Patent ID: 7236577

Claim:
A call screening system comprising: a filter list of caller identification data; a mapping of said caller identification data in said filter list to corresponding call management rules; an automatic call answering processor configured to automatically establish a connection with a calling party based upon an attempt by said calling party to establish a call connection with a called party; and, a call screening processor coupled to said filter list, said mapping and said automatic call answering processor; said call screening processor matching caller identification data within inbound telephone calls to individual ones of said caller identification data in said filter list, said call screening processor further applying said corresponding call management rules to said inbound telephone calls based upon said call management rules which are mapped to said caller identification data in said filter list; said call screening processor yet further selectively activating said automatic call answering processor to automatically establish individual ones of said inbound telephone calls where said call management rules specify that an automatic answering of an inbound telephone call by the party should occur, wherein said management rules includes automatic monitoring of a telephone line to identify when an inbound call be processed over said telephone line, and playing back of previously recorded voice mail over said telephone line when said monitoring determines that said telephone line can process an inbound call.