WO2008042449A2

WO2008042449A2 - Third-party-initiated call tracking

Info

Publication number: WO2008042449A2
Application number: PCT/US2007/021589
Authority: WO
Inventors: Paul Edmonds; Rod Stuhlmuller; Debarshi Kar
Original assignee: Phonespots, Inc.
Priority date: 2006-10-06
Filing date: 2007-10-08
Publication date: 2008-04-10
Also published as: WO2008042449A3

Abstract

Calls initiated in a mobile telephony device using data provided by mobile data service provider are redirected back to the mobile data service provider for detection and forwarded to the intended recipient. The mobile data service provider sends data to the mobile telephony device and includes in the data a link by which the user of the mobile telephony device can initiate a telephone call to a recipient. To detect initiation of that telephone call, the data initiates a call, not to the recipient, but rather to a telephone number gateway system that ultimately forwards the call to the recipient.

Description

THIRD-PARTY-INITIATED CALL TRACKING FIELD OF THE INVENTION

[ 1 ] The present invention relates generally to voice and data network communication systems and methods, and more specifically to tracking of telephone calls placed in response to information transported according to a data transport protocol.

BACKGROUND

[ 2 ] The recent increase in popularity of mobile communication devices can only be described as explosive. Worldwide, the mobile communication subscriber base has increased tremendously within the past few years. According to estimates, the mobile communication device subscriber base worldwide is shortly expected to exceed 3 billion subscribers.

[ 3 ] One reason for this increase can be attributed to cost. Many mobile communication devices have become truly affordable. Another factor might be attributable to the Internet and the web-access capability of mobile communication devices. Not only can mobile communication devices communicate via voice, they can also access the web via WAP (Wireless Application Protocol), MMS (Multimedia Message Service) and SMS (Short Message Service).

[ 4 ] However, much has been said about the limited Internet access capabilities of web- capable mobile devices. If the general Internet is an apparent sea of information, accessing the Internet through a web-capable mobile device seems like a trickle of information by comparison. While many Internet-capable computer systems have screen resolutions of 1024 by 768 pixels or greater, 105-key keyboards, a pointing device such as a mouse or trackball, and sound capability; most Internet-capable mobile devices are limited to screens of much lower resolution and input keypads of little more than a dozen keys. In addition, communications bandwidth of Internet-capable mobile devices is severely limited relative to the typical Internet- capable computer. Thus, while it is often advantageous to have access to the world's information through a mobile telephony device, the most convenient communication method for users of such devices by far is still voice communications. [ 5 ] As a result, the inter-relationship between data protocols and voice protocols in mobile telephony device is currently of keen interest. For example, when a mobile subscriber calls directory assistance, telephone listing data is often sent to the mobile device as a text message according to a data transport protocol. Similar, some web pages allow a user to send contact listing information to a mobile device. In either case, the subscriber can subsequently place a telephone call using the contact information.

[ 6 ] At the same time, significant advertising revenue in the Internet is conditioned upon a potential customer accessing information of interest to the advertiser. However, when a telephone call is placed using data previously sent to a mobile device is not detectable by the sender of the data as the data is typically delivered through a data-centric network while the subsequent call is typically places through a separate, voice-centric network. Thus, performance-based advertising such as those popular in the World Wide Web are not readily feasible in the mobile communications market.

1 7 ] There is a need to allow senders of data to detect subsequent telephone calls using such data.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[ 8 ] In accordance with the present invention, calls initiated in a mobile telephony device using data provided by mobile data service provider are redirected back to the mobile data service provider for detection and forwarded to the intended recipient. The mobile data service provider sends data to the mobile telephony device and includes in the data a link by which the user of the mobile telephony device can initiate a telephone call to a recipient. To detect initiation of that telephone call, the data initiates a call, not to the recipient, but rather to a telephone number gateway system that ultimately forwards the call to the recipient.

[ 9 ] The telephone number gateway system is informed to expect the call from the mobile telephony device and of the intended recipient by the mobile data service gateway. When the telephone number gateway system receives a call from the mobile telephony device, the telephone number gateway system so informs the mobile data service provider and forwards the telephone call from the mobile telephony device to the intended recipient. [ 10 ] The experience of the user of the mobile telephony device is completely conventional and familiar and comfortable. At the same time, the mobile data service provider gets reliable confirmation that the user used the link to initiate a telephone call to the recipient.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[ 11 ] FIG. 1 is a network diagram of a communication system in which an exemplary embodiment of the present invention is employed.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[ 12 ] In accordance with the present invention, data-initiated telephone calls are routed through a telephone number gateway system 128 (Figure 1) for detection.

[ 13 ] Initially, in step 202A, a mobile data service gateway 130 sends data to a mobile telephony device 102 according to a data transport protocol such as WAP, HTTP, SMS, or MMS, for example. Mobile data service gateway 130 is a highly-available server computer that serves requests for information through a data transport protocol through such networks as the Internet and the carrier's mobile network 104. The data includes a link or other actionable feature by which a user of mobile telephony device 102 can initiate a telephone call. In this illustrative example, the data includes a link by which the user call place a telephone call to a merchant 116 through a carrier's mobile network 104. While the recipient is a merchant in this illustrative example, it should be noted that the system described herein can be used to deliver telephone calls to any recipient. In a conventional system, mobile data service gateway 130 would not be able to detect placement of such a telephone call due to lack of access to the internal systems of the carrier's mobile network 104.

[ 14 ] In step 202B, mobile data service gateway 130 notifies telephone number gateway system 128 of the data sent to mobile telephony device 102, including data identifying telephony device 102, merchant 116, and a telephone number associated with the link. In the data sent in step 202A, actuation of the link by the user does not dial the telephone number of merchant 116 directly but rather dials a predetermined telephone number (sometimes referred to as the redirect number) that is received by telephone number gateway system 128. Telephone number gateway system 128 is a highly-available server computer that includes telephony circuitry coupled to public switch telephone network 114 and that can receive, initiate, and forward telephone calls. After step 202B, telephone number gateway system 128 knows to expect a telephone call through public switch telephone network 114 from mobile telephony device 102 on the redirect telephone number and understands that the call is intended for merchant 116.

[ 15 ] In step 204, the user actuates the link and accordingly places a telephone call to the redirect telephone number through the carrier's mobile network 104. The carrier's mobile network 104 routes the telephone call to the public- switch telephone network 114 in step 206, which in turn routes the telephone call to telephone number gateway system 128 in step 208.

[ 16 ] Upon receipt of the telephone call in step 208, telephone number gateway system

128 identifies mobile telephony device 102 using caller-ID or similar identification according to the telephony protocol implemented by public switch telephone network 114 in step 210. In addition in step 210, telephone number gateway system 128 determines that mobile telephony device 102 intends to call merchant 116 using the identity of mobile telephony device 102, the redirect telephone number through which mobile telephony device 102 reached telephone number gateway system 128, and the information received from mobile data service gateway 130 in step 202B.

[ 17 ] In step 212, telephone number gateway system 128 forwards the telephone call from mobile telephony device 102 to merchant 116, thereby placing the user in contact with merchant 116 in step 214, as the user expects.

[ 18 ] In addition, telephone number gateway system 128 notifies mobile data service gateway 130 that telephone number gateway system 128 of the telephone call received from mobile telephony device 102 through the redirect telephone number in step 216.

[ 19 ] The notification of step 216 serves as confirmation to mobile data service gateway 130 that the user of mobile telephony device 102 used the data received in step 202A to initiate a telephone call to merchant 116.

[ 20 ] It should be observed that, by associating mobile telephony device 102 with a redirect telephone number in steps 202B, 210, and 216, a single redirect telephone number can be used for multiple merchants and multiple, distinct redirect telephone numbers can be used for a single merchant. A pairing of a mobile telephony device and a redirect telephone number identifies the merchant to be called.

[ 21 ] While the above is a complete description of exemplary specific embodiments of the invention, additional embodiments are also possible. Thus, the above description should not be taken as limiting the scope of the invention, which is defined by the appended claims along with their full scope of equivalents.

Claims

What is claimed is:

1. A method for detecting a telephone call from a telephony device and a recipient, the method comprising: sending data to the telephony device, wherein the data includes a link by which a user of the telephony device can initiate a telephone call can be placed to a redirect telephony address; receiving a call from the telephony device through the redirect telephony address; forwarding the call to the recipient; and recording the call from the telephony device through the redirect telephony address as detection of the telephone call.

2. The method of Claim 1 wherein the telephony address is a telephone number.