System, method, and user interface for advertising via a voice channel

• US 20080010141A1
• Filed: 06/26/2006
• Published: 01/10/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 06/26/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Unwired Asset Management LLC (IPValuation Partners, LLC)
• Original Assignee: Gnumber Incorporated
• Inventors: Zuniga, Roy Stacey, Walker, Lanny Wayne, Tooley, Chris, Butcher, James Edward, Smith, Charles Eric
• Granted Patent: US 10,043,192 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/14
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0241 Advertisements
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0253 During e-commerce, i.e. online transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0264 based upon schedule
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2201/40 using speech recognition speech recognition per se G10L15/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2207/20 hybrid systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/4878 Advertisement messages
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/4938 comprising a voice browser which renders and interprets, e.g. VoiceXML

Abstract

An audio interface for communicating information regarding an online auction item is disclosed and includes an announcement, wherein the announcement includes information that is associated with the online auction item. The audio interface also includes an authorization prompt to retrieve authentication information and an advertisement.

Claims

1. An audio interface for communicating information regarding an online auction item, the audio interface comprising:

an announcement, wherein the announcement includes information associated with the online auction item;

an authorization prompt to retrieve authentication information; and

at least one advertisement.

2. The audio interface of claim 1, wherein the at least one advertisement is a targeted advertisement associated with the online auction item.

3. The audio interface of claim 1, wherein the at least one advertisement is a general advertisement.

4. The audio interface of claim 1, further comprising an advertisement-free time period in which the at least one advertisement is not communicated.

5. The audio interface of claim 4, wherein the advertisement-free time period commences at a predetermined time before an end of an auction for the online auction item.

6. The audio interface of claim 4, further comprising at least one status update communicated during the advertisement-free time period.

7. The audio interface claim 6, further comprising at least one user action prompt communicated during the advertisement-free time period.

8. The audio interface of claim 7, wherein the at least one user action prompt is a prompt to perform at least one of the following actions:

increase a bid, increase a maximum bid, and purchase an item at a buy it now price.

9. The audio interface of claim 7, wherein the advertisement-free time period ends at the end of the auction for the online auction item.

10. The audio interface of claim 9, further comprising a pre-final status announcement advertisement communicated after the advertisement-free time period ends.

11. The audio interface of claim 10, wherein the pre-final status announcement advertisement is a targeted advertisement associated with the online auction item.

12. The audio interface of claim 10, wherein the pre-final status announcement advertisement is a general advertisement associated with a mass marketing campaign.

13. The audio interface of claim 10, further comprising a final status announcement, wherein the final status announcement indicates whether the user won or lost the auction of the online auction item.

14. The audio interface of claim 13, wherein the final status announcement further indicates the final bid for the online auction item.

15. The audio interface of claim 13, further comprising a post-final status announcement advertisement.

16. The audio interface of claim 15, wherein the post-final status announcement advertisement includes information associated with an item similar to the online auction item.

17. The audio interface of claim 16, wherein the post-final status announcement advertisement includes information associated with a similar item when the user loses the auction.

18. The audio interface of claim 15, wherein the post-final status announcement advertisement includes information associated with an item related to the online auction item.

19. The audio interface of claim 18, wherein the post-final status announcement advertisement includes information associated with a related item when the user wins the auction.

20. The audio interface of claim 15, further comprising a second user action prompt communicated after the post-final status announcement.

21. The audio interface of claim 20, wherein the second user action prompt is a prompt to perform at least one of the following actions:

submit a bid, submit a maximum bid, purchase an item, place an item on a watch list, and place an item on a wish list.

22. A method of contacting a user about an item that is available via an auction website, the method comprising:

establishing a telephone call over a voice channel to the user;

authenticating the user;

communicating an auction announcement to the user over the voice channel;

communicating a current bid to the user over the voice channel;

indicating whether the user is a high bidder for the item; and

communicating one or more advertisements to the user over the voice channel.

23. The method of claim 22, further comprising interrupting the one or more advertisements to communicate a change to the current bid.

24. The method of claim 22, further comprising ceasing transmission of the one or more advertisements when a time remaining for the auction of the item is within a predetermined time of an end of the auction.

25. The method of claim 22, further comprising:

indicating that the auction has ended;

communicating at least one pre-final status announcement advertisement to the user over the voice channel; and

communicating a final status announcement to the user over the voice channel, wherein the final status announcement indicates whether the user won the auction.

26. The method of claim 25, further comprising communicating at least one post-final status announcement advertisement to the user.

27. The method of claim 26, wherein the at least one post-final status announcement advertisement includes information associated with a similar item with respect to the item of the auction.

28. The method of claim 26, wherein the at least one post-final status announcement advertisement includes information associated with a related item with respect to the item of the auction.

29. The method of claim 26, further comprising prompting the user to take action with respect to the at least one post-final status announcement advertisement.

30. The method of claim 29, wherein the action includes at least one of the following:

purchasing an item, placing an item on a watch list, bidding on an item, placing an item on a wish list, and requesting additional information related to an item or service.

31. A method of advertising to a user that is bidding on a first item at an online auction, the method comprising:

contacting the user via a voice channel during an online auction of the first item;

authenticating the user; and

communicating at least one audio advertisement to the user via the voice channel before the online auction ends.

32. The method of claim 31, further comprising communicating a contextual audio advertisement to the user wherein the contextual audio advertisement includes information associated with a second item that is related to the first item.

33. The method of claim 31, further comprising communicating a contextual audio advertisement to the user wherein the contextual audio advertisement includes information associated with a second item that is similar to the first item.

34. A system for notifying a user over a voice channel with respect to an item at an auction website, the system comprising:

a voice generation module that includes a first voice message, wherein the first voice message includes a greeting, a reason for a call, and a prompt for a personal identification number, wherein the reason for the call relates to the item at the auction website; and

an advertising module that includes at least one audio advertisement.

35. The system of claim 34, wherein the at least one audio advertisement is related to the item at the auction website.

36. A collection of human audible messages, the collection comprising:

a human audible announcement, wherein the human audible announcement includes information associated with an online auction item;

a human audible authorization prompt; and

at least one human audible advertisement.

37. The collection of claim 36, further comprising a human audible status update associated with the online auction item.

38. The collection of claim 37, further comprising a human audible user action prompt.

39. A communication link to communicate audio information, the audio information comprising:

a first audio message that includes a human audible announcement identifying an online auction item;

a second audio message that includes a human audible authorization prompt to seek user identity information; and

a third audio message that includes at least one human audible advertisement.

40. The communication link of claim 39, wherein at least one of the first audio message, the second audio message, and third audio message is communication over a voice channel.

41. A method, comprising:

receiving a first signal that includes an announcement associated with an online auction item;

combining at least one audio advertisement and the first signal to produce a combined signal; and

communicating the combined signal over a voice channel.

42. The method of claim 41, wherein a telephone call communicates the combine signal and communicates an audible authorization prompt.

43. The method of claim 41, wherein the first signal includes at least one advertisement insertion window.

44. The method of claim 43, wherein the at least one audio advertisement is inserted into the at least one advertisement insertion window.

45. A method of advertising, comprising:

generating a telephone call, wherein the telephone call includes an audible announcement associated with an online auction item and at least one audio advertisement insertion window; and

inserting at least one audio advertisement into the at least one audio advertisement insertion window.

46. A data signal, the data signal comprising:

a first digital signal that represents a human audible announcement, wherein the human audible announcement includes audio information associated with an online auction item;

a second digital signal that represents a human audible authorization prompt; and

a third digital signal that represents at least one human audible advertisement;

wherein at least one of the first digital signal, the second digital signal, and the third digital signal is stored in a computer readable memory.

47. The data signal of claim 46, wherein at least one of the first digital signal, the second digital signal, and the third digital signal are communicated over a voice over Internet protocol (VoIP) channel.

48. A communication device, comprising:

an audio generator, wherein the audio generator is configured to provide audio information associated with an online auction, the audio information further including an authorization prompt and at least one audio advertisement.

49. The communication device of claim 48, wherein the audio information is communicated over a voice channel.

50. The communication device of claim 48, wherein the audio generator is a speaker.