Method and system configured to assess a fee for communication facilitation regarding publication information

• US 10,269,027 B2
• Filed: 07/18/2012
• Issued: 04/23/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 05/04/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: eBay Inc.
• Original Assignee: eBay Inc.
• Inventors: Zacarias, Arturo Manuel, Shirk, Valerie K., Stuart, Erik Anderson
• Primary Examiner(s): Casillas, Roland J
• Application Number:
  US13/552,249
• Publication Number:
  US 20130007631A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,470 Days
• Field of Search: 715748, 715751, 715758, 715760
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising

Abstract

A method and system are configured to assess a fee for communication facilitation. An electronic publication system includes a publication module configured to generate a user interface. The user interface includes search result information associated with a first entity and communication initiation information associated with the first entity. The communication initiation information includes identification information configured to identify a contact module of the first entity. The communication initiation information may be selectable to facilitate communication with the first entity. The publication system also includes a receiving module configured to receive a lead data record from a communication system for communication between the first entity and a second entity via the contact module. The publication system also includes a fee assessment module configured to receive the lead data record and to assess a fee to the first entity.

Claims

1. A publication system comprising:

one or more processors;

memory including instructions that, upon execution by the one or more processors, cause the publication system to;

determine search result information associated with a first content provider;

receive, from a communication system, a temporary identifier to which to route a first communication from a first client directly to the communication system and indirectly to the first content provider;

provide, to the first client, a first user interface that includes the search result information and a user interface element to initiate the first communication via the temporary identifier;

receive, by the first user interface from the first client, a selection of the temporary identifier;

provide a set of user information associated with the first client for display on a second user interface presented to the first content provider;

receive, from the communication system, a communication length associated with the first communication; and

determine a fee for the first content provider based on including the temporary identifier within the first user interface, a type of the first communication, and the communication length.

2. The publication system of claim 1 wherein the instructions upon execution further cause the system to:

receive a lead data record that stores the communication length as at least one of a time duration or a character count and information indicative of an identity of the first content provider.

3. The publication system of claim 1 wherein the temporary identifier includes an electronic mail link that at least initially hides an associated electronic mail address of the first content provider.

4. The publication system of claim 1 wherein the temporary identifier includes an instant messaging link that at least initially hides an associated instant messaging name of the first content provider.

5. The publication system of claim 1 wherein the temporary identifier includes a telephone call link that at least initially hides an associated telephone number of the first content provider.

6. A method comprising:

determining, by a publication system, search result information associated with a first content provider;

receiving, by the publication system from a communication system, a temporary identifier to which to route a first communication from a first client directly to the communication system and indirectly to the first content provider;

providing, by the publication system to the first client, a first user interface that includes the search result information and a user interface element to initiate a first communication via the temporary identifier;

receiving, by the first user interface from the first client, a selection of the temporary identifier;

providing a set of user information associated with the first client for display on a second user interface presented to the first content provider;

receiving, by the publication system from the communication system, a communication length associated with the first communication; and

determining, by the publication system, a fee for the first content provider based on including the temporary identifier within the first user interface, a type of the first communication, and the communication length.

7. The method of claim 6 further comprising:

receiving a lead data record that stores the communication length, the type of the first communication, and information indicative of an identity of the first content provider.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein the temporary identifier includes an electronic mail link that at least initially hides an associated electronic mail address of the first content provider.

9. The method of claim 6, wherein the temporary identifier includes an instant messaging link that at least initially hides an associated instant messaging name of the first content provider.

10. The method of claim 6, wherein the temporary identifier includes a telephone call link that at least initially hides an associated telephone number of the first content provider.

11. The method of claim 6, wherein the type of the first communication is selected from a group consisting of an electronic message, an instant message, and a voice over Internet protocol (VoIP) communication.

12. The method of claim 6 further comprising:

receiving a beginning time and an ending time of the first communication; and

determining the communication length based on the beginning time and the ending time of the communication.

13. The method of claim 6 further comprising:

sending information regarding the first client to the first content provider, the information being selected from a group consisting of reputation information, feedback information, a previous purchase category, a previous selling category, demographic information, contact information, and user information.

14. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

receiving a search query from the first client;

determining multiple search results generated in response to the search query;

sending the multiple search results to the first client; and

receiving, from the first client, a selection of the search result information as a search result among the multiple search results.

15. The method of claim 6, wherein the communication length represents a character count, and wherein the minimum communication threshold represents a minimum number of characters.

16. The method of claim 6, wherein the first client displays user interface using a browser application.

17. A non-transitory machine-readable storage medium comprising instructions that, when executed by one or more processors of a publication system, cause the publication system to perform operations comprising:

determining search result information associated with a first content provider;

receiving from a communication system, a temporary identifier to which to route a first communication from a first client directly to the communication system and indirectly to the first content provider;

providing to the first client, a first user interface that includes the search result information and a user interface element to initiate the first communication via the temporary identifier;

receiving, by the first user interface from the first client, a selection of the temporary identifier;

providing a set of user information associated with the first client for display on a second user interface presented to the first content provider;

receiving from the communication system a communication length-associated with the first communication; and

determining a fee to for first content provider based on including the temporary identifier within the first user interface, a type of the first communication, and the communication length.

18. The non-transitory machine-readable storage medium of claim 17, wherein the operations further comprise:

receiving a lead data record that stores the communication length, the type of the first communication and information indicative of an identity of the first content provider.

19. The non-transitory machine-readable storage medium of claim 17, wherein the type of the first communication is selected from a group consisting of an electronic message, an instant message, and a voice over Internet protocol VoIP communication.

20. The non-transitory machine-readable storage medium of claim 17, wherein the operations further comprise:

sending information regarding the first client to the first content provider, the information being selected from a group consisting of reputation information, feedback information, a previous purchase category, a previous selling category, demographic information, contact information, and user information.

21. The non-transitory machine-readable storage medium of claim 17, wherein the communication length represents a character count, and wherein the minimum communication threshold represents a minimum number of characters.