GB2189369A - Telephone announcement systems - Google Patents

Abstract

A telephone announcement system comprises plural announcement units (AU1 to AU8) each connected to a plurality of telephone lines (L). Each unit (AU1 to AU8) stores audio information that can be accessed via the telephone lines (L) and has means for configuring the unit in accordance with a command signal received by the unit and for providing a response signal in response to such a command signal. The system further comprises system control means comprising a single operator terminal (10) and a system controller (30), the controller (30) being connected between the operator terminal and all of the announcement units (AU1 to AU8). The controller (30) comprises a processor which is operative in accordance with a stored program to send a command signal to at least some of the units (AU1 to AU8) in response to an instruction from the operator terminal (10) to begin a concurrent announcement unit configuration operation and thereafter is operative in accordance with the stored program and in accordance with response signals received from the at least some of the units (AU1 to AU8) to control the concurrent configuration operation in a predetermined manner. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Telephone announcement systems This invention relates to telephone announcement systems.

Telephone announcement systems which enable telephone subscribers to gain access to stored announcements in the form of audio information such as speech and/or music are known. Relatively simple telephone announcement systems (e.g.

"speaking clock" systems) have been available for many years. Relatively sophisticated systems, which can be configured easily, for exam ple to update an announcement service and/or to provide multiple announcement services, have become available more recently.

One such system, which is shown in block schem aticform in Figure 1 of the accompanying drawings, comprises an operatorterminal 10, an audio tape recorder 12 and an announcement arrangement or unitAU.Theoperatorterminal 10comprisesa visual displayunitand manual data entry means (for example a keyboard) and is referred to hereinafter, for brevity, as the VDU 10. The tape recorder 12 may be of conventional construction. The announcement unit AU is a proprietary unit, for example an INCALL (trade mark) or MARCALL (trade mark) announce mentunitmarketed byTheMarconicCompany(UK).

The construction of the announcement unit AU is shown in simplified block schematic form in Figure 1. The unit AU comprises configuration logic 14 which enables the service provided by the unit to be controlled and managed in an interactive manner, as described in more detail hereinbelow, bytheVDU 10. To this end,theVDU 10 and the configuration logic are connected to a serial RS232 port 16 ofthe unitAU.

The announcement unit AU further comprises an audio store or memory 18 which is connected to the tape recorder 12 by way of a plug and socket connection 20 whereby, as is explained in more detail below, recorded audio information reproduced from a tape played on the tape recorder 12 may be entered into the audio store 18. Generally, the audio information will be held in the audio store 18 in digital form.

Accordingly, if the tape recorder 12 produces an analogue output, an analogue-to-digital converter (not shown) may be provided in the unit AU between the connection 20 and the audio store 18.

In the lNCALLannouncementunitAU,theaudio store 18 comprises a random access memory (RAM) and can store upto 48 minutes of audio information.

In the MARCALL announcement unitAU, the audio store 18comprisesa discstorewhich can store unto 71/2 hours of audio information.

The announcement unit AU is provided with a plurality oftelephone ports P which are connected to respective ones of a plurality of direct dial inward telephone lines Lofa public telephone network. (The INCALL unit has 60 ofthe ports P and the MARCALL unit has 30 of the ports P). The ports Pare connected to the audio store 18 to receive stored announce ments therefrom. If the telephone system is an analogue system, a digital-to-analogue (D/A) conversion arrangement 22 is connected between the audio store 18 and the ports P.The configuration logic 14 is connected (connection not shown) to the ports P to determine what audio information (announcement) is required buy a particularcalleraccessingtheunit AU via one of the ports P and is connected to the audio store 18to causethe required information to be sent to that port P.

The audio information stored in the audio store 18 is divided into so-called announcement files, hereinafter also referred to more simply as files. (For example, in the case ofthe INCALL unitAU, in which upto48 minutes of audio information can be stored, up to 250 files can be created). A file is created (that is, the unit AU is configured to create a file therein), as described in more detail below, by entering audio information from the tape recorder 12 into the audio store 18 under control of the VDU 10.

UnderthecontroloftheVDU 10, again as more fully described below, the unit AU can be configured such that one or more so-called "services" are defined. A service is either a single file or a selected numberoffilesthatare "chained", that is linked together in a predetermined sequence. (For example, in the INCALLsystem, upto 7files may be chained to form or define a service). The service or each service constitutes an announcement that is sent to one of the telephone lines, via the associated port P, when requested by a subscriber.

The unit AU comprises a plurality (100 in the case of the INCALL unit) of logical channels (hereinafter referred to as channels), each of which may be connected to any one or more of the ports P. Under the control of the VDU 10, each service is assigned to a channel. When a user (telephone subscriber) dials in to the system and is connected to one ofthe ports P,the lasttwo digits of the telephone numberdialled are received by the unit AU and passed to the configuration logic 14. The lasttwodigitssignifya particularrecordedannouncementorservicethatispublished as being available ifthattelephone number is dialled. The configuration logic 14 responds to the last two digits to connect the port Pto a channel to which the associated service is assigned.That channel will then be outputted to that port P forthe duration ofthecall.

Thus, the telephone announcement system described above will automatically connect any one or moreof upto n (where n isthe numberof ports P)of upto (e.g.) 100 services to upto (for example) n telephone subscribers simultaneously. The system operates automatically in that operator intervention byway of usage ofthe VDU 10 and thetape recorder 12 is carried out only when it is desired to exercise operator control to configure the system to provide or update a service orto check or modify the operation of the system.

Such control of the system is effected using the VDU 10 in an interactive mode. Command signals for the announcement unit AU (more specificaily,forthe configuration logic 14) are entered attheVDU 10.

The unit AU receives each character of a command signal and echoes it back to the VDU 10. When sending ofthe command signal from the VDU 10 to the unit AU has been completed, then, if the unit AU is functioning correctly and has correctly received the command signal, the unit AU will execute the command signified by the command signal and will send a response signal (corresponding to the command signal) backto the VDU 10.

When the VDU 10 is initially turned on,thefollow- ing main menu of system facilities is displayed thereon.

S - Service Definition C-Channel Definition O - Output Status P - Port Status I - Input R - Review T-Time M - Management The foregoing system facilities are summarised below.

Service Definition If thins facility is selected, the operator may select, byfile number, up to a predetermined maximum number ofannouncementfiles (7 in the case ofthe INCALL unit) which then constitute a service. (THe file numbers are created by the unit AU when files are created therein: see "Input" below.) Channel Definition If thins facility is selected, the operator may assign a service to a channel.

OutputStatus If this facility is selected, the VDU 10 displays the services allocated to the channels and their activity statuses (active, idle or disabled).

Port Status If thins facility is selected, the VDU 10 displays the activity status (active, idle ordisabled) of all ofthe ports P ofthe unitAU.

Input If this facility is selected, the operator can create a newannouncementfile in the unitAU,wherebya new announcementfile is recorded, named and numbered. This facility is explained in more detail below.

Review If thins facility is selected, the operator can request a review of an announcement file of a service. In this event, the unit AU will output the file via the connec- tion 20 to the tape recorder 12 for direct autio output to the operator.

Time The announcement unitAU keeps an internal record of the date and time. If facility is selected, the current date and time as recorded in the unitAU will be displayed on the VDU 10.

Management Selection ofthis facility enables the operatorto gain access to the unit AU to perform various "housekeeping" functions.

As indicated above, a description will now be given in more detail of how, when the "Input" system facility is invoked, a file can be created in the announcement unit AU. When this facility is invoked, an interactive command/response sequence described below provides for the recording, naming and numbering of a newannouncementfile.

To access the Input facility from the main menu, the operatortypes "I" atthe keyboard of the VDU 10.

The main menu disappears from the display on the VDU 10 and the VDU prompts the operator to enter a neme for the new announcement file. The operator types in the name and presses a "RETURN" key of the keyboard ofthe VDU 10. The operator is then prompted to load a tape into the tape recorder 12 and to press "RETURN" when ready. The operator loads the tape, presses a "PLAY" button on the tape recorder 12 and then presses "RETURN". The audio information thereby transmitted from the tape in the tape recorder 12 to the unit AU via the connection 20 is digitised and stored in the audio store 18 until the operator presses S "RETURN" on the keyboard of the VDU 10. The unit AU allocates a file numberto thatfile. The file number, together with the duration of the recording, is then displayed on the VDU 10.

A problem arises when it is desired to expand a telephone announcement system as described above to cope with an expected traffic demand that exceeds the total number oftelephone ports P on the unitAU. For example, considerthe case of an annou- ncementservice(orservices)forthe latestweather forecast (or forecasts for several regions) which, due to user demand, requires that a plurality (say 8) of INCALL announcement units AU be connected to the telephone network.

One solution to the problem of providing such a service would be to replicate the arrangement shown in Figure 1 eight times, whereby there would be eight substantially independent systems which could, together, handle simultaneously up to 480 incoming calls. Each system would have its own VDU 10 and tape recorder 12. Each time the weather forecast had to be updated, it would be pre-recorded onto a tape and eight duplicates made. Each system would have its own operator and the latest weather forecastwould be inpufled into all of the systems at about the same time by their respective operators.

Such a multiple system would be subject to the disadvantages that it would be labour intensive, requiring one operator per system, and would be capital intensive in that each system would have to have its own VDU 10 and tape recorder 12. Further, the need to make multiple copies of each new tape would necessitate extra expenditure on capital and/ or labour.

A second solution, which would overcome the disadvantage ofthe first solution, would be to have a single operatorwith a singleVDU and a singletape recorder which could be connected to the respective announcement units AU in turn via multi-position switches. However, this solution also would involve disadvantages. All command signals would have to be repeated to each of the announcement units AU in turn, in orderto ensure synchronisation ofthe announcement units AU in turn, in orderto ensure synchronisation ofthe announcement service.

Further, updating of each weatherforecast using the Input system facility would have to be repeated for each of the announcement units. This would not only be tedious, but, assuming a five minute forecast, it would mean that, in the case of eight announcement units,therewould bea 35 minutetime lag between thefirst and the last announcement unit being updated. Obviously, this would be unsatisfactory.

According to the present invention there is provided a telephone announcement system comprising: a plurality of announcement arrangements each connected or connectableto a plurality of telephone lines, each announcement arrangement comprising means for storing audio information that can be accessed via the telephone lines and means for configuring the announcement arrangement in accordance with a command signal received by the announcement arrangement and for providing a response signal in response to a command signal received by the announcement arrangement; and system control means comprising a single operatorterminal and a system controller, the system controller being connected between the operator terminal and all ofthe announcement arrangements and the system controller comprising a processor which is operative in accordance with a stored program to send a command signal to at least some ofthe announcement arrangements in response to an instruction from the operator terminal to begin a concurrent announcement arrangement configuration operation and thereafter is operative in accord ance with the stored program and in accordance with response signals received from said at least some of the announcement arrangements to control the concurrent configuration operation in a predeterm ined manner.

With such a system, concurrent configuration of some or all of announcement arrangements or units can be carried out with a single operator.

The invention will now be further described, by wayofillustrativeand non-limitingexample,with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a schematic block diagram of a known telephone announcement system comprising a single announcement arrangement or unit; Figure2 is a schematic block diagram of the tele phone announcement system embodying the inven tion, which incorporates a plurality of announce ment arrangements or units; Figure 3 is a block schematic view corresponding to Figure 2 and showing a system controller of the telephone announcement system in more detail; Figure 4 is a flow diagram of an "Input" system procedure which is invoked when a file is to be crea ted in the announcement arrangements or units of the system of Figures 2 and 3 ; and Figure 5is a flow diagram of a "Service Definition" procedure which is invoked when a service is to be defined in the announcement arrangements or units ofthe system of Figures 2 and 3.

The known telephone announcement system shown in Figure 1 is described above. Atelephone announcement system embodying the present invention will now be described with reference to Figures 2 and 3. In Figures2and3,itemscorrespond- ing to items shown in Figure 1 are designated bythe same references and their description will not be repeated.

The system of Figures 2 and 3 comprises a single VDU 10, a single tape recorder 12, a concurrent system controlier 30, a bank 34 of operational amplif- iers, and eight individual announcement arrangements or units AU 1 to AU8, these various components being connected together as shown in Figures 2 and 3. Byway of example only, the unitsAU1 to AU8 are assumed to be of the I NCALL type, each having 60 ports, whereby the system can simultaneously handle upto 480 telephone calls. However, itshould be appreciated that MARCALL announcement units or other types of proprietary announcement unit could be used instead oflNCALLunits. Further, the figure of eight announcement units AU is given by way of example only: the system cou Id incorporate a smaller or greater number ofthe unitsAU.

The bank34 of operational amplifiers has a single inputconnectedtothetape recorder 12 and multiple outputs (each being the output of a respective one of the operational amplifiers) each connected to the audio connection 20 of a respective one of the announcement units AU1 to AU8. In this way, audio information from the taper recorder 12 can be sentto all ofthe units AU1 to AU8 simultaneously.

As shown in Figure 3, the system controller30 comprises a microcomputer constituted bya microprocessor 32, a random access memory (RAM) 34 and a program memory 36, these components being interconnected by an address/data bus 38.

The microprocessor 32 may be of conventional construction and may, for example, be of 8, 16 or32bit architecture.

The RAM 34 stores two data buses, namely a system configuration data base and an announcement file name/file number data base. The system configuration data base keeps a record of which of the unitsAU1 to AU8 are in service and which (if any) of the units are out of service. As explained below, the system controller 30 is operative in accordance with the information in the system data base to send command signals to (and expect response signals backfrom) onlythose of the unitsAU1 to AU8 which are in service. The system configuration data base also keeps a record of a "time-out limit" (maximum expected response time) forthe invididual units AU1 to AU8 to respond to a command signal.

Theannouncementfilename/filenumberdata base held in the RAM 34 keeps a recordofthefile numbers allocated by the individual unitsAU1 to AU8 to a file when the operator designates a file name. It should be appreciated, in this connection, that it is by no means certain that, when an announcement file is created simultaneously (as described below) in all ofthe unitsAU1 to AU8 that are in service, they will all allocate the same file numberto that file name. Thus, a record ofthe individual numbers allocated by the respective units AU 1 to AU8 (or such ofthem that are in service) to a particularfile name is maintained.

The program memory 36 stores a program for operating the system in the manner described below.The memory36 may beasolid state memory, such as a read only memory (ROM), a programmable read onlymemory (PROM) oran erasableprogra- mmable read only memory (EPROM), or a rotating media memory such as a floppy disc, a hard disc or a cassette.

A plurality ofinputloutput (I/O) ports 40 are connected to the bus 38. One of the ports 40 connects the VDU 10 to the bus 38. The other ports 40 each connect the port 16 of a respective one of the annou- ncement units AU1 to AU8to the bus 38.

The system controller 30 (and, possibly also the VDU 10) maybe implemented in practice intheform of a proprietary microcomputer, for instance a socalled "personal computer", possibly with some modification and, of course, with the storage therein of softward dedicated to the present application.

The system controller 30 enables a single operator to gain access to all ofthe unitsAU1 to AU8, orat least to those of them that are in service, to configure them as desired (e.g. by way of creating a file or defining a service) concurrently or simultaneously.

Thus, the system controller 30 sends a command signal simultaneously to all ofthe units AU1 to AU8 that are in service. At the same time, the system controller 30 allocates a separate buffer space in the RAM 34forthe response signal expected from each of the units AU 1 to AU8 to which a command signal has been sent. In accordance with thetime-out limits for the units contained in the system configuration data base held in the RAM 34, the controller 30 monitors the response signals from the units AU to which the command signal has been sent and, if responses are received from all such units within the time-out limit, and if all such responses arethe expected responses, the controller 30 sends a single confirmation message to the VDU.If one or more of the units to which the command signal has been sent gives an unexpected responseordoesnotrespond within the time-out period, the controller 30will enter an error routine in which it displayes at the VDU l0thesingleconfiguration messageforthe expected responses that have been received and also displays an error message for each unexpected response or time-out and identifies the unit or units that did not respond, that is to say the unit or units that either did not respond within the time-out limit or sent an unexpected response.As explained below, in these circumstances the operator can either Retry or Abort the command. If command is aborted, either in the first instance or after one or more Retry attempts, the operator can invoke a maintenance facility that enables him to modify the system configuration data base to record that the malfunctioning unitor units is orare out of service.

When the VDU 10 ofthe system of Figures 2 and 3 is first switched on, it may display a main menu similarto that described above which is displayed on the VDU 10 ofthe known system of Figure 1. Additionally, however, the main menu display will enable him to modify the system configuration data base held in the RAM 34to indicate that a particular one of the units AU1 to AU8 found to be defective is out of service. The maintenance facility may also enable the operator to send command signals, when required, onlyto a selected one ofthe units AU 1 to AU8, for example to check the status of that unit.

When the "Input" system facility is selected from the main menu, an interactive response sequence or procedure that will create a file concurrently in all of the announcement unitsAU1 to AU8thatare in service is carried out. That procedure will now be described with reference to a flow diagram of the procedure that is shown in Figure 4.

In a quiescent state of the system controller 30, represented by a step S1 in Figure 4, the main menu of system facilities is displayed on the VDU 10. At a step S2, the operator selects the Input facility by way of the keyboard of the VDU 10, for example by typing "I", by using thecursororby pressing a preprogrammed function key. The controller30 then determines, from the system configuration data base in the RAM 34, which of the announcement units AU 1 to AU8 are in service: see a step S3, in which "in service announcement unit" is abbreviated to "lSAU". Then, ate step S4, the controller30 sends an "Input" command to all ofthe in service announcement units by retransmitting "I" thereto.Then, at a decision step S5, the controller 30 waits for a response from all of the in service announcement units. The expected response from each in service announcement unit is a requestforthe name ofthe new announcement file. If expected request is received from all ofthe in service announcement units within the time-out limit (stored in the system configuration data base in the RAM 34), the controller will (step S6) transmit a similarresponsetotheVDU 10, causing a requestfor the announcementfile nameto be displayed onthe VDU.At a step S7, the controller 30 sends the file name entered attheVDU 10to all ofthe the in service announcement units and also memorisesthe announcementfile name in the announcement file name/ file number data base maintained in the RAM 34.

Next, at a decision step S8, the controller 30 determines whether the expected response from each of the in service announcement units (which is a request to load the tape into the tape recorder 12 and press "RETURN" on the keyboard of the VDU 10) is received before the time-out limit. If the expected response is received from all of the in service announcement units within the time-out limit, the controller30will outputasinglesimilarrequesttotheVDU 10 whereby, at a step S9, a request to load thetape and press "RETURN" " when ready is displayed on the VDU.

The operator will then load the tape into the tape recorder 12, press the "PLAY" button on the tape recorder and press "RETURN" on the keyboard of the VDU 10. Then, eta step S10, the "RETURN" signal istrensmiftedto all ofthein serviceannouncement units whereby the output of the tape recorder 12 is sentto all ofthe announcement units that are in service via the bank 34 of the operational amplifiers and the connections 20 ofthe respective in service announcement units.

When the tape has been played to completion, the operetorwillselecta "STOP" command,for example, bytyping S "RETURN" or pressing a prepr ogrammed function key on the keyboard ofthe VDU 10. The controller 30 recognises the "STOP" command and transmits it (step S11) onto all ofthe in service announcement units.

Next, at a decision step S12, the controller 30 waits for the expected response from each of the in service announcement units, the expected response being a response signal confirming successful recording, indicating the duration of recording, and indicating the file number allocated to the entered file name by the in service announcement unit.If the expected responses are received from all of the in service announcement units, then, at a step S13, the controllerwill memorise the file numbers allocated bythe respective in service announcement units against the file nameforthe current "Input" command in the announcement file name/file number data base maintained in the RAM 34. Aiso, it will transmit a single message to the VDU 1 that signifies success ful recording and prompts the operator to return when ready to the main menu.

If, in any of the decision steps S5, S8 and S12, success is not achieved, the controller 30 will invoke the error routine mentioned briefly above. That is to say, itwill, at a step S14, display a single confirma- tion messegeforthose expected responses that have been received and display also an error message for each unexpected response or time-out and identify the in service announcement unit that did not respond, that is to say the unit that responded with an incorrect request or did not respond within the time-out limit. Also, a prompt two RetryorAbortwill be displayed on the VDU 10. If, at a step S15, the operator decides to Retry, the procedure loops back to the input of the step S4 and is repeated.If, on the other hand, the operator selects Abort, either in the first instance or after one or more Retry aflempts,the procedure loops backto the step S1, at which the main menu is displayed on the VDU 10. The operator can then invoke the maintenance facility or mode to designate the defective announcement unit in the system configuration data base held in the RAM 34 as being defective and/or to send other command signals only to the apparently defective announce mentunit in an attemptto ascertain what iswrong with it.

When the "Service Definition" system facility is selected from the main menu, an interactive response sequence or procedure that will define a service concurrently in all of the announcement units AU 1 to AU8 that are in service is carried out. That procedure will now be described with reference to a flow diagram ofthe procedure that is shown in Figure 5.

Starting at a step S21, which corresponds to the step S1 shown in Figure 4 i which the controller 30 is quiescent and the main menu is displayed, the operator selects the Service Definition facility (step S22) by way of the keyboard of the VDU 10 bytyping "S", using the cursor or pressing a preprogrammed function key. Then in a step S23, corresponding to the step S3 in Figure 4, the controller 30 determines which announcement units are in service by interro gating the system configuration data base held in the RAM 34 and, at a step S24, transmits the Service Definition command signal "S" to the in service announcement units and awaits their responses.The expected response from each in service announcement unit is a requestforthefile number ofthe first announcement file that is to make up the service that is to be defined. If, in a decision step S25, the controller 30 determines that expected responses are received from all of the in service announcement units before the time-out limit, the controller outputs a message to the VDU (step S26) requesting entry of the file name ofthefirst announcementfile that isto make upthe service.Upon entryofthefirstfile name by the operator, the controller 30 searches, in a step S27, the file name/file number data base maintained in the RAM 34 for a file name (and the corresponding file numbers allocated by the respective announcement units) matching the entered file name. Provided a match is found, the controller 30 transmits to each of the in service announcement units the respe ctive file number allocated to thefile name by that respective announcement unit when the announce mentfilewas originally created.

Next, at a decision step S28, the controller 30 awaits the expected response from each of the in service announcement units, which is the file name as memorised by each ofthe announcement units. If the expected response is received from all of the in service announcement units before the time-out limit, the procedure goes on to a step S29. The step S29 gives rise to a loop according to which the steps S26, S27 and S28 are carried out repeatedly until the names of all ofthe files that areto make up the service being defined have been entered. Oncethe operator signifies that no other name is to be entered, the procedure then goes back to the initial step S21.

If, at either of the decision steps S25 and S28, success is not achieved, the procedure goes into an error routine constituted by a display step S29 and a retry/abort step S30. The steps S29 and S30 are substantially identical to the steps S14 and S15 ofthe error routine of Figure 4 and therefore will not further be described.

In the system described above with reference to Figures 2 to 5, the procedures for concurrently configuring the announcement units to create newfiles and to define new services are carried out for all of the announcement units or at least for all ofthe announcement units that are in service. It should, however, be appreciated that it would be possible to configure less than all ofthe announcement units concurrently. For instance, the units may be divided into different groups and only those units making up one group may need to be updated at a particular time, in which eventonlythose units making upthe group would be concurrently configured.

Claims (6)

1. Atelephoneannouncementcomprising: a plurality of announcement arrangements each connected or connectable to a plurality of telephone lines, each announcement arrangement comprising meansforstoring audio information that can be accessed via the telephone lines and means for configuring the announcement arrangement in accordance with a command signal received by the announcement arrangement and for providing a response signal in response to a command signal received by the announcement arrangement; and system control means comprising a single opera torterminal and a system controller, the system controller being connected between the operator terminal and all of the announcement arrangements and the system controller comprising a processor which is operative in accordance with a stored program to send a command signal to at least some of the announcement arrangements in responseto an instruction from the operator terminal to begin a concurrent announcement arrangement configuration operation and thereafter is operative in accord ance with the stored program and in accordance with response signals received from said at least some of the announcement arrangements to control the concurrent configuration operation in a predetermined manner.

2. Atelephone announcement system according to claim 1 ,which includes a system configuration data base in which data identifying any one or more ofthe announcement arrangements that is out of service can be stored, and wherein the system controller is operative in accordance with said data not to send a command signal for concurrently confi- guring the announcement arrangements to any one or more of the arrangements that is identified as out of service.

3. Atelephone announcement system according to claim 1 or claim 2, wherein: each announcement arrangement is capable of being configured to store audio information in the form of a plurality of announcementfiles; each announcement arrangement is responsive to a command signal requiring creation of such a fileto provide a response signal requesting a nameforthe file end, on entry of such a name, is operative to create the file from entered audio information and to output a response signal indicating a file number allocated to thatfile;; and when an announcement file is to be created concurrently in at least some of the announcement arrangements, the system controller is responsive to an instruction from the operator terminal to begin a concurrent announcement arrangementfile creation operation operation to (i) send a command signal requiring creation of the file to said at least some of the announcement arrangements, (ii) on receiptof a response signal, requesting a name for the file, from all of said at least some ofthe announcement arrangements, promptthe operator to enter a file name atthe operator terminal and thereafter send the file name to said at least some of the announcement arrangements, and (iii) on receipt of a response signal, indicating a file number allocated to the file, from all of said at least some ofthe announcement arrangements, store the file numbers allocated by the respective announcement arrangements for the corresponding file name in an announcement file number/file name data base.

4. Atelephone announcementsystem according to claim 3, wherein, intermediate steps (ii) and (iii), the system controller is operative to promptthe operatorto enterthe audio information that isto be used to create the file.

5. Atelephone announcement system according to claim 3 or claim 4, wherein: each announcement arrangement is capable of being configured so esto linke plurality of announ- cement files to form an announcement service; and when a n an announcementserviceistobedefined concurrently in at least some of the announcement arrangements, the system controller is responsive to an instruction from the operatorterminel to begin a concurrent announcement arrangement announcement service definition operation to (a) send a command signal requiring definition of the announcement service to said at least some of the announcement arrangements, (b) on receipt of a response signal, requesting the file number ofthe first file of the service, from all of said at least some of the announcement arrangements, promptthe operator to enterthefile name at the operator terminal, end thereafter search the file number/file name data base for a file name matching the entered file name, and retrieve from the data base the corresponding file numbers forthe respective said at least some of the announcement arrangements and send them to the respective arrangements, and (c) repeat step (b) until all the files names that are to form the service have been entered.

6. Atelephone announcement system substantially as herein described with reference to Figures 2to 5 ofthe accompanying drawings.