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Method and system to connect consumers to information

  • US 8,468,050 B2
  • Filed: 10/01/2004
  • Issued: 06/18/2013
  • Est. Priority Date: 03/13/2001
  • Status: Expired due to Term
First Claim
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1. A method, comprising:

  • a first party providing an advertisement to a computer of a customer, via an advertisement server on a computing device, the advertisement being provided on behalf of an advertiser to advertise an interactive marketing session, the first party different than the advertiser and the customer, the advertisement to include;

    a temporary visually actuatable reference to a telephonic connection with the advertiser for the customer to actuate in order to join the interactive marketing session,an indication of whether the interactive marketing session is currently in process, anda price to reward the customer for voice communications with the advertiser over the telephonic connection in the interactive marketing session, wherein the price is specified by the advertiser and is based at least in part on a duration of the voice communications monitored by the first party;

    the first party registering the customer to allow the customer to use the visually actuatable reference to request the telephonic connection with the advertiser to anonymously join the interactive marketing session and to earn rewards from the interactive marketing session, the telephonic connection permitting the voice communications between the first party and the advertiser;

    upon customer actuation of the reference, the first party connecting a user communication device of the customer, via the advertisement provided using the advertisement server, to the advertiser using the communications interface for the interactive marketing session over the telephonic connection, wherein the user communication device is separate from the user computer;

    the first party monitoring the duration of the voice communications over the telephonic connection provided using a communications interface;

    the first party charging a fee according to the price, specified by the advertiser to reward the customer, in response to the telephonic connection for the interactive marketing session being established between the advertiser and the customer via the reference;

    the first party rewarding the customer according to the price and the duration of voice communications with the advertiser in the interactive marketing session over the telephonic connection established via the reference;

    removing the customer actively participating in the interactive marketing session based on an input from the advertiser, and in response to the input automatically halting provision of rewards to the customer; and

    removing the temporary visually actuatable reference in the advertisement automatically when a number of customers participating in the interactive marketing session reaches a maximum number determined by one of the advertiser and the first party to preclude further customers from joining the interactive marketing session.

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