Patent US5652784 - Automatic telephone advertising provided in lieu of dial-tone

United States Patent m

Blen et al.

[54] AUTOMATIC TELEPHONE ADVERTISING PROVIDED IN LIEU OF DIAL-TONE

[75] Inventors: Georgina Borbon Blen; Randolph H.

Steinvorth, both of San Jose, Costa
Rica

[73] Assignee: Publitel International, S.A., El

Dorado, Panama

[21] Appl. No.: 643,980
[22] Filed: May 7,1996

Related U.S. Application Data

[63] Continuation of Ser. No. 249,621, May 26, 1994, abandoned.

[30] Foreign Application Priority Data

Apr. 21, 1994 [CR] Costa Rica 4952

[51] Int. CI.6 H04M 1/64

[52] U.S. CI 379/67; 379/84; 379/246;

379/326; 379/399

[58] Field of Search 379/67, 71. 72.

379/83, 84, 88, 89, 201, 243, 244, 245, 246, 326, 327, 399

[56] References Cited

U.S. PATENT DOCUMENTS

3,997,731 12/1976 Wilmotetal 379/201

4,068,099 1/1978 Mikkolaetal 379/71

4,232,199 11/1980 Boatwright et al 379/243

4,510,349 4/1985 Segre-Amer 379/96

4,706^70 11/1987 Astegiano et al 379/71

4,811,382 3/1989 Sleevi 379/67

4,850,007 7/1989 Marino etal 379/67

4,876,711 10/1989 Curtin 379/94

(List continued on next page.)

FOREIGN PATENT DOCUMENTS

892691 7/1982 Belgium.

1198843 12/1985 Canada 379/374

0083893 12/1982 European Pat. Off. .

245733 8/1911 Germany.

■ ■lllllllllllll

US005652784A [ii] Patent Number: 5,652,784 [45] Date of Patent: Jul. 29, 1997

5048728 8/1991 Japan.

2206265 6/1968 United Kingdom .

9106187 10/1990 WIPO.

OTHER PUBLICATIONS

Tanguy et al., "Repondeur Telephonique Collectif Gaston et Machine Parlante Statique", Comm. & Transmission, vol. 5, No. 2 (France 1992).

"Serving Customers With Automatic Speech Recognition— Human Factor Issues", Wattenberger et al., AT&T Technical Journal, May/Jun. 1993, p. 36.

Primary Examiner—Krista M. Zele

Assistant Examiner—Scott L. Weaver

Attorney, Agent, or Firm—-James Creighton Wray

[57] ABSTRACT

A telephone advertising service provides a short advertising message through a telephone receiver as a telephone call is initiated. The advertising message is stopped after a predetermined run time, and an invitation-to-dial tone is added. The advertising message is stopped when a subscriber starts to dial numbers. The method provides the advertising messages in lieu of invitation-to-dial tones. Differentiated subscribers are individually provided with distinct advertising messages. Subscribers are distinguished by characteristics of exchange number, monthly call volume, call type, geographical location and time of day. The advertising messages are provided by a message system rack connected to a digital or analog telephone exchange. Each rack has plural message recorders and plural cards connected to multiple users. Software controls a connection network. Subscriber lines are sampled to sense when a call is being initiated and to signal to a controller that a telephone call is being initiated. A PCM audio interface is activated. An available message channel is switched to the subscriber line, and a corresponding message is played over the subscriber line. Soon the subscriber line is connected to the telephone exchange, and an invitation-to-dial tone is provided. Several different messages are offered in different sets of channels, changing the messages depending on the time of day. When a prohibit service signal is active, the subscriber line is switched directly to the telephone exchange.

12 Claims, 4 Drawing Sheets