Method and apparatus for dialed number verification

Abstract

A method and apparatus to verify a dialed number is described. A request is received from a calling party to send a first call station a number sent from the first call station and associated with a second call station. The number is sent in accordance with the request.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . A method to verify a dialed number, comprising: 
 receiving a request from a calling party to send a first call station a number sent from said first call station and associated with a second call station; and    sending said number in accordance with said request.    
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising: 
 determining whether a first call request to connect said first call station with said second call station is active; and    terminating said first call request in accordance with said determination prior to sending said first call station said number.    
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising: 
 sending a reconnect request to said first call station after said number is sent;    receiving a response to said reconnect request; and    sending a second call request to connect said first call station with said second call station.    
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 3 , wherein said second call request utilizes said number.  
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 3 , wherein said second call request utilizes another number.  
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said sending comprises: 
 converting said number to audio form; and    sending said number to said first call station in audio form.    
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said first call station is associated with a display device, and said sending comprises sending said number to said display device.  
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein said display device is a caller identification display device.  
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising sending indicia of said request to a billing system.  
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 9 , further comprising: 
 recording said request by said billing system; and    billing said request to the calling party.    
     
     
         11 . A machine-readable medium whose contents cause a computer system to verify a dialed number, comprising: 
 receiving a request from a calling party to send a first call station a number sent from said first call station and associated with a second call station; and    sending said number in accordance with said request.    
     
     
         12 . The machine-readable medium of  claim 11 , further comprising: 
 determining whether a first call request to connect said first call station with said second call station is active; and    terminating said call request in accordance with said determination prior to sending said first call station said number.    
     
     
         13 . The machine-readable medium of  claim 12 , further comprising: 
 sending a reconnect request to said first call station after said number is sent;    receiving a response to said reconnect request; and    sending a second call request to connect said first call station with said second call station.    
     
     
         14 . The machine-readable medium of  claim 13 , wherein said second call request utilizes said number.  
     
     
         15 . The machine-readable medium of  claim 13 , wherein said second call request utilizes another number.  
     
     
         16 . The machine-readable medium of  claim 11 , wherein said sending comprises: 
 converting said number to audio form; and    sending said number to said first call station in audio form.    
     
     
         17 . The machine-readable medium of  claim 11 , wherein said first call station is associated with a display device, and said sending comprises sending said number to said display device.  
     
     
         18 . The machine-readable medium of  claim 17 , wherein said display device is a caller identification display device.  
     
     
         19 . The machine-readable medium of  claim 11 , further comprising sending indicia of said request to a billing system.  
     
     
         20 . The machine-readable medium of  claim 11 , further comprising: 
 recording said request by said billing system; and    billing said request to the calling party.    
     
     
         21 . An apparatus to verify a dialed number, comprising a dialed number verification module to receive a dialed number verification request from a calling station and to send said dialed number to said calling station in response to said request.  
     
     
         22 . A method of delivering a dialed number to a calling party over a network, comprising: 
 connecting a first call station used by said calling party to a messaging platform to create a message for a second call station;    determining whether to send said first call station a number associated with said second call station; and    sending said number to said first call station in accordance with said determination.    
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 22 , wherein said connecting comprises: 
 receiving a call request to connect said first call station to said second call station using said number;    determining whether said second call station answers said call request;    determining whether to create a message for said second call station if said second call station does not answer said call request; and    connecting said first call station to said messaging platform if said first call station is to create said message.    
     
     
         24 . The method of  claim 22 , wherein said determining comprises: 
 sending a dialed number verification request to said first call station;    receiving a response to said dialed number verification request indicating whether to send said first call station said number; and    determining whether to send said first call station said number in accordance with said response.    
     
     
         25 . The method of  claim 22 , wherein said determining comprises: 
 accessing a user profile associated with said first call station and having a predetermined dialed number verification response; and    determining whether to send said first call station said number in accordance with said response.    
     
     
         26 . The method of  claim 22 , wherein said determining comprises: 
 accessing a system profile associated with said messaging platform and having a predetermined dialed number verification response; and    determining whether to send said first call station said number in accordance with said response.    
     
     
         27 . The method of  claim 22 , wherein said determining comprises: 
 accessing a user profile associated with said second call station and having a predetermined dialed number verification response; and    determining whether to send said first call station said number in accordance with said response.    
     
     
         28 . The method of  claim 22 , wherein said sending comprises: 
 retrieving said number; and    sending said number to said first call station over a public switched telephone network.    
     
     
         29 . The method of  claim 28 , wherein said retrieving comprises: 
 receiving a message creation request having said number at said messaging platform;    storing said number in memory; and    retrieving said number from said memory.    
     
     
         30 . The method of  claim 28 , wherein said retrieving comprises: 
 sending a number request to a device storing said number; and    receiving said number from said device.    
     
     
         31 . The method of  claim 30 , wherein said device provides dialed number identification services.  
     
     
         32 . The method of  claim 22 , wherein said messaging platform is part of an intelligent services network.  
     
     
         33 . The method of  claim 22 , wherein said messaging platform comprises customer premise equipment.  
     
     
         34 . The method of  claim 33 , wherein said customer premise equipment comprises a telephone answering machine.  
     
     
         35 . The method of  claim 22 , further comprising sending indicia of said request to a billing system.  
     
     
         36 . The method of  claim 35 , further comprising: 
 recording said request by said billing system; and    billing said request to the calling party.    
     
     
         37 . A machine-readable medium whose contents cause a computer system to deliver a dialed number to a calling party over a network to connect a first call station to a second call station, comprising: 
 connecting said first call station to a messaging platform connected to said network to create a message for said second call station;    determining whether to send said first call station a number associated with said second call station; and    sending said number to said first call station in accordance with said determination.    
     
     
         38 . The machine-readable medium of  claim 37 , wherein said connecting comprises: 
 receiving a call request to connect a first call station to said second call station using said number;    determining whether said second call station answers said call request;    determining whether to create a message for said second call station if said second call station does not answer said call request; and    connecting said first call station to said messaging platform if said first call station is to create said message.    
     
     
         39 . The machine-readable medium of  claim 37 , wherein said determining comprises: 
 sending a dialed number verification request to said first call station;    receiving a response to said dialed number verification request indicating whether to send said first call station said number; and    determining whether to send said first call station said number in accordance with said response.    
     
     
         40 . The machine-readable medium of  claim 37 , wherein said determining comprises: 
 accessing a user profile associated with said first call station and having a predetermined dialed number verification response; and    determining whether to send said first call station said number in accordance with said response.    
     
     
         41 . The machine-readable medium of  claim 37 , wherein said determining comprises: 
 accessing a system profile associated with said messaging platform and having a predetermined dialed number verification response; and    determining whether to send said first call station said number in accordance with said response.    
     
     
         42 . The machine-readable medium of  claim 37 , wherein said determining comprises: 
 accessing a user profile associated with said second call station and having a predetermined dialed number verification response; and    determining whether to send said first call station said number in accordance with said response.    
     
     
         43 . The machine-readable medium of  claim 37 , wherein said sending comprises: 
 retrieving said number; and    sending said number to said first call station using a public switched telephone network.    
     
     
         44 . The machine-readable medium of  claim 43 , wherein said retrieving comprises: 
 receiving a message creation request having said number at said messaging platform;    storing said number in memory; and    retrieving said number from said memory.    
     
     
         45 . The machine-readable medium of  claim 43 , wherein said retrieving comprises: 
 sending a number request to a device storing said number; and    receiving said number from said device.    
     
     
         46 . The machine-readable medium of  claim 37 , further comprising sending indicia of said request to a billing system.  
     
     
         47 . The machine-readable medium of  claim 46 , further comprising: 
 recording said request by said billing system; and    billing said request to the calling party.    
     
     
         48 . An apparatus to deliver a dialed number to a calling party over a network to connect a first call station to a second call station, comprising: 
 a messaging platform connected to said network to record a voice message created by said first call station for said second call station, said second call station having a number associated with said second call station; and    a dialed number verification module connected to said messaging platform, said message verification module sending said number to said first call station prior to creating said message.    
     
     
         49 . The apparatus of  claim 48 , wherein said messaging platform comprises: 
 a message control processor; and    an audio interface to send said number to said first call station in audio form.    
     
     
         50 . The apparatus of  claim 48 , wherein said messaging platform comprises a voice answering machine.  
     
     
         51 . The apparatus of  claim 48 , wherein said messaging platform also connects to an intelligent services network.  
     
     
         52 . A system to deliver a dialed number to a calling party over a network, comprising: 
 a first call station;    a second call station;    said network connecting said first call station to said second call station, said network receiving a number sent by said first call station to connect said second call station with said first call station; and    a messaging platform connected to said network, said messaging platform sending said number to said first call station prior to creating a message for said second call station.    
     
     
         53 . The method of  claim 22 , wherein said determining and sending is performed by said message platform.  
     
     
         54 . The method of  claim 22 , wherein said determining and sending is performed by a network device other than said messaging platform.