Software program and method for offering promotions on a phone

• US 20080139223A1
• Filed: 12/08/2006
• Published: 06/12/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 12/08/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Bevocal Incorporated (Microsoft Corporation)
• Inventors: Stone, Kevin M.
• Granted Patent: US 8,280,360 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/456.3
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0251 Targeted advertisements
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/2011 Service processing based on information specified by a party before or during a call, e.g. information, tone or routing selection
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/0192 Sponsored, subsidised calls via advertising, e.g. calling cards with ads or connecting to special ads, free calling time by purchasing goods
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42068 where the identifier is used to access a profile
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/4878 Advertisement messages

Abstract

The present invention includes a method and software application for providing a promotion to a user on a phone. The software application resides on a user'"'"'s phone and “listens” for phone numbers dialed by a user. In response to the user dialing a phone number, the software determines whether a promotion or an offer for a promotion should be provided to the user. In response to determining to play or offer to play a promotion to the user, the software application on the phone effectively “intercepts” the call and plays to the user either a promotion or an offer to hear about a promotion prior to placing an outbound voice call. The software application may retrieve the promotion from local memory or may connect with a remote server to download an applicable promotion.

Claims

1. A method for offering a promotion to a user that has dialed a phone number on a phone, the method comprising:

listening for phone numbers dialed by a user on the phone;

in response to the user dialing a phone number, performing the following;

providing the user with an option to receive a promotion, where the option is provided prior to placing an outbound voice call;

in response to the user accepting the option, providing the user with the promotion; and

in response to the user not responding to the option, placing a call to the dialed phone number.

2. A method for offering a promotion to a user that has dialed a phone number on a phone, the method comprising:

listening for phone numbers dialed by a user on the phone;

in response to the user dialing a phone number, determining whether or not to offer a promotion to the user;

in response to determining to offer a promotion to the user, performing the following;

providing the user with an option to receive a promotion, where the option is provided prior to placing an outbound voice call;

in response to the user accepting the option, providing the user with the promotion; and

in response to the user not responding to the option, placing a call to the dialed phone number.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising, in response to the user accepting the option, placing the called to the dialed phone number after providing the user with the promotion.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein providing the promotion comprises providing a promotion for a business associated with the dialed phone number.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the promotion is information about the business.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein the promotion is a product offering by the business.

7. The method of claim 4, wherein the promotion is a sale offered by the business.

8. The method of claim 4, wherein the promotion offers a reward for purchasing a product from the business.

9. The method of claim 2, wherein providing the promotion comprises providing a promotion for a business that is competitive with a business associated with the dialed phone number.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein, the promotion includes the option to place a call to the competing business.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein the promotion is a product offering.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein the promotion is a discount off a product offered by the competing business.

13. The method of claim 2, wherein the promotion includes a coupon.

14. The method of claim 2, wherein providing the promotion includes providing the user with the option to save the promotion on the user'"'"'s phone.

15. The method of claim 2, wherein the option to receive information about the promotion is provided in audio form on the phone by playing a voice prompt.

16. The method of claim 2, wherein the option to receive information about the promotion is provided in visual form on the phone by displaying the option on a user interface on the phone.

17. The method of claim 2, wherein the promotion is provided to the user in audio form on the phone by playing a voice prompt.

18. The method of claim 2, wherein the promotion is provided to the user in visual form by displaying text describing the promotion on a user interface on the phone.

19. The method of claim 2, wherein the promotion provided to the user is selected based at least in part on user profile information.

20. The method of claim 2, wherein the promotion provided to the user is selected based at least in part on user location.

21. The method of claim 2, wherein the promotion provided to the user is selected based at least in part on known user preferences.

22. The method of claim 2, wherein the promotion provided to the user is selected based at least in part on previous promotions offered the user.

23. The method of claim 2, wherein the promotion provided to the user is selected based at least in part on previous phone numbers dialed by user.

24. The method of claim 2, wherein the promotion provided to the user is paid for by an advertiser and wherein the promotion provided to the user is selected at least in part based on the advertiser that bid the most money for promotion placement.

25. The method of claim 2, wherein determining whether or not to play a promotion to a user comprises determining whether the dialed phone number is associated with a promotion.

26. The method of claim 25, wherein determining whether the dialed phone number is associated with a promotion comprises communicating with a remote server to determine whether the dialed phone number is associated with a promotion, and, if the dialed phone number is associated with a promotion, downloading the promotion from the server.

27. A method for offering a promotion to a user that has dialed a phone number on a phone, the method comprising:

listening for phone numbers dialed by a user on the phone;

in response to the user dialing a phone number, determining whether or not to offer a promotion to the user;

in response to determining to offer a promotion to the user, performing the following;

providing the user with a choice to either continue with the call or to first receive information about the promotion, where the choice is provided prior to placing an outbound voice call;

in response to the user selecting to receive information about the promotion, providing the user with information about the promotion; and

in response to the user selecting to continue with the call, placing a call to the dialed phone number.

28. The method of claim 27, further comprising, in response to the user selecting to receive information about the promotion, placing the called to the dialed phone number after providing the user with information about the promotion.

29. The method of claim 27, wherein providing the promotion comprises providing a promotion for a business associated with a dialed phone number.

30. The method of claim 29, wherein the promotion is information about the business.

31. The method of claim 29, wherein the promotion is a product offering by the business.

32. The method of claim 29, wherein the promotion is a sale offered by the business.

33. The method of claim 29, wherein the promotion offers a reward for purchasing a product from the business.

34. The method of claim 27, wherein providing the promotion comprises providing a promotion for a business that is competitive with a business associated with the dialed phone number.

35. The method of claim 34, wherein, the promotion includes the option to place a call to the competing business.

36. The method of claim 34, wherein the promotion is a product offering.

37. The method of claim 34, wherein the promotion is a discount off a product offered by the competing business.

38. The method of claim 27, wherein the promotion includes a coupon.

39. The method of claim 27, wherein, in providing user with information about the promotion, providing the user with the option to save the promotion on the user'"'"'s phone.

40. The method of claim 27, wherein the option to receive information about the promotion is provided in audio form on the phone by playing a voice prompt.

41. The method of claim 27, wherein the option to receive information about the promotion is provided in visual form on the phone by displaying the option on a user interface on the phone.

42. The method of claim 27, wherein the promotion is provided to the user in audio form on the phone by playing a voice prompt.

43. The method of claim 27, wherein the promotion is provided to the user in visual form by displaying text describing the promotion on a user interface on the phone.

44. The method of claim 27, wherein the promotion provided to the user is selected based at least in part on user profile information.

45. The method of claim 27, wherein the promotion provided to the user is selected based at least in part on user location.

46. The method of claim 27, wherein the promotion provided to the user is selected based at least in part on known user preferences.

47. The method of claim 27, wherein the promotion provided to the user is selected based at least in part on previous promotions offered the user.

48. The method of claim 27, wherein the promotion provided to the user is selected based at least in part on previous phone numbers dialed by user.

49. The method of claim 27, wherein the promotion provided to the user is paid for by an advertiser and wherein the promotion provided to the user is selected at least in part based on the advertiser that bid the most money for promotion placement.

50. The method of claim 27, wherein determining whether or not to play a promotion to a user comprises determining whether the dialed phone number is associated with a promotion.

51. A software program embodied on a computer-readable medium and comprising code that, when executed by a processor on a phone, enables the phone to perform the following method:

listening for phone numbers dialed by a user on the phone;

in response to the user dialing a phone number, determining whether or not to offer a promotion to a user;

in response to determining to offer a promotion to the user, performing the following;

providing the user with an option to receive information about the promotion, where the option is provided prior to placing an outbound voice call;

in response to the user accepting the option, providing the user with information about the promotion; and

in response to the user not responding to the option, placing a call to the dialed phone number.

52. The software program of claim 51, wherein determining whether or not to play a promotion to a user comprises determining whether the dialed phone number is associated with a promotion.

53. A software program embodied on a computer-readable medium and comprising code that, when executed by a processor on a phone, enables the phone to perform the following method:

listening for phone numbers dialed by a user on the phone;

in response to the user dialing a phone number, determining whether or not to offer a promotion to the user;

in response to determining to offer a promotion to the user, performing the following;

providing the user with a choice to either continue with the call or to first receive information about the promotion, where the choice is provided prior to placing an outbound voice call;

in response to the user selecting to receive information about the promotion, providing the user with information about the promotion; and

in response to the user selecting to continue with the call, placing a call to the dialed phone number.

54. The software program of claim 53, wherein determining whether or not to play a promotion to a user comprises determining whether the dialed phone number is associated with a promotion

55. A method for offering a promotion to a user that has dialed a phone number on a phone, the method comprising:

listening for phone numbers dialed by a user on the phone;

in response to the user dialing a phone number, determining whether or not to offer a promotion to the user;

in response to determining to offer a promotion to the user, performing the following;

providing the user with an option for an action related to the promotion, where the option is provided prior to placing an outbound voice call;

in response to the user accepting the option, performing the action related to the promotion; and

in response to the user not responding to the option, placing a call to the dialed phone number.

56. The method of claim 55, further comprising placing the call to the dialed phone number after performing the action related to the promotion.