System and method for providing advertisement

• US 9,984,377 B2
• Filed: 01/18/2007
• Issued: 05/29/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 10/06/2003
• 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, Lyon, Ben Harris, Manca, Paul G.
• Primary Examiner(s): Alvarez, Raquel
• Application Number:
  US11/624,631
• Publication Number:
  US 20070130014A1
• Time in Patent Office: 4,149 Days
• Field of Search: 705 1469, 705 1472, 709207, 709218, 37911201, 37911401, 37911405, 37911413, 704260
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0273 Determination of fees for advertising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0276 Advertisement creation
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 13/00 Speech synthesis; Text to speech systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/64707 for transferring content from a first network to a second network, e.g. between IP and wireless

Abstract

A method and system of advertising. In response to a request received from an advertiser, an audio advertisement is generated based on visual advertisement information. The audio advertisement is provided for presentation on behalf of the advertiser. In one embodiment, the audio advertisement is an abbreviated form of the visual advertisement information. A determination is made as to whether a call from a customer has been connected to the advertiser via the audio advertisement. The advertiser is charged a predefined fee if it is determined that a call from a customer has been connected to the advertiser via the audio advertisement. In one embodiment, a text for a first advertisement presentable in a first media type is received to generate an abbreviated text for a second advertisement presentable in a second media type.

Claims

1. A method of converting visual content information in an image into audio content and providing the audio content for presentation, the method comprising:

transmitting first content by a server system via a network to a first end-user device to facilitate a user interface presented by an application of the first end-user device to prompt input comprising an image;

processing a first transmission received from the first end-user device via a network by the server system, the first transmission (a) comprising an image, the image comprising visual content information and provided as input via the user interface, and (b) corresponding to a request from an advertiser;

responsive to the request from the advertiser, generating, by the server system, audio content based at least in part on the image included in the visual content information at least in part by;

analyzing the visual content information to extract meaningful words from the visual content information;

identifying one or more limits associated with the audio content;

generating a summarized text for the audio content (a) based on the meaningful words extracted from the visual content information, (b) using natural language processing to link the meaningful words based on a heuristic model and a database of words commonly used in similar content, and (c) based at least in part on the one or more limits associated with the audio content, wherein the linking of the meaningful words based on the heuristic model and the database of words commonly used in similar content generates grammatically correct text; and

converting the summarized text into speech to generate the audio content and storing the audio content in an audio file;

transmitting by the server system via the network the audio file storing the audio content for presentation via a second end-user device;

processing by the server system a second transmission received consequent to a selection of the audio content, via the second end user device, that initiates a real-time communication connection for a call from the second end user device to the advertiser upon selection of the audio content;

determining by the server system whether the call from the second end user device has been connected to the advertiser via the audio content; and

responsive to determining that the call from the second end user device has been connected to the advertiser via the audio content, generating a record entry in a connection record data structure indicating that the call from the second end user device was connected to the advertiser via the audio content.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein determining whether a call from the user has been connected to the advertiser via the audio content comprises:

receiving a call from the user via the audio content;

connecting the call received form the user to the advertiser; and

recording information indicating the connecting of the call received from the user to the advertiser.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the call is received at a connection provider from a third party over a packet switched network;

and

the connecting of the call to the advertiser comprises;

the connection provider initiating a voice over internet protocol call to the third party for a call to the advertiser.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein a first virtual softphone at the third party corresponds to the user;

a second virtual softphone at the third party corresponds to the advertiser; and

the connecting the call to the advertiser further comprises;

directing the first and second virtual softphones to establish a media connection that does not go through the connection provider.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the visual content information includes text.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising delivering the audio content during a directory assistance call.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising determining whether a call from the user has been connected to the advertiser via a directory assistance call;

and

crediting a service provider of directory assistance a portion of the predefined fee responsive to a determination that a call from the user has been connected to the advertiser via the audio content presented during the directory assistance call.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the audio content is transmitted for presentation on behalf of the advertiser in accordance with a callable time window associated with the advertiser.

9. A server system for converting visual content information in an image into audio content and providing the audio content for presentation, the server system comprising:

one or more network interfaces configured to provide access to a network;

one or more servers, coupled to the one or more network interfaces, the one or more servers to execute instructions to;

transmit first content via the network to a first end-user device to facilitate a user interface presented by an application of the first end-user device to prompt input comprising an image;

process a first transmission received from the first end-user device via a network by the server system, the first transmission (a) comprising an image, the image comprising visual content information and provided as input via the user interface, and (b) corresponding to a request from an advertiser;

responsive to the request from the advertiser, generate, audio content based at least in part on the image included in the visual content information at least in party by;

analyzing the visual content information to extract meaningful words from the visual content information;

identifying one or more limits associated with the audio content;

generating a summarized text for the audio content (a) based on the meaningful words extracted from the visual content information, (b) using natural language processing to link the meaningful words based on a heuristic model and a database of words commonly used in similar content, and (c) based at least in part on the one or more limits associated with the audio content, wherein the linking of the meaningful words based on the heuristic model and the database of words commonly used in similar content generates grammatically correct text; and

converting the summarized text into speech to generate the audio content and storing the audio content in an audio file;

transmit via the network, the audio file storing the audio content for presentation via a second end-user device; and

process a second transmission received consequent to a selection of the audio content, via the second end user device, that initiates a real-time communication connection for a call from the second end user device to the advertiser upon selection of the audio content;

determine whether the call from the second end user device has been connected to the advertiser via the audio content; and

responsive to determining that the call from the second end user device has been connected to the advertiser via the audio content, generating a record entry in a connection record data structure indicating that the call from the second end user device was connected to the advertiser via the audio content; and

one or more storage media coupled to the one or more servers to retain the instructions.

10. The server system of claim 9, wherein the one or more servers are further configured to execute instructions to:

receive a call from the user via the audio content,

connect the call received from the user to the advertiser, and

record information regarding the connecting of the call received from the user to the advertiser.

11. The server system of claim 9, wherein the one or more servers are further configured to execute instructions to provide the audio content during a directory assistance call.

12. The server system of claim 9 wherein the audio content is transmitted for presentation on behalf of the advertiser in accordance with a callable time window associated with the advertiser.