TELEPHONE MARKETING SYSTEM

摘要

A marketing system (10) selectively modifies an existing telephone network b y modifying a portion of the call processing software of the existing telephone network and by replacing at least a porti on of an audible cable progress signal generated by the telephone network by a prerecorded announcement. A calling party places a telephone call at a first telephone (12) to an identifi- ed called party at a second telephone (20) having a particular calling statu s. Once the call is made to the identified called party, a swith (22) or an associated network signaling system (23) determines the busy/idle status of the second telephone. In place of the usual ringing or busy signal, an announcement indicates to the calling party the status of the identified called party and a series of announcements are played for a predetermined period of time. During the announcements, the system continues to determine the status of the telephone line of the second telephone. The announcements are played until the call is completed or abandoned.