Methods and Apparatuses to Connect People for Real Time Communications via Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP)

• US 20070242626A1
• Filed: 05/22/2007
• Published: 10/18/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 09/28/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Thryv, Inc. (Mudrick Capital Management LP)
• Original Assignee: UTBK, Inc.
• Inventors: HIRSON, Ron, FABER, Scott, ALTBERG, Ebbe, VAN DER LINDEN, Sean, JAIN, Mehul, AGARWAL, Anuj, AHUJA, Nitin
• Granted Patent: US 8,599,832 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/259
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0428 wherein the data content is protected, e.g. by encrypting or encapsulating the payload
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/2757 by data transmission, e.g. downloading
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/154 Functional or symbolic dial plan such as license plate numbers
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/4935 Connection initiated by DAS system
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/0036 where the data service is an information service
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/006 Networks other than PSTN/ISDN providing telephone service, e.g. Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) , including next generation networks with a packet-switched transport layer H04L65/00 takes precedence; aspects not specific to the type of network H04M3/00; special services in those networks H04M3/42

Abstract

Methods and systems to facilitate real time communications via a telephonic apparatuses that support data communications. In one embodiment, a telephonic apparatus includes: a user interface to receive a search criterion; a network interface coupled to the user interface to submit a query from the telephonic apparatus over a data communication network and to receive at least one advertisement, the advertisement including a telephonic reference containing information about the query; and a call module coupled to the user interface and the network interface. In response to a user selection of the advertisement, the call module is to establish a connection with a connection server for a telephonic call using the telephonic reference, where the connection server is to extract from the telephonic reference the information about the query and to connect the telephonic call to an advertiser of the advertisement.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

responsive to a search criterion received in a telephonic apparatus, submitting a query from the telephonic apparatus over a data communication network;

receiving at the telephonic apparatus at least one advertisement, the advertisement including a telephonic reference containing information about the query; and

responsive to a user selection of the advertisement at the telephonic apparatus, establishing a connection with a connection server for a telephonic call using the telephonic reference, the connection server to extract from the telephonic reference the information about the query and to connect the telephonic call to an advertiser of the advertisement.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the telephonic reference comprises a session initiation protocol (SIP) uniform resource identifier (URI), a telephone number without an extension, a telephone number with an extension, or a user identifier.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the telephonic reference is encrypted with a telephonic reference of the advertiser.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the information about the query includes the search criterion, an identification of the advertisement, a timestamp of the query, an entity of the telephonic apparatus, an identification of a user of the telephonic apparatus, a position of the advertisement in a result of a search performed in response to the query, or a price of an advertisement fee offered by the advertiser.

5. The method of claim 2, wherein the telephonic reference is provided in a form according to a calling capability of the telephonic apparatus indicated in the query.

6. The method of claim 2, wherein the information about the query includes at least an identification of a distributor of the telephonic apparatus, an identification of a distribution channel of the advertisement, or an identifier of a party who has a contribution in a process of delivering the advertisement to the telephonic apparatus.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the telephonic reference is transmitted to the connection server via a data communication network in a process of the telephonic apparatus establishing the connection with the connection server for the telephonic call.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the telephonic apparatus initiates the telephonic call via a gateway between the telephonic apparatus and the connection server;

the telephonic apparatus communicates with the gateway in a first protocol; and

the gateway communicates with the connection server in a second protocol.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

in response to the query, generating an encrypted string as part of the telephonic reference, the encrypted string to include the information about the query and a telephonic reference of the advertiser.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

in response to the query, a listing server retrieving the advertisement via a web service and providing the advertisement to the telephonic apparatus.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

in response to the query, the listing server further retrieving a listing from a listing database maintained by the listing server and providing the retrieved listing with the advertisement to the telephonic apparatus.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining a geographic location of the telephonic apparatus;

wherein the query includes the geographic location of the telephonic apparatus; and

wherein the advertisement is selected based at least in part on the geographic location.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the geographic location is determined based on a user preference, a user input specified with the search criterion, or an Internet address associated with the telephonic apparatus.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the user reference is stored in the telephonic apparatus, a server, or a peer to peer network.

20. The method of claim 9, wherein the information contained in the telephonic reference of the connection server includes an identification of a user of the telephonic apparatus from which the query is received;

and the method further includes;

determining whether an identification of a user of the telephonic apparatus which initiates the telephonic call to the connection server matches with the identification of the user of the telephonic apparatus from which the query is received.

15. A machine readable media embodying instructions, the instructions causing a machine to perform a method, the method comprising:

responsive to a search criterion received in a telephonic apparatus, submitting a query from the telephonic apparatus over a data communication network;

receiving at the telephonic apparatus at least one advertisement, the advertisement including a telephonic reference containing information about the query; and

responsive to a user selection of the advertisement at the telephonic apparatus, establishing a connection with a connection server for a telephonic call using the telephonic reference, the connection server to extract from the telephonic reference the information about the query and to connect the telephonic call to an advertiser of the advertisement.

16. A method of providing instructions, the instructions causing a machine to perform operations, the operations comprising:

responsive to a search criterion received in a telephonic apparatus, submitting a query from the telephonic apparatus over a data communication network;

receiving at the telephonic apparatus at least one advertisement, the advertisement including a telephonic reference containing information about the query; and

responsive to a user selection of the advertisement at the telephonic apparatus, establishing a connection with a connection server for a telephonic call using the telephonic reference, the connection server to extract from the telephonic reference the information about the query and to connect the telephonic call to an advertiser of the advertisement.

17. A telephonic apparatus, comprising:

a user interface to receive a search criterion;

a network interface coupled to the user interface to submit a query from the telephonic apparatus over a data communication network and to receive at least one advertisement, the advertisement including a telephonic reference containing information about the query; and

a call module coupled to the user interface and the network interface, in response to a user selection of the advertisement, the call module to establish a connection with a connection server for a telephonic call using the telephonic reference, the connection server to extract from the telephonic reference the information about the query and to connect the telephonic call to an advertiser of the advertisement.

18. A method, comprising:

receiving a query over a data communication network;

identifying at least one advertisement according to the query;

generating a telephonic reference of a connection server, the telephonic reference containing information including a search criterion of the query and a telephonic reference of an advertiser of the advertisement; and

providing the advertisement with the telephonic reference for presentation on a telephonic apparatus;

wherein when the telephonic apparatus calls the connection server using the generated telephonic reference of the connection server, the connection server extracts from the telephonic reference called by the telephonic apparatus the telephonic reference of the advertiser, to provide a connection between the telephonic apparatus and the advertiser using the telephonic reference of the advertiser, and to associate the connection with the search criterion.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the information contained in the telephonic reference of the connection server includes an identification of the telephonic apparatus from which the query is received;

and the method further includes;

determining whether an identification of the telephonic apparatus which initiates the telephonic call to the connection server matches with the identification of the telephonic apparatus from which the query is received.