System and method for correlating user call response to electronic messages
First Claim
1. A method of correlating real-time communications with received electronic messages, the method including:
- sending an electronic message associated with a second party to a first party;
subsequently receiving a real-time communication from the first party by the second party;
automatically determining whether the real-time communication resulted from the electronic message, based on electronically stored information about the sending of the electronic message and about the subsequently received real-time communication;
if it is determined that the real-time communication resulted from the electronic message, flagging the real-time communication to have a different status from real-time communications not determined to have resulted from an electronic message; and
billing the second party for the real-time communication, based on the flagged status of the real-time communication, including;
billing the second party at a first rate for real-time communications received by the first party and flagged with a status indicating that the real-time communications resulted from an electronic message; and
billing the second party at a second rate for real-time communications received by the first party and flagged with a status indicating that the real-time communications did not result from an electronic message,wherein the first rate is higher than the second rate.
1 Assignment
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Accused Products
Abstract
A method of correlating voice calls with received electronic messages includes sending an electronic message associated with a second party to a first party; subsequently receiving a voice call from the first party by the second party; automatically determining whether the voice call resulted from the electronic message, based on electronically stored information about the sending of the electronic message and about the subsequently received voice call; and if it is determined that the voice call resulted from the electronic message, flagging the voice call to have a different status from voice calls not determined to have resulted from an electronic message.
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Citations
20 Claims
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1. A method of correlating real-time communications with received electronic messages, the method including:
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sending an electronic message associated with a second party to a first party; subsequently receiving a real-time communication from the first party by the second party; automatically determining whether the real-time communication resulted from the electronic message, based on electronically stored information about the sending of the electronic message and about the subsequently received real-time communication; if it is determined that the real-time communication resulted from the electronic message, flagging the real-time communication to have a different status from real-time communications not determined to have resulted from an electronic message; and billing the second party for the real-time communication, based on the flagged status of the real-time communication, including; billing the second party at a first rate for real-time communications received by the first party and flagged with a status indicating that the real-time communications resulted from an electronic message; and billing the second party at a second rate for real-time communications received by the first party and flagged with a status indicating that the real-time communications did not result from an electronic message, wherein the first rate is higher than the second rate. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
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9. A method of charging a merchant for real-time communications with users, the method comprising:
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maintaining a database that stores a record of sent electronic advertisements, indications of users who receive the electronic advertisements, and information indicating a time at which the users receive the electronic advertisements; automatically storing, in the database, records of real-time communications between the advertisers and the users who received the electronic advertisements; using the database, for each real-time communication between a merchant and a user, automatically determining whether the real-time communication occurred within a predetermined time period T from a time at which the user received an electronic advertisement for the merchant; based on the determination, selecting an amount and/or rate to charge the merchant for the real-time communication; when the determination indicates that a real-time communication occurred involving a particular user within the time period T from when the user received an advertisement for a particular merchant, then charging the merchant a first rate for the real-time communication; and when the determination indicates that a real-time communication occurred involving a particular user after the time period T from when the user received an advertisement for a particular merchant, then charging the merchant a second rate for the real-time communication, wherein the second rate is lower than the first rate. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
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17. A method for receiving real-time communications by recipient parties, the method including:
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sending electronic messages to potential initiating parties, the electronic messages indicating a method for initiating a real-time communication with the recipient parties; maintaining a database that stores a list of the sent electronic messages, indications of potential initiating parties who received the electronic messages, and information indicating a time at which the potential initiating parties received the electronic messages; automatically storing in the database records of real-time communications with the recipient parties initiated by the potential initiating parties who received the electronic messages; using the database, for each real-time communication between a recipient party and a potential initiating party, automatically determining whether the real-time communication was initiated within a predetermined time period T from a time at which the potential initiating party received an electronic message indicating a method for initiating the real-time communication with the recipient party; and based on the determination, selecting an amount and/or rate to charge the recipient party for the real-time communication. - View Dependent Claims (20)
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18. A method for determining how much to bill a merchant for a real-time communication with a second party, the method comprising:
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storing, in a database, a list of real-time communications initiated by the second party from at least two communication sources including a first communication source and a second communication source, the list including a time at which each real-time communication occurred; storing, in the database, a list of advertisements received by the first communication source, the list including an indication of a time at which each advertisement was received and/or displayed at the first communication source; automatically determining, based on the list of real-time communications and the list of advertisements received, whether any of the real-time communications were real-time communications that occurred with the merchant within a predetermined time period T of the first communication source receiving and/or displaying an advertisement for the merchant; when it is determined that a real-time communication occurred with the merchant within a predetermined time period T of the first communication source receiving and/or displaying an advertisement for the merchant, charging the merchant for the real-time communication based on a first billing scheme; and when it is determined that a real-time communication occurred with the merchant after the predetermined time period T of the first communication source receiving and/or displaying an advertisement for the merchant, charging the merchant for the real-time communication based on a second billing scheme different from the first billing scheme. - View Dependent Claims (19)
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Specification