Methods and apparatuses for pay for deal advertisements

US9118778B2 · kind B2 · utility

Assignee

• YELLOWPAGES.COM LLC · US

Inventors

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

Key dates

• Filing date: Mar 15, 2012
• Grant date: Aug 25, 2015
• Expiry date: May 22, 2032

Classification

• Technology area (CPC Y): Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
• CPC primary: Y10S379/90
• WIPO field: IT methods for management
• WIPO sector: Electrical engineering

Abstract

Methods and apparatuses for advertising where the advertisement performance is determined via tracking the deals made as a result of communication leads generated from the advertisements. One embodiment includes: providing an advertisement containing a communication reference to a customer on behalf of a party; providing a connection via the reference for real time communications between the customer and the party; and charging an advertisement fee in response to an action of a predetermined type being performed by the customer (or an agreement between the customer and the party being reached) as a result of the real time communications.