Importance

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Abstract

The invention is a method of receiving digital data from a Local Switching Office (LSO) on first party equipment that is communicating, in an off-hook state, via the LSO with second party equipment. The method presumes that the first party equipment has a telephone line interface that interfaces with a telephone line and an acoustic transducer interface with a loudspeaker and a microphone. The method generally includes the steps of receiving an alert signal from the LSO, temporarily preventing a first party signal from being transmitted to the line interface after receiving the alert signal, sending an acknowledgment signal to the LSO via the line interface, transmitting a pre-determined comfort signal to the loudspeaker via the acoustic transducer interface while receiving the digital data via the telephone line interface to inform the user that the digital data is being received while relieving the user from having to hear the actual reception of the digital data, or from listening to a silent loudspeaker, and finally, after receiving the digital data via the telephone line interface, restoring the first party signal through the line interface, and no longer transmitting the predetermined comfort signal to the loudspeaker. The digital data may contain, for example, caller ID information as transmitted to a Type 2 telephone capable of receiving such information.

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First Claim