Dynamic pay per call listings

• US 7,689,466 B1
• Filed: 07/13/2005
• Issued: 03/30/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 09/24/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Thryv, Inc. (Mudrick Capital Management LP)
• Original Assignee: Supermedia LLC (Mudrick Capital Management LP)
• Inventors: Chu, Lester K., Benbrahim, Hamid, Palma, James, Messina, James, Mahoney, Timothy, Harada, Edwin Y., Heatherly, Douglas G.
• Primary Examiner(s): ZUrita; James
• Application Number:
  US11/180,136
• Time in Patent Office: 1,721 Days
• Field of Search: 705/26, 705/37
• US Class Current: 705/26.1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0601 Electronic shopping [e-shopping]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/04 Trading; Exchange, e.g. stocks, commodities, derivatives or currency exchange

Abstract

At least one listing comprises a plurality of sublistings, each of the sublistings being associated with one of a plurality of advertisers. A response subsystem is configured to provide the listing in a response. A forwarding subsystem configured is to forward a request for information to one of the advertisers.

Claims

1. A system, comprising:

a database that stores at least one listing comprising a plurality of sublistings, each of the sublistings being associated with one of a plurality of advertisers; and

a server storing a response subsystem configured to provide the listing in a response,

the server also storing a forwarding subsystem configured to forward a request for information related to the listing to one of the advertisers.

2. The system of claim 1, the server further comprising a request subsystem for requesting at least one listing.

3. The system of claim 1, the response subsystem comprising at least one priority metric, the response subsystem further configured to use the priority metric in providing the listing.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the forwarding subsystem is configured to forward the request for information according to the priority metric.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the forwarding subsystem is configured to forward the request for information according to at least one business rule.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the response includes the at least one listing and does not include any of the sublistings.

7. The system of claim 1, further comprising a user access device, whereby a user may make requests for listings and responses may be displayed to the user.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one listing further comprises a telephone number and the request for information is a telephone call.

18. The system of claim 1, wherein the sublistings provide a mechanism for associating multiple advertisers with the listing.

9. A system, comprising:

a database that stores a plurality of listings that includes at least one dynamic listing comprising a plurality of sublistings, each of the sublistings being associated with one of a plurality of advertisers such that a one-to-many relationship exists between the at least one dynamic listing and the advertisers;

a server storing a response subsystem configured to provide a listing in a response,

the server also storing a forwarding subsystem configured to forward a request for information related to the listing to one of the advertisers.

10. The system of claim 9, the server further comprising a request subsystem for requesting at least one listing.

11. The system of claim 9, the response subsystem comprising at least one priority metric, the response subsystem further configured to use the priority metric in providing the listing.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the forwarding subsystem is configured to forward the call according to the priority metric.

13. The system of claim 9, wherein the forwarding subsystem is configured to forward the call according to at least one business rule.

14. The system of claim 9, wherein the response includes the at least one dynamic listing and does not include any of the sublistings.

15. The system of claim 9, further comprising a user access device, whereby a user may make requests and responses may be displayed to the user.

16. The system of claim 9, wherein the at least one listing further comprises a telephone number and the request for information comprises a telephone call.

19. The system of claim 9, wherein the sublistings provide a mechanism for associating multiple advertisers with one of the listings.

17. A system, comprising:

a database that stores a plurality of listings that includes at least one dynamic listing comprising a telephone number and a plurality of sublistings, each of the sublistings being associated with one of a plurality of advertisers such that a one-to-many relationship exists between the at least one dynamic listing and the advertisers;

a server storing a response subsystem configured to provide a listing in a response, the response subsystem comprising at least one priority metric, the response subsystem further configured to use the priority metric in providing the listing;

the server also storing a forwarding subsystem configured to forward a call to the telephone number to one of the advertisers according to the priority metric.

20. The system of claim 17, wherein the sublistings provide a mechanism for associating multiple advertisers with one of the dynamic listings.