Automated call screening

Claim 1

A call processor for controlling a route of a telephone call from a calling party, comprising: a telecommunications interface operable to receive signals from a telephone line; a call identification number receiver operable to receive a call identification number concurrently transmitted with the telephone call on said telephone line from said telecommunications interface, said call identification number indicating a telephone number of said calling party on said telephone line; a digital announcement circuit operable to provide a greeting to said calling party, said greeting including a request of said calling party for destination determining information of a receiving party associated with the telephone call, said receiving party being one of a plurality of receiving parties associated with a single main called number; a receiver circuit operable to decode said destination determining information from said calling party, said destination determining information identifying an extension number associated with said receiving party desired by said calling party; processing circuitry operable to control elements of the call processor and operable to route the telephone call to a destination associated with said call identification number as programmed by said receiving party desired by said calling party, said destination selected from a plurality of destinations associated with said call identification number including said receiving party desired by said calling party and a facility for recording voice messages, each receiving party capable of uniquely programming said processing circuitry to route each telephone call to a destination associated with said call identification number.