Patrick F Marino

US Patent:

48500070, Jul 18, 1989

Filed:

Jun 25, 1987

Appl. No.:

7/066917

Inventors:

Patrick J. Marino - Middletown NJ
Arun N. Netravali - Westfield NJ

Assignee:

American Telephone and Telegraph Company - New York NY
AT&T Bell Laboratories - Murray Hill NJ

International Classification:

H04M 164
H04M 342
H04M 1100

US Classification:

379 67

Abstract:

There is disclosed a system for providing an economical telephone toll service in which a telephone subscriber selects the economical service by, for example, sending an appropriate signal, and then dials his directory assistance call or other telephone toll call. After the caller's options are determined and typically before signaling for the call is commenced, a recorded-announcement of an aural or visual nature is connected to the subscriber's line, the announcement consisting of at least one advertisement. The advertisements are selected from a databank according to some predetermined technique of selection, which may include any number of factors or features to make the service attractive to subscribers and of a nature to make the service also sufficiently rewarding to advertisers. After the initial delay, usually after the advertising announcement is completed, the toll call and/or directory assistance call is processed as usual but at a reduced rate of charge or with automatic credit being given to the customer's account.