Systems and methods to manage privilege to speak

• US 8,681,778 B2
• Filed: 04/03/2007
• Issued: 03/25/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 01/10/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Thryv, Inc. (Mudrick Capital Management LP)
• Original Assignee: Ingenio LLC
• Inventors: Altberg, Ebbe, Faber, Scott, Hirson, Ron, Van Der Linden, Sean, Manca, Paul G.
• Primary Examiner(s): ADDY, THJUAN KNOWLIN
• Application Number:
  US11/696,156
• Publication Number:
  US 20070201659A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,548 Days
• Field of Search: 379/93.01, 379/207.01, 379/202.01, 379/265.05, 379/265.09, 379/210.01, 379/266.07, 379/114.01, 379/114.1, 379/114.13, 705/8, 705/26.3, 705/14, 705/14.1, 705/14.13, 705/14.11, 370/352, 455/416, 455/406
• US Class Current: 370/352
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42008 Systems for anonymous communication between parties, e.g. by use of disposal contact identifiers
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/428 Arrangements for placing incoming calls on hold

Abstract

Methods and apparatuses to prioritize requests for speaking privilege in a communication session. In one embodiment, a method includes: receiving from an audience one or more bids for privilege to speak in a communication session; selecting one or more speakers from the audience based at least in part on the one or more bids; receiving voice communications from the one or more speakers; and transmitting the voice communications to the audience in the communication session.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

presenting, by a computing device, a broadcast to an audience comprising a plurality of members, the broadcast selected from the group consisting of a radio station broadcast, a television station broadcast and a teleconference;

receiving, by the computing device, a plurality of bids from a respective plurality of members of the audience for the privilege to provide communications input as part of the broadcast;

selecting, via the computing device, a member from the plurality of bidding audience members to provide communications input as part of the broadcast based at least in part on a value of the bid from the selected audience member;

receiving communications input from the selected audience member; and

transmitting the communications input received from the selected audience member to the audience as part of the broadcast.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

in response to selecting the selected audience member, providing at least one communication connection to the selected audience member to receive the communications input.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein providing the at least one communication connection comprises:

calling back the selected audience member at a telephone number provided by the selected audience member.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the at least one communication connection is at least partially via voice over Internet protocol.

5. The method of claim 2, wherein providing the at least one communication connection comprises:

a connection provider establishing a first voice over Internet protocol call with a telecommunication carrier using a telephone number provided by the selected audience member, the telecommunication carrier bridging the first voice over Internet protocol call to a switch of a public switched telephone network to the selected audience member.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

mixing the communications input received from the selected audience member with an audio stream for broadcast to the audience.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the communications input is broadcast to the audience substantially in real time as the communications input is received from the selected audience member.

8. The method of claim 2,

wherein the bids from the members of the audience are received from via the at least one communication connection.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein bids from the members of the audience are received as audio signals transmitted over the at least one communication connection.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the privilege to provide communications input is for a pre-determined period of time as part of the broadcast.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein a starting time of the pre-determined period of time is not known a priori to the audience.

12. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

providing a starting time of the pre-determined period to the audience to indicate an end of an auction of the privilege to provide communications input.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the auction is conducted in a time period after an opportunity to provide communications input is available.

14. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

starting an auction of the privilege to provide communications input prior to when an opportunity to provide communications input is available.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the auction is closed in response to the availability of the opportunity to provide communications input.

16. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

in response to selecting the selected audience member, charging the selected audience member according to the at least one bid from the selected audience member.

17. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining a fee charged to the selected audience member based on a price bid of a next highest bid below a bid of the selected audience member;

wherein the fee charged to the selected audience member is one increment above the next highest bid below the bid of the selected audience member.

18. The method of claim 1, wherein the communications input is delivered to the audience via a broadcasting media;

and the communications input is received from a telephonic connection.

19. A tangible non-transitory machine readable medium storing instructions that, when executed by a computing device, cause the computing device to:

present a broadcast to an audience comprising a plurality of members, the broadcast selected from the group consisting of a radio station broadcast, a television station broadcast and a teleconference;

receive a plurality of bids from a respective plurality of members of the audience for the privilege to provide communications input as part of the broadcast;

select a member from the plurality of bidding audience members to provide communications input as part of the broadcast based at least in part on a value of the bid from the selected audience member;

receive communications input from the selected audience member; and

transmit the communications input received from the selected audience member to the audience as part of the broadcast.

20. A system, comprising:

a processor; and

memory coupled to the processor and storing instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the system to;

present a broadcast to an audience comprising a plurality of members, the broadcast selected from the group consisting of a radio station broadcast, a television station broadcast and a teleconference;

receive a plurality of bids from a respective plurality of members of the audience for the privilege to provide communications input as part of the broadcast;

select a member from the plurality of bidding audience members to provide communications input as part of the broadcast based at least in part on a value of the bid from the selected audience member;

receive communications input from the selected audience member; and

transmit the communications input received from the selected audience member to the audience as part of the broadcast.