Method and apparatuses for offline selection of pay-per-call advertisers

• US 10,102,548 B2
• Filed: 08/07/2013
• Issued: 10/16/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 10/06/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Thryv, Inc. (Mudrick Capital Management LP)
• Original Assignee: YellowPages.com LLC (Mudrick Capital Management LP)
• Inventors: Altberg, Ebbe, Barach, Marc, Faber, Scott, Fordyce, Michael, Hickson, Chris, Hirson, Ron, Somorjai, John, Van Der Linden, Sean
• Primary Examiner(s): Alvarez, Raquel
• Application Number:
  US13/961,779
• Publication Number:
  US 20130325635A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,896 Days
• Field of Search: 705 1449, 705 1457, 705 1458, 705 1469, 705 34, 705 1464, 705 1471, 37921801
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06398 Performance of employee with respect to a job function
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0259 based on store location
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0261 based on user location
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0267 Wireless devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0273 Determination of fees for advertising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0275 Auctions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0277 Online advertisement
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/04 Billing or invoicing
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/2757 by data transmission, e.g. downloading
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/00 Arrangements for metering, time-control or time indication ; Metering, charging or billing arrangements for voice wireline or wireless communications, e.g. VoIP
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/06 Recording class or number of calling , i.e. A-party or called party , i.e. B-party
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/08 Metering calls to called party , i.e. B-party charged for the communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/745 Customizing according to wishes of subscriber, e.g. friends or family
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/8033 location-dependent, e.g. business or home
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/805 Bidding
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/405 Competitive bidding for work items
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/0108 Customization according to wishes of subscriber, e.g. customer preferences, friends and family, selecting services or billing options, Personal Communication Systems [PCS]
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/0192 Sponsored, subsidised calls via advertising, e.g. calling cards with ads or connecting to special ads, free calling time by purchasing goods
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/62 Called party billing, e.g. reverse billing, freephone, collect call, 0800 or 0900
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/7435 : Location dependent, e.g. Bussiness or home
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/7457 : Biding
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2242/14 : with services dependent on location where the service is an information service H04M2242/15; services independent of location H04M3/42229
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42008 : Systems for anonymous communication between parties, e.g. by use of disposal contact identifiers
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42059 : Making use of the calling party identifier
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/523 : with call distribution or queueing
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/5235 : Dependent on call type or called number [DNIS]

Abstract

Methods and apparatuses to connect telephone calls and track information about the telephone calls resulting from advertisements for groups of advertisers. For example, a method includes: determining a geographic area after receiving a telephone call to a first telephone number publicized in an advertisement; determining a telephone number of a first advertiser; and connecting the telephone call to the telephone number of the first advertiser, the first advertiser billed for the advertisement based on telephonic connections made to connect the first advertiser and telephone calls to the first telephone number.

Claims

1. A method implemented in a telephone connection system, the method comprising:

detecting, by a first server of the telephone connection system, a location of a communication device of a user;

connecting, by the first server of the telephone connection system, a telephone communication received via a communication network by telephone receiving equipment of the telephone connection system, the telephone communication comprising a particular advertisement corresponding to a determined location of at least one advertiser identified in a detected geographic region of the detected location of the communication device, the advertisement comprising visible content comprising a first telephonic reference assigned to represent a plurality of competing advertisers, the telephone communication is initiated by the user via the communication device in response to delivery of the visible content of the advertisement to a user interface of a display device of the communication device of the user;

determining by a geographical area locator of the telephone connection system, a geographic area in which the telephone communication is originated in response to the detecting of the location of the communication device of the user;

selecting, by the telephone connection system, a first advertiser from the plurality of competing advertisers, based at least in part on the determining that the first advertiser is located in the geographic area and first information identified in an advertising database of the telephone connection system;

identifying, by the telephone connection system, an advertiser telephonic reference of the first advertiser, which is different from the first telephonic reference based at least in part on second information identified in the database;

automatically routing, by telephone switching equipment of the telephone connection system, a telephone communication in response to detection of a selection from the visible content, via the user interface, of the advertiser telephonic reference of the first advertiser to route a telephone call, in part by at least one Voice over Internet Protocol connection, between the communication device of the user and a communication device of the first advertiser, the advertiser telephonic reference is identified based at least in part on the identified geographic area corresponding to the location of the communication device of the user; and

tracking, by the telephone switching equipment, the telephone call as being established to the first advertiser via the first telephonic reference provided in the visible content of the advertisement.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

charging, via the first server, the first advertiser a predetermined fee for the advertisement in response to connecting the telephone communication, placed to the first telephonic reference provided in the advertisement, to the advertiser telephonic reference of the first advertiser.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the selecting of the first advertiser from the competing advertisers is further based on a respective bid submitted by each of the competing advertisers in association with the advertisement.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the first advertiser is charged a fee for the advertisement in accordance with a bid submitted by the first advertiser in association with the advertisement.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining a telephone number of the communication via an automatic number identification service;

wherein the geographic area is determined based at least in part on the telephone number.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving location information from a cellular communication system for the communication;

wherein the geographic area is determined based at least in part on the location information.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving location information from a positioning system for the communication;

wherein the geographic area is determined based at least in part on the location information.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein:

receiving a zip code through an interactive voice response system;

wherein the geographic area is determined based at least in part on the zip code received through the interactive voice response system.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

routing the communication to a human operator;

wherein the geographic area is determined by the human operator.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein at least one additional selection requirement is determined by the human operator;

and the selecting of the first advertiser from the competing advertisers is further based on the at least one additional selection requirement.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a voice indication of the geographic area;

wherein the geographic area is determined based at least in part on the voice indication.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the first advertiser has a plurality of offices, and the identifying of the advertiser communication reference of the first advertiser is based at least in part on the geographic area.

13. A system comprising:

a telephone connection system comprising;

telephone receiving equipment, a geographical area locator, an advertising database, and one or more processors communicatively coupled to one or more non-transitory storage media, the one or more non-transitory storage media to retain instructions, the one or more processors to execute the instructions to;

detect a location of a communication device of a user;

connect a telephone communication received via a communication network, the telephone communication comprising a particular advertisement corresponding to a determined location of at least one advertiser identified in a detected geographic region of the detected location of the communication device of the user, the advertisement comprising visible content comprising a first telephonic reference assigned to represent a plurality of competing advertisers, the telephone communication is initiated by the user via the communication device in response to delivery of the visible content of the advertisement to a user interface of a display device of the communication device of the user;

determine, by the geographical area locator, a geographic area in which the telephone communication is originated in response to detecting the location of the communication device;

select a first advertiser from the plurality of competing advertisers, based at least in part on determining that the first advertiser is located in the geographic area and first information identified in an advertising database of the telephone connection system;

identify an advertiser telephonic reference of the first advertiser which is different from the first telephonic reference based at least in part on second information identified in the database;

automatically route a telephone communication in response to detection of a selection from the visible content, via the user interface, of the advertiser telephonic reference of the first advertiser to route a telephone call, in part by at least one Voice over Internet Protocol connection, between the communication device of the user and a communication device of the first advertiser, the advertiser telephonic reference is identified based at least in part on the identified geographic area corresponding to the location of the communication device of the user; and

track the telephone call as being established to the first advertiser via the first telephonic reference provided in the visible content of the advertisement.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the instructions are further configured to instruct the one or more processors to:

charge the first advertiser a predetermined fee for the advertisement in response to connecting the telephone communication, placed to the first telephonic reference provided in the advertisement, to the advertiser telephonic reference of the first advertiser.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the first advertiser is selected from the competing advertisers further based on a respective bid submitted by each of the competing advertisers in association with the advertisement.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the first advertiser is charged a fee for the advertisement in accordance with a respective bid submitted by the first advertiser in association with the advertisement.

17. A non-transitory machine readable medium storing instructions configured to instruct one or more computing devices of a telephone connection system to perform a method, the method comprising:

detecting, by a first server of the telephone connection system, a location of a communication device of a user;

connecting, by the first server of the telephone connection system, a telephone communication received via a communication network the telephone communication comprising a particular advertisement corresponding to a determined location of at least one advertiser identified in a detected geographic region of the detected location of the communication device of the user, the advertisement comprising visible content comprising a first telephonic reference, assigned to represent a plurality of competing advertisers, the communication is initiated by the user via the communication device in response to delivery of the visible content of the advertisement to a user interface of a display device of the communication device of the user;

determining, by a geographical area locator of the telephone connection system, a geographic area in which the communication is originated in response to the detecting of the location of the communication device of the user;

selecting, by the telephone connection system, a first advertiser from the plurality of competing advertisers, based at least in part on determining that the first advertiser is located in the geographic area and first information identified in an advertising database of the telephone connection system;

identifying, by the telephone connection system, an advertiser telephonic reference of the first advertiser, which is different from the first telephonic reference based at least in part on second information identified in the database;

automatically routing, by telephone switching equipment of the telephone connection system, a telephone communication in response to detection of a selection from the visible content, via the user interface, of the advertiser telephonic reference of the first advertiser to route a telephone call, in part by at least one Voice over Internet Protocol connection, between the communication device of the user and first advertiser device, the advertiser telephonic reference is identified based at least in part on the identified geographic area corresponding to the location of the communication device of the user; and

tracking, by the telephone switching equipment, the telephone call as being established to the first advertiser via the first telephonic reference provided in the visible content of the advertisement.

18. The medium of claim 17, further comprising:

charging, via the first server, the first advertiser a predetermined fee for the advertisement in response to connecting the telephone communication, placed to the first telephonic reference provided in the advertisement, to the advertiser telephonic reference of the first advertiser.

19. The medium of claim 17, wherein the selecting of the first advertiser from the competing advertisers is further based on a respective bid submitted by each of the competing advertisers in association with the advertisement.

20. The medium of claim 19, wherein the first advertiser is charged a fee for the advertisement in accordance with a bid submitted by the first advertiser in association with the advertisement.