Systems and Methods to Provide Voice Connections via Local Telephone Numbers

• US 20080097845A1
• Filed: 07/17/2007
• Published: 04/24/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 10/24/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Thryv, Inc. (Mudrick Capital Management LP)
• Original Assignee: UTBK, Inc.
• Inventors: CROTHERS, Christopher Scott, HIRSON, Ron, FABER, Scott, ALTBERG, Ebbe, MANCA, Paul G., VAN DER LINDEN, Sean
• Granted Patent: US 9,317,855 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/14.61
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0241 Advertisements
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0251 Targeted advertisements
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0256 User search
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0257 User requested
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0261 based on user location
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0264 based upon schedule
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0271 Personalized advertisement
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0276 Advertisement creation
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0277 Online advertisement
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/00 Arrangements for metering, time-control or time indication ; Metering, charging or billing arrangements for voice wireline or wireless communications, e.g. VoIP
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/56 for VoIP communications
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/8033 location-dependent, e.g. business or home
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/003 Click to dial services

Abstract

Methods and apparatuses to dynamically allocate location dependent telephone numbers to facilitate voice connections between people. One embodiment includes: responsive to a request from a user, selecting a telephone number from a plurality of telephone numbers of a connection server to match a location indicator of the request; embedding the telephone number in an advertisement, the telephone number to be used by the user to initiate a telephone call to the connection server for further connection to an advertiser of the advertisement; and providing the advertisement with the telephone number of the connection server as a response to the request. In one embodiment, responsive to receiving the telephone call at the telephone number of the connection server from the user, whether to play a prompt message to the user is determined based at least in part on statistic data about telephone calls collected at the connection server.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

responsive to a request from a user, selecting a telephone number from a plurality of telephone numbers of a connection server to match a location indicator of the request;

embedding the telephone number in an advertisement, the telephone number to be used by the user to initiate a telephone call to the connection server for further connection to an advertiser of the advertisement; and

providing the advertisement with the telephone number of the connection server as a response to the request.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of telephone numbers are local to a plurality of different cities.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the location indicator comprises a location search criterion submitted by the user as part of the request.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining the location indicator of the request based on an identifier of the user received with the request.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the identifier of the user includes a phone number of the user, an Internet address of the user, or a member ID of the user.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining the location indication of the request based on a location of a wireless access point used by the user to submit the request.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

responsive to receiving the telephone call at the telephone number of the connection server from the user, determining whether to play a prompt message to the user based at least in part on statistic data about telephone calls collected at the connection server.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the statistic data includes a number of calls connected to the advertiser within a predetermined period of time;

and the method further comprising;

playing the prompt message to the user in the telephone call when the number of calls is below a threshold within the predetermined period of time.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein the statistic data includes a number of abnormal calls connected to the advertiser within a predetermined period of time.

10. The method of claim 7, wherein the statistic data includes a number of calls received from the user within a predetermined period of time;

and the method further comprises;

playing the prompt message to the user when the number of calls received from the user within the predetermined period of time is above a threshold;

connecting the telephone call to an interactive voice response (IVR) system for an input from the user; and

in response to an input received via the IVR system, further connecting the telephone call to the advertiser.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

responsive to receiving the telephone call at the telephone number of the connection server from the user, determining whether to play a prompt message to the user based at least in part on an average speed of making calls by the user during a period of time;

playing a prompt message to the user in the telephone call when the average speed is above a threshold;

connecting the telephone call to an interactive voice response (IVR) system for an input from the user; and

in response to an input received via the IVR system, further connecting the telephone call to the advertiser.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

responsive to receiving the telephone call at the telephone number of the connection server from the user, determining whether to play a prompt message to the user based at least in part on whether a valid telephone number of the user can be determined via an automatic number identification (ANI) service; and

playing a prompt message to the user in the telephone call to terminate the telephone call when no valid telephone number of the user can be determined from the ANI service.

13. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

responsive to receiving the telephone call at the telephone number of the connection server from the user, determining whether to play a prompt message to the user based at least in part on a preference received from the user prior to the telephone call.

14. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

the connection server receiving, via a telecommunication carrier, a first Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) call from the user using the telephone number provided in the advertisement;

determining a telephonic reference of the advertiser based on the telephone number used to receive the first VoIP call;

the connection server initiating, via a telecommunication carrier, a second Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) call to the advertiser using the telephonic reference of the advertiser; and

bridging the first and second VoIP calls to connect the user and the advertiser.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the bridging of the first and second VoIP calls includes establishing a media connection that does not go through the connection server to connect the user and the advertiser.

16. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

responsive to receiving the telephone call at the telephone number of the connection server from the user, customizing a prompt message in the telephone call for the user based on a geographic area represented by the telephone number.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the prompt message identifies the advertiser when a location of the user as determined for the telephone call is outside the geographic area represented by the telephone number.

18. The method of claim 1, wherein the advertiser is to be charged an advertisement fee responsive to the connection server connecting the telephone call of the user to the advertiser;

and the advertisement fee is determined based on a bid price specified by the advertiser.

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

responsive to a request from a user, selecting a telephone number from a plurality of telephone numbers of a connection server to match a location indicator of the request;

embedding the telephone number in an advertisement, the telephone number to be used by the user to initiate a telephone call to the connection server for further connection to an advertiser of the advertisement; and

providing the advertisement with the telephone number of the connection server as a response to the request.

20. A system, comprising:

means for selecting, responsive to a request from a user, a telephone number from a plurality of telephone numbers of a connection server to match a location indicator of the request;

means for embedding the telephone number in an advertisement, the telephone number to be used by the user to initiate a telephone call to the connection server for further connection to an advertiser of the advertisement; and

means for providing the advertisement with the telephone number of the connection server as a response to the request.