Method and system for providing advertising to telephone callers

• US 7,187,761 B2
• Filed: 11/26/2002
• Issued: 03/06/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 11/07/2002
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Blake Bookstaff
• Original Assignee: Blake Bookstaff
• Inventors: Bookstaff, Blake
• Primary Examiner(s): Deane, Jr., William J.
• Application Number:
  US10/303,903
• Publication Number:
  US 20040091093A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,561 Days
• Field of Search: 379/201.01, 379/204.01, 379/211.01, 379/212.01, 379/213.01
• US Class Current: 379/201.01
• 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 3/4211 where the identifier is used to access a profile
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/4874 Intercept announcements
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/4878 Advertisement messages
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/4931 Directory assistance systems

Abstract

A system and method for providing one or more advertisements, services, surveys, offers for goods/services, and/or offers to modify a telephone service plan (“intercept actions” collectively) to one or more parties to a telephone call are provided. One or more advertisements may be provided during one or more points along an unsuccessful or successful telephone call. One or more services may be provided gratuitously or in exchange for the presentation of one or more advertisements to recipient of the service. Additionally, a telephone service plan associated with the caller or callee may be analyzed and the caller/callee may be presented with the option to activate one or more service features that, at the time of the attempted call, are not activated in the telephone service plan. A survey may be provided to the caller/callee and the responses recorded. The caller/callee may also receive an offer for goods or services. These intercept actions may be provided during any of a plurality of points along a telephone call, such as prior to dialing; before, after or during a busy signal or ring tones; after one party disconnects but prior to the remaining party or parties disconnecting; and the like.

Claims

1. A method comprising the steps of:

intercepting an unsuccessful telephone call attempted by a caller on an automatic advertising/service intercept action system before initiating any action by a telephony network back to the caller, wherein the automatic advertising/service intercept action system does not include subscription rights for a number dialed by the caller resulting in the unsuccessful telephone call;

automatically routing the intercepted telephone call to one of a plurality of different modules on the automatic advertising/service intercept action system; and

providing at least one sales offer for at least one good or service to the caller during the interception of the unsuccessful telephone call via one or more of the plurality of different modules on the automatic advertising/service intercept action system, wherein the at least one sales offer includes at least one sales offer specifically targeted to the caller.

2. The method as in claim 1, wherein a point that the at least one sales offer is provided includes one of a group consisting of:

during an attempt at establishing a circuit between the caller and an intended callee;

prior to a busy tone;

during a busy tone;

after a busy tone;

prior to an intercept message;

during an intercept message; and

after an intercept message.

3. The method as in claim 1, further comprising the step of:

providing an intercept message to the caller, the intercept message representing a status of the unsuccessful telephone call.

4. The method as in claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

determining at least one call feature associated with the unsuccessful telephone call; and

selecting at least targeted one sales offer based at least in part on the at least one call feature.

5. The method as in claim 4, wherein the at least one call feature associated with the unsuccessful telephone call includes one of a group consisting of:

information associated with a caller of the unsuccessful telephone call; and

information associated with an intended callee of the unsuccessful telephone call.

6. The method as in claim 4, wherein the at least one call feature includes one of a group consisting of:

previous usage of a telephone line of the caller; and

a call history of a telephone line of the caller.

7. The method as in claim 1, wherein the at least one service includes one of a group consisting of:

long-distance telephone time;

a movie listing;

a restaurant reservation;

a weather report;

a news report; and

transferring the call to another telephone number.

8. The method as in claim 1, further comprising the step of:

providing for a delivery of the at least one offered good or service to the caller when the party accepts the sales offer.

9. The method as in claim 8, further comprising the step of receiving a voice response of the caller indicating an acceptance of the sales offer.

10. The method as in claim 8, further comprising the step of:

receiving a key tone from a telephone of the caller, the key tone indicating an acceptance of the sales offer.

11. The method as in claim 8, wherein the step of providing for the delivery of the at least one offered good or service includes placing an order with a third party for delivery of the at least one offered good or service.

12. The method as in claim 1, wherein the at least one sales offer includes a targeted sales offer to activate at least one inactive service feature of a telephone service plan of the caller.

13. The method as in claim 12, further comprising the step of:

identifying at least one inactive service feature of the telephone service plan.

14. The method as in claim 13, wherein the at least one inactive service feature is identified based in part on one of a group consisting of:

a call history of a telephone line associated with the caller; and

prior usage of a telephone line associated with the caller.

15. The method as in claim 12, further comprising the step of:

activating at least one inactive service feature in the telephone service plan when the caller accepts the targeted sales offer to activate at least one inactive service feature.

16. The method as in claim 15, further comprising the step of:

receiving a voice response of the caller indicating an acceptance of the offer to activate at least one inactive service feature.

17. The method as in claim 15, further including the step of:

receiving a key tone from a telephone of the party, the key tone indicating an acceptance of the offer by the party.

18. The method as in claim 12, wherein the at least one service feature includes one of a group consisting of:

call waiting;

call forwarding;

call blocking;

caller identification;

caller ID-call waiting;

call return;

call block;

auto redial;

voice mail;

three way calling;

digital subscriber line (DSL) service; and

busy number redial.

19. In a telephone network, a system comprising:

an intercept module on an automatic advertising/service intercept action system with a plurality of different modules being adapted to intercept an unsuccessful telephone call attempted by a caller before initiating any action by a telephony network back to the caller, wherein the automatic advertising/service intercept action system does not include subscription rights for a number dialed by the caller resulting in the unsuccessful telephone call; and

means for providing at least one sales offer for at least one good or service to the caller during the interception of the unsuccessful telephone call, wherein the at least one sales offer includes at least one sales offer specifically targeted to the caller.

20. The system as in claim 19, wherein a point that the at least one sales offer is provided includes one of a group consisting of:

during an attempt at establishing a circuit between the caller and an intended callee;

prior to a busy tone;

during a busy tone;

after a busy tone;

prior to an intercept message;

during an intercept message; and

after an intercept message.

21. The system as in claim 19, further comprising a call feature module operably connected to the intercept module and means for providing at least one targeted sales offer and being adapted to determine at least one call feature associated with the unsuccessful telephone call.

22. The system as in claim 21, further comprising means for selecting at least targeted one sales offer based at least in part on the at least one call feature.

23. The system as in claim 19, further comprising an advertisement module operably connected to the intercept module and being adapted to provide at least one targeted advertisement to the caller during the interception of the unsuccessful telephone call.

24. The system as in claim 23, wherein the at least one targeted advertisement includes one of a group consisting of:

a commercial, a promotional, a referral, a public service announcement, a weather alert, an informational and a news alert.

25. The system as in claim 19, wherein the means for providing at least one targeted sales offer includes a sales module operably connected to the intercept module and being adapted to provide the sales offer to the caller during the interception of the unsuccessful telephone call.

26. The system as in claim 19, wherein the at least one service includes one of a group consisting of:

long-distance telephone time;

a movie listing;

a restaurant reservation;

a weather report;

a news report; and

transferring the caller to another telephone line.

27. The system as in claim 19, further comprising an advertising module operably connected to the intercept module and being adapted to provide at least targeted one advertisement to the caller during the interception of the unsuccessful telephone call, where the at least one advertisement is related to at least one offered good or service.