Telephone call initiation through an on-line search

• US 7,496,858 B2
• Filed: 06/29/2007
• Issued: 02/24/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 05/19/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: QTECH SYSTEMS, LLC
• Original Assignee: Jambo Acquisition, LLC
• Inventors: Melideo, John
• Primary Examiner(s): BAUTISTA, XIOMARA L
• Application Number:
  US11/771,878
• Publication Number:
  US 20080013702A1
• Time in Patent Office: 606 Days
• Field of Search: 715/700, 715/764, 715/765, 715/772, 715/781, 715/810, 715/821, 715/835, 715/838, 715/846, 715/856, 715/862, 715/203, 715/212, 715/255, 715/256, 715/273, 715/275, 705/14, 705/26, 379/90.01, 379/93.23, 345/157, 345/426, 345/581, 345/589
• US Class Current: 715/835
• 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.