Consolidating leads received from potential renters for billing a lister

• US 8,112,329 B2
• Filed: 12/30/2008
• Issued: 02/07/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 12/30/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Rent Group Incorporated
• Original Assignee: eBay Inc.
• Inventors: Canning, Robert N., Holden, Robert, Go, Adrienne, Thornhill, Curtis, McKnight, William
• Primary Examiner(s): Frenel, Vanel
• Application Number:
  US12/346,751
• Publication Number:
  US 20100169197A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,134 Days
• Field of Search: 705/38, 705/1, 705/34, 705/313
• US Class Current: 705/34
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/04 Billing or invoicing
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0641 Shopping interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/03 Credit; Loans; Processing thereof
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/16 Real estate
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 99/00 Subject matter not provided for in other groups of this subclass

Abstract

In some example embodiments, a system and method are illustrated to bill a lister using consolidated leads received from potential renters. The system and method include receiving from at least one potential renter, at least one lead directed to a property listing associated with a lister. The system and method include consolidating two or more leads received from the same potential renter into a lead group. The system and method further include billing the lister according to the number of distinct leads received from potential renters counting each lead group as a distinct lead. In some example embodiments, the system and method further include setting a specified listing period for the lister and checking whether the specified listing period has expired before counting a received lead.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method, comprising:

receiving at least one lead from a user device corresponding to at least one potential renter via a network, the at least one lead directed to a property listing associated with a lister;

consolidating two or more leads received from a same potential renter into a lead group; and

billing the lister according to a number of distinct leads received from potential renters, the billing including counting each lead group as a distinct lead.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

setting a specified listing period for the lister; and

checking whether the specified listing period has expired before counting a received lead.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the setting further comprises determining the specified listing period for the lister based upon an instruction received from the lister.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the setting further comprises changing the specified listing period for the property listing upon receipt of a request from the lister.

5. The method of claim 2, wherein the setting further comprises receiving a valid identifier from the lister.

6. The method of claim 2, wherein the billing further comprises inactivating the property listing associated with the lister if the specified listing period has expired.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the inactivating further comprises reactivating the inactivated property listing upon receipt of a corresponding indication from the lister.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the receiving further comprises notifying the lister of receipt of the at least one lead.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the notifying further comprises indicating a listing period remaining to the property listing.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the consolidating further comprises presenting a lead group identifier corresponding to the lead group to the lister.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the billing occurs on a basis of a specified periodic time.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the billing further comprises inactivating the property listing associated with the lister upon receipt of an inactivation request from the lister.

13. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

setting a lead cap for the lister; and

inactivating the property listing associated with the lister if the number of leads received from the potential renters reaches the lead cap.

14. A computer system, comprising:

one or more processors to operate at least one of a receiving engine, a consolidating engine and a billing engine, the receiving engine to receive at least one lead from a user device corresponding to at least one potential renter, the at least one lead directed to a property listing associated with a lister, the consolidating engine to consolidate two or more leads received from a same potential renter into a lead group and the billing engine to bill the lister according to a number of distinct leads received from the potential renters, the billing including counting each lead group as a distinct lead.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the receiving engine is further configured to set a specified listing period for the lister and to check whether the specified listing period expired before counting a received lead.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the receiving engine is further configured to determine the specified listing period for the lister based upon an instruction received from the lister.

17. The system of claim 15, wherein the receiving engine is further configured to change the specified listing period for the lister upon receipt of a request from the lister.

18. The system of claim 15, wherein the billing engine is further configured to inactivate the property listing associated with the lister if the specified listing period has expired.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein the billing engine is further configured to reactivate the inactivated property listing upon receipt of a corresponding indication from the lister.

20. The system of claim 14, wherein the receiving engine is further configured to receive a valid identifier from the lister.

21. The system of claim 14, wherein the receiving engine is further configured to notify the lister of receipt of the lead.

22. The system of claim 21, wherein the receiving engine is further configured to indicate a listing period remaining to the property listing.

23. The system of claim 14, wherein the consolidating engine is further configured to present a lead group identifier corresponding to the lead group to the lister.

24. The system of claim 14, wherein the billing engine is further configured to bill the lister on a basis of a specified periodic time.

25. The system of claim 14, wherein the billing engine is further configured to inactivate the property listing associated with the lister upon receipt of an inactivation request from the lister.

26. The system of claim 14, wherein the receiving engine is further configured to set a lead cap for the lister and wherein the billing engine is further configured to inactivate the property listing associated with the lister if the number of leads received from the potential renters reaches the lead cap.

27. The system of claim 14, wherein the billing engine is configured to charge the lister only once for a plurality of leads received from a same potential renter with respect to a same property listing.

28. The system of claim 14, wherein the billing engine is configured to charge the lister only for a first lead of a plurality of leads received from a same potential renter with respect to a same property listing.

29. An apparatus, comprising:

one or more processors to operate a consolidating engine and a billing engine, the consolidating engine to consolidate two or more leads received from a same potential renter into a lead group, each of the two or more leads directed to a property listing associated with a lister and the billing engine to bill the lister according to a number of distinct leads received from potential renters, the billing including counting each lead group as a distinct lead.

30. A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing instructions that, when executed by at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to perform operations comprising:

receiving at least one lead from a user device corresponding to at least one potential renter via a network, the at least one lead directed to a property listing associated with a lister;

consolidating two or more leads received from a same potential renter into a lead group; and

billing the lister according to a number of distinct leads received from potential renters, the billing including counting each lead group as a distinct lead.