Patent ID: 8000462

Claim:
In a remote management messenger system (RMMS), a method for screening a packet-based call originated from a caller via a caller telecommunication device (CTD) to a receiver telecommunication device (RTD), the RTD includes a telephone having a first IP address and a speaker having a second IP address, via the RMMS, comprising: relaying first packets pertaining to the call from the RMMS to the RTD, including sending the first packets to the first IP address but not to the second IP address; activating, if a receiver associated with the RTD does not respond to the packet-based call within a predetermined time period, an answering-and-recording function (ARF) associated with the RMMS to enable the ARF to receive and record packets pertaining to the packet-based call while permitting the receiver to continue to hear the caller, the activating the ARF enabling the ARF to receive second packets pertaining to the call from the CTD and to transmit third packets associated with a pre-recorded message from the ARF to the CTD wherein activating the ARF results in the third packets being sent to the second IP address but not to the first IP address; and if the receiver responds to the packet-based call after the ARF is activated, permitting the receiver to continue the packet-based call with the caller, wherein the RMMS is configured to communicate with the telephone and the speaker via the first and second IP addresses, respectively.