Identifying spurious requests for information

• US 20070084915A1
• Filed: 10/18/2005
• Published: 04/19/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 10/18/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google Inc. (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Yan, Weipeng, Tokusei, Kentaro
• Granted Patent: US 8,611,856 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 235/381
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0239 Online discounts or incentives
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0258 Registration
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0267 Wireless devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0273 Determination of fees for advertising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0277 Online advertisement

Abstract

A computer-implemented method of identifying illegitimate requests for information may include associating a first carrier with an electronic promotional item, receiving a request relating to the electronic promotional item from a second carrier, and identifying the request as illegitimate if the first carrier is different than the second carrier. The computer-implemented method may further include transmitting the electronic promotional item to the first carrier. The request may be a response to the electronic promotional item. In some embodiments, the electronic promotional item may be a link to more information about the electronic promotional item. The computer-implemented method may further include logging the request in a database and charging an ad sponsor for the request in the second database. In some embodiments, a charge may be canceled for the request if the request is identified as illegitimate.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method of identifying illegitimate requests for information, comprising:

associating a first carrier with an electronic promotional item;

receiving a request relating to the electronic promotional item from a second carrier; and

identifying the request as illegitimate if the first carrier is different than the second carrier.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising transmitting the electronic promotional item to the first carrier.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 2, wherein the request is a response to the electronic promotional item.

4. The computer-implemented method claim 1, wherein associating the first carrier with an electronic promotional item comprises storing a list of Internet Protocol (IP) addresses associated with the first carrier in a first database.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 4, wherein the second carrier is identified by an IP address corresponding to the request.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 4, further comprising logging the request in a second database.

7. The computer-implemented method of claim 6, further comprising charging an ad sponsor for the request in the second database.

8. The computer-implemented method of claim 7, further comprising preventing a charge for the request if the request is identified as illegitimate.

9. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the electronic promotional item comprises at least one of a click-to-call link, a redirect link, and a link to more information about the electronic promotional item.

10. A system for identifying spurious requests for information, comprising:

an interface that receives digital responses to promotional items from users, the digital responses including identifying information for carriers that transmit the responses to the interface; and

a response filter that compares identifying information for a carrier to which the promotional item was sent, with the identifying information for a carrier from which the response was received to determine whether the response is spurious.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the interface comprises an internet web server.

12. The system of claim 10, further comprising a response log, wherein the response filter acts on entries in the response log relating to a plurality of digital responses to promotional items.

13. The system of claim 10, further comprising a promotional item server to select promotional items for delivery to users associated with particular carriers and to provide carrier identifying information with the promotional items.

14. The system of claim 13, further comprising a search engine that receives search requests from the users associated with the particular carriers, wherein the promotional item server further selects promotional items for delivery to said users based on content of the search requests.

15. The system of claim 10, wherein the carrier identifying information comprises an Internet Protocol (IP) address.

16. The system of claim 10, wherein the digital responses further include identifying information for a corresponding promotional item.

17. The system of claim 10, further comprising a billing system that charges a sponsor of a promotional item for responses to the promotional item that are not identified as spurious.

18. A system for identifying illegitimate requests for information, comprising:

an interface that receives digital responses to promotional items from users, the digital responses including identifying information for carriers that carry the responses; and

means for determining responses to be illegitimate if the carrier-identifying information associated with the responses does not match carrier-identifying information associated with the promotional items.

19. The system of claim 18, further comprising a promotional item server to select promotional items for delivery to users associated with the carriers and to provide carrier-identifying information with the promotional items.

20. The system of claim 19, further comprising a billing system that charges a sponsor of a promotional item for digital responses to the promotional item that are not identified as spurious.