Telephone marketing system

Claim 1

A marketing system for selectively modifying an existing telephone network by modifying a portion of the call processing software of the existing telephone network and by replacing at least a portion of an audible call progress signal including either a busy signal or a ringback signal generated by the telephone network by a generally continuous prerecorded announcement, the system comprising: means for placing a telephone call by a calling party at a first telephone; means for connecting the telephone call to an identified called station at a second telephone having a particular calling status; means for initially determining the busy/idle status of the second telephone, said determining means thereafter checking the busy/idle status of the second telephone at predetermined intervals prior to completion of the call; means for playing at least one generally continuous announcement to the calling party for a predetermined period of time during a time period when an audible call progress signal would have been provided to the calling party, said playing means determining the announcement to play based upon criteria established exclusively by the marketing system and independently of the identity of the called station; and means for terminating the playing of the announcement and completing the call to the called station, in the case of the second telephone having an initial idle status, said announcement terminating and call completing means completing the call when the second telephone is answered and, in the case of the second telephone having an initial busy status, said announcement terminating and call completing means completing the call when the status of the second telephone changes to an idle status and the second telephone is thereafter answered.