Call screening apparatus and method

A call processing method for a platform operating in a telecommunications system, the call processing method comprising:

• receiving a call at the platform, the call placed by a calling party for a called party at a called communication station;
• at the platform, retrieving a subscriber profile for the called party;
• playing to the calling party one of a called party-provided greeting and a greeting announcement;
• determining if a screening list feature is active;
• if so, determining if a number associated with the calling party is available;
• if so, determining if the number associated with the calling party is on a screening list of the called party;
• if so, routing the call to a default destination at the platform;
• if the number associated with the calling party is not available or if the number associated with the calling party is not on the screening list,
• determining if a recorded name screening feature is active;
• if so, prompting the calling party for identification;
• recording the spoken identification provided by the calling party;
• determining status of the called party;
• if the called party is engaged in a call, providing an announcement and entering a call waiting process;
• otherwise, routing the call to a directory number in accordance with the subscriber profile;
• directing network equipment able to communicate with the called communication station to play to the called communication station one of a predefined announcement and the recorded spoken identification;
• determining from the subscriber profile if caller ID screening is active for the called party;
• if so, determining if a calling directory number is available;
• if so, announcing the calling party directory number to the called communication station;
• otherwise, if the calling directory number is not unknown, announcing an unavailable directory number to the called communication station;
• prompting the called party to accept or reject the call;
• detecting a call routing option entered at the called communication station;
• if the call routing option corresponds to rejecting the call, routing the call to a default destination;
• and
• if the call routing option corresponds to accepting the call, connecting the call between the calling party with the called party.