Telephone Call Initiation Through An On-Line Search

• US 20080013702A1
• Filed: 06/29/2007
• Published: 01/17/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 05/19/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: QTECH SYSTEMS, LLC
• Original Assignee: Jambo Acquisition, LLC
• Inventors: Melideo, John
• Granted Patent: US 7,496,858 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 379/93.17
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/66 Arrangements for connecting between networks having differing types of switching systems, e.g. gateways
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/003 Click to dial services

Abstract

There are disclosed methods and apparatus for telephone call initiation through an on-line search. A search response includes at least one hit corresponding to a search request, an ad having a dial link, and instructions for triggering a multi-leg phone call with a merchant phone number associated with the dial link and a user phone number. The dial link has a display portion. The search response is displayed, and the dial link is activated. A call trigger is generated in accordance with the instructions in the search response. The call trigger is for initiating a multi-leg phone call with the user phone number and the merchant phone number.

Claims

1. A system for telephone call initiation through an on-line search, the system having software which when executed causes the system to perform actions comprising:

receiving ad purchase data from a merchant over a network, the ad purchase data including an ad display condition, ad content information, and merchant information;

receiving a search request from a search requester over the network;

obtaining a search result over the network in response to the search request;

preparing a search response including

one or more displayable hits,

a displayable ad based upon the ad content information, the displayable ad having a dial link, the dial link having a display portion for indicating availability of initiation of a phone call with the merchant associated with the dial link

instructions for triggering a multi-leg phone call between the merchant and the search requester

transmitting the search response over the network to the search requester.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein

the search requester comprises a user at a client computer

the multi-leg phone call is between a merchant telephone and a user telephone distinct from the client computer.

3. The system of claim 1 wherein

the search requester comprises a user at a computing device

the multi-leg phone call is between a merchant telephone and a user telephone distinct from the computing device.

4. The system of claim 1 wherein the triggering instructions are included in the dial link.

5. The system of claim 1 wherein the search response is a web page.

6. The system of claim 1 wherein the dial link includes a merchant identifier.

7. The system of claim 6 the merchant identifier comprises the merchant phone number.

8. A method of reporting the effectiveness of an advertising campaign using a telecommunications system for connecting a telephone call, the method comprising

accumulating calling information associated with a dial link provided in response to a search request

receiving a request for a report

in response to the request for the report, formulating the report based on the accumulated calling information for the dial link

formatting the report for electronic transmission

transmitting the formatted report electronically to an entity associated with the advertising campaign.

9. A server to report the effectiveness of an advertising campaign, the server having software which when executed causes the server to perform actions comprising:

accumulating calling information associated with a dial link provided in response to a search request

receiving a request for a report

in response to the request for the report, formulating the report based on the accumulated calling information for the dial link

formatting the report for electronic transmission

transmitting the formatted report electronically to an entity associated with the advertising campaign.