IP Library Granted Patent US 10,304,080
Granted Patent B2
US 10,304,080 · App. 15/198,830 · Granted May 28, 2019

Call tracking system and method

Inventors: William Fisher (Rochester, NY); Robert Deming (Avon, NY)
Assignee: Soleo Communications, Inc.
G06Q30/0242H04L67/22H04M3/2218H04M3/2281H04M3/42H04M3/42059H04M3/487H04M3/493
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 10,304,080
App. No.
15/198,830
Granted
May 28, 2019
Kind
B2
Abstract

Methods and systems for capturing and tracking call information relating to a call from a user to a merchant are provided. According to one embodiment of the disclosed subject matter, a request for a call to a merchant from a user on a device is received and a data connection is initiated with a call analytics platform over which user information is sent from the device to the platform. A unique number allowing the device to call the platform is then passed back to the device. The device calls the platform, call context data is captured, and the call is processed to the merchant. Information relating to the user and merchant call is tracked and logged.

Claims (48)

1. A method, comprising:

receiving, with a server and via a network, user information from a user device, the user information including:

a first identifier unique to at least one of the user device or a user of the user device, and

a second identifier indicating a content item rendered via the user device;

establishing, with the server and via the network, a connection between the user device and a device of an entity corresponding to the content item;

capturing an audio recording, the audio recording comprising:

a recording of the user communicating, using the user device, via the connection; and

generating a call record corresponding to the connection, wherein the call record comprises a single electronic file including the audio recording, the first identifier, and the second identifier.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

receiving, with the server and via the network, a request from the user device to initiate a connection between the user device and the entity corresponding to the content item, wherein the request includes a third identifier unique to the at least one of the user device or the user;

determining a match between the first identifier and the third identifier; and

capturing the audio recording at least partly in response to determining the match.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the audio recording comprises a recording of a conversation between the user of the user device and a user operating the device of the entity, and wherein the first identifier is received by the server before the request.

4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising providing, with the server and via the network, the call record to the entity.

5. The method of claim 1 , further comprising providing access to the call record with the server and via the network, wherein access to the call record is provided to the entity and to at least one additional entity associated with the content item.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the call record further comprises at least one of a start time of the connection, an end time of the connection, a connection duration, a telephone number of the user device, a telephone number of the entity, or an indication of an input received via the user device while the connection was active.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein generating the call record comprises retrieving at least one of the first identifier or the second identifier from a database associated with the server.

8. The method of claim 1 , further comprising disabling the connection between the user device and the device of the entity, and generating the call record at least partly in response to disabling the connection.

9. The method of claim 1 , further comprising transforming a data file associated with at least one of the first identifier, the second identifier, or the audio recording, from a first format to a second format different from the first format, wherein the data file in the second format requires less network resources for transmission than the data file in the first format.

10. A system, comprising:

a server computer; and

a non-transitory computer-readable memory storing instructions that, when executed by the server computer, cause the server computer to perform steps, comprising:

receiving, with a server and via a network, user information from a user device, the user information including:

a first identifier unique to at least one of the user device or a user of the user device, and

a second identifier indicating a content item rendered via the user device;

establishing, with the server and via the network, a connection between the user device and a device of an entity corresponding to the content item;

capturing an audio recording, the audio recording comprising:

a recording of the user communicating, using the user device, via the connection; and

generating a call record corresponding to the connection, wherein the call record comprises a single electronic file including the audio recording, the first identifier, and the second identifier.

11. The system of claim 10 , wherein the user information comprises information stored via a mobile device application operable on the user device and at least partly in response to an input received via the user device during or after the content item has been rendered.

12. The system of claim 10 , the steps further comprising disabling the connection between the user device and the device of the entity, wherein the user information is received by the server at least partly in response to the connection being disabled.

13. The system of claim 10 , wherein the first identifier comprises at least one of an account code of the user, a name of the user, an address of the user, a serial number of the user device, or a telephone number of the user device.

14. The system of claim 10 , wherein the audio recording comprises a recording of a conversation between the user of the user device and an additional user operating the device of the entity.

15. The system of claim 10 , the steps further comprising capturing at least one of a start time of the connection, an end time of the connection, a connection duration, a telephone number of the user device, a telephone number of the entity, or an indication of an input received via the user device while the connection was active.

16. The system of claim 10 , the steps further comprising transforming a data file associated with at least one of the first identifier, the second identifier, or the audio recording, from a first format to a second format different from the first format, wherein the data file in the second format requires less memory space for storage than the data file in the first format.

17. A method, comprising:

receiving, with a server and via a network, a request from a user device to initiate a connection between the user device and an entity corresponding to a content item rendered on the user device, wherein

the request is based on a selection of the content item, on the device, by a user of the user device;

receiving, with the server and via the network, user information from the user device, the user information including a first identifier unique to at least one of the user device or the user of the user device;

establishing, with the server and via the network, a connection between the user device and a device of the entity;

capturing call information corresponding to the connection, the call information including an audio recording of the user communicating, using the user device and via the connection, with an additional user of the device of the entity;

matching the audio recording with the first identifier and a second identifier indicating the content item rendered on the user device; and

storing, in a database associated with the server, the audio recording in association with the first identifier and the second identifier.

18. The method of claim 17 , wherein the content item comprises a banner advertisement.

19. The method of claim 17 , wherein the content item is rendered on the device as a result of a local listing search.

20. The method of claim 17 , further comprising:

playing audio media to the user via the connection based at least in part on the call information and prior to establishing the connection between the user device and the device of the entity, and

receiving the first identifier and the second identifier prior to receiving the request.

Assignments (4)
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Apr 25, 2019
From: SOLEO COMMUNICATIONS INC
To: SILICON VALLEY BANK
Reel/Frame 048999/0373 →
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Apr 25, 2019
From: SOLEO COMMUNICATIONS INC
To: M&T BANK
Reel/Frame 048999/0870 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Mar 6, 2018
From: FISHER, WILLIAM; DEMING, ROBERT
To: SOLEO COMMUNICATIONS, INC.
Reel/Frame 045117/0314 →
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Aug 11, 2017
From: SOLEO COMMUNICATIONS, INC.
To: SILICON VALLEY BANK
Reel/Frame 043265/0599 →
Continuity (5)
Continuation 14859659 · Sep 21, 2015
Continuation In Part 14329352 · Jul 11, 2014
Continuation 13279162 · Oct 21, 2011
Provisional Application 61442423 · Feb 14, 2011
Related Publication 20160314489A1 · Oct 27, 2016