Granted Patent B2

US 8,626,612 · App. 13/354,124 · Granted Jan 7, 2014

Abstract

Claims (49)

1. A method comprising:

identifying a first plurality of leads received from one or more user devices as being submitted by a same user via the one or more user devices, the first plurality of leads being directed to a listing provided by a lister;

adding, using one or more processors, the first plurality of leads to a lead group; and

forwarding a second plurality of leads received from one or more users including the same user to the lister, the forwarding including notifying the lister of a first count of the second plurality of leads, the first count including the lead group counted as one lead.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the adding comprises:

assigning a lead group identifier to the lead group.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the assigning comprise:

presenting the lead group identifier to one or more user devices associated with the lister.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the forwarding comprises:

billing the lister according to the first count of the second plurality of leads.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the forwarding comprises:

billing the lister according to a second count of the second plurality of leads, the second count indicating at least the number of leads included in the lead group.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the forwarding comprises:

billing the lister only for a first lead of the first plurality of leads received from the same user.

7. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

assigning a lead cap to the lister; and

providing the lister with an indication that the first count of the second plurality of leads has reached a lead cap assigned to the lister.

8. The method of claim 7 , wherein the providing comprises:

inactivating the listing responsive to the first count of the second plurality of leads exceeding the lead cap.

9. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

setting a listing period for the lister based on a user selection; and

checking whether the listing period has expired before the forwarding of the second plurality of leads.

10. The method of claim 9 , further comprising:

inactivating the listing responsive to the listing period having expired.

11. An apparatus comprising:

one or more processors to execute a consolidating engine, the consolidating engine configured to:

identify a first plurality of leads received from one or more user devices as being submitted by a same user via the one or more user devices, the first plurality of leads being directed to a listing provided by a lister;

add the first plurality of leads to a lead group; and

forward a second plurality of leads received from one or more users including the same user to the lister, the forwarding including notifying the lister of a first count of the second plurality of leads, the first count including the lead group counted as one lead.

12. The apparatus of claim 11 , wherein the consolidating engine is configured to:

set a first listing period for publication of a first listing of a plurality of listings provided by the lister; and

bill the lister for the publication of the first listing using a first billing mechanism based on the first listing period.

13. The apparatus of claim 12 , wherein the consolidating engine is configured to:

set a second listing period for publication of a second listing of the plurality of listings; and

bill the lister for the publication of the second listing using a second billing mechanism based on the second listing period.

14. The apparatus of claim 11 , wherein the consolidating engine is configured to:

notify the lister of a second count of the second plurality of leads along with the first count, the second count indicating at least the number of leads included in the lead group.

15. The apparatus of claim 11 , wherein the consolidating engine is configured to:

assign a lead cap to the lister; and

refrain from providing new leads to the lister responsive to the first count of the second plurality of leads exceeding the lead cap.

16. The apparatus of claim 11 , wherein the consolidating engine is configured to:

map actual contact information associated with the lister to proxy contact information associated with the lister.

17. The apparatus of claim 16 , wherein the actual contact information comprises at least one of an actual email address, an actual phone number, or an actual fax number and wherein the proxy contact information comprise at least one of a proxy email address, a proxy phone number, or a proxy fax number.

18. The non-transitory computer-readable storage device of claim 17 , wherein the listing comprises a set of information describing an item available for sale, auction, rental, or combination thereof, the item including at least one of a real property or digital content.

19. The apparatus of claim 11 , wherein the listing comprises a set of information describing an item for transaction, the transaction including at least one of rental, sale, auction or combination thereof.

20. A non-transitory computer-readable storage device storing instructions that, when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform operations comprising:

identifying a first plurality of leads received from one or more user devices as being submitted by a same user via the one or more user devices, the first plurality of leads being directed to a listing provided by a lister;

adding, using one or more processors, the first plurality of leads to a lead group; and

forwarding a second plurality of leads received from one or more users including the same user to the lister, the forwarding including notifying the lister of a first count of the second plurality of leads, the first count including the lead group counted as one lead.

Assignments (17)