Methods and systems for automated radio ordering and fulfillment

• US 7,437,316 B1
• Filed: 06/25/2004
• Issued: 10/14/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 06/25/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Synapse Group, Inc. (IAC, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Synapse Group, Inc. (IAC, Inc.)
• Inventors: Loeb, Michael R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Garg; Yogesh C
• Application Number:
  US10/877,353
• Time in Patent Office: 1,572 Days
• Field of Search: 705/26, 705/27, 705/1, 705/14, 455/414.1, 455/3.04, 455/3.06, 379/114.21, 379/200, 368/10, 707/10
• US Class Current: 705/26.43
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0267 Wireless devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0273 Determination of fees for advertising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0277 Online advertisement
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0617 Representative agent

Abstract

There are provided methods and systems enabling a customer to order products from an audio advertisement, for example from a radio advertisement heard in an automobile, using only a standard audio receiver and mobile telephone. Pre-registration by the retailer advertising the product enables the storing of pertinent product information by a fulfillment center. Pre-approval of mobile telephone service(s) enables billing to be performed through a customer'"'"'s mobile telephone account. The actual customer order is completed by simply dialing the telephone number transmitted in the advertisement. The remainder of the fulfillment and billing process is substantially automated. More specifically, the fulfillment center uses the dialed telephone number to determine the ordered product and the calling telephone number to determine delivery information. If the calling number is through an approved mobile telephone service provider and caller information can be determined, fulfillment occurs automatically with billing through the mobile phone account. If the calling number is not through an approved service or caller information is not determinable, the call is directed for other processing.

Claims

1. A process operating on a computer fulfilling orders for products that have been advertised on the radio, comprising:

receiving a telephone call from a customer seeking to order a product that has been advertised on the radio and is located remotely from the customer;

determining if the telephone call is received through an approved mobile telephone service provider;

determining the dialed number of the telephone call;

determining a product associated with the dialed number;

determining the calling number of the telephone call;

determining if customer information can be obtained based upon the calling number;

initiating, if the telephone call is from an approved mobile telephone service provider and if customer information can be obtained based upon the calling number, delivery of the remotely located product to the customer;

if the telephone call is not from an approved mobile telephone service provider or if customer information can not be obtained based upon the calling number, transferring the call to a pre-established service; and

wherein all the above steps are performed on a computer network system.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the pre-established service includes a human operator.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of determining if the telephone call is from an approved mobile telephone service provider comprises identifying at least one approved mobile telephone service provider prior to the receiving of the telephone call.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of identifying at least one approved mobile telephone service provider includes establishing an agreement with the approved mobile telephone service provider to bill for a product ordered by the customer through the customer'"'"'s mobile telephone account.

5. The method of claim 1 and further comprising the step of billing the customer for the product.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein the step of billing the customer includes initiating the billing on the customer'"'"'s mobile telephone bill.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of determining a product associated with the dialed number includes the steps of:

storing a plurality of telephone numbers each associated with a product; and

identifying the product associated with the dialed number.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of determining if customer information can be obtained based upon the calling number includes using the calling number to identify the customer and the address of the customer.

17. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of determining the product associated with the dialed number is based in part on determining a geographical region in which the customer'"'"'s telephone call originated.

18. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of determining the product associated with the dialed number is based in part on determining the date of the customer'"'"'s telephone call.

9. A system to fulfill orders for products advertised on the radio, comprising:

a processor;

a memory connected to the processor and storing instructions to control the operation of the processor to perform the steps of;

receiving a telephone call from a customer in response to a radio advertisement;

wherein the customer is seeking to order a product that is located remotely from the customer;

determining if the telephone call is received through an approved mobile telephone service provider;

determining the dialed number of the telephone call;

determining a product associated with the dialed number based on information provided by a retailer;

determining the calling number of the telephone call;

determining if customer information can be obtained based upon the calling number;

initiating, if the telephone call is from an approved mobile telephone service provider and if customer information can be obtained based upon the calling number, delivery of the remotely located product to the customer; and

if the telephone call is not from an approved mobile telephone service provider or if customer information can not be obtained based upon the calling number, transferring the call to a pre-established service.

10. The system of claim 9 wherein the step of determining if the telephone call is from an approved mobile telephone service provider comprises identifying at least one approved mobile telephone service provider prior to the receiving of the telephone call.

11. The system of claim 10 wherein the step of identifying at least one approved mobile telephone service provider includes establishing an agreement with the approved mobile telephone service provider to bill for a product ordered by the customer through the customer'"'"'s mobile telephone account.

12. The system of claim 9, the processor further operative to perform the step of billing the customer for the product.

13. The system of claim 12 wherein the step of billing the customer includes initiating the billing on the customer'"'"'s mobile telephone bill.

14. The system of claim 9 wherein the step of determining a product associated with the dialed number includes the steps of:

storing a plurality of telephone numbers each associated with a product; and

identifying the product associated with the dialed number.

15. The system of claim 9 wherein the step of determining if customer information can be obtained based upon the calling number includes using the calling number to identify the customer and the address of the customer.

19. The system of claim 9 wherein the step of determining the product associated with the dialed number is based in part on determining a geographical region in which the customer'"'"'s telephone call originated.

20. The system of claim 9 wherein the step of determining the product associated with the dialed number is based in part on determining the date of the customer'"'"'s telephone call.

16. A system for fulfilling product orders, comprising:

means for receiving a telephone call from a customer;

means for determining if the telephone call is received through an approved mobile telephone service provider;

means for determining the dialed number of the telephone call;

means for determining a product associated with the dialed number based upon information including at least one of the date of the customer'"'"'s call and the geographic location of the customer'"'"'s call;

means for determining the calling number of the telephone call;

means for determining if customer information can be obtained based upon the calling number;

means for initiating, if the telephone call is from an approved mobile telephone service provider and if customer information can be obtained based upon the calling number, delivery of the product to the customer; and

means for, if the telephone call is not from an approved mobile telephone service provider or if customer information can not be obtained based upon the calling number, transferring the call to a pre-established service.