APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR COST EFFECTIVE CALLER IDENTIFICATION AND CALL-WAITING FOR A MULTI-LINE TELEPHONE

Consumer process equipment (CPE) for cost effective caller identification (CID) and call-waiting (CW) for a multi-line telephone includes a single CIDCW detection circuit and a single switch for coupling the single CIDCW detection circuit between a plurality of telephone lines. The CPE is able to process CIDCW information over a plurality of telephone lines by dynamically switching the single switch from one telephone line to another, depending upon the current state of the CPE.