Method and system for tracking online promotional source to offline activity

• US 20070124288A1
• Filed: 11/30/2005
• Published: 05/31/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 11/30/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Who's Calling Holding Corporation
• Original Assignee: ClickPath LLC
• Inventors: Swanson, Gregory, Carpenter, Ted
• Granted Patent: US 9,245,021 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/951 Indexing; Web crawling techniques
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9535 Search customisation based on user profiles and personalisation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/955 using information identifiers, e.g. uniform resource locators [URL]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising

Abstract

A computer implemented method is provided for tracking user activity across different communication networks; the method comprises receiving by a receiving device accessible on a first network, such as the internet, a request from a requesting network device, for an address on a second network, such as a telephone network or an SMS network; receiving by the receiving device from the requesting network device a combination of one or more attributes indicative of a source, such as an ad campaign, web location or keyword, that can lead a user to send a request for information over the first network; selecting a pool of addresses an addresses that is accessible on the second network; producing an association in a database between the selected address and the received attribute; and sending the selected address to the requesting network device over the first network.

Claims

1. A computer implemented method of tracking user activity across different networks comprising:

receiving from a networked device over a first network a request for an address on a second network;

receiving from the networked device an attribute that is indicative of a source that can lead a user to send a request for information over the first network;

selecting from a computer readable medium at least one of a plurality of addresses on the second network;

producing an association in a computer readable medium between the selected address and the received attribute; and

sending the selected address to the networked device over the first network.

2. The method of claim 1 further including:

using the association to associate a subsequent communication to the selected address over the second network with the attribute received over the first network.

3. The method of claim 1 further including:

receiving information indicating that a communication has been directed to the selected address over the second network; and

using the association to associate the communication to the selected address over the second network with the attribute received over the first network.

4. The method of claim 1,

wherein the address on the second network includes a telephone number.

5. The method of claim 1,

wherein the address on the second network includes an SMS number.

6. The method of claim 1,

wherein selecting includes selecting an address that previously was associated with a previously received attribute.

7. The method of claim 1,

wherein the attribute includes an identifier that represents a URL.

8. The method of claim 1,

wherein the attribute includes an identifier that includes a URL associated with an internet search engine.

9. The method of claim 1,

wherein the attribute includes a keyword.

10. The method of claim 1,

wherein the attribute includes a combination of a URL and a keyword.

11. The method of claim 1,

wherein the source includes an internet search engine.

12. The method of claim 1,

wherein the source includes an internet web page located through an organic internet search.

13. The method of claim 1,

wherein the source includes an ordinary internet web page.

14. The method of claim 1,

wherein the source includes an advertisement.

15. The method of claim 1,

wherein request for information over the first network includes a request for a web page.

16. The method of claim 1,

wherein selecting includes selecting an address from among multiple respective addresses previously associated with respective attributes based at least in part upon upon recentness of the producing of respective prior associations with respective addresses and respective attributes.

17. The method of claim 1,

wherein selecting includes selecting an address from among multiple respective addresses previously associated with respective attributes based at least in part upon recentness of sending of respective addresses previously associated with respective attributes.

18. The method of claim 1,

wherein selecting includes selecting an address from among multiple respective addresses previously associated with respective attributes based at least in part upon frequency of sending of respective addresses previously associated with respective attributes.

19. The method of claim 1,

wherein selecting includes selecting an address from among multiple respective addresses previously associated with respective attributes based upon at least one of, recentness of the producing of respective prior associations with respective addresses and respective attributes, recentness of sending of respective addresses previously associated with respective attributes, and frequency of sending of respective addresses previously associated with respective attributes.

20. A computer implemented method of tracking user activity across different networks comprising:

receiving over a first network at a first address on the first network from a first network device on the first network a request for an address on a second network;

receiving over a first network at a first address on the first network from the first network device on the first network an attribute that is indicative of a source that can lead a user to send a request for information over the first network to a second address on the first network;

selecting from a computer readable medium at least one of a plurality of addresses on the second network;

producing an association in a computer readable medium between the selected address and the received attribute; and

sending the selected address to the networked device over the first network.

21. The method of claim 20,

wherein first network device is associated with the second address on the first network.

22. The method of claim 20

wherein the first network device is a user device that can produce a display that can lead a user to send the request for information over the first network to the second address on the first network.

23. The method of claim 20,

wherein first network device is associated with the second address on the first network;

and wherein request for information over the first network includes a request to the first network device for a web page.

24. The method of claims 20,

wherein the first address on the first network includes an internet address;

wherein the first address on the first network includes an internet address; and

wherein the address on the second network includes a telephone number.

25. The method of claim 20,

wherein the first address on the first network includes an internet address;

wherein the first address on the first network includes an internet address; and

wherein the address on the second network includes an SMS number.

26. A computer implemented method of tracking user activity across different networks comprising:

receiving from a plurality of respective network devices over a first network respective requests for respective addresses on a second network;

receiving from the plurality of respective network devices respective attributes corresponding to respective requests, such respective attributes being indicative of respective sources that can lead a user to send a request for information over the first network;

rotating a plurality of addresses accessible on the second network among associations with respective received attributes in response to receiving the respective requests and to receiving the corresponding respective attributes; and

sending respective associated addresses to respective network device over the first network.

27. The method of claim 26,

wherein rotating includes assigning a respective address to a different attribute than the respective address had been assigned previously.

28. The method of claim 26,

wherein rotating includes selecting a respective address to be associated with a different attribute than the respective address had been associated with previously, the selection being based upon at least one selection criterion that includes recentness within which the address had been assigned to the previous attribute association.

29. The method of claim 26,

wherein rotating includes selecting a respective address to be associated with a different attribute than the respective address had been associated with previously, the selection being based upon at least one selection criterion that includes frequency within which the address has been assigned to the previous attribute association.

30. The method of claim 26,

wherein rotating includes selecting a respective address to be associated with a different attribute than the respective address had been associated with previously, the selection being based upon at least one selection criterion that includes recentness within which the address has been sent to respective network device over the first network.

31. The method of claim 26 further including:

using respective associations to associate subsequent respective communications to respective associated addresses over the second network with respective attributes received over the first network.

32. The method of claim 26 further including:

receiving respective information indicating that respective communications have been directed to respective associated addresses over the second network; and

using respective associations to associate respective communications to respective addresses over the second network with respective attributes received over the first network.

33. The method of claim 26,

wherein respective addresses on the second network include respective telephone numbers.

34. The method of claim 26,

wherein respective addresses on the second network includes respective SMS numbers.

35. The method of claim 26,

wherein respective attributes may include respecitive identifiers that represent respective URLs.

36. The method of claim 26,

wherein respective attributes may include respective URLs associated with an internet search engine.

37. The method of claim 26,

wherein respective attributes may include respective keywords.

38. The method of claim 26,

wherein respective attributes may include respective combinations of a URL and a keyword.

39. The method of claim 26,

wherein respective sources may include an internet search engine.

40. The method of claim 26,

wherein respective sources may include respective internet web pages located through respective organic internet searches.

41. The method of claim 26,

wherein respective sources may include respective ordinary internet web pages.

42. The method of claim 26,

wherein respective sources may include respective advertisements.

43. The method of claim 26,

wherein respective requests for information over the first network include respective requests for respective web pages.

44. The method of claim 26,

wherein respective first network devices are associated respectively with information that can be displayed on a user device to lead a user to send a request for information over the first network.

45. The method of claim 26,

wherein respective first network devices are associated respectively with information that can be displayed on a user device to lead users to send respective requests for information over the first network;

and

wherein respective attributes may include respective URLs of respective first network devices associated respectively with information that can lead users to send respective requests for information over the first network.

46. The method of claim 26,

wherein respective first network devices are associated with respective hyperlinks that can be displayed on a user device to lead users to send respective requests for information over the first network;

and

wherein respective attributes may include respective identifiers of respective URLs of respective first network devices associated with respective hyperlinks that can lead users to send respective requests for information over the first network.

47. The method of claim 26,

wherein respective first network devices are associated with respective hyperlinks that can be displayed on a user device to lead users to send respective requests for a web page over the first network;

and

wherein respective attributes may include respective URLs of respective first network devices associated with respective hyperlinks that can lead users to send respective requests for a web page over the first network.

48. The method of claim 26,

wherein respective first network devices are associated with respective advertisements that can be displayed on a user device to lead users to send respective requests for a web page over the first network;

and

wherein respective attributes may include respective identifiers of respective advertisements that can lead users to send respective requests for web pages over the first network.

49. The method of claim 26,

wherein respective first network devices include respective user devices that can produce respective displays that can lead users to send respective requests for information over the first network to other respective network devices accessible over the first network.

50. The method of claim 26,

wherein respective first network devices include respective user devices that can produce respective displays that can lead users to send respective requests for information over the first network to other respective network devices accessible over the first network;

and

wherein respective attributes may include respective URLs of such respective other network devices to which such respective displays can lead users to send respective requests for information over the first network.

51. The method of claim 26,

wherein respective first network devices include respective user devices that can provide respective hyperlinks that can lead users to send respective requests for information over the first network to other respective network devices accessible over the first network;

and

wherein respective attributes may include respective URLs of such respective other network devices to which such respective hyperlinks can lead users to send respective requests for information over the first network.

52. The method of claim 26,

wherein respective first network devices include respective user devices that can provide respective hyperlinks that can lead users to send respective requests for web pages over the first network to other respective network devices accessible over the first network;

and

wherein respective attributes may include respective URLs of such respective other network devices to which such respective hyperlinks can lead users to send respective requests for web pages over the first network.

53. The method of claim 26,

wherein respective first network devices include respective user devices that can provide respective advertisements that can lead users to send respective requests for web pages over the first network to other respective network devices accessible over the first network;

and

wherein respective attributes may include respective identifiers of respective advertisements that can lead users to send respective requests for web pages over the first network.

54. A computer implemented method of tracking user activity across different networks comprising:

receiving from a first networked user device over a first network a request for an address on a second network;

receiving from the first networked user device an attribute that is indicative of a source (e.g., a S.E or an ad) that can lead a user to send a request to a second networked device over the first network;

selecting from a computer readable medium at least one of a plurality of addresses on the second network;

producing an association in a computer readable medium between the selected address and the received attribute; and

sending the selected address to the first networked user device over the first network.

55. The method of claim 54 further including:

using the association to associate (e.g., matching call information to Web visitor attributes) a subsequent communication to the selected address over the second network with the attribute received over the first network.

56. The method of claim 54 further including:

receiving (e.g., call information data feed) information indicating that a communication has been directed to the selected address over the second network; and

using the association to associate (e.g., matching call information to Web visitor attributes) the communication to the selected address over the second network with the attribute received over the first network.

57. A computer implemented method of tracking user activity across different networks comprising:

receiving from a first networked device over a first network a request for an address on a second network;

receiving from the first networked device an attribute that is indicative of a source (e.g., a S.E or an ad) that can lead a user to send a request to the first networked device over the first network;

selecting from a computer readable medium at least one of a plurality of addresses on the second network;

producing an association in a computer readable medium between the selected address and the received attribute; and

sending the selected address to the networked device over the first network.

58. The method of claim 57 further including:

using the association to associate (e.g., matching call information to Web visitor attributes) a subsequent communication to the selected address over the second network with the attribute received over the first network.

59. The method of claim 57 further including:

receiving (e.g., call information data feed) information indicating that a communication has been directed to the selected address over the second network; and

using the association to associate (e.g., matching call information to Web visitor attributers) the communication to the selected address over the second network with the attributes received over the first network.

60. A system for tracking user activity across different networks comprising:

first computer readable media associated with a first network device and encoded with computer program code for causing the first network device to,

send a request over a first network for an address on a second network, and

send over the first network an attribute that is indicative of a source that can lead a user to send a request for information over the first network;

a database including a plurality of associations between respective addresses accessible on the second network and respective attributes;

second computer readable media that is associated with a second device accessible via the first network and that is encoded with computer readable code responsive to a respective request for an address on the second network and a corresponding attribute sent over the first network, for causing the second device to,

change an association of an address in the database from an association with a prior attribute to an association with the attribute sent over the first network, and

send the address for which such changed association has been made, to the first network device over the first network.

61. The system of claim 60 further including:

third computer readable media encoded with computer program code for causing a computer to associate a subsequent communication to the address sent over the second network, with the attribute sent over the first network.

62. The system of claim 60,

wherein changing involves selecting a respective address to be associated with a different attribute than the respective address had been associated with previously, the selection being based upon at least one selection criterion that includes recentness within which the address had been assigned to the previous attribute association.

63. The system of claim 60,

wherein changing involves selecting a respective address to be associated with a different attribute than the respective address had been associated with previously, the selection being based upon at least one selection criterion that includes frequency within which the address has been assigned to the previous attribute association.

64. The system of claim 60,

wherein changing involves selecting a respective address to be associated with a different attribute than the respective address had been associated with previously, the selection being based upon at least one selection criterion that includes recentness within which the address has been sent to respective network device over the first network.

65. A system for tracking user activity across different networks comprising:

a plurality of respective first computer readable media each associated with respective first network devices and encoded with computer program code for causing the respective first network devices to,

send respective requests over a first network for respective addresses on a second network, and

send over the first network respective attributes respectively indicative of respective sources that can lead a user to send a request for information over the first network;

a database including a plurality of associations between respective addresses accessible on the second network and respective attributes;

second computer readable media that is associated with a second device accessible over the first network and that is encoded with computer readable code responsive to respective requests for respective addresses on the second network and to corresponding respective attributes sent over the first network, for causing the second device to,

change respective associations in the database between respective addresses and respective attributes in response to respective requests for respective addresses and corresponding respective attributes sent on the first network, and

send over the first network to respective first network devices, respective addresses for which such changed associations have been made.

66. The system of claim 65 further including:

third computer readable media encoded with computer program code for causing a computer to associate respective subsequent communications to respective addresses sent over the second network, with respective attributes sent over the first network.

67. The system of claim 65,

wherein changing involves selecting respective addresses to be associated with different respective attributes than such respective addresses had been associated with previously, the selection being based upon at least one selection criterion that includes recentness within which the address had been assigned to the previous attribute association.

68. The system of claim 65,

wherein changing involves selecting respective addresses to be associated with different respective attributes than such respective addresses had been associated with previously, the selection being based upon at least one selection criterion that includes frequency within which the address has been assigned to the previous attribute association.

69. The system of claim 65,

wherein changing involves selecting respective addresses to be associated with different respective attributes than such respective addresses had been associated with previously, the selection being based upon at least one selection criterion that includes recentness within which the address has been sent to respective network device over the first network.

70. A system for tracking user activity across different networks comprising:

first means for sending a request over a first network for an address on a second network and for sending over the first network an attribute that is indicative of a source that can lead a user to send a request for information over the first network;

a database including a plurality of associations between respective addresses accessible on the second network and respective attributes;

second means responsive to respective requests for respective addresses on the second network and to corresponding respective attributes sent over the first network for changing an association of an address in the database from an association with a prior attribute to an association with the attribute sent over the first network and for sending the address for which such changed association has been made, to the first means over the first network.

71. The system of claim 70 further including:

third means for causing a computer to associate a subsequent communication to the address sent over the second network, with the attribute sent over the first network.

72. The system of claim 70,

wherein changing involves selecting a respective address to be associated with a different attribute than the respective address had been associated with previously, the selection being based upon at least one selection criterion that includes recentness within which the address had been assigned to the previous attribute association.

73. The system of claim 70,

wherein changing involves selecting a respective address to be associated with a different attribute than the respective address had been associated with previously, the selection being based upon at least one selection criterion that includes frequency within which the address has been assigned to the previous attribute association.

74. The system of claim 70,

wherein changing involves selecting a respective address to be associated with a different attribute than the respective address had been associated with previously, the selection being based upon at least one selection criterion that includes recentness within which the address has been sent to respective network device over the first network.

75. A system for tracking user activity across different networks comprising:

a plurality of respective first means for sending respective requests over a first network for respective addresses on a second network and for sending over the first network respective attributes respectively indicative of respective sources that can lead a user to send a request for information over the first network;

a database including a plurality of associations between respective addresses accessible on the second network and respective attributes;

second means responsive to respective requests for respective addresses on the second network and to corresponding respective attributes sent over the first network, for changing respective associations in the database between respective addresses and respective attributes in response to respective requests for respective addresses and corresponding respective attributes sent on the first network and for sending over the first network to respective first network devices, respective addresses for which such changed associations have been made.

76. The system of claim 75 further including:

third means for causing a computer to associate respective subsequent communications to respective addresses sent over the second network, with respective attributes sent over the first network.

77. The system of claim 75,

wherein changing involves selecting respective addresses to be associated with different respective attributes than such respective addresses had been associated with previously, the selection being based upon at least one selection criterion that includes recentness within which the address had been assigned to the previous attribute association.

78. The system of claim 75,

wherein changing involves selecting respective addresses to be associated with different respective attributes than such respective addresses had been associated with previously, the selection being based upon at least one selection criterion that includes frequency within which the address has been assigned to the previous attribute association.

79. The system of claim 75,

wherein changing involves selecting respective addresses to be associated with different respective attributes than such respective addresses had been associated with previously, the selection being based upon at least one selection criterion that includes recentness within which the address has been sent to respective network device over the first network.