Methods and Apparatuses to Track Information using Call Signaling Messages

• US 20070230679A1
• Filed: 06/12/2007
• Published: 10/04/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 09/28/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Thryv, Inc. (Mudrick Capital Management LP)
• Original Assignee: UTBK, Inc.
• Inventors: HIRSON, Ron, FABER, Scott, ALTBERG, Ebbe, VAN DER LINDEN, Sean, JAIN, Mehul, AGARWAL, Anuj, AHUJA, Nitin
• Granted Patent: US 9,143,619 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 379/218.10
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0428 wherein the data content is protected, e.g. by encrypting or encapsulating the payload
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/2757 by data transmission, e.g. downloading
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/154 Functional or symbolic dial plan such as license plate numbers
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/4935 Connection initiated by DAS system
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/0036 where the data service is an information service
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/006 Networks other than PSTN/ISDN providing telephone service, e.g. Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) , including next generation networks with a packet-switched transport layer H04L65/00 takes precedence; aspects not specific to the type of network H04M3/00; special services in those networks H04M3/42

Abstract

Methods and systems to facilitate real time communications via a telephonic apparatuses that support data communications. In one embodiment, a telephonic apparatus includes: a network interface to submit a query over a data communication network and to receive a listing with embedded information about the query; and a call module coupled to the network interface, the call module to embed the information about the query in a call signaling message for a telephonic connection according to the listing.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

submitting a query from a telephonic apparatus to identify a listing over a data communication network;

receiving, at the telephonic apparatus and over the data communication network, the listing with information about the query; and

embedding the information about the query in a call signaling message for a telephonic connection with the telephonic apparatus according to the listing.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the information about the query is embedded at least partially in a body or header of the call signaling message.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the information about the query is provided in addressing information of the call signaling message.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the call signaling message is in accordance with a session initiation protocol (SIP).

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the call signaling message comprises a call initiation message for the telephonic connection from the telephonic apparatus.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the listing includes a telephonic reference of a callee of the listing;

and the method further comprises;

embedding the telephonic reference of the callee in the call signaling message to a connection server.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the telephonic reference of the callee is encrypted in the received listing.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the telephonic reference of the callee comprises a session initiation protocol (SIP) uniform resource identifier (URI), a telephone number without an extension, a telephone number with an extension, or a user identifier.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the telephonic apparatus transmits the call signaling message via a gateway.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the gateway bridges the telephonic apparatus and a connection server;

the telephonic apparatus communicates with the gateway in a first protocol; and

the gateway communicates with the connection server in a second protocol.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the call signaling message is for a peer to peer Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) connection.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the listing comprises an advertisement presented on the telephonic apparatus on behalf of an advertiser;

and the advertiser is charged an advertisement fee in response to the telephonic connection being connected to the advertiser.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the information about the query includes a search criterion, an identification of the advertisement, a timestamp of the query, an entity of the telephonic apparatus, an identification of a user of the telephonic apparatus, a position of the advertisement in a result of a search performed in response to the query, or a price of an advertisement fee offered by the advertiser.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein the information about the query includes at least an identification of a distributor of the telephonic apparatus, an identification of a distribution channel of the advertisement, or an identifier of a party who has a contribution in a process of delivering the advertisement to the telephonic apparatus.

15. A machine readable media embodying instructions, the instructions causing a machine to perform a method, the method comprising:

submitting a query from a telephonic apparatus to identify a listing over a data communication network;

receiving, at the telephonic apparatus and over the data communication network, the listing with information about the query; and

embedding the information about the query in a call signaling message for a telephonic connection with the telephonic apparatus according to the listing.

16. A method of providing instructions, the instructions causing a machine to perform operations, the operations comprising:

submitting a query from a telephonic apparatus to identify a listing over a data communication network;

receiving, at the telephonic apparatus and over the data communication network, the listing with information about the query; and

embedding the information about the query in a call signaling message for a telephonic connection with the telephonic apparatus according to the listing.

17. A telephonic apparatus, comprising:

a network interface to submit a query over a data communication network and to receive a listing with embedded information about the query; and

a call module coupled to the network interface, the call module to embed the information about the query in a call signaling message for a telephonic connection according to the listing.

18. A method, comprising:

responsive to a query received over a data communication network, providing a listing with information about the query over the data communication network for presentation on a telephonic apparatus;

receiving a call signaling message for a telephonic connection from the telephonic apparatus; and

extracting the information about the query from the call signaling message.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the listing includes a telephonic reference of a callee of the listing;

and the method further comprises;

extracting the telephonic reference of the callee from the call signaling message; and

connecting the telephonic connection to the callee using the telephonic reference of the callee.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the connecting of the telephonic connection to the callee comprises:

initiating a separate telephonic connection with the callee using the telephonic reference of the callee extracted from the call signaling message; and

bridging the telephonic connection from the telephonic apparatus and the separate telephonic connection with the callee.