Systems and methods to facilitate searches of communication references

US8396054B2 · kind B2 · utility

Assignee

• UTBK, LLC · US

Inventors

• Ebbe Altberg · Mill Valley, US
• Scott Faber · San Francisco, US
• Ron Hirson · San Francisco, US
• Sean Van Der Linden · Berkeley, US
• Paul G. Manca · Oakland, US

Key dates

• Filing date: May 2, 2008
• Grant date: Mar 12, 2013
• Expiry date: Nov 12, 2031

Classification

• Technology area (CPC H): Electricity
• CPC primary: H04L12/6418
• WIPO field: IT methods for management
• WIPO sector: Electrical engineering

Abstract

Methods and apparatuses to facilitate searches of communication references for real time communication connections. One embodiment includes: one or more web servers to assign a communication reference to an advisor for distribution by the advisor in one or more documents, to associate at least one keyword with the communication reference, to receive from the advisor a bid price on the keyword associated with the communication reference, and to present the communication reference selected based at least in part on the bid price in response to a search related to the keyword; a session border controller to interface with a packet switched network; and one or more telecommunication servers to determine contact information of the advisor based on the communication reference used by a customer to request a communication connection to the advisor, and to connect the customer to the advisor for real time communications using the determined contact information.