Method and apparatus for providing expanded telecommunications service

A method of using Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) to provide a called party the ability to audibly screen calls via a networked computer, the method comprising:

• receiving, at a first system, a call from a calling patty intended forte called party, wherein signaling information associated with the call includes the calling party's phone number;
• playing a greeting to the calling party;
• opening a communication channel over the Internet with a networked computer associated with the called party;
• transmitting in substantially real time at least a portion of the signaling information for display to the called party on the networked computer;
• and
• transmitting in substantially real time a VoIP voice communication from the calling party over the communication channel to the networked computer so that the called party can audibly listen to the voice communication in substantially real time and screen the calling part's call.

A method of providing a called party the ability to screen calls using a wireless phone via an audible message from the calling party, the method comprising:

• receiving, at a first system, a call from a calling party intended for the called party;
• playing a greeting via the first system to the calling party;
• opening a communication channel with a wireless phone associated with the called party;
• and
• transmitting in substantially real time via the first system an audible voice communication from the calling party over the communication channel to the wireless phone so that the called party can listen to and screen the audible voice communication in substantially real time.

A method of enabling a called party to audibly screen calls via a device having a call management user interface displayed on a screen, the method comprising:

• receiving, at a first system, a call from a calling party intended for the called party;
• playing a greeting to the calling party;
• opening a communication channel to a communication device having a display, wherein the display displays a user interface including,
• a first control that, when selected by the called party, causes the first system to enable the called party to talk to the caller;
• a second control that, when selected by the called party, causes the first system to transfer the call to another communication device;
• transmitting in substantially real time an audible voice communication from the calling party over the communication channel to the commumication device so that the called party can listen to the audible voice communication in substantially real time and screen the calling party's call;
• and
• receiving an indication at the first system that the called party selected the first control or the second control while the voice communication from the calling party is being transmitted in substantially real time.

A method of locating a called party and providing the called party the ability to audibly screen calls, the method comprising;

• receiving, at a first system, a call from a calling party intended for the called party;
• playing a greeting to the culling party;
• retrieving from computer readable memory associated with the first system stored information corresponding to a plurality of terminals associated with the called party;
• determining at which of the plurality of terminals the called party is currently located;
• opening a communication channel with the terminal the called party is currently located at;
• and
• transmitting in substantially real time a voice communication from the calling party over the communication channel to the terminal at which the called party is currently located so that the called party can listen to the voice communication in substantially real time and screen the calling party's call.

A method of providing a called party the ability to screen calls that are forwarded to a call processing system, the method comprising:

• receiving at a call processing system a call from a first entity intended for a second entity that was forwarded via a PSTN, wherein the call was forwarded by a call directing method selected from the group including busy call forward and no answer call forward;
• playing a greeting to the first entity;
• opening a communication channel with a first communication device associated with the second entity;
• and
• transmitting in substantially real time via the first system a voice communication from the first entity over the communication channel to the communication device so that the second entity can listen to and screen the voice communication in substantially real time.