Method and system for playback of advertisements in an electronic classified advertising system

• US 5,909,670 A
• Filed: 01/09/1996
• Issued: 06/01/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 01/09/1995
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Qwest Communications International Incorporated (Lumen Technologies, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: MediaOne Group Inc. (Comcast Corporation), U S West Inc.
• Inventors: Cox, Leslie Darrell, Trader, Terry F.
• Primary Examiner(s): Thomas, Joseph
• Application Number:
  US08/584,415
• Time in Patent Office: 1,239 Days
• Field of Search: 705/1, 705/26, 705/27, 705/14, 705/7, 705/10, 379/67.68, 379/88, 379/89, 379/265, 379/93.12, 379/93.27, 379/71, 379/88.24
• US Class Current: 705/14.68
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0201 Market modelling; Market analysis; Collecting market data
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0241 Advertisements
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0264 based upon schedule
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0272 Period of advertisement exposure
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0277 Online advertisement
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/254 where the visual mode comprises menus
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/493 Interactive information services, e.g. directory enquiries ; Arrangements therefor, e.g. interactive voice response [IVR] systems or voice portals

Abstract

A method and system for manipulating playback of advertisements selected from an electronic classified advertising system. The method includes advancing playback an advertisement a first predetermined period of time in response to a first user input, and retreating playback of an advertisement a second predetermined period of time in response to a second user input. The method also includes pausing playback an advertisement in response to a third user input, and resuming playback of the paused advertisement upon the expiration of a third predetermined period of time. The system includes input and output devices, a processor, memory, and software for performing the method.

Claims

1. In an electronic classified advertising system, a method for manipulating playback of and responding to a plurality of advertisements selected from the system, each advertisement associated with an advertiser and delivered to a user over a telephone, the method comprising:

playing a message indicating the number of advertisements selected;

advancing playback of one of the plurality of advertisements a first predetermined period of time in response to a first user input;

retreating playback of one of the plurality of advertisements a second predetermined period of time in response to a second user input;

pausing playback of one of the plurality of advertisements in response to a third user input;

resuming playback of the paused one of the plurality of advertisements upon expiration of a third predetermined period of time;

repeating playback of a user selected first subset of the plurality of advertisements in response to a fourth user input, wherein the first subset is less than the number of advertisements;

skipping playback of a user selected second subset of the plurality of advertisements in response to a fifth user input, wherein the second subset is less than the number of advertisements; and

directly connecting the user, via the telephone, to the advertiser associated with one of the plurality of advertisements in response to a sixth user input when a predetermined time of day requirement is satisfied.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising repeating playback of the plurality of advertisements in response to a fifth user input.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising skipping playback of one of the plurality of advertisements in response to a sixth user input.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the first and second predetermined periods of time are equal.

5. In an electronic classified advertising system, a system for manipulating playback of and responding to a plurality of advertisements selected from the advertising system, each advertisement associated with an advertiser and delivered to a user over a telephone, the system comprising:

means for playing a message indicating the number of advertisements selected;

means for advancing playback of one of the plurality of advertisements a first predetermined period of time in response to a first user input;

means for retreating playback of one of the plurality of advertisements a second predetermined period of time in response to a second user input;

means for pausing playback of one of the plurality of advertisements in response to a third user input;

means for resuming playback of the paused one of the plurality of advertisements upon expiration of a third predetermined period of time;

means for repeating playback of a user selected first subset of the plurality of advertisements in response to a fourth user input, wherein the first subset is less than the number of advertisements;

means for skipping playback of a user selected second subset of the plurality of advertisements in response to a fifth user input, wherein the second subset is less than the number of advertisements; and

means for directly connecting the user, via the telephone, to the advertiser associated with one of the plurality of advertisements in response to a sixth user input when a predetermined time of day requirement is satisfied.

6. The system of claim 5 further comprising means for repeating playback of the plurality of advertisements in response to a fifth user input.

7. The system of claim 5 further comprising means for skipping playback of one of the plurality of advertisements in response to a sixth user input.

8. The system of claim 5 wherein the first and second predetermined periods of time are equal.