Patent ID: 6978004

Claim:
A system for providing a simultaneous ring service for a subscriber, comprising: a switch in communication with a landline telecommunications unit associated with the subscriber for detecting a first terminating trigger specific to the service in response to an incoming communication to the landline telecommunications unit from a calling party; a service control point in communication with the switch for determining, in response to detection of the first terminating trigger by the switch, whether two or more telecommunications units to be simultaneously rung are available; and a services node in communication with the switch for receiving the incoming communication from the switch when the service control point determines that two or more telecommunications units to be simultaneously rung are available, and, in response thereto, for placing at least one outgoing communication for each of the available telecommunications units to be simultaneously rung, wherein the switch is further for receiving the outgoing communications and for detecting a terminating trigger in response to receiving each of the outgoing communications, and wherein the service control point, in response to detection of the terminating triggers generated by the outgoing communications received by the switch, is further for instructing the switch to route each of the outgoing communications to one of the two or more communications units to be simultaneously rung.