Traffic Service Position System No. 1: Busy Line Verification Feature

Abstract

The Busy Line Verification feature is a recent development in the Traffic Service Position System (TSPS) No. 1. This feature allows a TSPS operator to verify the busy or idle state of a customer line. Based on a calling customer's request, the TSPS operator initiates a connection of his or her position through a dedicated switched network to a special trunk in the end office of the line to be verified. The operator can determine from a console lamp if the phone is off-hook and can listen for conversation on the line. To protect customer privacy, a special circuit scrambles the conversation to make it unintelligible — but stilt recognizable as speech. By depressing a key on the console, which deactivates the scrambler and generates an alerting tone, the operator is also able to interrupt conversation and deliver an emergency notification. The new verification feature also provides for automatic message accounting records and for coin and hotel charge quotations when tariffs include charges for verification. By serving busy line verification requests that previously had to be handled through manual switchboards, the new TSPS feature saves operator time and costs for the operating company.