Telephone voice-ringing using a transmitted voice announcement

A method for completing a telephone call comprising the steps of:

• transmitting a call request signal, received from a first communications device, over a non-dedicated communications medium to a second communications device, said call request signal containing a verbal announcement, generated prior to initiating a call to a called party, where said call request signal is transmitted without requiring any system recognition of any portion of the verbal announcement content, and said verbal announcement to be audibly played using said second communications device;
• transmitting a call answer message over said non-dedicated communications medium to said first communications device in response to said played verbal announcement;
• establishing a voice connection between said first and second communications devices in response to said call answer message;
• and
• wherein the step of transmitting a call request signal includes the steps of recording said call request signal and storing said call request signal as an audio file.

A method for signaling a called party of an incoming telephone call comprising the steps of:

• generating a voice announcement, prior to initiating a call to a called party, by a calling party by utilizing a first communications device;
• transmitting said voice announcement, without requiring any system recognition of any portion of the voice announcement content, to a second communications device over a non-dedicated communications medium, wherein said second communications device is utilized by the called party;
• receiving said voice announcement at said second communications device;
• and
• audibly playing said voice announcement by said second communications device to signal the called party of an incoming telephone call.

A method for notifying a called party of an incoming telephone call comprising the steps of:

• receiving a verbal announcement generated by a calling party, prior to initiating a call to a called party, at a first communications device;
• converting said verbal announcement into a digital signal;
• and
• transmitting said digital signal, without requiring any system recognition of any portion of the verbal announcement content, to the called party at a second communications device over a non-dedicated communications medium to notify the called party of an incoming telephone call.

A method for signaling a called party of an incoming telephone call comprising the steps of:

• receiving a voice announcement, generated prior to initiating a call to a called party, from a first communications device utilized by a calling party;
• storing said voice announcement as an audio file;
• and
• transmitting said voice announcement, without requiring any system recognition of any portion of the voice announcement content, over a non-dedicated communications medium to a second communications device utilized by the called party, said voice announcement audibly played by said second communications device to signal the called party of an incoming telephone call.