METHODS AND APPARATUSES FOR AUDIO ADVERTISEMENTS

• US 20070162296A1
• Filed: 09/12/2006
• Published: 07/12/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 10/06/2003
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: UTBK, Inc.
• Original Assignee: UTBK, Inc.
• Inventors: HIRSON, Ron, FABER, Scott, ALTBERG, Ebbe, VAN DER LINDEN, Sean, YANG, Virginia
• Application Number:
  US11/531,252
• Publication Number:
  US 20070162296A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/1.100
• 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

Abstract

Methods and apparatuses to present audio advertisements and deliver communication leads. One embodiment includes: providing an advertisement, on behalf of a party, to a customer over a real time communication channel that is capable of audio transmission; connecting the customer to the party according to a response to the advertisement; and charging for the advertisement according to a count of communication leads connected to the party.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

providing an advertisement, on behalf of a party, to a customer over a real time communication channel that is capable of audio transmission;

connecting the customer to the party according to a response to the advertisement; and

charging for the advertisement according to a count of communication leads connected to the party.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein at least a portion of the advertisement is provided to the customer in audio.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the advertisement is charged for according to a price per communication lead connected to the party specified by the party, a price per subscription time period, a price per presentation of the advertisement, or a price per proxy of communication lead.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the real time communication channel over which the advertisement is provided to the customer comprises a telephone connection.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the telephone connection is at least partially via a packet switched network.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein the telephone connection to the customer is via a telephone-based service provider.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the telephone-based service provider provides directory service.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein said providing the advertisement comprises providing the advertisement to a partner via an application programming interface (API) in an audio format;

and the partner presents the advertisement to the customer.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

assigning a reference to the party, the reference being embedded in the advertisement;

wherein said connecting the customer to the party comprises connecting the customer to the party via the reference for real time communications.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the reference comprises a telephone number.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

providing the telephone number to the customer via a text message.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the text message is sent via a short message service (SMS).

13. The method of claim 1, wherein said providing the advertisement comprises providing the advertisement via a telephone based directory.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

selecting the advertisement via cross selling or pitch switching based on a directory assistance request received from the customer.

15. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

monitoring a conversation between the customer and the telephone based directory to determine an opportunity for advertisement; and

selecting an appropriate advertisement based on the monitored conversation.

16. The method of claim 1, wherein said selecting further comprises selecting based at least in part on price bid for communication leads and yield of advertisements.

17. The method of claim 1, wherein said providing the advertisement comprises providing the advertisement via an interactive voice response (IVR) system, a human operator, a radio broadcasting system, a television system, a voice portal, a text-to-speech synthesizer, a video portal, or interactive television.

18. The method of claim 1, wherein said connecting the customer to the party comprises connecting the real time communication channel to the party to connect the customer and the party;

and the response is received from the customer via a speech recognition system.

19. A machine readable medium containing instructions which when executed on a data processing system cause the system to perform a method, comprising:

providing an advertisement, on behalf of a party, to a customer over a real time communication channel that is capable of audio transmission;

connecting the customer to the party according to a response to the advertisement; and

charging for the advertisement according to a count of communication leads connected to the party.

20. A data processing system, comprising:

means for providing an advertisement, on behalf of a party, to a customer over a real time communication channel that is capable of audio transmission;

means for connecting the customer to the party according to a response to the advertisement; and

means for charging for the advertisement according to a count of communication leads connected to the party.