Method and apparatus for applying messages in a telecommunications network

• US 4,811,382 A
• Filed: 09/05/1986
• Issued: 03/07/1989
• Est. Priority Date: 09/05/1986
• Status: Expired

• Current Assignee: Verizon Patent and Licensing Incorporated (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Original Assignee: PhoneSpots, Inc. (UpSnap, Inc.)
• Inventors: Sleevi, Neil F.
• Primary Examiner(s): BROWN, THOMAS
• Application Number:
  US06/903,993
• Time in Patent Office: 914 Days
• Field of Search: 379/67, 379/88, 379/257, 379/372, 379/374, 379/82, 379/84, 379/87, 379/201, 379/202
• US Class Current: 379/67.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/00 Arrangements for metering, time-control or time indication ; Metering, charging or billing arrangements for voice wireline or wireless communications, e.g. VoIP
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42017 Customized ring-back tones
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/4878 Advertisement messages

Abstract

In a telecommunications network, a system for applying messages or data to the customer lines of calling parties during the "ringback" period of telephone call set up. The messages are preferably applied between successive ringback tones during the ringback period and are terminated when the called party answers the call. Advertising messages, civic or company announcements, political messages, informational messages(e.g. news or weather), or other data can be transmitted on the telephone lines during what is otherwise essentially unused times when the line is already tied up.

Claims

1. In a telecommunications system having a plurality of switching systems interconnected by trunks, a plurality of customer stations arranged in groups with each group being served by one of the switching systems, a plurality of customer lines connecting each switching system with the group of customer stations served thereby, a switching network in each switching system for establishing communication paths between calling customer stations and called customer stations addressed by the calling stations and means in each switching system for applying periodic ringback signals to the line of each calling station served thereby when a called station addressed by the calling station is idle, the improvement comprising:

means for detecting customer lines to which ringback signals are being applied;

communication signal applying means in each switching system for applying preselected communication signals to selected customer lines to which ringback signals are being applied, said communication signal applying means in each switching system applying said communication signals only to customer lines for the group of customer stations served by the corresponding switching system and said selected customer lines being selected according to the identity of the called customer station; and

means for terminating application of said communication signals to each customer line when ringback signals thereto are terminated.

2. The improvement of claim 1, wherein the ringback signals are each applied for a preselected duration and with a preselected interval between successive ringback signals, and including timing means for timing the application of the communication signals such that the latter are applied during the intervals between successive ringback signals are discontinued for the duration of each ringback signal.

3. The improvement of claim 2, wherein said communication signals comprise a plurality of discreet messages each having a duration substantially equal to the interval between successive ringback signals.

4. In a telecommunications network of the type having a plurality of switching systems interconnected by trunks, a plurality of customer stations connected to each switching system by customer lines, a switching network in each switching system for establishing communications paths between calling customer stations, means in each switching system for applying a ring signal to the customer line of each called station addressed by a calling station, means in each switching system for applying periodic ringback signals to the customer line of each calling station when a called station addressed thereby is idle, and means in each switching system for applying a busy signal to the customer line of each calling station when a called station addressed thereby is not idle, the improvement comprising:

detecting means for detecting calling customer lines to which ringback signals are being applied;

communication signal applying means for applying preselected communication signals to selected customer lines to which ringback signals are being applied, said communication signal applying means being connected in a manner to bypass said switching network and said selected customer lines being selected according to the identity of the called customer station;

timing means for timing the application of said communication signals in a manner such that the communication signals are applied between successive ringback signals and discontinued during each ringback signal; and

means for terminating the communication signals to each calling customer line when the ringback signals are terminated.

5. The improvement of claim 4, wherein said communication signals comprise a plurality of discreet messages each having a duration substantially equal to the interval between successive ringback signals.

6. A method of applying messages to customer stations in a telecommunications network in which the customer stations are connected by customer lines to switching systems having trunk connections with other switching systems, a switching network in each switching station for establishing communications paths between calling customer stations and called customer stations, and ringback equipment for applying ringback signals having a preselected frequency and duration to a calling customer line addressing an idle called customer station, said method comprising the steps of:

detecting the application of ringback signals to a selected calling customer line selected according to the identity of the called customer station addressed;

applying said messages to the selected calling customer line between successive ringback signals in a manner to bypass said switching network; and

terminating said messages when the ringback signals are terminated.

7. In a telecommunications system having a plurality of switching systems interconnected by trunks, a plurality of customer stations arranged in groups each served by a different switching system with the customer stations in each group being connected to the corresponding switching system by customer lines, a switchhook for each customer station for indicating whether the station is on hook or off hook, a stitching network in each switching system for establishing communication paths between calling customer stations and called customer stations addressed by the calling stations, means in each switching system for applying periodic ringback signals to the line of each calling stations served thereby when a called station addressed by the calling station is on hook, and means for terminating the ringback signals when an addressed called station goes off hook to respond to the call, message applying apparatus comprising:

an announcer in each switching system containing a plurality of recorded messages;

means in each switching system for applying said messages to selected customer lines for calling stations served by the corresponding switching system when ringback signals are being applied to said selected customer lines, said selected customer lines being selected according to the identity of the called customer station;

timing means for timing the application of said messages in a manner to effect application of the messages between successive ringback signals and discontinuance of the messages during each ringback signal; and

means for deactivating said announcer in each switching system to terminate application of messages when the called station addressed by the calling station goes off hook to respond to the call.

8. Apparatus as set forth in claim 7, wherein:

the ringback signals are each applied for a preselected duration with a preselected interval between successive ringback signals;

each message has a duration substantially equal to the interval between successive ringback signals; and

said timing means is operable to time the application of said messages in a manner to initiate each message at the end of a ringback signal.

9. Apparatus as set forth in claim 7, wherein said means in each switching system for applying said messages applies the messages in a manner to bypass the switching network in the corresponding switching system.

10. In a telecommunications system having a plurality of switching systems interconnected by trunks, a plurality of customer stations arranged in groups with each group being served by one of the switching systems, a plurality of customer lines connecting each switching system with the group of customer stations served thereby, a switching network in each switching system for establishing communication paths between calling customer stations and called customer stations addressed by the calling stations and means in each switching system for applying periodic ringback signals to the line of each calling station served thereby when a called station addressed by the calling station is idle, the improvement comprising:

means for detecting customer lines to which ringback signals are being applied;

communication signal applying means in each switching system for applying preselected communication signals to selected customer lines to which ringback signals are being applied, said communication signal applying means in each switching system applying said communication signals only to customer lines for the group of customer stations served by the corresponding switching system;

means for terminating application of said communication signals to each customer line when ringback signals thereto are terminated; and

said communication signal applying means in each switching system being connected to at least one of the trunks for the corresponding switching system, whereby the communication signals are applied only for calls between customer stations served by different switching systems.

11. In a telecommunications network of the type having a plurality of switching systems interconnected by trunks, a plurality of customer stations connected to each switching system by customer lines, a switching network in each switching system for establishing communications paths between calling customer stations and called customer stations addressed by the calling stations, means in each switching system for applying periodic ringback signals to the customer line of each calling station when a called station addressed thereby is idle, and means in each switching system for applying a busy signal to the customer line of each calling station when a called station addressed thereby is not idle, the improvement comprising:

detecting means for detecting calling customer lines to which ringback signals are being applied;

communication signal applying means for applying preselected communication signals to selected customer lines to which ringback signals are being applied, said communication signal applying means being connected in a manner to bypass said switching network, each switching system having one of said communication signal applying means and said communication signal applying means for each switching system being connected to at least one of the trunks for the corresponding switching system, whereby the communication signals are applied only for calls between customer stations served by different switching systems;

timing means timing the application of said communication signals in a manner such that the communication signals are applied between successive ringback signals and discontinued during each ringback signal; and

means for terminating the communication signals to each calling customer line when the ringback signals are terminated.

12. A method of applying messages to customer stations in a telecommunications network in which the customer stations are connected by customer lines to switching system having trunk connections with other switching systems, a switching network in each switching station for establishing communications paths between calling customer stations and called customer stations, and ringback equipment for applying ringback signals having a preselected frequency and duration to a calling customer line addressing an idle called customer station, said method comprising the steps of:

detecting the application of ringback signals to a selected calling customer line which is selected by selecting a calling customer line addressing a called customer line connected with a switching system different from the switching system to which the calling customer line is connected;

applying said messages to the selected calling customer line between successive ringback signals in a manner to bypass said switching network; and

terminating said messages when the ringback signals are terminated.