Methods and systems for call processing and for providing call progress status over a network

• US 8,401,163 B1
• Filed: 10/17/2006
• Issued: 03/19/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 10/18/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: CallWave Communications, LLC
• Original Assignee: CallWave Communications, LLC
• Inventors: Kirchhoff, Leland, Trandal, David, Giannini, David
• Primary Examiner(s): HONG, HARRY S
• Application Number:
  US11/582,515
• Time in Patent Office: 2,345 Days
• Field of Search: 379/67.1, 379/265.09, 379/201.01, 379/201.02, 379/210.01, 379/216.01, 370/352, 370353-356, 455/66.1, 455/414.1, 455/466, 715/700, 725/37
• US Class Current: 379/201.01
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1045 Proxies, e.g. for session initiation protocol [SIP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1104 Session initiation protocol [SIP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/4038 with floor control
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/611 for multicast or broadcast systems for broadcast or conference H04L12/18; arrangements for broadcast or distribution combined with broadcast H04H20/00; arrangements for broadcast applications with a direct linkage to broadcast information or to broadcast space-time H04H60/00; selective distribution of broadcast services, e.g. multimedia broadcast multicast service [MBMS], H04W4/06
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/252 where a voice mode is enhanced with visual information
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2207/12 intelligent networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2207/203 composed of PSTN and data network, e.g. the Internet
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/003 Click to dial services
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/0033 Notification or handling of incoming calls by a computer

Abstract

The present invention is related to telecommunications, and in particular, to methods and systems for call processing. By way of example, a first call control is visually provided via a Web page in association with search results transmitted to a user computer system, wherein the user submitted to search request to a search engine. An indication is received that the user activated the first call control. A first call is placed to a telephonic address selected by the user. A second call is placed to a telephonic address associated with the first call control. Progress information related to the second call is transmitted to the user computer system in substantially real-time.

Claims

1. A method of processing a call request paced via a Web page user interface, the method comprising:

causing, at least in part, a first telephonic address to be visually provided via a Web page in association with search results transmitted to a networked computing device associated with a user, wherein the search results were transmitted at least partly in response to a user search request to a search engine;

receiving at a call processing system a first call to the first telephonic address from the user via a mobile telephonic device;

placing a second call to a second telephonic address associated with the first telephonic address;

bridging the first call and the second call;

after the first call is received, transmitting over a data network to a client application, at least in part, the Web page, including at least a portion of the search results, wherein the search results were transmitted to the networked computing device associated with the user prior to the first call, to a networked computing device for display to a party that answers the second call;

transmitting, at least in part, information associated with the first telephonic address to be displayed via the networked computing device associated with the party that answers the second call;

transmitting information regarding a dynamically determined location of the user, without manual provision of the location by the user, to the networked computing device associated with the party that answers the second call; and

transmitting, at least in part, an SMS address associated with the mobile telephonic device to the networked computing device associated with the party that answers the second call;

transmitting progress information related to the second call to the user computer system in substantially real-time.

2. The method as defined in claim 1, the method further comprising transmitting call progress information related to the second call via the Internet to the networked computing device associated with the user.

3. The method as defined in claim 2, wherein the call progress information indicates that the second call is being placed, but has not yet been answered.

4. The method as defined in claim 2, wherein the call progress information indicates that the second call is answered.

5. The method as defined in claim 2, wherein the call progress information indicates that the second call is queued.

6. The method as defined in claim 2, wherein the call progress information indicates that the second call is being placed to a named merchant.

7. The method as defined in claim 1, the method further comprising providing call queue position information and/or an estimated queue wait time to the user.

8. The method as defined in claim 1, the method further comprising providing a user interface to the user if the second call is not answered within a first period of time or after a first number of rings, via which the user can indicate that a callback call to the user is to be placed during a user-specified time.

9. The method as defined in claim 1, the method further comprising providing a menu of user telephonic destinations to the user via which the user can indicate to which of the user telephonic destinations a third call is to be placed, wherein the menu is provided at least partly in response to a user activating a control associated with an advertisement displayed with a plurality of search result items.

10. The method as defined in claim 9, wherein the menu includes two or more telephonic destinations including at least one of the following telephonic destinations:

a wireless telephonic device address;

a landline telephonic address;

or

a telephonic address associated with a packet network.

11. The method as defined in claim 1, wherein activation of a first call control causes, at least in part, the first telephonic address to be transmitted to a computer system associated with the search engine.

12. The method as defined in claim 1, the method further comprising causing, at least in part, information regarding an advertisement associated with a first call control to be displayed via a networked computing device associated with the party that answers the second call.

13. The method as defined in claim 1, the method further comprising causing, at least in part, a user interface to be provided to the party that answers the second call, via which the party can provide a call transfer instruction and/or a call conference instruction.

14. The method as defined in claim 1, wherein a first call control is displayed in association with a merchant advertisement, wherein the merchant is charged for the merchant advertisement and/or the placing of a call resulting from activation of the first call control.

15. The method as defined in claim 14, wherein the first call control includes an embedded Session Internet Protocol address.

16. A method of processing a call request, the method comprising:

receiving over a network a call request placed by a user via a call control visually presented on a user terminal in association with search results,

wherein the search results were transmitted to the user at least partly in response to a search request, and

wherein the call request indicates that a call is to be placed;

placing a first call to a first telephonic destination, the first telephonic destination specified by the user, at least partly in response to receiving the call request;

placing a second call to a telephonic address different than the first telephonic destination, wherein the telephonic address is associated with the search request;

transmitting call progress information related to the second call to the user terminal in substantially real-time;

bridging the first call and the second call;

transmitting at least a portion of the search results to a networked computing device for display to a party that answers the second call;

transmitting information associated with the first telephonic address to be displayed via the networked computing device associated with the party that answers the second call;

transmitting information regarding a dynamically determined location of the user, obtained without manual provision of the location by the user, to the networked computing device associated with the party that answers the second call; and

transmitting, at least in part, an SMS address associated with a mobile telephonic device of the user to the networked computing device associated with the party that answers the second call.

17. The method as defined in claim 16, wherein the first telephonic destination is specified by the user during a Web session.

18. The method as defined in claim 16, wherein the first telephonic destination is specified by the user prior to placement of the search request.

19. The method as defined in claim 16, wherein the call progress information is transmitted over the Internet to the user terminal.

20. The method as defined in claim 16, wherein the first telephonic destination is specified by the user by placing a call from the first telephonic destination to a first system.

21. The method as defined in claim 16, wherein the call progress information indicates that the second call is being placed, but has not yet been answered.

22. The method as defined in claim 16, wherein the call progress information indicates that the second call is answered.

23. The method as defined in claim 16, wherein the call progress information indicates that the second call is queued.

24. The method as defined in claim 16, wherein the call progress information indicates the termination of the first call and/or the second call.

25. The method as defined in claim 16, wherein the call progress information indicates that the second call is being placed to a named merchant.

26. The method as defined in claim 16, the method further comprising providing call queue position information and/or an estimated queue wait time to the user.

27. The method as defined in claim 16, the method further comprising providing a user interface to the user if the second call is not answered within a first period of time or after a first number of rings via which the user can indicate that a callback call is to be placed to the user.

28. The method as defined in claim 16, the method further comprising providing a user interface to the user if the second call is not answered within a first period of time or after a first number of rings, via which the user can indicate that a callback call to the user is to be placed during a first user-specified time.

29. The method as defined in claim 16, wherein the first telephonic destination is a telephone address.

30. The method as defined in claim 16, the method further comprising providing a menu of telephonic destinations to the user via which the user can indicate to which telephonic destinations the first call is to be placed.

31. The method as defined in claim 30, wherein the menu includes a plurality of telephonic destinations and enables the user to select at least one of:

a wireless telephonic device;

a landline telephonic device;

or

a telephonic device configured to communicate over a packet network.

32. The method as defined in claim 16, wherein the telephonic destination is selected by the user as a default telephonic destination.

33. The method as defined in claim 16, wherein activation of the call control causes, at least in part, the telephonic address associated with the telephonic destination selected by the user to be transmitted to a computer system associated with the search engine.

34. The method as defined in claim 16, wherein the first call is placed to the user terminal.

35. The method as defined in claim 16, wherein the second call is placed before the first call.

36. The method as defined in claim 16, the method further comprising causing, at least in part, a Web page being displayed to the user to be displayed via the networked computing device associated with the party that answers the second call.

37. The method as defined in claim 16, the method further comprising causing, at least in part, the user'"'"'s name to be displayed via the networked computing device associated with the party that answers the second call.

38. The method as defined in claim 16, the method further comprising causing, at least in part, information regarding an advertisement associated with the call control to be displayed via the networked computing device associated with the party that answers the second call.

39. The method as defined in claim 16, the method further comprising causing, at least in part, a user interface to be provided to the party that answers the second call, via which the party can provide a call transfer instruction and/or a call conference instruction.

40. The method as defined in claim 16, wherein the call control is displayed in association with a merchant advertisement, wherein the merchant is charged for the merchant advertisement and/or the placing of the first call and/or the second call.

41. The method as defined in claim 16, wherein the search results and the call control are presented via a Web page.

42. The method as defined in claim 16, wherein the call control includes an embedded Session Internet Protocol address.

43. The method as defined in claim 16, wherein the party answering the second call can audibly screen the call as the user leaves a message.

44. The method as defined in claim 16, wherein the party answering the second call can transfer the second call to a specified telephonic destination.

45. A call processing system, including one or more computing devices, the call processing system configured to perform operations:

causing, at least in part, a first telephonic address to be visually provided via a Web page in association with search results transmitted to a networked computing device associated with a user, wherein the search results were transmitted at least partly in response to a user search request to a search engine;

receiving a first call to the first telephonic address from the user via a mobile telephonic device;

placing a second call to a second telephonic address associated with the first telephonic address;

bridging the first call and the second call;

after the first call is received, transmitting over a data network to a client application, at least in part, the Web page, including at least a portion of the search results, wherein the search results were transmitted to the networked computing device associated with the user prior to the first call, to a networked computing device for display to a party that answers the second call;

transmitting, at least in part, information associated with the first telephonic address to be displayed via the networked computing device associated with the party that answers the second call;

transmitting information regarding a dynamically determined location of the user, without manual provision of the location by the user, to the networked computing device associated with the party that answers the second call;

transmitting, at least in part, an SMS address associated with the mobile telephonic device to the networked computing device associated with the party that answers the second call; and

transmitting progress information related to the second call to the user computer system in substantially real-time.

46. The call processing system as defined in claim 45, the operations further comprising transmitting call progress information related to the second call via the Internet to the networked computing device associated with the user.

47. The call processing system as defined in claim 46, wherein the call progress information indicates, in substantially real-time, that:

the second call is being placed, but has not yet been answered, or

that the second call is answered, or

that the second call is queued, or

that the second call is being placed to a named merchant.

48. The call processing system as defined in claim 45, the operations further comprising providing call queue position information and/or an estimated queue wait time to the user.

49. The call processing system as defined in claim 45, the operations further comprising providing a user interface to the user if the second call is not answered within a first period of time or after a first number of rings, via which the user can indicate that a callback call to the user is to be placed during a user-specified time.

50. The call processing system as defined in claim 45, the operations further comprising providing a menu of user telephonic destinations to the user via which the user can indicate to which of the user telephonic destinations a third call is to be placed, wherein the menu is provided at least partly in response to a user activating a control associated with an advertisement displayed with a plurality of search result items.

51. The call processing system as defined in claim 45, wherein activation of a first call control causes, at least in part, the first telephonic address to be transmitted to a computer system associated with the search engine.

52. The call processing system as defined in claim 45, the operations further comprising causing, at least in part, information regarding an advertisement associated with a first call control to be displayed via a networked computing device associated with the party that answers the second call.

53. The call processing system as defined in claim 45, the operations further comprising causing, at least in part, a user interface to be provided to the party that answers the second call, via which the party can provide a call transfer instruction and/or a call conference instruction.

54. The call processing system as defined in claim 45, wherein a first call control is displayed in association with a merchant advertisement, wherein the merchant is charged for the merchant advertisement and/or the placing of a call resulting from activation of the first call control.

55. The call processing system as defined in claim 54, wherein the first call control includes an embedded Session Internet Protocol address.

56. A call processing system, including one or more computing devices, the call processing system configured to perform operations comprising:

receiving over a network a call request placed by a user via a call control visually presented on a user terminal in association with search results,

wherein the search results were transmitted to the user at least partly in response to a search request, and

wherein the call request indicates that a call is to be placed;

placing a first call to a first telephonic destination, the first telephonic destination specified by the user, at least partly in response to receiving the call request;

placing a second call to a telephonic address different than the first telephonic destination, wherein the telephonic address is associated with the search request;

transmitting call progress information related to the second call to the user terminal in substantially real-time;

bridging the first call and the second call;

transmitting at least a portion of the search results to a networked computing device for display to a party that answers the second call;

transmitting information associated with the first telephonic address to be displayed via the networked computing device associated with the party that answers the second call;

transmitting information regarding a dynamically determined location of the user, obtained without manual provision of the location by the user, to the networked computing device associated with the party that answers the second call; and

transmitting, at least in part, an SMS address associated with a mobile telephonic device of the user to the networked computing device associated with the party that answers the second call.

57. The call processing system as defined in claim 56, wherein the first telephonic destination is specified by the user during a Web session.

58. The call processing system as defined in claim 56, wherein the first telephonic destination is specified by the user prior to placement of the search request.

59. The call processing system as defined in claim 56, wherein the call progress information is transmitted over the Internet to the user terminal.

60. The call processing system as defined in claim 59, wherein the call progress information indicates, in substantially real-time, that:

the second call is being placed, but has not yet been answered, or

that the second call is answered, or

that the second call is queued, or

that the second call is being placed to a named merchant, or

the termination of the first call and/or the second call.

61. The call processing system as defined in claim 56, the operations further comprising providing a user interface to the user if the second call is not answered within a first period of time or after a first number of rings via which the user can indicate that a callback call is to be placed to the user.

62. The call processing system as defined in claim 56, the operations further comprising providing a user interface to the user if the second call is not answered within a first period of time or after a first number of rings, via which the user can indicate that a callback call to the user is to be placed during a first user-specified time.

63. The call processing system as defined in claim 56, the operations further comprising providing a menu of telephonic destinations to the user via which the user can indicate to which telephonic destinations the first call is to be placed.

64. The call processing system as defined in claim 56, wherein activation of the call control causes, at least in part, the telephonic address associated with the telephonic destination selected by the user to be transmitted to a computer system associated with the search engine.

65. The call processing system as defined in claim 56, the operations further comprising causing, at least in part, a Web page being displayed to the user to be displayed via the networked computing device associated with the party that answers the second call.

66. The call processing system as defined in claim 56, the operations further comprising causing, at least in part, information regarding an advertisement associated with the call control to be displayed via the networked computing device associated with the party that answers the second call.

67. The call processing system as defined in claim 56, wherein the call control is displayed in association with a merchant advertisement, wherein the merchant is charged for the merchant advertisement and/or the placing of the first call and/or the second call.