Methods and apparatus to provide a network-based caller identification service in a voice over internet protocol network

1. A method comprising:

modifying, with a processor, a communication session initiation request message when a called device supports a network-based caller identification service, the modification to add an early-media indicator in response to receiving the communication session initiation request message from a calling party;

sending, with the processor, the modified communication session initiation request message to the called device;

when the called device responds with a session descriptor for a real-time protocol communication session, directing, with the processor, a messaging server to provide caller identification data associated with the calling party to the called device via the real-time protocol communication session; and

refraining from modifying the communication session initiation request message, with the processor, when the called device does not support the network-based caller identification service.

2. The method as defined in claim 1 , further comprising sending a second communication session initiation request message to the messaging server, the second communication session initiation request message comprising the session descriptor and a feature identifier associated with the network-based caller identification service.

3. The method as defined in claim 1 , wherein adding the early-media indicator comprises adding a session initiation protocol alert-info header containing a value of early-media.

4. The method as defined in claim 1 , wherein the caller identification data comprises audible data recorded by the calling party via the messaging server.

5. The method as defined in claim 4 , wherein the audible data comprises a spoken name.

6. The method as defined in claim 4 , wherein the caller identification data is recorded while the calling party is initializing an associated messaging service account.

7. An apparatus comprising:

a memory comprising machine readable instructions; and

a processor to execute the instructions to provide a network-based caller identification service by:

when a called device supports a network-based caller identification service, modifying a communication session initiation request message received from a calling party to add an early-media indicator;

sending the modified communication session initiation request message to called device;

when the called device responds with a session descriptor for a real-time protocol communication session, directing a messaging server to provide caller identification data associated with the calling party to the called device via the real-time protocol communication session; and

refraining from modifying the communication session initiation request message when the called device does not support the network-based caller identification service.

8. The apparatus as defined in claim 7 , wherein the processor is to send a second communication session initiation request message to the messaging server, the second communication session initiation request message comprising the session descriptor and a feature identifier associated with the network-based caller identification service.

9. The apparatus as defined in claim 7 , wherein the processor is to add a session initiation protocol alert-info header containing a value of early-media.

10. The apparatus as defined in claim 7 , wherein the processor is to provide video data recorded by the calling party via the messaging server.

11. The apparatus as defined in claim 10 , wherein the processor is to provide a spoken name as audible data.

12. The apparatus as defined in claim 10 , wherein the processor is to record the caller identification data while the calling party is modifying an associated messaging service account.

13. A tangible machine readable storage device comprising instructions which, when executed, cause a caller identification handler to perform operations comprising:

in response to receiving a communication session initiation request message from a calling party, modifying a communication session initiation request message to include an early media indicator when a called device supports a network-based caller identification service;

sending the modified communication session initiation request message to called device;

when the called device responds with a session descriptor for a real-time protocol communication session, directing a messaging server to provide caller identification data associated with the calling party to the called device via the real-time protocol communication session; and

refraining from modifying the communication session initiation request message when the called device does not support the network-based caller identification service.

14. The machine readable storage device as defined in claim 13 , wherein the operations further comprise sending a second communication session initiation request message to the messaging server, the second communication session initiation request message comprising the session descriptor and a feature identifier associated with the network-based caller identification service.

15. The machine readable storage device as defined in claim 13 , wherein the operations further comprise adding a session initiation protocol alert-info header containing a value of early-media.

16. The machine readable storage device as defined in claim 13 , wherein the operations further comprise providing audible data recorded by the calling party via the messaging server.

17. The machine readable storage device as defined in claim 16 , wherein the operations further comprise recording the caller identification data while the calling party is configuring an associated messaging service account.