Systems and methods to connect people for real time communications via directory assistance

• US 8,724,789 B2
• Filed: 05/28/2008
• Issued: 05/13/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 08/06/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Thryv, Inc. (Mudrick Capital Management LP)
• Original Assignee: Yellow Pages
• Inventors: Altberg, Ebbe, Faber, Scott, Hirson, Ron, Van Der Linden, Sean, Lyon, Ben Harris
• Primary Examiner(s): Asanbayev, Oleg
• Application Number:
  US12/128,571
• Publication Number:
  US 20090041227A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,176 Days
• Field of Search: 379/114.05, 379/114.1, 379/114.12, 379/114.13, 379/218.01, 379/114.01, 705/14.4, 705/14.49, 705/14.54, 705/14.66, 705/14.69
• US Class Current: 379/218.01
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/00 Arrangements for metering, time-control or time indication ; Metering, charging or billing arrangements for voice wireline or wireless communications, e.g. VoIP
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/4878 Advertisement messages
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/4931 Directory assistance systems

Abstract

Methods and apparatuses to connect people for real time communications via optional advertisements presented via directory assistance. One embodiment includes: receiving a directory assistance request from a user over a telephonic connection with the user; providing directory assistance information responsive to the directory assistance request; presenting an option related to an advertisement to the user; if the user declines the option, charging the user a fee for providing the directory assistance information; and if the user accepts the option, reducing the fee for providing the directory assistance information.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

receiving a directory assistance request from a user over a telephonic connection with the user;

identifying the user via an automatic number identification service and authenticating the user over the telephonic connection;

determining, via a computing device, the directory assistance request is a request relating to a non-advertiser business;

in response to determining the directory assistance request is the request relating to the non-advertiser business;

identifying the non-advertiser business;

prior to providing directory assistance information responsive to the directory assistance request, making available a first option to receive a first advertisement for a first advertiser business to the user over the telephonic connection with the user, wherein the first option further comprises a second option comprising an offer to connect the telephonic connection with the user to the first advertiser business;

determining the user declines the first option based on a preference of the user stored in an account of the user;

in response to the user declining the first option, based on the preference of the user, charging the user a fee for providing the directory assistance information and providing directory assistance information responsive to the directory assistance request;

determining the user accepts the first option based on a preference of the user stored in the account of the user;

in response to the user accepting the first option, based on the preference of the user, presenting in an audible form the first advertisement for the first advertiser business to the user over the telephonic connection with the second option comprising the offer to connect the telephonic connection with the user to the first advertiser business prior to providing the directory assistance information, and reducing the fee for providing the directory assistance information;

responsive to the user being connected with the first advertiser business via the second option, charging the first advertiser business an advertisement fee;

determining, via the computing device, the directory assistance request is a request relating to a business category;

in response to determining the directory assistance request is the request relating to the business category;

presenting a second advertisement for a second advertiser business to the user over the telephonic connection with the user, wherein a business of the second advertiser relates to the business category; and

reducing the fee for providing the directory assistance information.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

further in response to the user accepting the first option, presenting the first advertisement for the first advertiser business to the user over the telephonic connection with the user.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the reducing of the fee comprises waiving the fee associated with providing the directory assistance information.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the first option and the second option is presented to the user over the telephonic connection;

and the method further comprising;

receiving an input from the user over the telephonic connection to one of decline and accept the first option and the second option.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the first advertisement for the first advertiser business is transmitted to a user terminal of the user via one of short message service, multimedia messaging service, electronic mail, and instant messaging.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the directory assistance information is provided with the first advertisement for the first advertiser business.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein the user terminal comprises a cellular phone.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

compensating the user using a portion of the advertisement fee.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the second option includes one of a telephone number of a connection server without an extension, a telephone number of the connection server with an extension, a session initiation protocol uniform resource identifier, and a user identifier.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the second option includes a reference selectable to request a connection server to call back to the user for a connection to the first advertiser business.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining an address of the user; and

transmitting a message to the user according to the address.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the first option comprises the user interacting with the message to receive the first advertisement.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein the message includes the first advertisement;

and the first option comprises the user interacting with the first advertisement to communicate with the first advertiser business.

14. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing computer-readable instructions which, when executed by a computing device, cause the computing device to perform:

receiving a directory assistance request from a user over a telephonic connection with the user;

identifying the user via an automatic number identification service and authenticating the user over the telephonic connection;

determining, via a computing device, the directory assistance request is one of a request relating to a non-advertiser business and a request relating to a business category;

in response to determining the directory assistance request is the request relating to the non-advertiser business;

identifying the non-advertiser business;

prior to providing directory assistance information responsive to the directory assistance request, making available a first option to receive a first advertisement for a first advertiser business to the user over the telephonic connection with the user, wherein the first option further comprises a second option comprising an offer to connect the telephonic connection with the user to the first advertiser business;

determining whether the user does one of decline and accept the first option based on a preference of the user stored in an account of the user;

in response to the user declining the first option, based on the preference of the user, charging the user a fee for providing the directory assistance information and providing directory assistance information responsive to the directory assistance request; and

in response to the user accepting the first option, based on the preference of the user, presenting in an audible form the first advertisement for the first advertiser business to the user over the telephonic connection with the second option comprising the offer to connect the telephonic connection with the user to the first advertiser business prior to providing the directory assistance information, and reducing the fee for providing the directory assistance information;

responsive to the user being connected with the first advertiser business via the second option, charging the first advertiser business an advertisement fee;

in response to determining the directory assistance request is the request relating to the business category;

presenting a second advertisement for a second advertiser business to the user over the telephonic connection with the user, wherein a business of the second advertiser relates to the business category; and

reducing the fee for providing the directory assistance information.

15. A system, comprising:

a computing device configured to;

receive a directory assistance request from a user over a telephonic connection with the user;

identify the user via an automatic number identification service and authenticating the user over the telephonic connection;

determine the directory assistance request is one of a request relating to a non-advertiser business and a request relating to a business category;

in response to determining the directory assistance request is the request relating to the non-advertiser business;

identifying the non-advertiser business;

prior to providing directory assistance information responsive to the directory assistance request, make available a first option to receive a first advertisement for a first advertiser business to the user over the telephonic connection with the user, wherein the first option further comprises a second option comprising an offer to connect the telephonic connection with the user to the first advertiser business;

determine whether the user does one of decline and accept the first option based on a preference of the user stored in an account of the user;

in response to the user declining the first option, based on the preference of the user, charge the user a fee for providing the directory assistance information and provide directory assistance information responsive to the directory assistance request; and

in response to the user accepting the first option, based on the preference of the user, presenting in an audible form the first advertisement for the first advertiser business to the user over the telephonic connection with the second option comprising the offer to connect the telephonic connection with the user to the first advertiser business prior to providing the directory assistance information, and reduce the fee for providing the directory assistance information;

in response to the user being connected with the first advertiser business via the second option, charge the first advertiser business an advertisement fee;

in response to determining the directory assistance request is the request relating to the business category;

present a second advertisement for a second advertiser business to the user over the telephonic connection with the user, wherein a business of the second advertiser relates to the business category; and

reduce the fee for providing the directory assistance information.