Methods and Apparatuses to Connect Users of Mobile Devices to Advertisers

• US 20080194260A1
• Filed: 02/06/2008
• Published: 08/14/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 02/08/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Thryv, Inc. (Mudrick Capital Management LP)
• Original Assignee: UTBK, Inc.
• Inventors: HIRSON, Ron, FABER, Scott, ALTBERG, Ebbe, MANCA, Paul G., VAN DER LINDEN, Sean
• Granted Patent: US 8,843,107 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/435.1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising

Abstract

Methods and apparatuses to connect a user of a telephony device to a selected one of service providers of a predefined category. One embodiment includes: providing a user interface element on a dial interface of a telephonic device to represent a communication reference associated with a pre-defined category of services; and responsive to a user selection of the user interface element, initiating a request from the telephonic device using the communication reference for a telephone connection to a service provider of the pre-defined category; where the service provider is to be selected from a plurality of service providers of the pre-defined category in response to the request and to be charged in response to a telephone lead connected to the service provider.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

providing a user interface element on a dial interface of a telephonic device, the user interface element to represent a communication reference associated with a pre-defined category of services; and

responsive to a user selection of the user interface element, initiating a request from the telephonic device using the communication reference for a telephone connection to a service provider of the pre-defined category, the service provider to be selected from a plurality of service providers of the pre-defined category in response to the request, the service provider to be charged in response to a telephone lead connected to the service provider.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the telephonic device comprises a cellular phone.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

determining a location of the cellular phone; and

selecting the service provider based at least on the location of the cellular phone and a price specified by the service provider.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the determining of the location of the cellular phone comprises:

responsive to the request, determining the location of the cellular phone according to a location of a cell tower in communication with the cellular phone;

responsive to the request, determining the location of the cellular phone via an interactive voice response (IVR) system;

responsive to the request, determining the location of the cellular phone according to a phone number of the cellular phone;

responsive to the request, determining the location of the cellular phone based on an Internet Protocol (IP) address associated the cellular phone; and

determining the location of the cellular phone based on a map displayed on the cellular phone.

5. The method of claim 2, wherein the user interface element comprises a display of the pre-defined category of services on a screen of the cellular phone together with the dial interface.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the dial interface comprises a display of a dial pad on the screen of the cellular phone.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein the user interface element is static as a permanent part of the dial interface.

8. The method of claim 5, wherein the screen comprises a touch screen;

and the pre-defined category of services is selectable via the touch screen.

9. The method of claim 5, wherein the user interface element is selectable via a pre-defined switch on the cellular phone.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein the user interface element is selectable via pressing and holding the switch for a period of time.

11. The method of claim 5, wherein the user interface element is selectable via pressing less than four switches on the cellular phone after the dial interface is displayed.

12. The method of claim 2, wherein the request comprises dialing a call according to the communication reference;

and the communication reference comprises one of;

a telephone number without an extension, a telephone number with an extension, a Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) telephonic reference, and a Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) Universal Resource Identifier (URI).

13. The method of claim 2, wherein the request comprises a request for a callback to the telephonic device for a connection with the service provider.

14. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

responsive to the request, receiving an advertisement for the service provider, the advertisement including a telephonic reference, and the service provider to be charged for the advertisement based on telephone calls connected to the advertiser.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

displaying the advertisement while connecting the cellular phone to the service provider.

16. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

responsive to a user selection of the advertisement, placing a call to the service provider according to the telephonic reference.

17. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

responsive to the request, a connection provider establishing a first Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) call with a telecommunication carrier which bridges the first VoIP call to cellular phone;

the connection provider establishing a second Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) call with a telecommunication carrier which bridges the second VoIP call to a public switched telephone network (PSTN) to the service provider; and

connecting the first and second VoIP calls.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein a first virtual softphone of the telecommunication carrier bridges the first VoIP call to the cellular phone;

a second virtual softphone of the telecommunication carrier bridges the second VoIP call onto a public switched telephone network (PSTN) to the service provider; and

the connecting the first and second VoIP calls comprises;

directing the first and second softphones to establish a direct media connection which does not go through the connection provider.

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

providing a user interface element on a dial interface of a telephonic device, the user interface element to represent a communication reference associated with a pre-defined category of services; and

responsive to a user selection of the user interface element, initiating a request from the telephonic device using the communication reference for a telephone connection to a service provider of the pre-defined category, the service provider to be selected from a plurality of service providers of the pre-defined category in response to the request, the service provider to be charged in response to a telephone lead connected to the service provider.

20. A data processing system, comprising:

means for providing a user interface element on a dial interface of a telephonic device, the user interface element to represent a communication reference associated with a pre-defined category of services; and

means for, responsive to a user selection of the user interface element, initiating a request from the telephonic device using the communication reference for a telephone connection to a service provider of the pre-defined category, the service provider to be selected from a plurality of service providers of the pre-defined category in response to the request, the service provider to be charged in response to a telephone lead connected to the service provider.