Methods and systems for web and call processing

• US 8,583,746 B1
• Filed: 05/22/2008
• Issued: 11/12/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 05/25/2007
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: CallWave Communications, LLC
• Original Assignee: CallWave Communications, LLC
• Inventors: D'Agruma, Daniel, Phillips, Chris, Burwell, Nicholas, Bland, Loren
• Primary Examiner(s): Serrao, Ranodhi
• Application Number:
  US12/125,746
• Time in Patent Office: 2,000 Days
• Field of Search: 709201-206, 455101-103
• US Class Current: 709/206
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/00 User-to-user messaging in packet-switching networks, transmitted according to store-and-forward or real-time protocols, e.g. e-mail
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/10 Multimedia information
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/214 using selective forwarding
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/234 for tracking messages
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/52 for supporting social networking services
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/01 Protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/10 in which an application is distributed across nodes in the network software deployment G06F8/60; multiprogramming arrangements G06F9/46
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/655 Combination of telephone service and social networking
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42153 by subscriber
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42382 Text-based messaging services in telephone networks such as PSTN/ISDN, e.g. User-to-User Signalling or Short Message Service for fixed networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/0024 Services and arrangements where telephone services are combined with data services arrangements which combine a telephonic equipment and a computer H04M7/0012

Abstract

Communication systems and methods are described. In an illustrative embodiment, embeddable code is provided to a user to embed on a user web page. A communication request is received from a visitor via a user interface displayed on the user web page, the user interface including an address field configured to receive from the visitor an address associated with the visitor, and a text entry field configured to receive a text message from the visitor, wherein the user interface is generated at least in part by the code. If the visitor enters a phone address into the address field, a determination is made as to whether the phone address is valid at least partly in response to a first action by the visitor. If the visitor enters text into the text entry field, the text is transmitted to the user at least partly in response to a second action by the visitor.

Claims

1. A method of providing online communication, the method comprising:

providing a user a control for configuring a web page of the user to include a communication service wherein the communication service facilitates communications from a visitor to the user'"'"'s web page to the user;

receiving, at a networked system, from the visitor a communication request to communicate with the user via a communication interface displayed on the user web page, the communication interface including a text entry field configured to receive a text message from the visitor for the user;

causing, at least in part by the networked system, a communication system to transmit text entered by the visitor into the text entry field to a mobile communication device of the user at least partly in response to an action by the visitor without the visitor providing, and without revealing to the visitor, the mobile communication device phone address of the user; and

causing at least in part code embeddable on a user web page to be provided to a user, wherein the embeddable code is provided to the user via an email for installation to the user web page, and wherein the embeddable code generates the communication interface.

2. The method as defined in claim 1, the method further comprising:

determining if the visitor has a first account; and

if the visitor does not have the first account, requesting that visitor provide at least a first type of contact information.

3. The method as defined in claim 1, the method further comprising causing at least in part the visitor to be offered embeddable code via the user web page, wherein the visitor is offered to include the embeddable code in a visitor web page.

4. A method of providing online communication, the method comprising:

receiving from a visitor at a networked system a communication request to communicate with the user via a communication interface displayed on a web page associated with the user, the communication interface including;

an address field configured to receive from the visitor an address associated with the visitor, and

a text entry field configured to receive a text message from the visitor for the user;

if the visitor enters a valid phone address into the address field and activates at least a first control, at least partly causing by the networked system a call to be placed from a communication system to the phone address, wherein the visitor is provided the opportunity to record a voice message for the user without the visitor providing, and without revealing to the visitor, the phone number of the user; and

if the visitor enters text into the text entry field, causing the communication system to transmit the text to a mobile communication device of the user at least partly in response to a first action by the visitor without the visitor providing, and without revealing to the visitor, the mobile communication device phone address of the user.

5. The method as defined in claim 4, wherein if a voice message from the visitor is recorded, the method further comprising providing the user with access to the voice message via a widget, a web page, and/or a client application.

6. The method as defined in claim 4, the method further comprising causing at least in part embeddable code to be provided to the user for use with the user web page, wherein the embeddable code generates the communication interface.

7. The method as defined in claim 6, wherein the embeddable code is provided to the user via an email.

8. The method as defined in claim 6, wherein the embeddable code is provided to the user via a first web page.

9. The method as defined in claim 4, the method further comprising:

determining if the visitor has a first account; and

if the visitor does not have the first account, requesting that visitor provide at least a first type of contact information.

10. The method as defined in claim 4, the method further comprising offering the visitor embeddable code via the user web page, wherein the offer includes an offer for the visitor to embed the embeddable code on a visitor web page.

11. A method of providing online communication, the method comprising:

receiving at a networked system from a visitor a communication request to communicate with the user via a communication interface displayed on a web page associated with the user, the communication interface including an address field configured to receive from the visitor an address associated with the visitor; and

at least partly in response to a first visitor action, at least partly causing a call to be placed from a communication system to a visitor communication device associated with a phone address entered into the address field by the visitor,

wherein the visitor is provided via the call the opportunity to record a voice message for the user without the visitor providing, and without revealing to the visitor, the phone number of the user; and

causing at least in part embeddable code to be transmitted to the user over a network for use with the user web page, wherein the embeddable code generates the user interface.

12. The method as defined in claim 11, the method further comprising providing the user with access to the voice message via a widget, a web page, and/or a client application.

13. The method as defined in claim 11, wherein the embeddable code is provided to the user via a first web page.

14. The method as defined in claim 11, wherein the embeddable code is provided via a link.

15. The method as defined in claim 11, wherein the communication interface further includes a text field via which text entered into the text field is transmitted to the user in response to at least one visitor action.

16. The method as defined in claim 11, the method further comprising offering the visitor embeddable code via the user web page, wherein the offer includes an offer for the visitor to embed the embeddable code on a visitor web page.

17. Program code stored in non-transitory computer readable memory that when executed by a computing system is configured to cause the computing system to perform operations comprising:

causing at least in part embeddable code to be transmitted to the user over a network for use with a user web page, wherein the embeddable code generates a communication interface;

receive from a visitor a communication request to communicate with the user via the communication interface, displayed on a web page associated with the user, the communication interface including an address field configured to receive from the visitor an address associated with the visitor; and

at least partly in response to a first visitor action, at least partly causing a call to be placed to a visitor communication device associated with a phone address entered into the address field by the visitor, wherein the visitor is provided via the call the opportunity to record a voice message for the user without the visitor providing, and without revealing to the visitor, the phone number of the user.

18. A computer system comprising computer hardware, the computer system programmed to implement a process comprising:

causing at least in part embeddable code to be transmitted to the user over a network for use with a user web page, wherein the embeddable code generates a communication interface;

providing a user a control for configuring a web page of the user, using the embeddable code, to include a communication service wherein the communication service facilitates communications from a visitor to the users web page to the user;

receiving from the visitor a communication request to communicate with the user via the communication interface displayed on the user web page, the communication interface including a text entry field configured to receive a text message from the visitor for the user; and

if the visitor enters text into the text entry field, transmitting the text to a mobile communication device of the user at least partly in response to an action by the visitor without the visitor providing, and without revealing to the visitor, the mobile communication device phone address of the user.

19. A computer system comprising computer hardware, the computer system programmed to implement a process comprising:

receiving from a visitor a communication request to communicate with the user via a communication interface displayed on a web page associated with the user, the communication interface including;

an address field configured to receive from the visitor an address associated with the visitor, and

a text entry field configured to receive a text message from the visitor for the user;

if the visitor enters a valid phone address into the address field and activates at least a first control, at least partly causing a call to be placed to the phone address, wherein the visitor is provided the opportunity to record a voice message for the user without the visitor providing, and without revealing to the visitor, the phone number of the user; and

if the visitor enters text into the text entry field, transmitting the text to a mobile communication device of the user at least partly in response to a first action by the visitor without the visitor providing, and without revealing to the visitor, the mobile communication device phone address of the user.