Importance

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Abstract

Methods and apparatus are disclosed for using information about a calling party's identity or the importance of a call to control the call waiting signal played to a called party that is busy on another call. Upon determining that a called communication station is busy on another call, information about the identity of the calling party is obtained from the calling station. This information is processed to determine call routing treatment, and particularly to determine whether a call waiting signal is to be played for the call and, if so, what type of call waiting signaling is to be played. The called party can determine information about the identity of the calling party from the call waiting signaling, and thus determine whether to interrupt the call in progress to respond to the call waiting signal. In one exemplary embodiment of the invention, information about the calling party's identity is used to provide a distinctive call waiting signal which identifies the caller as being a particular individual or as a member of a particular group of individuals. In another exemplary embodiment of the invention, information about the calling party's identity controls whether a call waiting signal is played to the called party or suppressed.

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First Claim