Telephone call initiation through an on-line search
View Patent ↗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.
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.