System and method for delivering advertising to packet-based telephones

• US 8,219,070 B2
• Filed: 06/26/2008
• Issued: 07/10/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 06/26/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: CenturyLink Intellectual Property LLC (Lumen Technologies, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: CenturyLink Intellectual Property LLC (Lumen Technologies, Inc.)
• Inventors: Hawkins, Johnny D.
• Primary Examiner(s): DESIR, PIERRE LOUIS
• Application Number:
  US12/146,958
• Publication Number:
  US 20090325545A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,475 Days
• Field of Search: 455/414.1, 709/225, 705/14.13, 379/211.01
• US Class Current: 455/414.1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0211 Determining the effectiveness of discounts or incentives
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/4878 Advertisement messages
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/006 Networks other than PSTN/ISDN providing telephone service, e.g. Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) , including next generation networks with a packet-switched transport layer H04L65/00 takes precedence; aspects not specific to the type of network H04M3/00; special services in those networks H04M3/42

Abstract

A system and method of delivering targeted advertising to packet-based network telecommunications devices may include accessing a database configured to store telephone services information of telecommunications devices. The telecommunications services information may indicate whether a telecommunications device has packet-based network access. Telecommunications devices that have telephone number information including NPA-NXX of a certain NPA-NXX code and packet-based network access may be identified. Advertising content may be communicated to the identified telecommunications devices for display on the telecommunications device.

Claims

1. A method of delivering targeted advertising to packet-based network telecommunications devices, said method comprising:

accessing a database configured to store telephone services information of telecommunications devices, the telecommunications services information indicating whether a telecommunications device has packet-based network access;

determining geographic location of an advertiser;

identifying at least one telecommunications device having telephone number information including NPA-NXX of a certain NPA-NXX code assigned to the geographic location of the advertiser and having packet-based network access; and

communicating advertising content to the identified at least one telecommunications device for display on the identified at least one telecommunications device, wherein display of the advertising content on the identified at least one telecommunications device is at least concurrent with a telephone call connection between the identified at least one telecommunications device and at least one third party telecommunications device, wherein the at least one third party telecommunications device is unassociated with the advertiser.

2. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

determining from the telecommunications services information a type of telecommunications protocol that an identified telecommunications device uses for network access; and

wherein communicating the advertising content to the identified telecommunications device includes communicating the advertising content using the determined type of telecommunications protocol.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein determining geographic location of the advertiser includes determining an NPA-NXX code of the advertiser, and wherein communicating the advertising content includes communicating the advertising content to the identified at least one telecommunications device having the same NPA-NXX code as the advertiser.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein identifying at least one telecommunications device includes identifying at least one telecommunications device having telecommunications services information indicative of home telephone service.

5. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

determining at least one NPA-NXX code that geographically overlaps the certain NPA-NXX code;

identifying second telecommunications devices having telephone number information including the at least one geographically overlapping NPA-NXX code; and

communicating advertising content to the identified second telecommunications devices.

6. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

determining at least one NPA-NXX code that geographically neighbors the certain NPA-NXX code;

identifying second telecommunications devices having telephone number information including the at least one geographically neighboring NPA-NXX code; and

communicating advertising content to the identified second telecommunications devices.

7. The method according to claim 1, further comprising providing a user interface to enable an advertiser to submit the advertising content and to select the certain NPA-NXX code.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein the at least one telecommunications device includes a plurality of identified telecommunications devices, and wherein the method further comprises:

determining at least one demographic criteria of users who own the plurality of identified telecommunications devices; and

communicating the advertising content to the plurality of identified telecommunications devices that are owned by users who are determined to satisfy the at least one demographic criteria.

9. The method according to claim 1, further comprising limiting communicating advertising content to a predetermined number of telecommunications devices.

10. The method according to claim 1, wherein the identified at least one telecommunications device includes a plurality of identified telecommunications devices, and wherein the method further comprises:

determining approximate distances of each of the plurality of identified telecommunications devices from a location of an advertiser;

determining which of the plurality of identified telecommunications devices are within a pre-determined distance from the location of the advertisers; and

wherein communicating the advertising content includes communicating the advertising content to the identified telecommunications devices within the pre-determined distance.

11. A system of delivering targeted advertising to packet-based network telecommunications devices, said system comprising:

a database configured to store telephone services information of telecommunications devices, the telecommunications services information indicating whether a telecommunications device has packet-based network access;

a processing unit in communication with said database and configured to;

determine geographic location of an advertiser;

identify at least one telecommunications device having telephone number information including NPA-NXX of a certain NPA-NXX code assigned to the geographic location of the advertiser and having packet-based network access; and

communicate advertising content to the identified at least one telecommunications device for display on the identified at least telecommunications device, wherein display of the advertising content on the identified at least one telecommunications device is at least concurrent with a telephone call connection between the identified at least one telecommunications device and at least one third party telecommunications device, wherein the at least one third party telecommunications device is unassociated with the advertiser.

12. The system according to claim 11, wherein said processing unit is further configured to:

determine from the telecommunications services information a type of telecommunications protocol that an identified telecommunications device uses for network access; and

communicate the advertising content using the determined type of telecommunications protocol.

13. The system according to claim 11, wherein said processing unit is further configured to determine geographic location of the advertiser includes determining NPA-NXX code of the advertiser, and wherein communicating the advertising content includes communicating the advertising content to the identified at least one telecommunications device having the same NPA-NXX code as the advertiser.

14. The method according to claim 11, wherein said processing unit is configured to identify telecommunications devices having telecommunications services information indicative of home telephone service.

15. The system according to claim 11, wherein said processing unit is further configured to:

determine at least one NPA-NXX code that geographically overlaps the certain NPA-NXX code;

identify a second telecommunications device having telephone number information including the at least one geographically overlapping NPA-NXX; and

communicate advertising content to the identified second telecommunications device.

16. The system according to claim 11, wherein said processing unit is further configured to:

determine at least one NPA-NXX that geographically neighbors the certain NPA-NXX code;

identify second telecommunications devices having telephone number information including the at least one geographically neighboring NPA-NXX code; and

communicate advertising content to the identified second telecommunications devices.

17. The system according to claim 11, wherein said processing unit is further configured to provide a user interface to enable an advertiser to submit the advertising content and to select the certain NPA-NXX code.

18. The system according to claim 11, wherein the at least one telecommunications device includes a plurality of identified telecommunications devices, wherein said processing unit is further configured to:

determine at least one demographic criteria of users who own the plurality of identified telecommunications devices; and

communicate the advertising content to the plurality of identified telecommunications devices that are owned by users who are determined to satisfy the at least one demographic criteria.

19. The system according to claim 11, wherein said processing unit is further configured to limit communicating advertising content to a predetermined number of telecommunications devices during a predetermined time duration.

20. The system according to claim 11, wherein the identified at least one telecommunications device includes a plurality of identified telecommunications devices, and wherein said processing unit is further configured to:

determine approximate distances of each of the plurality of identified telecommunications devices from a location of an advertiser;

determine which of the plurality of identified telecommunications devices are within a pre-determined distance from the location of the advertisers; and

communicate the advertising content to the identified telecommunications devices within the pre-determined distance.