Telephone number-based advertising

• US 8,218,741 B2
• Filed: 11/30/2007
• Issued: 07/10/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 11/26/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google Inc. (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Goel, Vinay
• Primary Examiner(s): Gauthier, Gerald
• Application Number:
  US11/948,171
• Publication Number:
  US 20090136011A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,684 Days
• Field of Search: 370/323, 370/352, 379/88.22, 379/114.01, 379/114.05, 379/114.24, 379/258, 379/114.13, 705/14, 705/14.64, 705/14.73, 705/14.41, 705/14.46, 705/14.53, 705/14.61, 705/14.69, 705/14.71, 705/26.1, 709/204, 725/36
• US Class Current: 379/114.13
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0242 Determining effectiveness of advertisements
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0255 based on user history
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0264 based upon schedule
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0275 Auctions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0601 Electronic shopping [e-shopping]
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 17/00 Prepayment of wireline communication systems, wireless communication systems or telephone systems using a coded card to authorise calls from a telephone set H04M1/675
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/54 Arrangements for diverting calls for one subscriber to another predetermined subscriber based on the calling party profile H04M3/42059; based on location H04M3/42348; based on presence H04M3/42365; to voice mail H04M3/53308
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/003 Click to dial services

Abstract

Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer program products, in which a first telephone number is associated with a second telephone number, and a web-based advertisement is served for an advertiser that includes the first telephone number. A call placed to the first telephone number is received, and the call is routed to the second telephone number based on the association of the second telephone number with the first telephone number. A determination as to whether a call-through event in response to receiving the call placed to the first telephone number has occurred, and an advertiser associated with the second telephone number is charged a cost-per-call amount if the call-through event is determined to have occurred.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method, comprising:

associating a first telephone number with a second telephone number;

serving a web-based advertisement for an advertiser that includes the first telephone number;

receiving a call placed to the first telephone number;

routing the call to the second telephone number based on the association of the second telephone number with the first telephone number;

determining whether a call-through event in response to receiving the call placed to the first telephone number has occurred; and

charging an advertiser associated with the second telephone number a cost-per-call amount if the call-through event is determined to have occurred

wherein determining whether the call-through event in response to receiving the call placed to the first telephone number has occurred comprises;

identifying a calling number associated with an origination of the call;

determining whether the calling number has originated calls to the first telephone number in excess of a threshold number of originations; and

precluding the identification of the occurrence of a call-through event for the second telephone number if the calling number has originated calls to the first telephone number in excess of the threshold number of originations.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

disassociating the first telephone number with the second telephone number after a predetermined time period; and

associating the first telephone number with a third telephone number after a second predetermined time period after the predetermined time period has expired.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the first telephone number is a unique telephone number.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the first telephone number includes a common telephone number and a unique extension number.

5. A computer-implemented method, comprising:

associating a first telephone number with a second telephone number until an occurrence of an expiration event;

determining whether the expiration event has occurred;

disassociating the first telephone number from the second telephone number if the expiration event has occurred;

precluding association of the first telephone number with another second number for at least a minimum time period if the expiration event has occurred;

routing a call from the first telephone number to the second telephone number if the expiration event has not occurred;

charging an advertiser associated with the second telephone number a cost-per-call amount if the expiration event has not occurred;

determining an account balance associated with the second telephone number;

determining a charge amount associated with the second telephone number, the charge amount based on cost-per-call amounts;

determining whether the charge amount exceeds the account balance; and

precluding routing the call from the first telephone number to the second telephone number if the charge amount exceeds the account balance.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising:

associating a third telephone number with the second telephone number until an occurrence of another expiration event if the expiration event has occurred;

receiving a call to the first telephone number; and

announcing the third telephone number in the call if the expiration event has occurred.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein the expiration event is a predetermined period of time.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein determining whether the expiration event has occurred comprises:

disassociating the first telephone number with the second telephone number if a number of originating calls to the first telephone number is in excess of a threshold number of originations; and

associating the third telephone number with the second telephone number if the number of originating calls to the first telephone number is in excess of the threshold number of originations.

9. The method of claim 6, where the first and third telephone numbers are unique telephone numbers.

10. A system, comprising:

a data store configured to store a first and second telephone number;

a call-through engine configured to;

associate the first telephone number with the second telephone number until an occurrence of an expiration event;

determine whether the expiration event has occurred;

disassociate the first telephone number from the second telephone number if the expiration event has occurred;

preclude association of the first telephone number with another second number for at least a minimum time period if the expiration event has occurred;

route a call from the first telephone number to the second telephone number if the expiration event has not occurred;

charge an advertiser associated with the second telephone number a cost-per-call amount if the expiration event has not occurred;

determine an account balance associated with the second telephone number;

determine a charge amount associated with the second telephone number, the charge amount based on the cost-per-call amounts;

determine whether the charge amount exceeds the account balance; and

preclude routing the call from the first telephone number to the second telephone number if the charge amount exceeds the account balance.

11. The system of claim 10, where the call-through engine:

associates a third telephone number with the second telephone number until an occurrence of another expiration event if the expiration event has occurred;

receives a call to the first telephone number; and

announces the third telephone number in the call if the expiration event has occurred.

12. The system of claim 10, wherein the expiration event is a predetermined period of time.

13. The system of claim 11, where the call-through engine:

disassociates the first telephone number with the second telephone number if a number of originating calls to the first telephone number is in excess of a threshold number of originations, and associates the third telephone number with the second telephone number if the number of originating calls to the first telephone number is in excess of the threshold number of originations.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the call-through engine:

routes a call from the first telephone number to the second telephone number if the expiration event has not occurred, and charges an advertiser associated with the second telephone number a cost-per-call amount if the expiration event has not occurred.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the call-through engine:

determines an account balance associated with the second telephone number, determines a charge amount associated with the second telephone number, the charge amount based on the cost-per-call amounts, determines whether the charge amount exceeds the account balance, and

disassociates the first telephone number with the second telephone number if the charge amount exceeds the account balance.

16. The system of claim 10, where the first and third telephone numbers are unique telephone numbers.

17. A computer storage medium encoded with computer program instructions that when executed by one or more computers cause the one or more computers to perform operations comprising:

associating a first telephone number with a second telephone number;

serving a web-based advertisement for an advertiser that includes the first telephone number;

receiving a call placed to the first telephone number;

routing the call to the second telephone number based on the association of the second telephone number with the first telephone number;

determining whether a call-through event in response to receiving the call placed to the first telephone number has occurred; and

charging an advertiser associated with the second telephone number a cost-per-call amount if the call-through event is determined to have occurred

wherein determining whether a call-through event in response to receiving the call placed to the first telephone number has occurred comprises;

identifying a calling number associated with an origination of the call;

determining whether the calling number has originated calls to the first telephone number in excess of a threshold number of originations; and

precluding the identification of the occurrence of a call-through event for the second telephone number if the calling number has originated calls to the first telephone number in excess of the threshold number of originations.

18. A computer storage medium encoded with computer program instructions that when executed by one or more computers cause the one or more computers to perform operations comprising:

associating a first telephone number with a second telephone number until an occurrence of an expiration event;

determining whether the expiration event has occurred;

disassociating the first telephone number from the second telephone number if the expiration event has occurred;

precluding association of the first telephone number with another second number for at least a minimum time period if the expiration event has occurred;

routing a call from the first telephone number to the second telephone number if the expiration event has not occurred;

charging an advertiser associated with the second telephone number a cost-per-call amount if the expiration event has not occurred;

determining an account balance associated with the second telephone number;

determining a charge amount associated with the second telephone number, the charge amount based on the cost-per-call amounts;

determining whether the charge amount exceeds the account balance; and

precluding routing the call from the first telephone number to the second telephone number if the charge amount exceeds the account balance.

19. A system comprising:

one or more computers and one or more storage devices storing instructions that are operable, when executed by the one or more computers, to cause the one or more computers to perform operations comprising;

associating a first telephone number with a second telephone number;

serving a web-based advertisement for an advertiser that includes the first telephone number;

receiving a call placed to the first telephone number;

routing the call to the second telephone number based on the association of the second telephone number with the first telephone number;

determining whether a call-through event in response to receiving the call placed to the first telephone number has occurred; and

charging an advertiser associated with the second telephone number a cost-per-call amount if the call-through event is determined to have occurred

wherein determining whether a call-through event in response to receiving the call placed to the first telephone number has occurred comprises;

identifying a calling number associated with an origination of the call;

determining whether the calling number has originated calls to the first telephone number in excess of a threshold number of originations; and

precluding the identification of the occurrence of a call-through event for the second telephone number if the calling number has originated calls to the first telephone number in excess of the threshold number of originations.