Methods and apparatus for returning a call over a telephony system

1. A method of performing a call operation for a call associated with a caller private phone number, the method comprising:

receiving, at a call processing system, from a caller a call intended for a user;

receiving, at the call processing system, signaling information, including a private phone number associated with the caller;

storing the private phone number in encrypted form in computer readable memory, wherein the user is prevented from viewing the private phone number;

notifying the user of the call, via the call processing system, wherein the notification does not include the private phone number;

enabling the user to call the private phone number without revealing the private phone number to the user, via an interface accessible via at least one user terminal,

wherein the caller's private phone number does not appear on a telephone bill of the user as a result of the call to the caller's private phone number;

receiving at the call processing system a caller identifier for the caller provided by the user;

causing, at least in part, the caller identifier to be stored in computer readable memory with an association with the private caller phone number without revealing the private caller phone number to the user; and

at least partly in response to a second call from the caller, providing via at least one terminal the user with a notification of the second call without revealing the private caller phone number to the user, the second call notification including the user provided caller identifier.

2. The method as defined in claim 1 , the method further comprising:

receiving a caller identifier for the caller provided by the user;

causing, at least in part, the caller identifier to be stored with an association with the private caller phone number without revealing the private caller phone number to the user;

at least partly in response to a second call from the caller, providing the user with a notification of the second call without revealing the private caller phone number to the user, the second call notification including the user provided caller identifier.

3. The method as defined in claim 2 , wherein the user provided call identifier is stored in a database remote from the user.

4. The method as defined in claim 2 , wherein the user provided call identifier is stored on a terminal associated with the user.

5. The method as defined in claim 1 , the method further comprising:

placing an outcall to the caller via the call processing system; and

connecting the outcall to the caller with a call between the user and the call processing system.

6. The method as defined in claim 1 , further comprising:

enabling, via the call Processing system, the caller to record a voice message during the call; and

providing the user with access to the voice message via a computer terminal.

7. The method as defined in claim 1 , wherein the user is offered a plurality of communication technique choices for calling the caller via a user interface presented on a user terminal.

8. The method as defined in claim 1 , the method further comprising enabling the user to select from a plurality of terminals that is to be used to call the caller, the plurality of terminals including a VoIP communications device.

9. The method as defined in claim 1 , the method further comprising enabling, via program code executable by a computer system, the creation of a contact record for the caller without providing the private caller phone number to the user, wherein the contact record can be used by the user to call the caller.

10. A method of performing a call operation with respect to a private phone number, the method comprising:

receiving signaling information, at a call processing system, for a call from a caller intended for a user, the signaling information including a private phone number associated with the caller;

storing the private phone number in computer readable memory using encryption;

recording a voice message from the caller via a recording system;

automatically notifying the user of the call via the call processing system, wherein the notification does not include the private phone number, wherein the notification is transmitted to a personal computer, a personal digital assistant, and/or an interactive television associated with the user;

enabling, via at least one user interface accessible via at least one terminal, the user to access the voice message from a terminal;

enabling, via at least one user interface accessible via at least one terminal, the user to place a call to the private phone number without revealing the private phone number to the user; and

storing the private phone number in computer readable memory, wherein the user is prevented from viewing the private phone number, and the caller's private phone number does not appear on a telephone bill of the user as a result of the call placed to the private phone number;

receiving at the call processing system a caller identifier for the caller provided by the user;

causing, at least in part, the caller identifier to be stored in computer readable memory with an association with the private caller phone number without revealing the private caller phone number to the user; and

at least partly in response to a second call from the caller, providing via at least one terminal the user with a notification of the second call without revealing the private caller phone number to the user, the second call notification including the user provided caller identifier.

11. The method as defined in claim 10 , wherein the call placed to the private phone number is performed using Voice over Internet Protocol.

12. The method as defined in claim 10 , wherein the call placed to the private phone number is performed by the call processing system calling the user, calling the caller, and connecting the calls to the user and the caller.

13. The method as defined in claim 10 , wherein the call placed to the private phone number is performed by the call processing system first calling the user, then calling the caller, and connecting the calls to the user and the caller.

14. The method as defined in claim 10 , wherein the call placed to the private phone number is performed by the call processing system first calling the caller, then calling the user, and connecting the calls to the user and the caller.

15. The method as defined in claim 10 , wherein the call to the private phone number is performed by placing an outcall to the caller via the call processing system, and

connecting the outcall to the caller with a call between the user and the call processing system.

16. The method as defined in claim 10 , wherein the notification is transmitted to a personal computer, a personal digital assistant, and/or an interactive television associated with the user.

17. The method as defined in claim 10 , wherein the notification is emailed to the user.

18. The method as defined in claim 10 , further comprising causing a user-created identifier associated with the caller to be presented to the user via the notification without revealing the caller's private phone number.

19. A method of processing a call from a caller with a private number to a first user without revealing the private number to the first user, the method comprising:

receiving at a first communications system a first call from a caller and an associated private phone number, wherein the first call is intended for a first user;

storing the private phone number using encryption in computer readable memory, wherein the first user is prevented from viewing the private phone number;

initiating, via the first communications system, the transmission of a message over a data network to a computer terminal used by the first user, the message configured to provide a notification related to the call without displaying the private phone number to the first user;

enabling, via a user interface accessible via at least one terminal, the first user to return the call to the private phone number without revealing the private phone number to the first user and without the private phone number appearing on the first user's phone bill; and

receiving at the first communications system a caller identifier for the caller provided by the user;

causing, at least in part, the caller identifier to be stored in computer readable memory with an association with the private caller phone number without revealing the private caller phone number to the user; and

at least partly in response to a second call from the caller, providing via at least one terminal the user with a notification of the second call without revealing the private caller phone number to the user, the second call notification including the user provided caller identifier.

20. The method as defined in claim 19 , wherein the call is returned using Voice over Internet Protocol.