ADVERTISEMENT BASED RINGBACK SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR USE WITH A DIRECTORY ASSISTANCE SYSTEM

• US 20090304160A1
• Filed: 06/01/2009
• Published: 12/10/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 05/30/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Faith Mcgary
• Original Assignee: Faith Mcgary
• Inventors: McGary, Faith
• Granted Patent: US 8,503,620 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 379/67.100
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• 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 15/09 Third party charged communications
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2201/12 Counting circuits
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/66 Third party billing, i.e. third party can also be the predetermined telephone line of the caller if he is calling from another telephone set
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42017 Customized ring-back tones
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/4878 Advertisement messages

Abstract

A communication method includes the steps of receiving a call from a caller for connection to a subscriber, attempting a connection to the subscriber and retrieving a media file associated with the subscriber. The media file is played to the caller during a ring-back period of the attempted connection, playing of the media file to the caller is charged to the provider of the media file.

Claims

1. A communication method, said method comprising the steps of:

receiving a call from a caller for connection to a subscriber;

attempting a connection to said subscriber;

retrieving a media file associated with said subscriber;

playing said media file to said caller during a ring-back period of the attempted connection, playing of said media file to said caller is charged to the provider of said media file.

2. The communication method as claimed in claim 1, wherein said media file is an advertisement.

3. The communication method as claimed in claim 2, wherein said provider of said media file is said advertiser and wherein payment is based on the number of time said media file is played to said callers.

4. The communication method as claimed in claim 3, further comprising the step of tracking number of times said media file is played to various callers and storing said results in a file associated with said subscriber.

5. The communication method as claimed in claim 4, wherein said advertiser pays a fee to be automatically played as the ring-back to said caller during calls to said subscribers.

6. The communication method as claimed in claim 5, wherein said advertiser pays a fee to be played as the ring-back to said caller during calls to a subgroup of subscribers who are identified in a particular category.

7. The communication method as claimed in claim 1, wherein said media file is selected from the group consisting of audio files and multi-media files.

8. A communication method, said method comprising the steps of:

receiving a call from a caller for connection to a subscriber;

attempting a connection to said subscriber;

retrieving a media file associated with said caller;

playing said media file to said caller during a ring-back period of the attempted connection,

9. The communication system as claimed in claim 8, wherein the decision to play said media file to said caller is made by said caller.

10. The communication system as claimed in claim 8, wherein playing of said media file to said caller provides a credit to said caller.

11. The communication method as claimed in claim 9, wherein said caller selects to receive random media files to be played during their ring-back times.

12. The communication method as claimed in claim 8, wherein said caller history is stored and analyzed to generate groups of callers based on the categories they call and receive calls from.

13. The communication method as claimed in claim 12, wherein advertisers may bid to have their ring-back media files played to selected groups of generated groups of callers.

14. A communication method, said method comprising the steps of:

receiving a call from a caller for connection to a subscriber;

attempting a connection to said subscriber;

retrieving a media file associated with said subscriber;

playing said media file to said caller during a ring-back period of the attempted connection, wherein said media file to be played to said caller is selected by said subscriber and wherein playing of said media file to said caller provides a credit to said subscriber.

15. The communication method as claimed in claim 14, wherein said subscriber may select among a plurality of available media files.

16. The communication method as claimed in claim 15, wherein each available media file is advertisement and each has a different incentive associated therewith to provide credits to said subscriber in exchange for selecting their media file for ring-back to said callers.

17. The communication method as claimed in claim 16, wherein incentive is based on number of times played to caller

18. The communication method as claimed 17, further comprising the step of tracking number of times a ring-back media file is played to various callers.

19. The communication method as claimed in claim 18, wherein said advertiser may pay to be at top of said selection chart.

20. The communication method as claimed in claim 19 wherein said advertiser may pay to be at top of selection chart for subscribers who have been grouped into selected categories based on said subscribers stored call history.