the message playback device when a caller or called party is placed on hold by said telephone system. - View Dependent Claims (19, 20, 21, 22, 23)
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24. An on-hold message system, comprising:
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a telephone system; and
an on-hold message playback device intelligently connected to or integrated with said telephone system;
wherein said on-hold message playback device is programmable through said telephone system. - View Dependent Claims (25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33)
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34. A method of operating a message playback device to play on-hold messages through a telephone system, comprising the steps of:
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storing a library of discrete and individually accessible messages for playing by said message playback device;
storing information for uniquely identifying each of said messages in a memory of said message playback device;
selecting at least one of said messages from said library for playing by said message playback device;
selecting at least one line or extension of a telephone system on which said message playback device is to play said at least one selected message; and
playing at least a portion of said at least one selected message on said message playback device to an outside party placed on hold by a user of said telephone system when said outside party calls said at least one selected line or extension. - View Dependent Claims (35, 36, 37, 38)
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39. A method of operating a message playback device to play on-hold messages through a telephone system, comprising the steps of:
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storing a library of discrete and individually accessible messages at a message playback device, each message being uniquely identified by at least one of an identification code and a title;
generating and transmitting prompts from said message playback device to a control device, said prompts comprising at least one of said identification code and said title for at least one of said messages;
operating said control device to identify messages from said library for playing by said message playback device and a sequence for playing said messages, and to generate response signals relating to said messages and said sequence;
entering playlist data using said control device to respond to said prompts, said prompts providing selections to a user selected from the group consisting of said identification codes of selected ones of said messages, said titles of selected ones of said messages, times for commencing the playing of said messages, and a sequence for playing said messages; and
causing said message playback device to play at least a portion of a selected message to an outside party when a call by the outside party to the telephone system is established and the outside party is placed on hold by the telephone system;
wherein said message playback sequence can vary depending upon a line or extension upon which said outside party is placed on hold. - View Dependent Claims (40)
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41. An on-hold message system, comprising:
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a telephone system;
a storage device for storing a plurality of on-hold messages, each of said messages comprising a beginning; and
an on-hold message playback device for playing at least a portion of at least one of said plurality of stored on-hold messages to an outside party through said telephone system;
wherein, when an outside party is placed on hold after a telephone call is established with said telephone system, said at least one on-hold message is played to the outside party from its beginning. - View Dependent Claims (42)
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43. An on-hold message system, comprising:
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a telephone system; and
an on-hold message playback device intelligently connected to or integrated within said telephone system;
wherein said on-hold message playback device plays at least a portion of at least one of a plurality of on-hold messages to an outside party connected to said telephone system when said outside party is placed on hold, said on-hold message playback device being programmable by inputting commands to said on-hold message playback device using a control device located external to the telephone system, said on-hold message playback device further being programmable by said control device to control a playback order of said plurality of on-hold messages and to designate selected messages to be played to selected lines or extensions called by said outside party when placed on hold. - View Dependent Claims (44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52)
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Specification