Abstract: An enhanced telephone service system including a subscriber service manager and a customization module. The subscriber service manager is configured to receive subscriber transaction-ID requests, supply transaction identifiers and respond to queries for subscriber profile data. The customization module is configured to receive customization messages. When a customization message includes a transaction identifier, the customization module compares the transaction identifier in the customization message with the transaction identifiers generated by the subscriber service manager. Only if there is a match between the transaction identifiers does the customization module register the customization data. Alternatively, if the customization message does not contain a transaction identifier but does contain a subscriber identifier, the customization module temporarily stores the customization data.

Abstract: An alerting device generates a variable alert that is varied to indicate the amount of time that has elapsed since the alert began. The alerting device has an alert signal detector, a timing unit, an alert signal generator and an alert unit. The alert signal detector responds to an activation signal to activate the timing unit, and the alert signal detector responds to a deactivation signal to reset the timing unit. The timing unit generates timing information to the alert signal generator indicating the elapsed time since the occurrence of the activation signal. The alert signal generator responds to the activation signal and to the timing information to generate an alert signal that indicates the elapsed time since the occurrence of the activation signal. The alert signal generator further responds to the deactivation signal to disable the alert signal. The alert unit responds to the alert signal to generate an alert that reflects the elapsed time since the occurrence of the activation signal.

Abstract: An alerting device generates a variable alert that is varied to continuously or continually indicate the amount of time that has elapsed since the alert began. The alerting device has an alert signal detector, a timing unit, an alert signal generator and an alert unit. The alert signal detector responds to an activation signal to activate the timing unit, and the alert signal detector responds to a deactivation signal to reset the timing unit. The timing unit generates timing information to the alert signal generator indicating the elapsed time since the occurrence of the activation signal. The alert signal generator responds to the activation signal and to the timing information to generate an alert signal that indicates the elapsed time since the occurrence of the activation signal. The alert signal generator further responds to the deactivation signal to disable the alert signal.