Caller id and call waiting for multiple cpes on a single telephone line

Abstract

In accordance with the present invention, provided is a system allowing a plurality of conforming customer premise equipment ('CCPEs') on a single telephone line to display a third party's caller information while users are communicating with a second party. One CCPE of the plurality of CCPEs is a primary CCPE, whereas the remaining CCPE(s) are secondary CCPE(s). While the users are communicating with the second party using any one or more of the CCPEs, each CCPE detects whether a CPE alerting signal ('CAS') tone has been transmitted by the central office, thereby detecting when the third party is calling. Each CCPE responds by disconnecting the CCPE's telephone from the telephone line. After all of the CCPEs are on-hook, the primary CCPE then goes off-hook and transmits a CAS acknowledgement ('CAS ACK') signal to the central office. All of the CCPEs then wait for the central office to transmit the CID information in response to the CAS ACK signal.