Systems and methods to confirm initiation of a callback

• US 9,462,121 B2
• Filed: 04/23/2013
• Issued: 10/04/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 02/22/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Thryv, Inc. (Mudrick Capital Management LP)
• Original Assignee: YellowPages.com LLC (Mudrick Capital Management LP)
• Inventors: Altberg, Ebbe, Faber, Scott, Hirson, Ron, Van Der Linden, Sean, Manca, Paul G., Yang, Virginia Hong-Jia
• Primary Examiner(s): Nawaz, Asad
• Assistant Examiner(s): HARLEY, JASON A
• Application Number:
  US13/868,903
• Publication Number:
  US 20130243177A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,260 Days
• Field of Search: 370/35, 379/201.01
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/4557 Directories for hybrid networks, e.g. including telephone numbers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/102 Entity profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/169 Special adaptations of TCP, UDP or IP for interworking of IP based networks with other networks protocols for interworking, protocol conversion H04L69/08
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/652 Call initiation triggered by text message
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42195 Arrangements for calling back a calling subscriber when the wanted subscriber ceases to be busy H04M3/48
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/53341 Message reply
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/003 Click to dial services

Abstract

Methods and apparatuses to initiate callback with confirmation. In one embodiment, a method includes: receiving a reference (e.g., a callback phone number) in a request for a connection to a destination; providing a code via the reference in response to the request; receiving a code to confirm the request; determining whether the received code matches the provided code; and initiating a connection via the reference for the connection to the destination if the received code matches the provided code.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

receiving, from a first device, over a first communication channel, a first request for a first connection between a second device and a destination, wherein the first request comprises a reference identifying the second device;

in response to the first request,

providing, over a second communication channel, a first code to the second device using the reference;

receiving a second code over the first communication channel from the first device;

determining, by a computing device, whether the first code matches the second code;

in response to a determination that the first code matches the second code,

storing, by the computing device, information to associate the reference identifying the second device with the first device; and

initiating, by the computing device, the first connection between the second device identified by the reference and the destination; and

subsequent to the storing of the information to associate the reference and the first device,

receiving a second request from the first device for a connection to the second device identified by the reference included in the second request; and

initiating, by the computing device, the second connection without further transmitting a code to the second device identified by the reference for confirmation that the second request is originated from a user of the second device.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the reference comprises a phone number;

and the first connection comprises a phone connection between the second device and the destination.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the reference comprises a session initiation protocol (SIP) address.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the first connection comprises a voice connection.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein the reference comprises a uniform resource identifier (URI).

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the initiating of the first connection between the second device and the destination comprises:

initiating, by the computing device, a third connection between the second device and a connection provider; and

initiating, by the computing device, a fourth connection between the connection provider and the destination; and

bridging, by the computing device, the third connection and the fourth connection.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein

the initiating of the third connection comprises the connection provider placing a first Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) call using the reference to a telecommunication carrier which bridges the first VoIP call to a public switched telephone network (PSTN);

the initiating of the fourth connection comprises the connection provider placing a second Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) call to a telecommunication carrier which bridges the second VoIP call to a public switched telephone network (PSTN) to the destination; and

the bridging of the third connection and the fourth connection comprises connecting the first and second VoIP calls.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein a first virtual softphone terminates the first VoIP call for bridging onto a public switched telephone network (PSTN);

a second virtual softphone terminates the second VoIP call for bridging onto a public switched telephone network (PSTN); and

the connecting of the first and second VoIP calls comprises;

directing the first and second softphones to establish a direct media connection which does not go through the connection provider.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the first connection comprises an instant messaging connection.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the reference comprises a phone number;

and the first communication channel comprises short message service (SMS).

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the providing of the first code to the second device using the reference comprises:

determining, by the computing device, an address based on the reference; and

providing, by the computing device, the code to the address according to the reference.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the address comprises an email address.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein the address comprises an instant messaging identifier.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the code is provided to the address as a presence status information.

15. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

providing, by the computing device, reference in an advertisement; and

charging a fee for the advertisement in response to a connection made to the destination via the reference provided in the advertisement and the reference received in the request for the connection.

16. The method of claim 1, wherein the first_code comprises a Completely Automated Public Turing test to tell Computers and Humans Apart (CAPTCHA).

17. The method of claim 1, wherein the first code matches the second code if the first code is not the same as the second code but has a predetermined relation with the second code.

18. The method of claim 1, wherein the first code is provided in a text format, an audio format, a voice format, or a video format.

19. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing computer-readable instructions which when executed, cause a system to perform:

receiving, from a first device, over a first communication channel, a first request for a first connection between a second device and a destination, wherein the first request comprises a reference identifying the second device;

in response to the first request,

providing, over a second communication channel, a first code to the second device using the reference;

receiving a second code over the first communication channel from the first device;

determining, by a computing device, whether the first code matches the second code;

in response to a determination that the first code matches the second code, storing, by the computing device, information to associate the reference identifying the second device with the first device; and

initiating, by the computing device, the first connection between the second device identified by the reference and the destination; and

subsequent to the storing of the information to associate the reference and the first device,

receiving a second request from the first device for a connection to the second device identified by the reference included in the second request; and

initiating, by the computing device, the second connection without further transmitting a code to the second device identified by the reference for confirmation that the second request is originated from a user of the second device.

20. A system, comprising:

a memory; and

at least one processor coupled to the memory to;

receive over a first communication channel, a first request for a first connection between a second device and a destination, wherein the first request comprises a reference identifying the second device;

in response to the first request,

provide, over a second communication channel, a first code to the second device using the reference ;

receive a second code over the first communication channel from the first device;

determine whether the first code matches the second code;

in response to a determination that the first code matches the second code,

store information to associate the reference identifying the second device with the first device;

initiate first connection between the second device identified by the reference and the destination; and

subsequent to storing of the information to associate the reference and the first device,

receive a second request from the first device for a connection to the second device identified by the reference included in the second request; and

initiate the second connection without further transmitting a code to the second device identified by the reference for confirmation that the second request is originated from a user of the second device.