Patent ID: 8180038

Claim:
A call routing device, comprising: memory for storing a program having computer executable instructions; and a processor, functionally coupled to the memory, the processor being responsive to the computer executable instructions contained in the program and operative for: receiving a call routing query related to a call request; determining presence of a called party with respect to a registered communication device in response to the registered communication device processing a presence message, the determining presence of the called party being based upon whether the called party has retrieved the presence message from a message server; authenticating with a certificate authority whether the called party has a current subscription; and transmitting a message to the registered communication device determined as present, the message notifying the called party of call being made by a calling party; wherein the message is configured to cause the registered communication device to display options directing how to terminate the call; wherein the message is configured to allow each of a plurality of registered communication devices to select from options directing how to terminate the call; wherein the options at the registered communication device for directing how to terminate the call comprise: forward the call to a voicemail system, forward the call to any of the plurality of registered communication devices, forward the call to a default number, forward the call to a number corresponding to a location at which the message is presently being checked, and forward the call to a number that the called party presently designates in response to the message; wherein the call routing query comprises an account number associated with the called party, a phone number associated with the called party, a registration identification associated with the called party, and a certificate associated with the called party; wherein the authenticating with the certificate authority whether the called party has the current subscription comprises causing the certificate authority to search a customer database for the current subscription and payment information for the called party.