Forked-call ringback replacement system

A system for customizing a communications network, said system comprising:

• a first communications station associated with a calling party;
• a second communications station associated with a called party;
• a ringback system for receiving information regarding a first proximity location of said first communications station and for receiving information regarding a second proximity location of said second communications station;
• a storage device containing at least one announcement;
• and
• a communications device for initiating a forked or forwarded call to locate said called party at said second communications station;
• wherein said forked or forwarded call is initiated by said calling party, and
• further wherein at least a portion of a call signal is replaced with at least a portion of said at least one announcement, and
• further wherein said at least one announcement is played to said calling party after said initiation of said forked or forwarded call,
• wherein said ringback system determines that said at least one announcement is associated with said first proximity location,
• wherein said at least one announcement is chosen by said called party and is associated with a telephone number of said calling party, and
• further wherein said portion of said call signal is replaced after said initiation of said forked or forwarded call but prior to active communication with said called party,
• wherein said information regarding a second proximity location is transmitted to said first communications station prior to said active communication with said called party,
• wherein said second communications station is selected from the group consisting of a telephone, a wireless telephone, a cellular telephone, a video telephone, a mobile computer, a personal digital assistant, and a multimedia handset.

A system for customizing a communications network, said system comprising:

• a first communications station associated with a calling party;
• a second communications station associated with a called party;
• a storage device containing a plurality of announcements;
• and
• a communications device for initiating a forked or forwarded call to locate said called party at said second communications station;
• wherein said forked or forwarded call is initiated by said calling party,
• wherein said system receives information regarding a first proximity location of said first communications station and receives information regarding a second proximity location of said second communications station,
• wherein said system determines whether said first proximity location is associated with at least one announcement of said plurality of announcements, and
• wherein said system replaces at least a portion of a call signal with at least a portion of said at least one announcement upon a positive determination that said at least one announcement is associated with said first proximity location,
• further wherein said at least a portion of said at least one announcement is played to said calling party after said initiation of said forked or forwarded call,
• wherein said at least one announcement is chosen by said calling party and is associated with a telephone number of said calling party,
• wherein said at least a portion of said call signal is replaced after said initiation of said forked or forwarded call but prior to active communication with said called party, and
• wherein said communications network is selected from the group consisting of a circuit-switched network, a packet-based network, the Internet, a local area network, a wide area network, a virtual private network, a metropolitan area network, a broadcast network, a wireless network, and a cellular network.

A method for replacing at least a portion of a call signal with at least a portion of an announcement, comprising:

• placing a call by a calling party from a first communications device;
• locating a second communications device via a forked or forwarded call;
• accessing a storage device containing at least one announcement of a plurality of announcements;
• playing at least a portion of said at least one announcement to said first communications device as a call signal;
• and
• terminating the playing of said at least a portion of said at least one announcement to said first communications device;
• receiving, via a communication device, information regarding a first proximity location of said first communications device and receiving information regarding a second proximity location of said second communications device,
• wherein said communication device determines whether said first proximity location is associated with at least one announcement of said plurality of announcements, and
• wherein said communication device replaces at least a portion of a call signal with at least a portion of said at least one announcement upon a positive determination that said at least one announcement is associated with said first proximity location,
• wherein said at least one announcement is chosen by said called party and is associated with a telephone number of said calling party,
• wherein said at least a portion of said at least one announcement is played after the placing of the call but prior to active communication with the second communications device, and
• wherein said call signal is selected from the group consisting of ringback signals, busy signals, network redirect signals, call progress signals, network announcement signals, and dial tone signals.

A method for customizing a communications network, said method comprising the steps of:

• establishing communication with a system capable of replacing at least a portion of a call signal with at least one announcement, wherein said at least one announcement is selected from the group consisting of audio, video, data, and a combination of audio, video, or data;
• accessing a storage device containing said at least one announcement;
• associating a first geographical location with said at least one announcement;
• determining a second geographical location of a communications device;
• delivering at least a portion of said at least one announcement as a call signal while a communications device is located via a forked or forwarded call,
• wherein said at least a portion of said at least one announcement is delivered if said first geographical location matches said second geographical location;
• wherein said at least one announcement is chosen by said called party and is associated with a telephone number of said calling party;
• and
• wherein said at least a portion of said at least one announcement is delivered after establishing the communication with said system but prior to active communication with the communications device.