Methods and apparatuses to track information using call signaling messages

• US 9,143,619 B2
• Filed: 06/12/2007
• Issued: 09/22/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 09/28/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Thryv, Inc. (Mudrick Capital Management LP)
• Original Assignee: YellowPages.com LLC (Mudrick Capital Management LP)
• Inventors: Altberg, Ebbe, Faber, Scott, Hirson, Ron, Van Der Linden, Sean, Agarwal, Anuj, Ahuja, Nitin, Jain, Mehul
• Primary Examiner(s): GAY, SONIA L
• Application Number:
  US11/761,800
• Publication Number:
  US 20070230679A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,024 Days
• Field of Search: 370/352, 370/328, 709/227, 705/80
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0428 wherein the data content is protected, e.g. by encrypting or encapsulating the payload
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/2757 by data transmission, e.g. downloading
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/154 Functional or symbolic dial plan such as license plate numbers
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/4935 Connection initiated by DAS system
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/0036 where the data service is an information service
• 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

Methods and systems to facilitate real time communications via a telephonic apparatuses that support data communications. In one embodiment, a telephonic apparatus includes: a network interface to submit a query over a data communication network and to receive a listing with embedded information about the query; and a call module coupled to the network interface, the call module to embed the information about the query in a call signaling message for a telephonic connection according to the listing.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method, comprising:

processing, by a first server of a server system, a transmission corresponding to a query submitted via a telephonic apparatus over a data communication network;

searching a database of the server system to identify a listing relevant to the query;

encrypting, by the server system, tracking information about the query other than a telephone number to generate encrypted tracking information about the query;

transmitting, by the server system, over the data communication network the listing and the encrypted tracking information about the query for the telephonic apparatus;

receiving, by a second server, a call signaling message from the telephonic apparatus, wherein the encrypted tracking information about the query is embedded in the call signaling message;

in response to receiving the call signaling message, facilitating, by the second server, a telephonic connection between the telephonic apparatus and a communication device corresponding to a callee identified by the listing; and

extracting the encrypted tracking information about the query from the call signaling message and associating the telephonic connection with the tracking information about the query.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the information about the query is embedded at least partially in at least one of a body and/or a header of the call signaling message.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the information about the query is provided in addressing information of the call signaling message.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the call signaling message is in accordance with a session initiation protocol.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the call signaling message comprises a call initiation message for the telephonic connection from the telephonic apparatus.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the listing includes a telephonic reference of the callee identified by the listing; and

the method further comprises;

embedding the telephonic reference of the callee in the call signaling message to a connection server.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the telephonic reference of the callee is encrypted in the listing.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the telephonic reference of the callee comprises at least one of a session initiation protocol uniform resource identifier, a telephone number without an extension, a telephone number with an extension, and/or a user identifier.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the call signaling message is received from the telephonic apparatus via a gateway.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein:

the second server comprises a connection server;

the gateway bridges the telephonic apparatus and the connection server;

the telephonic apparatus communicates with the gateway in a first protocol; and

the gateway communicates with the connection server in a second protocol.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the call signaling message is for a peer to peer voice over Internet protocol connection.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the listing comprises an advertisement presented on the telephonic apparatus on behalf of an advertiser; and

the advertiser is charged an advertisement fee in response to the telephonic connection being connected to the advertiser.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the information about the query includes at least one of an identification of the advertisement, a timestamp of the query, an entity of the telephonic apparatus, an identification of a user of the telephonic apparatus, a position of the

advertisement in a result of a search performed in response to the query, and/or a price of an advertisement fee offered by the advertiser.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein the information about the query includes at least one of an identification of a distributor of the telephonic apparatus, an identification of a distribution channel of the advertisement, and/or an identifier of a party who has a contribution in a process of delivering the advertisement to the telephonic apparatus.

16. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the listing includes a telephonic reference of a callee of the listing; and

the method further comprises;

extracting the telephonic reference of the callee from the call signaling message; and

connecting the telephonic connection to the callee using the telephonic reference.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein connecting the telephonic connection to the callee comprises:

initiating a separate telephonic connection with the callee using the telephonic reference of the callee extracted from the call signaling message; and

bridging the telephonic connection from the telephonic apparatus and the separate telephonic connection with the callee.

15. One or more non-transitory, machine-readable media having machine-readable instructions thereon, which instructions, when executed by one or more processors of a server system, cause the server system to:

process a transmission corresponding to a query submitted via a telephonic apparatus over a data communication network;

search a database of the server system to identify a listing relevant to the query;

encrypt tracking information about the query other than a telephone number to generate encrypted tracking information about the query;

transmit over the data communication network the listing and the encrypted tracking information about the query for the telephonic apparatus;

receive a call signaling message from the telephonic apparatus, wherein the encrypted tracking information about the query is embedded in the call signaling message includes the information about the query;

in response to receiving the call signaling message, facilitate a telephonic connection between the telephonic apparatus and a communication device corresponding to a callee identified by the listing; and

extract the encrypted tracking information about the query from the call signaling message and associate the telephonic connection with the tracking information about the query.

18. A server system, comprising:

one or more servers coupled to one or more network interfaces configured to facilitate network access, and one or more storage media to retain instructions, the server system to execute the instructions to;

process a transmission corresponding to a query submitted via a telephonic apparatus over a data communication network;

search a database of the server system to identify a listing relevant to the query;

encrypt tracking information about the query other than a telephone number to generate encrypted tracking information about the query;

transmit over the data communication network the listing and the encrypted tracking information about the query for the telephonic apparatus;

receive a call signaling message from the telephonic apparatus, wherein the encrypted tracking information about the query is embedded in the call signaling message includes the information about the query;

in response to receiving the call signaling message, facilitate a telephonic connection between the telephonic apparatus and a communication device corresponding to a callee identified by the listing; and

extract the encrypted tracking information about the query from the call signaling message and associate the telephonic connection with the tracking information about the query.