IP Library Granted Patent US 10,089,658
Granted Patent B2
US 10,089,658 · App. 15/616,147 · Granted Oct 2, 2018

Systems and methods to provide connections via callback acceptance cross-reference to related applications

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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 10,089,658
App. No.
15/616,147
Granted
Oct 2, 2018
Kind
B2
Abstract

Systems and methods to selectively block calls from reaching destinations based on an input received from a callback connection. One embodiment includes a web server to receive a selection of an advertisement from an customer and to obtain a communication reference from the customer in response to the selection; a session border controller to interface with a packet switched network; and one or more telecommunication servers coupled to the session border controller and the web server, the one or more telecommunication servers to establish a connection for real time communications using the communication reference, to initiate a connection for real time communications with an advertiser of the advertisement after receiving an indication of acceptance of the connection established using the communication reference; where the advertiser is charged an advertisement fee in response to establishing a connection for real time communications between the advertiser and the customer.

Claims (68)

1. A method comprising:

tracking, via a server system, communication activities attributed to a customer, and storing call activity data about the tracked communication activities in a memory device of the server system;

transmitting, via the server system, a first advertisement of an advertiser to an end-user device;

responsive to receiving an indication of a selection corresponding to the first advertisement, obtaining, via the server system, a reference associated with the customer, the reference is utilized to retrieve, from the memory device, the call activity data about the communication activities attributed to the customer;

analyzing, via the server system, the call activity data about the communication activities attributed to the customer, and determining whether a set of one or more conditions is satisfied based at least in part on the call activity data;

consequent to a determination that the set of one or more conditions is not satisfied by determining that a predetermined number of calls from the customer to the advertiser during a predetermined time period is below a predetermined threshold, establishing, via the server system, real-time communications by connecting a telephone call between the end-user device of the customer and a first communication device of the advertiser; and

performing, via the server system, a blocking action directed to the customer by blocking another telephone call from the end-user device of the customer to the first communication device of the advertiser in response to determining that the predetermined number of calls from the customer to the advertiser exceeds the predetermined threshold during the predetermined time period.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the reference comprises one or more of an Internet protocol address, a telephone number, a voice over Internet protocol user identifier, a session initiation protocol uniform resource identifier, an email address, another user identifier, an instant messaging user identifier, credit card information, and/or a digital certificate.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the set of one or more conditions comprises:

a threshold number of initiations of communications;

a time period during which the selection corresponding to the first advertisement is received;

a usage pattern;

a set of one or more communicatees; and/or

a category of communicatees.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the blocking action directed to the customer in accordance with a blocking rule comprises:

transmitting, via the server system, a first prompt to the end-user device of the customer to prompt input by the customer responsive to the first prompt.

5. The method of claim 4 , wherein the blocking action directed to the customer in accordance with the blocking rule comprises:

verifying, via the server system, the input by the customer responsive to the first prompt; and

consequent to the verifying, facilitating, via the server system, a connection for real-time communications between the end-user device of the customer and the first communication device of the advertiser.

6. The method of claim 5 , further comprising:

decreasing, via the server system, a first block level, associated with the blocking rule, assigned to the customer to a second block level that is associated with a second blocking rule specifying a second blocking action directed to the customer, after a predetermined number of communications corresponding to the customer have been verified by the server system.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the blocking action directed to the customer in accordance with the blocking rule comprises:

blocking, via the server system, an advertisement selection by the customer that is subsequent to the selection corresponding to the first advertisement.

8. One or more non-transitory, processor-readable media storing instructions that, when executed by a server system, cause the server system to:

track communication activities attributed to a customer, and storing call activity data about the tracked communication activities in a memory device of the server system;

transmit a first advertisement of an advertiser to an end-user device;

responsive to receiving an indication of a selection corresponding to the first advertisement, obtain a reference associated with the customer, the reference is utilized to retrieve, from the memory device, the call activity data about the communication activities attributed to the customer;

analyze the call activity data about the communication activities attributed to the customer, and determine whether a set of one or more conditions is satisfied based at least in part on the call activity data;

consequent to a determination that the set of one or more conditions is not satisfied by determining that a predetermined number of calls from the customer to the advertiser during a predetermined time period is below a predetermined threshold, establish real-time communications by connecting a telephone call between the end-user device of the customer and a first communication device of the advertiser; and

perform the blocking action directed to the customer by blocking another telephone call from the end-user device of the customer to the first communication device of the advertiser in response to determining that the predetermined number of calls from the customer to the advertiser exceeds the predetermined threshold during the predetermined time period.

9. The one or more non-transitory, processor-readable media of claim 8 , wherein the reference comprises one or more of an Internet protocol address, a telephone number, a voice over Internet protocol user identifier, a session initiation protocol uniform resource identifier, an email address, another user identifier, an instant messaging user identifier, credit card information, and/or a digital certificate.

10. The one or more non-transitory, processor-readable media of claim 8 , wherein the set of one or more conditions comprises:

a threshold number of initiations of communications;

a time period during which the selection corresponding to the first advertisement is received;

a usage pattern;

a set of one or more communicatees; and/or

a category of communicatees.

11. The one or more non-transitory, processor-readable media of claim 8 , wherein the blocking action directed to the customer in accordance with the blocking rule comprises:

transmitting, via the server system, a first prompt to the end-user device of the customer to prompt input by the customer responsive to the first prompt.

12. The one or more non-transitory, processor-readable media of claim 11 , wherein the blocking action directed to the customer in accordance with the blocking rule comprises:

verifying, via the server system, the input by the customer responsive to the first prompt; and

consequent to the verifying, facilitating, via the server system, a connection for real-time communications between the end-user device of the customer and the first communication device of the advertiser.

13. The one or more non-transitory, processor-readable media of claim 12 , wherein the instructions further cause the server system to:

decrease a first block level, associated with the blocking rule, assigned to the customer to a second block level that is associated with a second blocking rule specifying a second blocking action directed to the customer, after a predetermined number of communications corresponding to the customer have been verified by the server system.

14. The one or more non-transitory, processor-readable media of claim 8 , wherein the blocking action directed to the customer in accordance with the blocking rule comprises:

blocking, via the server system, an advertisement selection by the customer that is subsequent to the selection corresponding to the first advertisement.

15. A system comprising:

a server system comprising one or more servers communicatively coupled to a data store, the server system further comprising memory coupled to the one or more servers and storing instructions that, when executed by the one or more servers, cause the server system to:

track communication activities attributed to a customer, and storing call activity data about the tracked communication activities in the memory of the server system;

transmit a first advertisement of an advertiser to an end-user device;

responsive to receiving an indication of a selection corresponding to the first advertisement, obtain a reference associated with the customer, the reference is utilized to retrieve, from the memory, the call activity data about the communication activities attributed to the customer;

analyze the call activity data about the communication activities attributed to the customer, and determine whether a set of one or more conditions is satisfied based at least in part on the call activity data;

consequent to a determination that the set of one or more conditions is not satisfied by determining that a predetermined number of calls from the customer to the advertiser during a predetermined time period is below a predetermined threshold, establish real-time communications by connecting a telephone call between the end-user device of the customer and a first communication device of the advertiser; and

perform a blocking action directed to the customer by blocking another telephone call from the end-user device of the customer to the first communication device of the advertiser in response to determining that the predetermined number of calls from the customer to the advertiser exceeds the predetermined threshold during the predetermined time period.

16. The system of claim 15 , wherein the reference comprises one or more of an Internet protocol address, a telephone number, a voice over Internet protocol user identifier, a session initiation protocol uniform resource identifier, an email address, another user identifier, an instant messaging user identifier, credit card information, and/or a digital certificate.

17. The system of claim 15 , wherein the set of one or more conditions comprises:

a threshold number of initiations of communications;

a time period during which the selection corresponding to the first advertisement is received;

a usage pattern;

a set of one or more communicatees; and/or

a category of communicatees.

18. The system of claim 15 , wherein the blocking action directed to the customer in accordance with the blocking rule comprises:

transmitting, via the server system, a first prompt to the end-user device of the customer to prompt input by the customer responsive to the first prompt.

19. The system of claim 18 , wherein the blocking action directed to the customer in accordance with the blocking rule comprises:

verifying, via the server system, the input by the customer responsive to the first prompt; and

consequent to the verifying, facilitating, via the server system, the connection for real-time communications between the end-user device of the customer and the first communication device of the advertiser.

20. The system of claim 19 , wherein the instructions are further executed by the processor, which causes the server system to:

decrease a first block level, associated with the blocking rule, assigned to the customer to a second block level that is associated with a second blocking rule specifying a second blocking action directed to the customer, after a predetermined number of communications corresponding to the customer have been verified by the server system.

Assignments (14)
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST Recorded May 10, 2024
From: WELLS FARGO BANK, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION
To: DEX MEDIA, INC.; YP LLC; YELLOWPAGES.COM LLC; YP ADVERTISING & PUBLISHING LLC; PRINT MEDIA LLC; CERBERUS YP DIGITAL BLOCKER LLC; CERBERUS YP BLOCKER LLC; YP HOLDINGS LLC; PRINT MEDIA HOLDINGS LLC; YP INTERMEDIATE HOLDINGS CORP.; YP WESTERN HOLDINGS CORP.; YP SOUTHEAST HOLDINGS CORP.; YP MIDWEST HOLDINGS CORP.; YP CONNECTICUT HOLDINGS CORP.; PLUSMO HOLDINGS CORP.; INGENIO HOLDINGS CORP.
Reel/Frame 067381/0745 →
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST Recorded May 7, 2024
From: WELLS FARGO BANK, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION
To: THRYV, INC.
Reel/Frame 067341/0434 →
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded May 3, 2024
From: THRYV, INC.
To: CITIZENS BANK, N.A.
Reel/Frame 067310/0627 →
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded May 1, 2024
From: THRYV, INC.
To: CITIZENS BANK, N.A.
Reel/Frame 067287/0759 →
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST IN INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY Recorded Mar 2, 2021
From: WILMINGTON TRUST, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION., AS ADMINISTRATIVE AGENT
To: THRYV, INC. (FORMERLY KNOWN AS DEX MEDIA, INC.); THRYV HOLDINGS, INC. (FORMERLY KNOWN AS DEX MEDIA HOLDINGS, INC.)
Reel/Frame 055472/0592 →
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Mar 1, 2021
From: THRYV, INC.
To: WELLS FARGO BANK, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, AS ADMINISTRATIVE AGENT
Reel/Frame 055452/0258 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Feb 25, 2020
From: YELLOWPAGES.COM, LLC
To: THRYV, INC.
Reel/Frame 052071/0589 →
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Jul 28, 2017
From: YELLOWPAGES.COM LLC
To: WILMINGTON TRUST, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION
Reel/Frame 043363/0518 →
SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded Jul 3, 2017
From: YP LLC; YELLOWPAGES.COM LLC; YP ADVERTISING & PUBLISHING LLC; PRINT MEDIA LLC; DEX MEDIA HOLDINGS, INC.; CERBERUS YP DIGITAL BLOCKER LLC; CERBERUS YP BLOCKER LLC; YP HOLDINGS LLC; PRINT MEDIA HOLDINGS LLC; YP INTERMEDIATE HOLDINGS CORP.; YP WESTERN HOLDINGS CORP.; YP SOUTHEAST HOLDINGS CORP.; YP MIDWEST HOLDINGS CORP.; YP CONNECTICUT HOLDINGS CORP.; PLUSMO HOLDINGS CORP.; INGENIO HOLDINGS CORP.
To: WELLS FARGO BANK, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION
Reel/Frame 043074/0794 →
CHANGE OF NAME Recorded Jun 8, 2017
From: UTBK, INC.
To: UTBK LLC
Reel/Frame 042735/0241 →
MERGER Recorded Jun 8, 2017
From: YP INTERACTIVE LLC
To: YELLOWPAGES.COM LLC
Reel/Frame 042646/0228 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jun 8, 2017
From: UTBK LLC
To: INGENIO LLC
Reel/Frame 042646/0084 →
CHANGE OF NAME Recorded Jun 8, 2017
From: INGENIO LLC
To: YP INTERACTIVE LLC
Reel/Frame 042735/0423 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jun 8, 2017
From: ALTBERG, EBBE; FABER, SCOTT; HIRSON, RON; MANCA, PAUL G; VAN DER LINDEN, SEAN; YANG, VIRGINIA HONG-JIA
To: UTBK, INC.
Reel/Frame 042645/0955 →