RINGBACK ADVERTISING

• US 20090182616A1
• Filed: 01/15/2008
• Published: 07/16/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 01/15/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google Inc. (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Ho, Ronald, Lin, Jennifer W.
• Granted Patent: US 8,135,613 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/10
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0211 Determining the effectiveness of discounts or incentives
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0251 Targeted advertisements
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0252 based on events or environment, e.g. weather or festivals
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0261 based on user location
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0269 based on user profile or attribute
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0272 Period of advertisement exposure
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0273 Determination of fees for advertising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0275 Auctions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/04 Billing or invoicing

Abstract

Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer program products, in which an indication of a telephone call being placed from a calling number is received, and a determination is made of an audio advertisement to play based on the calling number. The audio advertisement is played based on the determination.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method, comprising:

receiving an indication of a telephone call being placed from a calling number;

determining an audio advertisement to play; and

playing the audio advertisement prior to a called party answering the telephone call.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving the audio advertisement from an advertiser.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a category and subcategory associated with the audio advertisement.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

identifying a total time amount associated with the audio advertisement.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein determining an audio advertisement to play comprises:

receiving a category of audio advertisements from an entity associated with a called number; and

identifying the audio advertisement from one or more audio advertisements associated with the category.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the category is associated with the caller.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein determining an audio advertisement to play comprises:

determining a location associated with a calling party; and

identifying the audio advertisement based on the location.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein playing the audio advertisement prior to a called party answering the telephone call comprises:

playing the audio advertisement as at least one of a ringback tone, call waiting tone, or hold tone.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining a length of time the audio advertisement is played; and

charging an advertiser associated with the audio advertisement the total time amount based on the length of time.

10. A method, comprising:

receiving one or more audio advertisements, wherein each of the advertisements is associated with a first category;

receiving a second category from an entity associated with a called number or calling number;

receiving an indication of a telephone call from the calling number;

identifying an audio advertisement from the one or more audio advertisements based on the first category and the second category;

provide the audio advertisement for playing during the telephone call from the calling number to the called number; and

receiving a first payment each time the audio advertisement is played.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

providing a second payment to the entity, where the second payment is a portion of the first payment.

12. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

identifying a total time amount associated with the audio advertisement.

13. The method of claim 10, wherein the payment is received from an advertiser associated with the one of the one or more advertisements.

14. The method of claim 10, wherein providing the audio advertisement for playing during the telephone call from the calling number to the called number comprises:

providing the advertisement for playing as at least one of a ringback tone, call waiting tone, or hold tone.

15. A system, comprising:

a data store configured to store audio advertisements; and

an advertisement engine comprising instructions executable by a processing system and stored in a computer readable medium, wherein upon execution the instructions cause the processing system to perform the operations of;

receive an indication of a telephone call;

determine an audio advertisement to play; and

playing the audio advertisement prior to a called party answering the telephone call.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the advertisement engine is further operable to:

receive the audio advertisement from an advertiser.

17. The system of claim 15, wherein the advertisement engine is further operable to:

receive a category and subcategory associated with the audio advertisement.

18. The system of claim 15, wherein the advertisement engine is further operable to:

identify a total time amount associated with the audio advertisement.

19. The system of claim 15, wherein the advertisement engine is further operable to:

receive a category of audio advertisements from an entity associated with a called number or calling number; and

identify the audio advertisement from one or more audio advertisements associated with the category.

20. The system of claim 15, wherein the advertisement engine is further operable to:

determine a location associated with a calling party; and

identify the audio advertisement based on the location.

21. The system of claim 15, wherein the advertisement engine is further operable to:

play the audio advertisement as at least one of a ringback tone, call waiting tone, or hold tone.

22. A system, comprising:

a data store configured to store audio advertisements; and

an advertisement engine comprising instructions executable by a processing system and stored in a computer readable medium, wherein upon execution the instructions cause the processing system to perform the operations of;

receive one or more audio advertisements, wherein each of the advertisements is associated with a first category;

receive a second category from an entity associated with a called number or a calling number;

receive an indication of a telephone call from the calling number;

identify an audio advertisement from the one or more audio advertisements based on the second category;

play the audio advertisement during the telephone call from the calling number to the called number; and

receive a first payment each time the audio advertisement is played.

23. The system of claim 22, wherein the advertisement engine is further operable to:

provide a second payment to the entity, where the second payment is a portion of the first payment.

24. The system of claim 22, wherein the advertisement engine is further operable to:

identifying a total time amount associated with the audio advertisement.

25. The system of claim 22, wherein the payment is received from an advertiser associated with the one of the one or more advertisements.

26. A system, comprising:

means for receiving an indication of a telephone call being placed from a calling number;

means for determining an audio advertisement to play based on the calling number or the called number; and

means for playing the audio advertisement based on the determining.