Method of masking an identifier of at least one destination of a call, and a corresponding device and computer program

1. A method of setting up a call between a user and at least one destination, said method comprising, prior to setting up said call, a masking stage for masking the identifier, which stage comprises the following steps, for at least one destination:

intercepting an identifier of the destination as input by said user; and

modifying a signal including said identifier, including a step of replacing at least one character making up said identifier in said signal with at least one masking character, thereby delivering a masked identifier, used for displaying said identifier, or for setting up said call, such that the modified identifier cannot be interpreted by some other user.

2. The method according to claim 1 , wherein said user has at least one terminal including display means for displaying an identifier of at least one call destination, and in that it further includes a step of displaying said masked identifier via said display means of said terminal.

3. The method according to claim 2 , further comprising a step of at least one of (a) deleting said identifier input by said user in a call history of said terminal, and (b) replacing it with said masked identifier.

4. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising an activation stage for activating said masking stage.

5. The method according to claim 4 , wherein said activation stage comprises a step of transmitting signaling information about said activation to a communications network entity.

6. The method according to claim 4 , wherein said activation stage comprises a step of automatic engagement regardless of the identifier of said destination.

7. The method according to claim 4 , wherein said activation stage comprises a step of the user engaging the method for plurality of successive calls.

8. The method according to claim 4 , wherein said activation stage comprises a step of the user engaging the method for the next call.

9. The method according to claim 7 , wherein said activation stage comprises a step of the use inputting an activation prefix into said terminal.

10. The method according to claim 4 , wherein said activation stage is ignored if said identifier corresponds to a destination with which the call presents a predetermined characteristic.

11. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising the following steps:

a communications network entity receiving a communications signal exchanged between a user and at least one destination, said signal including signaling information about activation of masking for an identifier of said at least one destination; and

masking said identifier of said at least one destination of said call within a database of said communications network entity, the data in the database being representative of calls made by said user.

12. A terminal including means for setting up a call, said means comprising:

means for intercepting a destination identifier input by a user; and

means for modifying a signal including said identifier, said modifying means including means for replacing at least one character making up said identifier in said signal with at least one masking character so as to deliver a masked identifier to be displayed or to be used in setting up said call, such that said masked identifier cannot be interpreted by another user.

13. A non-transitory computer program product comprising instructions for implementing a method according to claim 1 when the program is executed by a processor.

14. The method according to claim 10 , wherein the predetermined characteristic is surcharging.