Method and system configured to assess a fee for communication facilitation regarding publication information

• US 8,266,533 B2
• Filed: 05/04/2007
• Issued: 09/11/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 05/04/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: eBay Inc., Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute
• Original Assignee: eBay Inc.
• Inventors: Zacarias, Arturo Manuel, Shirk, Valerie K., Stuart, Erik Anderson
• Primary Examiner(s): Roswell, Michael
• Application Number:
  US11/744,349
• Publication Number:
  US 20080276180A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,957 Days
• Field of Search: 715/751, 715/760, 715/758, 715/748
• US Class Current: 715/751
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising

Abstract

A method and system are configured to assess a fee for communication facilitation regarding publication information. An electronic publication system includes a publication module configured to generate a user interface based on an information search. The user interface includes search result information associated with a first entity and communication initiation information associated with the first entity. The communication initiation information includes identification information configured to identify a contact module of the first entity. The communication initiation information is configured to be selectable to facilitate communication between a second entity and the first entity. The publication system also includes a receiving module configured to receive a lead data record from a communication system that facilitates communication between the first entity and a second entity via the contact module upon selection of the communication initiation information generated from the publication module. The publication system also includes a fee assessment module configured to receive the lead data record from the receiving module and to assess a fee to the first entity based on the lead data record.

Claims

1. An electronic publication system comprising:

a processor configured to execute a publication module configured to generate a user interface based on an information search,

the user interface including search result information associated with a first entity and communication initiation information associated with the first entity,

the communication initiation information including identification information configured to identify a first contact module at a first computer system of the first entity,

the first contact module having a contact module type,

the communication initiation information being selectable to facilitate a communication between the first contact module and a second contact module at a second computer system of a second entity;

a receiving module configured to receive a lead data record from a communication system that facilitates the communication between the first contact module and the second contact module upon selection of the communication initiation information; and

a fee assessment module configured to receive the lead data record from the receiving module and to assess a fee to the first entity based on the lead data record and on the contact module type of the identified first contact module at the first computer system of the first entity.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the communication initiation information includes at least one of an electronic mail link, a instant messaging link, or a telephone call link.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the communication initiation information includes the electronic mail link, and upon selection of thereof, an associated electronic mail address of the first entity is at least initially hidden on the user interlace from the second entity.

4. The system of claim 2, wherein the communication initiation information includes the instant messaging link, and upon selection thereof, an associated instant messaging user identification name of the first entity is at least initially hidden on the user interface from the second entity.

5. The system of claim 2, wherein the communication initiation information includes the telephone call link, and upon selection thereof, the communication system initiates a Voice Over Internet Protocol telephone call between the first and second entities, wherein an associated telephone number of the first entity is at least initially hidden on the user interface from the second entity.

6. The system of claim 2, wherein the communication system is configured to open the second contact module at a system of the second entity upon selection the communication initiation information on the user interface.

7. A communication system comprising:

a processor configured to execute a communication module configured to facilitate a communication between a first contact module at a first computer system of a first entity and a second contact module at a second computer system of a second entity upon selection by the second entity of communication initiation information associated with the first entity,

the communication initiation information being included in a user interface that includes search result information associated with the first entity,

the communication initiation information including identification information configured to identify the first contact module,

the first contact module having a contact module type;

a tracking module configured to track the communication between the first contact module and the second contact module, and to track the contact module type of the first as a lead data record; and

a transmitting module configured to send the lead data record to a publication system as a basis for assessing a fee to the first entity,

the fee being based on the contact module type of the first contact module at the first computer system of the first entity.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the communication module is configured to send, to the first entity, information regarding the second entity, wherein the information regarding the second entity includes at least one of feedback information, previous purchase categories, demographic information, contact information, or system user identification.

9. The system of claim 7, wherein the tracking module is configured to track a beginning time for the communication between the first contact module and the second contact module and an ending time for the communication, and wherein the contact module type is selected from a group consisting of a Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) contact module, an electronic message contact module, and an instant messaging contact module.

10. A method comprising:

electronically publishing a user interface having search result information associated with a first entity,

the user interface including communication initiation information associated with the first entity and the search result information,

the communication initiation information including identification information configured to identify a first contact module at a first computer system of the first entity,

the first contact module having a contact module type,

the communication initiation information being selectable to facilitate a communication between the first contact module and a second contact module at a second computer system of a second entity;

receiving a lead data record from a communication system that facilitates the communication between the first contact module and the second contact module upon selection of the communication initiation information; and

assessing a fee to the first entity based on the lead data record and on the contact module type of the identified first contact module at the first computer system of the first entity.

11. The method of claim 10 wherein the communication initiation information includes at least one of an electronic mail link, a instant messaging link, or a telephone call link.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein the communication initiation information includes the electronic mail link;

and upon selection thereof, an associated electronic mail address of the first entity is at least initially hidden on the user interface from the second entity.

13. The method of claim 11 wherein the communication initiation information includes the instant messaging link, and upon selection thereof, an associated instant messaging user identification name of the first entity is at least initially hidden on the user interface from the second entity.

14. The method of claim 11 wherein the communication initiation information includes the telephone call link, and upon selection thereof, the communication system initiates a Voice over Internet Protocol telephone call between the first and second entities, wherein an associated telephone number of the first entity is at least initially hidden on the user interface from the second entity.

15. The method of claim 10, wherein the communication system opens the second contact module upon selection of the communication initiation information on the user interface.

16. A method comprising:

facilitating a communication between a first contact module at a first computer system of a first entity and a second contact module at a second computer system of a second entity upon selection by the second entity of communication initiation information associated with the first entity,

the communication initiation information being included in a user interface that includes the search result information associated with the first entity,

the communication initiation information including identification information configured to identify the first contact module at the first computer system of the first entity,

the first contact module having a contact module type;

tracking the communication between the first contact module and the second contact module, and tracking the contact module type of the first contact module as a lead data record; and

sending the lead data record to a publication system as a basis for assessing a fee to the first entity, the fee being based on the contact module type of the first contact module the first computer system of the first entity.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising sending the first entity information regarding the second entity, wherein the information regarding the second entity includes at least one of feedback information, previous purchase categories, demographic information, contact information, or system user identification.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein the tracking of the communication includes tracking a beginning time for the communication between the first contact module of the first entity and the second contact module of the second entity and an ending time for the communication, and wherein the contact module type is selected from a group consisting of a Voice over Internet Protocol contact module, an electronic message contact module, and an instant messaging contact module.

19. A non-transitory tangible machine-readable medium storing a set of instructions that, when executed by a machine, cause the machine to perform operations comprising:

electronically publishing a user interface based on an information search,

the user interface having search result information associated with a first entity and communication initiation information associated with the first entity and the search result information,

the communication initiation information including identification information configured to identify a first contact module at a first computer system of the first entity,

the first contact module having a contact module type,

the communication initiation information being selectable to facilitate a communication between the first contact module and a second contact module at a second computer system of a second entity;

receiving a lead data record from a communication system that facilitates the communication between the first contact module and the second contact module upon selection of the communication initiation information; and

assessing a fee to the first entity based on the lead data record and on the contact module type of the identified first contact module at the first computer system of the first entity.

20. The non-transitory tangible machine-readable medium of claim 19 wherein the communication initiation information includes at least one of an electronic mail link, a instant messaging link, or a telephone call link.

21. A system comprising:

means for generating a user interface based on an information search,

the user interface including search result information associated with a first entity and communication initiation information associated with the first entity,

the communication initiation information including identification information configured to identify a first contact module at a first computer system of the first entity, the first contact module having a contact module type,

the communication initiation information being selectable to facilitate a communication between the first contact module and a second contact module at a second computer system of the second entity;

a receiving module configured to receive a lead data record from a communication system that facilitates the communication between the first contact module and the second contact module upon selection of the communication initiation information; and

a fee assessment module configured to receive the lead data record from the receiving module and to assess a fee to the first entity based on the lead data record and on the contact module type of the identified first contact module at the first computer system of the first entity.

22. The system of claim 21 wherein the communication initiation information includes at least one of an electronic mail link, a instant messaging link, or a telephone call link.