Abstract: Methods and systems are disclosed for notifying a called station of an incoming call. The called station has a busy status as a result of a connection to a data network via an access server. Because the called station is connected to the data network, and thus “busy,” the method receives an Internet Call-Waiting message from the access server. The Internet Call-Waiting message includes information representing the telephone number of a calling station. The method queries for additional information representing the calling station, and the method presents the telephone number and the additional information to a user at the called station. The telephone number and the additional information notify the called station of the incoming call.

Abstract: A method and system are provided for delivering personalized messages to a calling party who calls a called party who is engaged in an Internet session over a telephone line not capable of receiving telephone calls without interrupting the Internet connection. The called party receives a notification on her computer screen of an incoming telephone call from a calling party. A drop box on the called party's computer temporarily interrupts the called party and identifies the calling party. The called party may answer the call, forward the call to a separate telephone number, place the call on hold, send the call to voice mail, or type, select or record a personalized message that is delivered to the calling party without interrupting the Internet session. The personalized message may be a text message or a voice message. Text messages are converted from text to speech before delivery to the calling party.

Abstract: An apparatus, system and method for monitoring calls that have been forwarded to a network-based voice mail system (VMS). The VMS receives the forwarded call and sends a start of greeting signal at the beginning and an end of greeting signal at the completion of the voice message greeting to the central office switch. The switch sends an activate call monitoring data message and a call monitoring alert signal to the customer premises equipment (CPE). If the CPE is adapted for call monitoring and includes a speaker assembly, then the speaker assembly is engaged in response to the activate call monitoring data message, thereby allowing hands-free call monitoring. If the CPE does not include a speaker assembly, then the called party may activate call monitoring by lifting the handset in response to detecting a call monitoring alert from the CPE. While monitoring the call, the called party may intercept the call to speak with the calling party.

Abstract: A privacy screening service in an Advanced Intelligent Network (AIN) includes a service node which records a caller's name when a call directed to a subscriber of the service originates at an unknown number. The service node, in turn, places a call to the subscriber and transmits the recorded name together with a signal which is recognizable by a voice mail system. Following the transmission, the service node waits for the subscriber either to accept or reject a call from the caller. When the subscriber's line is answered by a voice mail system, the voice mail system recognizes and acknowledges the signal so that the voice mail system and service node may determine that their call is between two machines and may take appropriate action. One such action is to connect the caller to the subscriber's voice mail and to restart the subscriber's outgoing voice mail greeting.

Abstract: An apparatus for phonetically screening predetermined character strings. The apparatus includes a text-to-speech module, and a phonetic screening module in communication with the text-to-speech module. The phonetic screening module is for replacing a first character string with a second character string based on a phonetic enunciation by the text-to-speech module of the first character string.