Method and apparatus to provide pay-per-call performance based advertising
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A method, comprising:
- assigning a real-time communication reference to be included in an advertisement, the real-time communication reference to be used to communicate with an advertiser via a non-web based communication;
monitoring communications to the advertiser via the communication reference; and
billing the advertiser a predetermined fee for the advertisement in response to an initiation of the communication connected to the advertiser via the communication reference.
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Abstract
In one embodiment, the invention provides a method. The method includes assigning a unique telephone number to an advertiser; providing an advertisement on a media channel on behalf of the advertiser, the advertisement including one of the unique telephone number and a reference to the unique telephone number; monitoring telephone calls to the unique telephone number; and billing the advertiser for telephone calls to the unique telephone number in accordance with a predefined model.
501 Citations
48 Claims
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1. A method, comprising:
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assigning a real-time communication reference to be included in an advertisement, the real-time communication reference to be used to communicate with an advertiser via a non-web based communication; monitoring communications to the advertiser via the communication reference; and billing the advertiser a predetermined fee for the advertisement in response to an initiation of the communication connected to the advertiser via the communication reference. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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21. A system, comprising:
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a first unit to assign a real-time communication reference to be included in an advertisement, the real-time communication reference to be used to communicate with an advertiser via a non-web based communication; a third unit to monitor communications to the advertiser via the communication reference; and a fourth unit to bill the advertiser a predetermined fee for the advertisement in response to an initiation of the communication connected to the advertiser via the communication reference. - View Dependent Claims (22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28)
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29. A computer-readable medium, having stored thereon a sequence of instruction, which when executed by a computer, cause the computer to perform a method comprising:
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assigning a real-time communication reference to be included in an advertisement, the real-time communication reference to be used to communicate with an advertiser via a non-web based communication; monitoring communications to the advertiser via the communication reference; and billing the advertiser a predetermined fee for the advertisement in response to an initiation of the communication connected to the advertiser via the communication reference.
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30. A method, comprising:
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in response to receiving requests from a set advertisers, assigning the advertisers with separate communication references for their respective advertisements which can be displayed concurrently, the real-time communication references to be used to communicate with an advertisers via a non-web based communications; monitoring communications to the advertisers via the communication references; and billing an advertiser a predetermined fee for a corresponding advertisement in response to an initiation of a communication connected to the advertiser via a communication reference.
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31. A method, comprising:
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assigning a first communication reference to a first advertiser, the first communication reference to be used in a first advertisement and to communicate with the first advertiser via a non-web based communication; assigning a second communication reference to a second advertiser, the second communication reference to be used in a second advertisement and to communicate with the second advertiser via a non-web based communication, wherein the second and first advertisement can be displayed concurrently; monitoring communications to the first advertiser via the first communication reference and communications to the second advertiser via the second communication reference; billing the second advertiser a predetermined fee for the second advertisement in response to an initiation of the communication connected to the second advertiser via the second communication reference.
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32. A method, comprising:
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assigning a first communication reference to a first advertiser, the first communication reference to be used in a first advertisement and to communicate with the first advertiser via a non-web based communication; assigning a second communication reference to a second advertiser, the second communication reference to be used in a second advertisement and to communicate with the second advertiser via a non-web based communication, wherein the second and first advertisements can be displayed concurrently; monitoring communications to the first advertiser via the first communication reference and communications to the second advertiser via the second communication reference; billing the first advertiser a predetermined fee for the first advertisement per communication connected to the first advertiser via the first communication reference; and billing the second advertiser a predetermined fee for the second advertisement hi per communication connected to the second advertiser via the second communication reference. - View Dependent Claims (33, 34)
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35. A method, comprising:
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assigning to an advertiser a placement for an undefined advertisement and a communication reference for the advertisement, the communication reference be used to communicate with the advertiser via a non-web based communication; monitoring communications to the advertiser via the communication reference; and billing the advertiser a predetermined fee for the advertisement in response to an initiation of the communication connected to the advertiser via the communication reference. - View Dependent Claims (36, 37)
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38. A method, comprising:
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assigning a communication reference to an advertiser to be included in an advertisement, the communication reference assigned independent of a price to be paid by the advertiser for the advertisement, the communication reference be used to communicate with the advertiser via a non-web based communication; monitoring communications to the advertiser via the communication reference; and billing the advertiser a predetermined fee for the advertisement in response to an initiation of the communication connected to the advertiser via the communication reference. - View Dependent Claims (39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47)
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48. A method, comprising:
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providing a communication reference to be included in an advertisement for an advertiser, without the advertiser having to bid to receive the communication reference, the communication reference be used to communicate with the advertiser via a non-web based communication; monitoring communications to the advertiser via the communication reference; and billing the advertiser a predetermined fee for the advertisement in response to an initiation of the communication connected to the advertiser via the communication reference.
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Specification