Abstract: System and method for implementing call waiting functions over a network architecture which includes a public switched telephone network (PSTN) and the Internet. The call waiting system allows a user to receive incoming call information from a third party without interrupting an active connection with a second party, such as an Internet Service Provider (ISP). When the user attempts to connect to the ISP, a call waiting service is activated at a service control point connected to the PSTN and the user is notified about any incoming call attempts made after the user establishes a successful connection with the second party. The call waiting system indicates the number of, and provides information about incoming call attempts to the user. Meanwhile, the third party caller has the option of leaving a voice mail message for the user. If the user is actively connected to the Internet, a call waiting Internet server can be used to provide the incoming call information to the user's computer terminal.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for creating customized call processing information (CCPI) records to permit customized telephone services for individual subscribers to a telephone network. The records are provided in a binary representation, an internal data structure representation and a displayed representation. The displayed representation for a CCPI record may be provided in a plurality of formats. For example, a "graph" format or a "form" format. The binary and internal data structure representations of a CCPI record are less machine dependent than the displayed representation and can, therefore, be implemented in a variety of processing devices. The displayed representation can be developed by an operator to correspond to any desired operating environment which, when interfaced with the internal data structure representation, permits the creation of CCPI records on a wide variety of processing devices.