Context-based transactions using broadcast advertising

• US 5,774,534 A
• Filed: 06/18/1997
• Issued: 06/30/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 12/27/1994
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: The Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art
• Original Assignee: AT&T Corporation (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Mayer, Daniel J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Kuntz, Curtis
• Assistant Examiner(s): Shankar, Vijay
• Application Number:
  US08/877,894
• Time in Patent Office: 377 Days
• Field of Search: 379/111, 379/112, 379/113, 379/114, 379/115, 379/118, 379/120, 379/127, 379/128, 379/130, 379/131, 379/133, 379/142, 379/207, 379/216, 379/219, 348/1, 348/2, 348/6, 348/12, 348/13
• US Class Current: 379/142.01
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 20/38 Arrangements for distribution where lower stations, e.g. receivers, interact with the broadcast
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/63 for services of sales data processing systems or methods specially adapted for electronic commerce G06Q30/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/94 Telephonic networks for accessing the Internet H04H60/84
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/493 Interactive information services, e.g. directory enquiries ; Arrangements therefor, e.g. interactive voice response [IVR] systems or voice portals
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4524 involving the geographical location of the client retrieval from the Internet by querying based on geographical locations G06F16/9537; systems specially adapted for using geographical information in broadcast systems H04H60/70; protocols in which the network application is adapted for the location of the user terminal in communication control or processing H04L67/52; services making use of the location of users or terminals in wireless networks H04W4/02; locating users or terminals in wireless networks H04W64/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/812 involving advertisement data advertising per se G06Q30/02
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8586 by using a URL processing chained hypermedia data for information retrieval G06F16/94; information retrieval from the Internet by using URLs G06F16/955; URL in broadcast information H04H20/93; Web-based protocols H04L67/02
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/165 Centralised control of user terminal subsequent to an upstream request signal H04N7/17345; Registering at central by two-way working H04N7/17309

Abstract

A broadcast network, which may have multiple affiliated television stations each broadcasting in different geographic areas, is provided with one or more easy-to-use telephone numbers. The broadcast network, in turn, assigns one or more the these numbers to its affiliated television stations, each of which allows advertisers to prominently display one of its broadcast network'"'"'s telephone numbers in direct-response television advertisements broadcast by the affiliated stations in their respective geographic areas. Different advertisements broadcast on different television stations affiliated with that broadcast network may then display that same number, regardless of the geographic area in which the broadcast is received, and the time at which the advertisement is displayed. When a particular advertisement sponsored by a particular advertiser is displayed on a TV program, viewer/listeners can dial the broadcast network'"'"'s telephone number in response to the advertising, in order to initiate a transaction. The call is routed based upon its "context", to a specific terminating telephone number for a transaction processor serving the advertiser associated with the advertisement. "Context" based processing is accomplished by using a call-routing database to uniquely associate each incoming call placed to the broadcast network telephone number with an advertiser'"'"'s specific terminating telephone number, illustratively based upon the time period that the call is made, and the viewer/listener location where the call was originated, both of which together determine the particular advertisement to which the caller was responding. Ambiguities arising from (a) overlap of the geographic areas in which affiliated stations broadcast or (b) short time intervals between broadcast of different ads, are resolved by querying a caller using a voice response system.

Claims

1. A method for completing transactions relating to advertisements of a plurality of advertisers, the advertisements including a response telephone number and broadcast by a broadcast network broadcasting in a plurality of different geographic areas, said method comprising:

routing a call placed to said response telephone number by a recipient of one of said advertisements; and

to a switch in a telecommunications network, said one advertisement corresponding to one of said plurality of advertisers, said one advertisement broadcast in at least one of said plurality of different geographic areas;

determining an identity of said one advertiser by comparing information corresponding to a time interval during which said telephone call originated and the geographic area from which said telephone call originated with information previously stored in a database, said information including information relating each advertisement with one of the plurality of advertisers and at least one of a broadcast time for each one of the plurality of advertisements and a broadcast area for each one of the plurality of advertisements; and

completing said call by further routine said call to a transaction processing center arranged to process transactions related to said one advertiser.

2. The method defined in claim 1 wherein said completing step includes using a specific terminating telephone number provided by said one advertiser.

3. A method for context-based routing of a telephone call, the method comprising:

storing in a database information associating a plurality of advertisements to be broadcast to recipients located in a plurality of different geographic areas at particular times with a plurality of destination telephone numbers;

receiving, in response to one of said plurality of advertisements broadcast at one of said particular times to recipients located in at least one of said plurality of different geographic areas, a telephone call to a response telephone number placed by a recipient of said advertisement, the response telephone number included in said advertisement;

determining at least one of a geographic area in which said received call originated and a time at which said received call was received;

retrieving, based upon at least one of said geographic area in which said received call originated and the time at which said received call was received, information stored in said database;

determining which of said plurality of advertisements was received by said recipient based on said retrieved information; and

initiating routing of said call to the destination telephone number associated with said determined advertisement.

4. A method for completing telephone transactions initiated in response to advertisements broadcast by local stations that are part of a broadcast network, each of said plurality of local stations broadcasting in one of a plurality of geographic areas, said broadcast network having a response telephone number which is included in said advertisements, said method comprising:

receiving a telephone call placed to said response telephone number in response to one of said advertisements being broadcast by at least one of said local stations;

determining a location from which said telephone call originated;

determining which of said plurality of geographic areas includes said determined location;

determining which of said plurality of local stations broadcasts in said determined geographic area;

determining which of said advertisements was broadcast by said determined local station; and

routing said telephone call to a transaction processing center arranged to process transactions related to said determined advertisement.

5. A method for context-based routing of a call made to a response telephone number appearing in a plurality of different broadcast advertisements by a recipient in response to the recipient experiencing a particular one of the plurality of different broadcast advertisements, said broadcast advertisement broadcast at a particular time by a particular station broadcasting in a particular geographic area, said method comprising:

receiving said call placed by said recipient to said response telephone number;

determining, based upon at least one of a location from which said received call originated and a time at which said received call was originated and at least one of broadcast times and broadcast areas of the plurality of different broadcast advertisements, information corresponding to the particular advertisement experienced by the recipient; and

determining, based on the determined information, which advertisement was being broadcast by said station at said time; and

determining, based on the determined advertisement, where calls responding to said advertisement should be routed.

6. A method for routing a telephone call initiated in response to a broadcast advertisement of an advertiser, said advertisement including a response telephone number to be called by recipients of said advertisement, said response telephone number included in advertisements of different advertisers, the method comprising:

providing information to a routing database correlating each advertisement with an advertiser;

adjusting the information stored in the routing database in response to said broadcast advertisement being broadcast so that calls placed to said response telephone number in response to said broadcast advertisement being broadcast are routed to a transaction processing center of said advertiser arranged to process said transactions; and

determining to which advertiser the telephone call is to be routed based on said information.

7. A method for context-based processing of a telephone call to a response telephone number initiated in response to one of a number of different broadcast advertisements, each advertisement including the response telephone number, the response telephone number included in advertisements of different advertisers, the method comprising:

determining, based on at least one of broadcast times and broadcast areas of the number of different broadcast advertisements, information corresponding to the advertisement in response to which said telephone call was initiated; and

routing, based on said determined information, said telephone call to a terminating telephone number associated with said advertisement.

8. The method defined in claim 7 wherein the determining step comprises determining said information as a function of a time at which said telephone call was made and times at which said number of different broadcast advertisements were broadcast.

9. The method defined in claim 7 wherein the determining step includes determining said information as a function of a location where said telephone call originated and geographic areas where said number of different broadcast advertisements were broadcast.

10. The method defined in claim 7 wherein said determining step includes the step of querying a database containing information including at least one of times at which, and geographic areas where, said number of different broadcast advertisements were broadcast, said information provided by at least one of said broadcast network and local stations of said broadcast network.

11. The method defined in claim 10 wherein said at least one of said broadcast time and broadcast geographic area information in said database is updated substantially concurrently with said advertisement being broadcast.

12. The method defined in claim 11 wherein said updating is performed by at least one of said broadcast network, said broadcast network'"'"'s local stations, said advertiser and said transaction processor.

13. The method defined in claim 7 further including:

querying a caller who initiated the call; and

receiving at least one response to resolve uncertainties as to which advertisement the call is responding.

14. The method of claim 13 wherein said querying step is performed by a voice response system.

15. The method of claim 14 wherein the information in said voice response system is updated at the same time that corresponding information in a database is updated.

16. The method defined in claim 7 wherein abnormalities in call volume of calls routed to said transaction processor are mitigated with load smoothing.

17. The method of claim 16 wherein said load smoothing includes arranging call back capabilities and interactive voice-sessions.

18. The method of claim 17 wherein said call back capabilities are implemented in a network-based processor arranged to match said advertisement.

19. The method defined in claim 7 further including:

collecting information for incoming telephone calls placed to said response telephone number, the information identifying at least one of call characteristics and call disposition for a plurality of terminating telephone numbers to which said incoming telephone calls are routed.

20. The method of claim 19 wherein said call characteristics include times at which said incoming telephone calls originated and locations from which said incoming telephone calls originated.

21. The method defined in claim 19 wherein information collected in said collecting step is transmitted to at least one of said broadcast network, local stations of said broadcast network, and an advertiser of said advertisement.

22. The method defined in claim 7 further including:

maintaining a schedule of advertising to be broadcast by said broadcast network, said schedule including a plurality of time slots and an indication of availability of said time slots for use by an advertiser; and

updating said schedule and said availability indication in response to messages received from said advertiser.

23. A system for completing transactions relating to broadcast advertisements broadcast by a broadcast network having a plurality of local stations each broadcasting in different geographic areas, wherein a response telephone number is included in an advertisement broadcast by said local stations on behalf of a particular advertiser, said system comprising:

a switch in a telecommunications network for receiving a telephone call placed to said response telephone number by a recipient located in one of said geographic areas in response to said advertisement; and

means for routing said telephone call from said switch to a transaction processing center arranged to process transactions related to said particular advertiser, said routing based upon information relating to at least one of a time interval during which said telephone call is originated, and the geographic area from which said telephone call originated.

24. The system defined in claim 23 wherein said routing means includes a database containing terminating telephone number provided by advertisers, each advertiser corresponding to at least one of said broadcast advertisements.

25. A system for context-based routing of telephone calls comprising:

a database for storing information associating a plurality of advertisements to be broadcast to recipients located in a plurality of different geographic areas and to be broadcast at particular times with a plurality of destination telephone numbers;

means for receiving, in response to one of said plurality of advertisements being broadcast at one of said particular times to recipients located in at least one of said plurality of different geographic areas, a telephone call to a response telephone number placed by a recipient of said advertisement, the response telephone number included in said advertisement;

means for determining at least one of a geographic area from which said received call originated and the time at which said received call was received;

means for retrieving, based upon said at least one of said geographic area in which said received call originated and the time at which said received call was received, information stored in said database and for determining which of said plurality of advertisements was received by said recipients based on said retrieved information; and

means for initiating routing of said call to the destination telephone number associated with said determined advertisement.

26. Apparatus for completing telephone transactions initiated in response to advertisements broadcast by local stations that are part of a broadcast network, each of said plurality of local stations broadcasting in one of a plurality of geographic areas, said broadcast network having a response telephone number included in said advertisements, said apparatus comprising:

means for receiving a telephone call placed to said response telephone number in response to one of said advertisements being broadcast by at least one of said local stations, for determining a location from which said telephone call originated, which of said plurality of geographic areas includes said determined location, and which of said plurality of local stations broadcasts in said determined geographic area;

means for associating a particular advertisement, based on the determined location, the determined geographic area and the determined local station, with the telephone call; and

means for routing said telephone call to a transaction processing center arranged to process transactions related to said particular advertisement.

27. A system for context-based routing of a call made to a response telephone number by a recipient in response to the recipient experiencing one of at least one broadcast advertisement, said broadcast advertisement broadcast at a particular time by one of at least one station, said station broadcasting in a particular geographic area, said system comprising:

a routing database;

means for receiving said call placed by said recipient to said response telephone number;

means for determining, based upon at least one of a location from which said received call originated, and a time at which said received call originated and at least one of broadcast times and broadcast areas of the at least one broadcast advertisement, information corresponding to the advertisement experienced by the recipient;

means for determining, based on the determined information, where calls responding to said advertisement should be routed; and

means for routing the call placed by said recipient to a processing center associated with the advertisement.

28. A system for routing a telephone call initiated in response to a broadcast advertisement, the advertisement including a response telephone number to be called by recipients of the advertisement, said response telephone number included in advertisements of different advertisers, the system comprising:

means for providing information to a routing database correlating a plurality of advertisements with corresponding transaction processing centers;

means for adjusting the information stored in said routing database in response to said broadcast advertisement being broadcast, so that calls placed to said response telephone number are routed to a transaction processing center corresponding to said broadcast advertisement and arranged to process said transactions; and

means for determining to which transaction processing center the telephone call is to be routed based on said information and information about the telephone call.

29. Apparatus for context-based processing of a telephone call to a response telephone number initiated in response to one of a number of different broadcast advertisements, the telephone call to be by routed to a transaction processor associated with the advertisement, each advertisement including the response telephone number, the response telephone number included in advertisements of different advertisers, the apparatus comprising:

means for determining, based on at least one of broadcast times and broadcast areas of the number of broadcast advertisements, the advertisement in response to which said telephone call was initiated;

means for associating said telephone call placed to said response telephone number with a terminating telephone number associated with said advertisement; and

means for routing said telephone calls to said transaction processor using said terminating telephone number.

30. The apparatus defined in claim 29 wherein the determining means comprises means for determining said advertisement as a function of a time at which said telephone call was made and times at which said number of different broadcast advertisements were broadcast.

31. The apparatus defined in claim 29 wherein the determining means comprises means for determining said advertisement as a function of a location from where said telephone call originated and geographic areas where said number of different broadcast advertisements were broadcast.

32. The apparatus defined in claim 29 further including a database containing broadcast time and broadcast area information for said different broadcast advertisements, said information provided by at least one of a broadcast network on which the advertisement was broadcast and local stations of said broadcast network.

33. The apparatus defined in claim 32 wherein said broadcast time and broadcast area information in said call routing database is updated substantially concurrently with each said advertisement being broadcast.

34. The apparatus defined in claim 33 wherein said updating is performed by at least one of said broadcast network, said local stations, an advertiser of said advertisement and said transaction processor.

35. The apparatus defined in claim 29 further including means for transmitting at least one query to a caller who initiated the call and for receiving at least one response from the caller in response to the at least one query to resolve uncertainties as to which advertisement the caller is responding.

36. The apparatus of claim 35 wherein said querying means includes a voice response system.

37. The apparatus of claim 36 including means for updating information in said voice response system at the same time that corresponding information in a database is updated.

38. The apparatus defined in claim 29 including means for mitigating abnormalities in call volume calls routed to said transaction processor.

39. The apparatus of claim 38 wherein said mitigating means includes means for providing call back capabilities and interactive voice-sessions.

40. The apparatus of claim 39 wherein said call back capabilities are implemented in a network-based processor arranged to match said advertisement.

41. The apparatus defined in claim 29 further including:

means for collecting information for incoming telephone calls placed to said response telephone number, the information identifying at least one of call characteristics and call disposition for a plurality of terminating telephone numbers to which said incoming telephone calls are routed.

42. The apparatus of claim 41 wherein said call characteristics include times at which said incoming telephone calls originated and locations from which said incoming telephone calls originated.

43. The apparatus defined in claim 41 wherein information collected in said collecting means is transmitted to at least one of said broadcast network, local stations of said broadcast network, and an advertiser of said advertisement.

44. The apparatus defined in claim 29 further including:

means for maintaining a schedule of advertising to be broadcast by said broadcast network, said schedule including a plurality of time slots and an indication of availability of said time slots for use by an advertiser; and

means for updating said schedule and said availability indication in response to messages received from said advertiser.

45. A method for use in routing a telephone call placed to a response telephone number, the response telephone number presented in a plurality of different advertisements, where calls to the response telephone number in response to the plurality of different advertisements are to be routed to a plurality of different destination telephone numbers, the method comprising:

querying a database in response to the telephone call to determine to which of the plurality of different destination telephone numbers the telephone call is to be routed, said querying based on at least one of a time associated with the telephone call and a geographic area associated with the telephone call, said database associating with each one of the plurality of different advertisements;

a corresponding one of the plurality of destination telephone numbers to which telephone calls to the response telephone number in response to that advertisement should be routed, and

at least one of;

a time interval during which telephone calls to the response telephone number in response to that advertisement are expected to be placed, and

information representing at least one geographic area from which telephone calls to the response telephone number in response to that advertisement are expected to originate; and

initiating routing of the telephone call based on the determined destination telephone number.

46. The method of claim 45, wherein the plurality of different advertisements are broadcast at a plurality of different times over a broadcast network.

47. The method of claim 45, wherein the plurality of different advertisements are broadcast by a plurality of different local stations of a broadcast network, each local station serving a different geographic location.

48. The method of claim 45, further comprising distributing the plurality of different advertisements through a distribution network to a plurality of recipients, the telephone call initiated by one of the recipients in response to receiving one of the plurality of advertisements.

49. The method of claim 48, wherein the distribution network is at least one of a television broadcast network, a cable television broadcast network, a direct satellite television broadcast network, a radio broadcast network, an electronic distribution network, and a printed matter distribution network.