Telephone number-based advertising

• US 8,831,190 B2
• Filed: 07/02/2012
• Issued: 09/09/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 11/26/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google Inc. (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Goel, Vinay
• Primary Examiner(s): Gauthier, Gerald
• Application Number:
  US13/539,746
• Publication Number:
  US 20120269337A1
• Time in Patent Office: 799 Days
• Field of Search: 370/352, 379/102.06, 379/114.01, 379/114.13, 379/211.01, 379/201.01, 455/410, 455/412.1, 705/14.1, 705/14.49, 705/14.69, 715/771, 725/62
• US Class Current: 379/114.13
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0242 Determining effectiveness of advertisements
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0255 based on user history
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0264 based upon schedule
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0275 Auctions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0601 Electronic shopping [e-shopping]
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 17/00 Prepayment of wireline communication systems, wireless communication systems or telephone systems using a coded card to authorise calls from a telephone set H04M1/675
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/54 Arrangements for diverting calls for one subscriber to another predetermined subscriber based on the calling party profile H04M3/42059; based on location H04M3/42348; based on presence H04M3/42365; to voice mail H04M3/53308
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/003 Click to dial services

Abstract

Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer program products, in which a first telephone number is associated with a second telephone number, and a web-based advertisement is served for an advertiser that includes the first telephone number. A call placed to the first telephone number is received, and the call is routed to the second telephone number based on the association of the second telephone number with the first telephone number. A determination as to whether a call-through event in response to receiving the call placed to the first telephone number has occurred, and an advertiser associated with the second telephone number is charged a cost-per-call amount if the call-through event is determined to have occurred.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method, comprising:

associating a first telephone number with a second telephone number, the second telephone number being associated with an advertiser;

receiving a call placed to the first telephone number, the call being placed to the first telephone number responsive to the first telephone number being displayed on a web based advertisement for the advertiser;

routing the call to the second telephone number based on the association of the second telephone number with the first telephone number;

determining that a call-through event has occurred if a calling number associated with an origination of the call has not originated calls to the first telephone number in excess of a threshold number of originations; and

charging the advertiser associated with the second telephone number a cost-per-call amount in response to determining that the call-through event has occurred.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising determining that the call-through event has not occurred if the calling number has originated calls to the first telephone number in excess of the threshold number of originations.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining that an expiration event has occurred; and

disassociating the first telephone number with the second telephone number in response to determining that the expiration event has occurred.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising precluding association of the first telephone number with another second number for at least a minimum time period in response to determining that the expiration event has occurred.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein the expiration event is a predetermined amount of time.

6. A system, comprising:

a data store that stores a first telephone number and a second telephone number, the second telephone number being associated with an advertiser;

one or more processors configured to interact with the data store, the one or more processors being further configured to perform operations comprising;

associating a first telephone number with a second telephone number;

receiving a call placed to the first telephone number, the call being placed to the first telephone number responsive to the first telephone number being displayed on a web based advertisement for the advertiser;

routing the call to the second telephone number based on the association of the second telephone number with the first telephone number;

determining that a call-through event has occurred if a calling number associated with an origination of the call has not originated calls to the first telephone number in excess of a threshold number of originations; and

charging the advertiser associated with the second telephone number a cost-per-call amount in response to determining that the call-through event has occurred.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the one or more processors are further configured to perform operations comprising determining that the call-through event has not occurred if the calling number has originated calls to the first telephone number in excess of the threshold number of originations.

8. The system of claim 6, wherein the one or more processors are further configured to perform operations comprising:

determining that an expiration event has occurred; and

disassociating the first telephone number with the second telephone number in response to determining that the expiration event has occurred.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the one or more processors are further configured to perform operations comprising precluding association of the first telephone number with another second number for at least a minimum time period in response to determining that the expiration event has occurred.

10. The system of claim 8, wherein the expiration event is a predetermined amount of time.

11. A non-transitory computer storage medium encoded with a computer program, the program comprising instructions that when executed by data processing apparatus cause the data processing apparatus to perform operations comprising:

associating a first telephone number with a second telephone number, the second telephone number being associated with an advertiser;

receiving a call placed to the first telephone number, the call being placed to the first telephone number responsive to the first telephone number being displayed on a web based advertisement for the advertiser;

routing the call to the second telephone number based on the association of the second telephone number with the first telephone number;

determining that a call-through event has occurred if a calling number associated with an origination of the call has not originated calls to the first telephone number in excess of a threshold number of originations; and

charging the advertiser associated with the second telephone number a cost-per-call amount in response to determining that the call-through event has occurred.

12. A computer-implemented method, comprising:

associating a first telephone number with a second telephone number until an occurrence of an expiration event;

determining whether the expiration event has occurred;

if the expiration event has occurred;

disassociating the first telephone number from the second telephone number; and

precluding association of the first telephone number with another second number for at least a minimum time period;

if the expiration event has not occurred;

routing a call from the first telephone number to the second telephone number; and

charging an advertiser associated with the second telephone number a cost-per-call amount.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

associating a third telephone number with the second telephone number until an occurrence of another expiration event if the expiration event has occurred;

receiving a call to the first telephone number; and

announcing the third telephone number in the call if the expiration event has occurred.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein the expiration event is a predetermined period of time.

15. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

identifying a calling number associated with an origination of the call;

determining whether the calling number has originated calls to the first telephone number in excess of a threshold number of originations; and

precluding routing the call from the first telephone number to the second telephone number if the calling number has originated calls to the first telephone number in excess of the threshold number of originations.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising presenting the second telephone number if the calling number has originated calls to the first telephone number in excess of the threshold number of originations, the presenting comprising announcing the second telephone number in the call to the first telephone number.

17. A system, comprising:

a data store that stores a first telephone number and a second telephone number;

one or more processors configured to interact with the data store, the one or more processors being further configured to perform operations comprising;

associating a first telephone number with a second telephone number until an occurrence of an expiration event;

determining whether the expiration event has occurred;

if the expiration event has occurred;

disassociating the first telephone number from the second telephone number; and

precluding association of the first telephone number with another second number for at least a minimum time period;

if the expiration event has not occurred;

routing a call from the first telephone number to the second telephone number; and

charging an advertiser associated with the second telephone number a cost-per-call amount.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the one or more processors are further configured to perform operations comprising:

associating a third telephone number with the second telephone number until an occurrence of another expiration event if the expiration event has occurred;

receiving a call to the first telephone number; and

announcing the third telephone number in the call if the expiration event has occurred.

19. The system of claim 17, wherein the expiration event is a predetermined period of time.

20. The system of claim 17, wherein the one or more processors are further configured to perform operations comprising:

identifying a calling number associated with an origination of the call;

determining whether the calling number has originated calls to the first telephone number in excess of a threshold number of originations; and

precluding routing the call from the first telephone number to the second telephone number if the calling number has originated calls to the first telephone number in excess of the threshold number of originations.

21. The system of claim 20, wherein the one or more processors are further configured to perform operations comprising presenting the second telephone number if the calling number has originated calls to the first telephone number in excess of the threshold number of originations, the presenting comprising announcing the second telephone number in the call to the first telephone number.

22. A non-transitory computer storage medium encoded with a computer program, the program comprising instructions that when executed by data processing apparatus cause the data processing apparatus to perform operations comprising:

associating a first telephone number with a second telephone number until an occurrence of an expiration event;

determining whether the expiration event has occurred;

if the expiration event has occurred;

disassociating the first telephone number from the second telephone number; and

precluding association of the first telephone number with another second number for at least a minimum time period;

if the expiration event has not occurred;

routing a call from the first telephone number to the second telephone number; and

charging an advertiser associated with the second telephone number a cost-per-call amount.