System and method for preserving transparent and private universal numbers
Aspects of the subject disclosure may include, for example, a device of a first party, including: a processing system including a processor; and a memory that stores executable instructions that, when executed by the processing system, facilitate performance of operations of storing a first connection link for a call from the first party to a called party; receiving a request for contact information of the called party from a third-party device; and sending a copy of the first connection link to the third-party device, wherein a second device of the called party displays referring information indicating that the first connection link was shared by the first party when the third-party device uses the copy to call the second device. Other embodiments are disclosed.
1 . A device of a first party, comprising:
a processing system including a processor; and
a memory that stores executable instructions that, when executed by the processing system, facilitate performance of operations, the operations comprising:
storing a first connection link for a call from the first party to a called party;
receiving a request for contact information of the called party from a third-party device;
sending a copy of the first connection link to the third-party device, wherein the copy of the first connection link includes information identifying the first party as a referrer;
causing a second device of the called party to display referring information identifying the first party as the referrer of the first connection link at a time that the third-party device uses the copy to call the second device;
causing the copy of the first connection link to expire after the third-party device initiates the call to the second device;
causing the copy of the first connection link to become permanent in response to the second device accepting the call; and
activating a monitoring condition associated with the first connection link, and invalidating the first connection link after the monitoring condition is met.
2 . The device of claim 1 , wherein the operations further comprise sending the copy of the first connection link to a network element of a communications network of the called party.
3 . The device of claim 2 , wherein the operations further comprise calling the called party using the first connection link.
4 . The device of claim 3 , wherein the network element maintains a phone number for the second device in association with the first connection link.
5 . The device of claim 1 , wherein the third-party device is not in a contact list of the second device of the called party.
6 . The device of claim 5 , wherein the copy of the first connection link becomes permanent in response to the second device accepting the referring information.
7 . The device of claim 5 , wherein, the first party is in the contact list of the second device of the called party.
8 . The device of claim 1 , wherein the processing system comprises a plurality of processors operating in a distributed computing environment.
9 . A method, comprising:
sending, by a processing system including a processor of a first device associated with a first party, a first connection link for a call to a second device a called party to a network element of a communications system;
receiving, by the processing system, a request for contact information of the called party from a third-party device;
sending, by the processing system, a copy of the first connection link to the third-party device, wherein the copy of the first connection link includes information identifying the first party as a referrer;
causing a second device of the called party to display referring information identifying the first party as the referrer of the first connection link at a time that the third-party device uses the copy to call the second device;
causing, by the processing system, the copy of the first connection link to be temporary;
causing, by the processing system, the copy of the first connection link to become permanent in response to the second device accepting the referring information; and
activating, by the processing system, a monitoring condition associated with the first connection link, and invalidating the first connection link after the monitoring condition is met.
10 . The method of claim 9 , further comprising storing, by the processing system, the copy of the first connection link in the third-party device.
11 . The method of claim 10 , further comprising calling, by the processing system, the called party using the first connection link.
12 . The method of claim 11 , wherein the network element maintains a phone number for the second device in association with the first connection link.
13 . The method of claim 9 , further comprising determining, by the processing system, via the network element, that the third-party device is not in a contact list of the second device.
14 . The method of claim 13 , further comprising causing, by the processing system, the copy of the first connection link to become permanent in response to the second device accepting the call.
15 . The method of claim 13 , further comprising determining, by the processing system, via the network element, that the first party is in a contact list associated with the second device.
16 . A non-transitory machine-readable medium, comprising executable instructions that, when executed by a processing system including a processor of a first device of a first party, facilitate performance of operations, the operations comprising:
storing a first connection link for a call from the first party to a called party;
receiving a request for contact information of the called party from a third-party device; and
sending a copy of the first connection link to the third-party device, wherein the copy of the first connection link includes information identifying the first party as a referrer;
causing a second device of the called party to display referring information identifying the first party as the referrer of the first connection link at a time that the third-party device uses the copy to call the second device, via a communications network;
causing the copy of the first connection link to be temporary;
causing, based on the second device accepting at least one of the call or the referring information, the copy of the first connection link to become permanent; and
activating a monitoring condition associated with the first connection link, and invalidating the first connection link after the monitoring condition is met.
17 . The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 16 , wherein the operations further comprise sending the copy of the first connection link to a network element of the communications network of the called party.
18 . The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 17 , wherein the operations further comprise calling the called party using the first connection link.
19 . The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 18 , wherein the network element maintains a phone number for the second device in association with the first connection link.
20 . The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 16 , wherein the operations further comprise causing the copy of the first connection link to expire after the third-party device initiates the call to the second device.