HK1130385A

HK1130385A - Dynamic routing of customer telephone contacts in real time

Info

Publication number: HK1130385A
Application number: HK09108095.8A
Authority: HK
Inventors: S．高恩; J．A．高恩; D．罗森
Original assignee: Metro企业公司
Priority date: 2006-07-13
Filing date: 2007-07-13
Publication date: 2009-12-24

Description

Real-time dynamic routing of customer telephone contacts

Technical Field

Para 1 the present invention relates generally to routing user contacts, such as by telephone call routing. More particularly, the present invention relates to a process for dynamically routing customer contacts to call recipients who bid for an opportunity to receive such contacts.

Background

Para 2 a consumer interested in obtaining a service must first find a service provider that can provide the required service. Typically, this means perusing a telephone directory and selecting a provider from a usually long list of service providers. In some rural areas, this requires the consumer to determine which service provider is close enough to the consumer. Geographic location is important for services that must be completed within a reasonable time frame and for reasonable cost. This process is frustrating and time consuming, especially if the consumer must leave a message with an unavailable service provider. After leaving the message, the consumer must wait for a return telephone call from the service provider. It is desirable that the service provider return a telephone call soon. Meanwhile, the consumer may leave a message for multiple service providers multiple times until an available service provider is reached. The consumer then processes the return telephone call for the service provider whose service is no longer needed.

Para 3 many consumers now own computers and have internet access. Searches are now made over the internet to find service providers. Some service providers have websites that provide information that is valuable to consumers. Traditionally, service providers and other businesses on the internet pay for "hits". An advertiser "hits" each time an online user clicks or otherwise selects a link to a service provider's website. Achieving a service provider in this way requires two steps: (1) identifying a service provider on a website; and (2) generating a telephone call or email request. Furthermore, such "hits" are not very promising, as online users can browse the network by selecting and viewing several websites before calling a commercial establishment or service provider. However, such advertising typically costs the website owner only a few cents, even if it is unlikely to get a business opportunity from a "hit".

Para 4 there are a number of consumer disadvantages when shopping to an online service provider. First, an accurate internet search must be conducted to reach service providers that have a question. Second, the online customer must determine which service provider is geographically close and capable of providing the desired service. The search requires that the customer have a computer and have the necessary internet connection. Furthermore, it is estimated that about seventy percent (70%) of small to medium business establishments do not have a valid website. As such, there are millions of service providers that cannot conduct online transactions. These service providers may include restaurants, plumbers, and other small businesses. Most of these businesses do not even have an online presence.

Para 5 Ingenio corporation developed an online pay-per-call system for routing telephone calls made by consumers to advertisers, as disclosed in U.S. patent No.6,704,403. Ingenio publishes registered advertisers such as the name and telephone number (typically a unique toll free number) of the service provider. When an online consumer searches for a particular service, Ingenio presents a list of service providers/advertisers to the consumer. The consumer selects a service provider from the list and dials the corresponding telephone number. If the service provider is not available, the consumer leaves the service provider with a message. A predetermined flat fee is charged for each call made to the service provider. The' 403 patent discloses that the fee is paid by the potential customer. Part of the fee paid by the potential customer is charged by Ingenio and the remainder of the fee is paid to the service provider. Thus, the service provider is compensated for the time it takes to receive the customer call. The' 403 patent further discloses that a permanent fee may also be charged to the service provider or potential customer after an initial period of time, such as 10 minutes. The theory behind flat fee is that if a potential customer and service provider are on the phone for a longer duration, the likelihood of the service provider actually selling goods or performing services for that customer increases. In this way, the service provider does not need to "hit" or maintain a website or other internet presence for the bare end.

Para 6 the lngineo system has several disadvantages. First, the consumer must have a computer and internet access. Second, the consumer must conduct an accurate online search to find a list of service providers that can provide the desired service. Such a search may not take into account the geographic location of the consumer. The consumer then selects a single service provider and if the service provider is not available, the consumer must leave a message. Even though the' 403 patent discloses techniques that facilitate returning a customer telephone call, the customer inevitably has to choose to wait for the service provider to return the call. The customer must then wait for a return phone call or another service provider on the call list. The lnginio system is advantageous for various service providers that do not have the presence of the internet. However, the lnginio system provides little benefit to the consumer. In addition, the' 403 patent does not track other forms of customer-initiated contact, such as a satellite-enabled voice link, voice over internet protocol (VoIP) contact, or electronic messages.

Para 7 thus, there is a continuing need for a dynamic contact routing system that charges a service provider only for received contacts. Such a call routing system should meet customer needs and overcome the above-mentioned disadvantages. The present invention fulfills these needs and provides other related advantages.

Disclosure of Invention

Para 8 the present invention resides in a process for dynamically routing customer-initiated contacts to call recipients. The process of the present invention presents live conversations and immediate feedback to potential customers in lieu of the customer leaving a message and waiting for the call recipient to return a phone call or contact.

Para 9 the process of the present invention generally includes dynamically routing a customer to contact a call recipient who has established an account with a call recipient contact system. A maximum acceptable bid for the call recipient is established. Multiple call recipients are allowed to bid against one another for providing goods and/or services to customers. A contact list is provided that includes call recipients ranked from the lowest bidding call recipient to the highest bidding call recipient. In a particularly preferred embodiment, bidding between call recipients is ongoing. Thus, the call recipient may enter a new bid for each cost of the contact. The call recipient is notified whenever the bid ranking on the contact list changes. Contact lists are typically created based on the call recipient type or geographic location. However, the present invention enables the call recipient to select one or more contact lists based on other criteria. This is particularly preferred for call recipients who provide multiple services or have offices located in multiple geographic locations.

Para 10 contacts from customers are received and routed to the lowest bid call recipient on the contact list. The call recipient to whom the customer contact is to be routed is allowed to accept or decline the contact through voice recognition or keypad entry. If the lowest bidding call recipient does not accept the contact, customer contact is rerouted to the next lowest bidding call recipient on the contact list. The invention also allows the call recipient to set a time period for accepting or rejecting contact. If the lowest bid call recipient does not respond to the customer contact, the customer contact is routed to the next lowest bid call recipient on the contact list. The amount bid by the call recipient is credited to the call recipient account receiving the contact.

Para 11 customer-initiated contact may include a live session over a real-time communication link, such as a telephone link, a VoIP link, a satellite-enabled voice link, or an audio/video link. Alternatively, the contact may include an electronic message sent by the customer. The electronic message may comprise a text message, an SMS or MMS message, an email message, or the like. The selection of the customer's goods and/or services results in the contact.

Para 12 when the contact made by the customer is a telephone call, the telephone number is preferably a toll-free telephone number prompting a group of call recipients. The sponsor may advertise the call recipient contact system, phone number, or any other contact information. The sponsor may also obtain a call recipient account. In this case, the system host or process owner and the sponsor share the fees charged to the customer.

Para 13 typically, the geographic location of the customer is determined when the customer initiates contact. Thereafter, a contact list based on the geographic location is selected. The selection is made automatically by deducing the geographic location from the customer's telephone contact information. The geographic location of the customer may also be determined from GPS-assisted positioning, triangulation, operator-assisted positioning, or cell phone-assisted positioning. Alternatively, the customer is prompted to provide geographic location information. The system routes the customer to a contact list corresponding to the geographic location. For example, information is communicated by the customer via voice recognition or input at a telephone keypad. In some cases, the customer is prompted to make a selection before being routed to the call recipient. This may be performed by voice recognition or entry of a telephone keypad. In other cases, the customer is immediately routed to the call recipient to facilitate proper routing of customer contact.

Para 14 customers are typically charged by the host or sponsor for goods and/or services provided by the call recipient. The account status is available to the call recipient via email, online account, over the phone, via customer support, or mail. Crediting the call recipient account includes paying the call recipient in real time or periodically. Call recipients who fail to maintain their accounts may be removed from the call recipient contact list.

Para 15 other features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, which illustrate, by way of example, the principles of the invention.

Drawings

Para 16 the figure illustrates the invention. In these drawings:

para 17 figure 1 is a flow chart showing steps typically taken in routing a customer-initiated contact to a call recipient in accordance with the present invention;

para 18 figure 2 is a flow chart showing steps for establishing a system embodying the present invention;

para 19 figure 3 is a flow chart showing steps for creating a call recipient account and a call recipient per contact cost bid in accordance with the present invention;

para 20 figure 4 is a flowchart showing steps taken when a customer initiates a contact or request to a call recipient in accordance with the present invention;

para 21 figure 5 is a flow chart showing steps for establishing another system embodying the present invention;

para 22 figure 6 is a flow chart showing steps for creating call recipient accounts and call recipient bids according to the present invention; and

para 23 figure 7 is a flowchart showing steps taken when a customer initiates a contact request to a call recipient in accordance with the present invention.

Detailed Description

Para 24 as shown in the drawings, for purposes of illustration, the present invention relates to a dynamic contact routing process for connecting a user in need of goods or services with a call recipient. As described more fully herein, the present invention provides benefits to both potential customers and call recipients. As used herein, a "customer" refers to any individual person, group, company or other business-related institution, government institution or division, or any other entity known in the art that seeks goods, services or information. "call recipient" refers to any individual person, group, company or other business-related institution, government agency or division, or any other entity that provides services, provides goods or provides information as is known in the art. The call recipient joins the system of the present invention by establishing an account, as described more fully herein.

[ paragraph 25 ]]The invention is shown generally in fig. 1. First, customer contact is initiated (10). This can take many forms. In a particular locationIn a preferred embodiment, the contact is a Plain Old Telephone Service (POTS) telephone call over a Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN), although the contact can be a non-POTS live session. Such communication is facilitated via a real-time communication link such as a voice link supporting satellite, voice activated dial-up link, VoIP link, etc. (12). An example of a contact or voice link that supports satellites is by OnStar^TMThe service provided. The driver or passenger in the vehicle presses the button and sends out and OnStar^TMThe operator contacts. The user tells the operator the goods or services requested and the operator helps the user to obtain the goods and/or services. The system of the present invention will route the user to the call recipient who provides the service or supplies the goods. Of course, the customer-initiated contact may also include an electronic message, such as a text message, email, or SMS message (14). Such electronic messages originate from user computers, cellular telephones, personal digital assistants, vehicle navigation system devices, and the like.

Para 26 the location (16) of the customer is then determined via any one of a number of different methods. The user's geographic location is automatically determined by customer telephone identification, GPS assisted positioning, triangulation, operator assisted positioning, or cell phone assisted positioning. Alternatively, the customer is prompted to provide relevant geographic location information. Input via voice recognition or keypad automatically processes the customer input.

Para 27 the customer contact is then dynamically routed (18) to a call recipient (20) that receives or responds to the customer contact or request. The contact is dynamically routed according to the goods and/or services desired by the customer, the customer location, or a hierarchical call recipient contact list.

Para 28 referring now to fig. 2, the process of associating a routing system of the present invention is first established. The system owner may host in a particular geographic location, nationally, or over the internet. The system owner can include a telephone company (such as AT & T), an internet company (such as Google), or any other company that establishes the system of the present invention to directly interact with customers. The promoter (P) may also be used to create an account (100) in the system. That is, the sponsor may negotiate a license to maintain exclusive rights to a certain geographic area or class of Call Recipients (CR). The promoter creates an account to the host or system owner via the internet, over the phone, or by mail. The process of the present invention enables an originator to create a system that routes customer contacts to individual call recipients based on the design of the contact routing business model.

Para 29 the sponsor may deposit the money into the account after the account is created. Deposits are made directly by check, money order, or credit account established by the host computer. Money may also be electronically debited by the host from the sponsor's bank account. Alternatively, money does not need to be initially deposited into the originator's bank account. The sponsor may periodically pay the host, such as monthly, for the received contact and revenue share generated by the customer or call recipient's account. The sponsor may pay the host after receiving a periodic draft (e.g., a monthly ticket statement). The promoter may arrange for the host to automatically debit the bank account belonging to the promoter. This automatic debiting may also occur periodically.

Para 30 the sponsor may establish a minimum bid amount or listing fee that the call recipient pays for being included on a contact list in the system (102).

[ paragraph 31 ]]The sponsor then establishes whether to reply to the received contact by a voice prompt, or route the received contact directly to the call recipient, or a combination thereof (104). For telephone call contact, the originator or host preferably has a telephone number that prompts a group of call recipients. More preferably, the telephone number is a toll-free telephone number, such as a 1-800 or 1-866 telephone number. Other examples of telephone numbers may include 1-800-plumber, 1-800-florist, 1-800-lawyer, and so forth. Typically, the sponsor advertises telephone numbers or other contact information and system services, such as geographic areas, to potential call recipients and customers. Advertising occurs over the internet, telephone directories, billboards, mass mailings, and the like. Thus, the call recipient need not have the skills to maintain the presence of the internetOr pay the necessary fee to maintain the presence of the internet. A potential customer need not own a computer or have internet access to know contact information for a group of call recipients who are ready to provide services. Suggestive toll-free telephone numbers are most desirable because potential customers will easily remember such telephone numbers. Thus, no reference to other materials is necessary when service is required. The customer prefers to contact the memorized number. However, the telephone number need not be toll free or suggestive. The contact information may also include information other than a telephone number. The contact information may include a website address, an email address, a short code, an instant messenger name, or any other contact method known in the art. For example, satellite-enabled communications are increasingly available to customers. A well-known type of communication is OnStar^TMService in which the vehicle driver or passenger presses a button to contact OnStar^TMAn operator. Operators currently provide services such as accident or repair assistance, driving directions, and the like. At the OnStar^TMIn implementing the present invention, a vehicle driver or passenger can request restaurants, hotels, mechanics, etc. in a given geographic location and be immediately routed to an available call recipient.

Para 32 referring again to fig. 1, if the promoter establishes that contact will be answered via voice prompt, the promoter designs a unique menu of prompts to meet the specific business requirements (106). For example, if a potential customer calls a 1-800-attorney, the prompt menu may request that the potential customer select a legal area, such as intellectual property, real estate, home law, or criminal law. The system can be designed to receive such a selection by voice recognition or by prompting the potential customer to press a particular button on the telephone keypad that corresponds to the required field of law. The prompt menu is typically communicated to the customer immediately upon calling the telephone number and before the contact is routed to the call recipient, although the prompt menu can be provided after the contact is routed to the call recipient. Here, certain information is obtained by the particular call recipient before making the phone contact.

Para 33 alternatively, when a potential customer initiates a contact, the system is designed to identify the caller via the contact identification. The contact identification includes a telephone number of the customer (108). The system detects the geographic location of the customer contact and generates an appropriate call recipient contact list. Preferably, the contact list is based on a specific geographical location. Alternatively, the system may identify the customer telephone number via caller ID. The system stores information about customer activity (i.e., category searches, requested results, etc.). The system uses the stored information to provide relevant advertisements or a customized call recipient directory. This customer-specific information stored via caller ID may also be used for other sales purposes. The stored user information may be accessed to more easily reconnect the customer with the previously contacted call recipient. In the above embodiment, the customer places an initial telephone call to the system of the present invention and connects to the highest bidding call recipient for a particular service. When a second call is placed for the same service, the user is prompted to connect to the previous call recipient or to the next available call recipient.

Para 34 in another alternative embodiment, the system of the present invention is capable of re-customizing a call recipient list based on the call history of a particular user. The re-customized call recipient list still includes only available call recipients. However, the call recipient list specifically lists call recipients in an order that matches the user's previous call recipient search and call recipient selections. In the same case, the system may play the relevant advertisement before transmitting the call recipient list. The advertisements are based in whole or in part on previous searches or selections by the user. Such searching and selection may be combined with an associated online account. For example, a website search engine may store phone number information in an online account. The system of the present invention is capable of retrieving online account information to match previous searches and selections online with the caller's telephone number. Thus, online searching and selection may be combined with information related to searching and selection based on the user's phone. The system processes this information to provide the most relevant call recipient directory to the user either online or over the phone. In addition, the user is able to access call history details online and easily reconnect previously contacted call recipients. The corresponding online account may also display more information about the call recipient (e.g., location, email, website, phone number, etc.). In addition, the user may leave feedback on the call recipient online or over the phone and also conduct transactions, such as purchases.

Para 35 the system is further designed to determine customer location (110) when screening caller identification. Initiating voice prompts, connecting to customer service representatives, and the like are other suitable methods of determining the location of a customer. In addition, the present invention may also use satellite or other forms of geolocation to detect the location of the customer.

Para 36 once the sponsor and/or host have set up the menu driven software, the sponsor advertises to contact the routing system services. As described above, the sponsor advertises the telephone number to potential customers and call recipients (112). Call recipients who wish to join the system can be added to various contact lists by registering over the phone. The customer contact is thereafter directed to the customer (114). Of course, the call recipient can contact the promoter and/or host via other methods, such as by accessing a website, calling the promoter, mailing or faxing a registry to the promoter and/or host, and so forth. As more fully shown in fig. 4, the customer can contact a unique phone number or other contact means to be directed to the call recipient (116).

Para 37 referring now to fig. 3, the sponsor of the present invention notifies potential call recipients of the obligation to pay the sponsor and/or host only when a potential customer contact is actually received. This payment method removes much of the uncertainty associated with listing telephone numbers in a telephone directory or paying an internet advertiser for "hits". The call recipient first creates a new account with the sponsor and/or host (200). The account identifies at least the call recipient and includes contact information such as a telephone number, email address, and the like. The system uses the contact information to route the customer to the call recipient. The call recipient then deposits funds into the account (202), such as by credit card, check, money order, etc., in the same and/or similar manner as the originator deposits money into a similar bank account. Money may also be debited electronically by the sponsor and/or host from the call recipient bank account.

Para 38 after the account is established, the call recipient selects a contact list to join it (204). The system may be designed to automatically associate a call recipient with a particular contact list based on geographic location. In other cases, there may be no geographic area restrictions whatsoever and thus the call recipient is located on a nationwide or state-wide contact list. The call recipient may have multiple offices to enable the call recipient to select multiple contact lists representing multiple geographic locations in which the offices are located. Further, the call recipient may provide more than one type of service. For example, a call recipient law firm may provide representatives of criminal law, real estate, litigation, etc., and thus be suitable for multiple contact lists within a single geographic location. The call recipient may also vary the bid amount based on these different geographic locations. A particular contact list belonging to one geographic region may be more valuable than another contact list belonging to a second geographic region. For example, a contact list for a metropolitan area may be more valuable than a contact list for a rural area.

Para 39 the call recipient then selects a listing fee where a per-contact charge is applied and which is based on the established minimum and/or current market value (206). Typically, a minimum per contact charge is established by the sponsor and/or host. This is a minimum per-contact charge for customer contact received by the call recipient. For example, the minimum per contact charge may be one dollar per contact ($ 1.00).

Para 40 in a particular preferred embodiment of the present invention, call recipients bid against each other for a "high" bid amount per contact. The call recipient is able to view not only the established minimum cost per contact list, but also the maximum or highest bid on the contact list. The call recipient may also call a telephone number, such as a customer service number, to retrieve such information. The affiliate lists rank from highest bidder to lowest bidder and customer contacts are routed accordingly. Thus, while the minimum hang-up fee per contact charge may be one dollar ($ 1.00), the call recipient is willing to pay to get the highest ranking, and the market price for potentially receiving the most customer contacts may be much higher. For example, the highest bid may be two dollars ($ 2.00) or more per contact. In this regard, the call recipient can select a per-contact charge and bid for bidding with other call recipients on the contact list. The call recipient who paid the highest bid amount moves to the first position on the contact list. Alternatively, the call recipient may pay a lower bid amount and maintain a lower priority on the contact list. The minimum amount that the call recipient can select is the established minimum bid amount. When customer contacts are routed to the call recipient, per-contact charges are deducted from the established call recipient bank or credit account. The invention is also provided for certain call recipients who remain on a regular business hour, such as 8:00 am to 5:00 pm. The system does not route the customer to contact the call recipient before 8:00 am or after 5:00 pm. The system may also be designed to allow the call recipient to bid for certain times of the day. For example, a contact received between 8:00 am and noon gets the highest bid, while a contact received in the afternoon gets a lower bid. The call recipient will be able to place a zero bid for non-business hours. In addition, the call recipient can indicate which days of the week and when in the day the call recipient can receive contact. Thus, customer contacts are not routed to unavailable call recipients.

Para 41 each call recipient can access an account by logging in via the internet, by telephone, or the like. Preferably, the account is available over the internet to make the information readily available to the call recipient. If the login is unsuccessful, the customer service representative can assist in calling the recipient. A username and password can be electronically addressed to the call recipient (210).

Para 42 after logging into an account, the call recipient can add funds to the bank account, determine current bid ranks, increase bid amounts per contact, check account balances, check historical charges and contacts, and check account status (212). In this way, the bid price is preferably constantly variable per contact charge, even after account registration. In this manner, the call recipient can change the ranking on the contact list at any time. The free market determines a higher price per contact received, thereby maximizing revenue for the sponsor and/or host. The call recipient also retains control over the number of contacts received.

Para 43 if the "listing fee" or bid amount is above the funds available in the call recipient's account (214), the call recipient is removed from the contact list (216). Thereafter, a notification of insufficient funds is sent to the call recipient. The call recipient is invited to add additional funds to the account to be placed back on the contact list (218). Such notification may be automatic, such as through an email message, instant message, telephone message, postcard, or the like. The call recipient may then add additional funds to the account by authorizing a credit card transaction, sending a check, or providing other payment methods to the sponsor and/or host (220). If the call recipient does not deposit funds into the account after a predetermined time (e.g., 2 days), an additional notification is sent to the call recipient to notify the call recipient to add funds to the account to be placed back on the contact list (218). A number message is preferably sent to the call recipient that displays the number of customers that are directed to the other call recipient. Such a message serves to persuade the call recipient to re-register with the system (226). If the call recipient wants to be placed back on the contact list, the call recipient's maximum or highest bid is presented and a new bid amount is required to be entered or an established minimum bid amount is selected (228). After bid selection, the call recipient is placed back on the list (230). Once on the contact list, customer contacts are routed to the call recipient in accordance with the present invention. The call recipient is retained on the contact list when the bid is below the available account funds (232).

Para 44 alternatively, the call recipient may open a periodic billing account. In a preferred embodiment, the call recipient is charged (242) on a monthly basis and is thereby maintained on the contact list (244), even if the account funds are insufficient to maintain the total outstanding bids. The call recipient pays the sponsor and/or the host after receiving the periodic bill. The call recipient arranges for the originator and/or the host to periodically automatically electronically debit a bank account or credit card account belonging to the call recipient. As described above, the call recipient may access the account and add funds periodically as needed. The call recipient may also determine the current ranking and increase the bid amount. When a call recipient submits a higher bid and moves to a location above other call recipients or when a new call recipient replaces the highest ranked location on the contact list (234), a message is sent to all other call recipients with a lower ranking thereafter, along with information about the change in location (236). The message is automatically sent via email, instant message, telephone voicemail message, or any other similar form of electronic communication known in the art. Thus, the call recipient is prompted to increase the associated bid amount to obtain a higher position on the contact list, although the call recipient may act and remain at a lower position (238). The message may provide the current maximum bid amount to the call recipient and may request the call recipient to enter a new bid amount (240). For example, when registering, the call recipient may provide a credit card or bank account number that is automatically debited by the originator and/or host upon each instruction by the call recipient. The voice recognition or window driven portion of the message enables the call recipient to deposit additional funds into the account to cover any insufficient balance or increase the bid amount received per contact. Here, the call recipient does not need to log into an account to set up these tasks. The automated system then notifies the call recipient of the account balance and the new minimum bid. This is done with an interactive voice recognition driven menu if a telephone message is directed to the call recipient or if the call recipient contacts the originator and/or the host customer number. This step may also be accomplished via email, instant messaging, or by logging into the call recipient account. Of course, the promoter and/or host may employ an operator or customer service representative to process the account request.

Para 45 referring now to fig. 4, a process for routing customer-initiated contacts in the form of telephone calls is shown. First, the potential customer calls the listed telephone number. The telephone number is preferably a toll-free number, as described above, but may also include a local or long distance number, a special 1-900 number, or any other suitable telephone number (300). The system then determines whether the number is menu assisted or requires menu assistance (302). As outlined above, VoIP is another route for customer calls entering the network to connect the call recipient. Alternatively, the calls can be routed entirely through the PSTN, partially through the PSTN, or not at all. For example, a customer initiates a call using the PSTN and is then routed to the call recipient via VoIP. If the system is set up to identify the geographic location of the customer through caller identification (304), the call may be automatically routed to the call recipient of the first or highest ranked bid location on the call list for that particular geographic area (306). Other calls may be automatically routed to the call recipient at the first location on the call list without identifying the location of the telephone caller.

Para 46 if the telephone number is menu-assisted, the customer is prompted to select from various options or to select to connect to customer service because of screening or caller identification by system design. The customer may press the "0" button on the telephone keypad or verbally request customer service. The menu system may be established based on the geographic location of the customer or the geographic location of the service to be provided. The customer can enter relevant location information such as area code, zip code, city, state, etc. through voice recognition or keypad entry. Alternatively, the customer can limit the call recipient search by quality or competition. The searchable categories may be limited by geography, quality, or competition before the customer is routed to the call recipient. The customer may make other verbal or telephone keypad (308) inputs for other choices such as service type. For example, a customer may request a taxi type. The customer can select a luxury, regular, minivan, etc. The selection may occur before the call or after the call is routed and before the call recipient answers the phone, as described above (310).

Para 47 if the customer has difficulty making menu selections, the customer dials "0" for customer service (312), or otherwise requests customer service by speaking in the phone. The customer service representative routes the call (314) to the call recipient (306) at the first location on the call list. Alternatively, if customer service is not selected, the customer is asked a series of questions from a menu. From these issues, the system decides where to route the call (316). The call is thus routed to the call recipient (306) at the first position on the appropriate call list.

Para 48 in an alternative embodiment, the customer dials a 411-type telephone number and selects a category or verbally enters a keyword or phrase. Instead of being routed to the highest bidder, the customer is presented with a list of call recipients. For example, the customer may be prompted to "press 1 for Joe's pipe work," 2 for Mike's pipe work, "or" 3 for Gary's pipe work. The customer verbally selects the call recipient or otherwise presses the corresponding button on the telephone keypad for the desired call recipient. Thereafter, the system routes the customer to a particular call recipient. In one embodiment, the list of audio is transmitted to the customer based on the bid amount. That is, the highest bidding call recipient is the first call recipient in the list. In the previous example, "Joe's pipe work" would be the highest bid call recipient. Finally, the call recipient "bids up" to receive a leading position for potential service, while the other call recipients "bid down" to actually serve. In an alternative embodiment, the list of call recipients includes a mix of bidding and non-bidding call recipients. For example, the first one or two audio results may include a call recipient who bid to place an advertisement. The remaining call recipients after the first two call recipients are non-bidding call recipients. Thus, the remaining call recipients are listed free of charge. This embodiment is similar to the search results web page of Google, where the first set of links comes from sponsored advertisers and the remaining links are matched according to the search criteria.

Para 49 in another embodiment of the present invention, a customer may receive a series of advertisements associated with accessing the system of the present invention. For example, the system may deliver a relevant advertisement or series of advertisements to customers who select categories within a 411-type system. The order in which the advertisements are delivered to the customers is based on the bids. That is, the highest bid call recipient advertisement is first transmitted to the customer. The system may also allow the call recipient to customize the delivered advertisement. For example, "Joe's plumbing" may be supplemented with advertisements with slogans or epilogues, such as "Joe's plumbing is best, and we have been open for business since 1980". The advertisement may also include a description of the goods and/or services. At the same time, the system can also send any form of electronic information to the customer via text, voice, picture, or MMS. The order of the advertisements depends on the algorithms established by the sponsor and/or the host. The algorithm may take into account other qualities such as dropped calls, satisfaction rates, bids, call lengths, reputations, prices, etc.

Para 50 if the customer has difficulty making menu selections, the customer dials "0" for customer service (312), or otherwise requests customer service by speaking in the phone. The customer service representative routes the call (314) to the call recipient (306) at the first location on the call list. The customer is asked a series of questions from the menu if customer service is not selected. From these issues, the system decides where to route the call (316). Accordingly, the call is routed to the call recipient (306) at the first position on the appropriate call list.

Para 51 the present invention also utilizes a "search engine," such as an automated telephone system similar to the dial 411 operator. In this embodiment, the call recipients are ranked by category based on industry and/or geographic location. In operation, a customer queries a telephone number with a call. Upon completion, the customer verbally communicates the keywords or phrases (e.g., plumber, amusement attorney, etc.), or otherwise inputs the keywords or phrases via a TELEPHONE keypad, other QWERTY keyboard, or the method and process disclosed in U.S. patent No. 60/939,388 entitled "TELEPHONE SEARCH ENGINE," filed 5/22/2007 to connect to the call recipient, the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety. The system of the present invention then connects the customer with the call recipient of the highest bid on the particular keyword or phrase entered by the customer. Alternatively, the system uses an algorithm to rank potential call recipients within the input keyword or phrase. The system may then directly connect the customer and the call recipient or simply transmit a list of call recipients for a keyword or phrase search on the customer. The system may transmit the call recipient list verbally, by telephone, via text message, instant message, SMS, or any other method of transmitting information known in the art. In an alternative embodiment, the system transmits the advertisement to the customer prior to transmitting the call recipient list. Advertisements are delivered in a bid-based order (with respect to a particular keyword or phrase) or according to an algorithm designed by a system administrator. The advertisement may be delivered orally, visually, or as a text message. Further, the call recipient and/or advertiser bids on keywords or phrases rather than specific preset categories. Charging for connection with the call recipient or delivering the advertisement may be based on a bid amount per advertisement/call recipient connection or a flat rate per advertisement/customer connection. Alternatively, the customer is not directly connected to the call recipient. The system simply transmits the call recipient contact information to the customer (e.g., audibly via telephone, visually via SMS, text message, etc.). Here, the customer is charged by tracking the customer's phone number associated with the call recipient's contact information. Alternatively, the call recipient may be charged each time the call recipient's contact information is transferred, or a fixed fee may be charged to the call recipient as part of the service of the present invention.

Para 52 the customer is then routed to the particular call recipient's business by speaking in the phone, entering information through the phone keypad, or transmitting information through another similar medium. The search results may be delivered to the customer individually or in a group presentation as described above. The system may transmit the first five search results in a group and request the customer "press 1 to hear the next 5 search results". The search results are returned to the customer via audio, text message, or any other electronic communication method known in the art. For example, the system sends a text message to the customer in response to a request for "plumber" in "Beverly Hills, California".

Para 53 once the call is routed to the call recipient, the call recipient must answer the call within a certain number of rings, such as 3 or 4 rings. If the call recipient is not answering, the system may prompt the customer to "please wait while connected" (320) and simultaneously route the customer to the next call recipient on the call list (322).

Para 54 if the call recipient is unavailable (e.g., busy or on vacation), the customer is immediately routed to another call recipient without leaving a message to the first call recipient. This enables the lower ranked call recipients to receive customer calls as well, although the highest ranked call recipient receives the most customer calls.

Para 55 the call recipient answers the call within a certain number of rings (318) and is presented with a live customer call or an automated message. The automated message may ask the call recipient, for example, "press 1 to accept" or "press 2 to reject" the telephone call. The call recipient may also accept or reject the telephone call by voice. The voice response is translated (324) by voice recognition software or the like. Typically if the call recipient rejects the call, the call recipient is removed from the call list and is not charged by the billing service to the call recipient (328). Alternatively, the system may not remove the call recipient from the call list. Instead, the call recipient selectively accepts or declines the call until the account balance is below the call recipient's minimum bid. The call recipient may also close the account and thereafter be removed from the contact list. In each embodiment, the system routes the call to the next highest ranked call recipient on the call list (322).

Para 56 the highest ranking call recipient may accept the customer call 330 by verbal presentation, pressing a phone button, or simply answering a phone call. The call is then established and registered in the billing server (332). The call recipient's per-call "bid amount" is thereafter charged to the call recipient's account (334). Preferably, the bid amount charged per call is automatically deducted from the call recipient's account. Alternatively, the call recipient using the post-paid account is charged periodically. The fee is then distributed to the sponsor (336).

[ paragraph 57)]Even though the description provided above with respect to fig. 4 relates to customer-initiated contact in the form of a telephone call, such as a cellular telephone or POTS "landline" call, the invention is not so limited. Other forms of routing than telephone calls may also be suitable for use with the present invention. For example, via the Internet, VoIP, satellite-enabled uplink (such as OnStar)^TMAutomated dialers (including pre-programmed telephone or contact numbers)), and any other system that does not require a potential customer to dial an actual telephone number facilitates a live voice session, such as browsing the internet, using a web browser, or using any other type of application that supports mobile or cellular telephone browsers. An example is provided by Gonen et al in U.S. Pat. No.7,076,037 entitled "PROCESS FOR DYNAMICCAL ROUTING," the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety. Dynamic routing of non-voice based customer contacts, such as electronic messages, including text messages, SMS messages, email messages, and the like, may also be compatible with the present invention. For example, an email-initiated customer contact may be routed to a call recipient email address, a telephone device, an SMS device, and so forth. Similarly, SMS or text message initiated customer requests may be routed to a call recipient SMS device, a telephone device, or the like. The call recipient being able to pass the electronic message, orOther ways contact the potential customer to respond. The steps shown in fig. 4 are also applicable to each of the above-described communication methods.

Para 58 as generally shown in fig. 5-7, another embodiment of the present invention enables call recipients from all over the world to place a minimum bid to provide suggestions, goods and/or services to users. For example, the promoter and/or host operates a telephone line (e.g., 1-800-advice, 1-800-rose, 1-800-attorney, etc.) or a website (www.advice.com, www.roses.com, www.lawyers.com, etc.) that provides goods and/or services. The customer calls 1-800-advice, 1-800-roses, 1-800-lawyers, etc. or visits the promoter and/or host website to obtain goods and/or services. The customer is routed on behalf of the sponsor and/or host to the lowest bid call recipient that provides the goods or services to the customer. Here, the call recipient is an independent sub-contact working for the sponsor and/or host. The customer is routed on behalf of the sponsor and/or host to a call recipient willing to accept a minimum amount to provide the desired service.

Para 59 the customer is charged a fixed fee for calls (e.g., $2.00 per call or a bundle of roses $ 20.00), or a variable fee based on the call recipient's bid (e.g., $2.00 per minute). The user is charged directly by the sponsor and/or host. The provider and/or host then pays the call recipient a corresponding bid amount. The sponsor is able to earn money (i.e., increase profit) via competitive "bid-down" (i.e., the lowest price per call that the call recipient accepts as consideration for performing or providing the service). Upon completion of the service by the call recipient, the sponsor and/or host pays the call recipient by crediting the bid into the corresponding bank account (e.g., $ 0.50 or $5.00 per minute for a bundle of roses). The sponsor and/or host retains a profit (e.g., $ 1.50 per minute for the call or $ 15.00 for the bundle of roses). This enables customers to rent the most competitive call recipients with the lowest rates to complete the required service. The call recipient is only paid by the sponsor and/or host when the potential customer contact is actually received and the goods and/or services are provided to the customer. This embodiment removes much of the uncertainty associated with listing telephone numbers in a telephone directory or paying an internet advertiser for "hits" that do not generate revenue.

Para 60 in fig. 5, the contact routing system includes the present invention as initially established. The system owner can host the system in a particular geographic location, nationally, or over the internet. The system owner can include a telephone company (such as AT & T), an internet company (such as Google), or any other company that establishes the system of the present invention to directly interact with customers. The promoter (P) may also be used to create an account (500) in the system. That is, the sponsor may license a particular geographic area or a particular service. The promoter creates an account to the host or system owner via the internet, telephone, or even mail. The process of the present invention allows the sponsor to create a system that routes customers to various call recipients based on unique routing algorithms developed by the individual sponsor.

Para 61 the sponsor may deposit money into the account after the account is created. The promoter deposits money via a check, money order, or credit card, allowing the promoter to establish a credit line to the host. Alternatively, the sponsor may not deposit the money into the account. Rather, the sponsor regularly pays the host (e.g., monthly) for the received contacts and generated revenue shares.

Para 62 the originator may establish a maximum bid amount or fee that the call recipient should pay for being included on the contact list (502). The sponsor and/or host sets the maximum bid for connecting the customer and the call recipient. To maximize profit, the sponsor and/or host should look for a call recipient with a low bid.

[ paragraph 63)]The sponsor then establishes whether to reply to the received contact by a voice prompt, route the received contact directly to the call recipient, or a combination thereof (504). For telephone call contacts, the sponsor and/or host preferably has a telephone number that prompts the group call recipient. More preferably, the electricityThe telephone number is a toll free telephone, such as a 1-800 or 1-866 telephone number. For example, the telephone number may include 1-800-plumber, 1-800-florist, 1-800-lawyer, and the like. Typically, the promoter advertises a telephone number or contact information. The advertisements may be based on geographic areas or particular services. Advertising informs potential call recipients and users of the system and services. Such advertising is done via the internet, telephone directory, billboard, mass mail, etc. In this way, the call recipient does not need to maintain internet presence. Furthermore, potential customers need not own a computer or have internet access to be notified of the system and corresponding call recipient contact information. Suggestive toll-free numbers are preferred because potential customers are likely to remember such telephone numbers when special services are required and do not have to refer to additional material. Thus, the customer can easily recall the contact number from memory, although the telephone number need not be free or suggestive. The contact information may also include information other than a telephone number. The information may include a website address, an email address, any other similar contact information known in the art. For example, satellite-enabled communications are increasingly available to customers. OnStar^TMAre well known satellite-enabled communication services. Vehicle driver or passenger contacts OnStar by pressing a button in the vehicle^TMAn operator. OnStar^TMAccident or repair assistance, driving directions, etc. are currently provided. The vehicle driver or passenger can access OnStar according to the routing system of the invention^TMThe operator may request restaurants, hotels, technicians, etc. at a particular geographic location.

Para 64 the promoter may establish that the contact is to be answered via voice prompt. The promoter must design a unique menu of prompts to suit the particular business requirements (506). For example, if a potential customer calls a 1-800-attorney, the prompt menu may request that the potential customer select a legal area, such as intellectual property, real estate, home law, or criminal law. The system can be designed to receive the selection by voice recognition or by prompting the potential customer to press a button on the telephone keypad. The menu of prompts is typically provided to the customer in the case of a call to a telephone number and before the contact is routed to the call recipient, although the menu of prompts may also be provided after the contact is routed to the call recipient. In this embodiment, certain information may be obtained by the call recipient prior to accepting the telephone contact.

Para 65 alternatively, when a potential customer initiates contact with the system, the caller is identified by some form of contact identification, such as the customer's telephone number (508). In this manner, the system tracks the geographic location of the customer and creates an appropriate call recipient contact list. Preferably, the call recipient contact list is based on geographic location. Alternatively, the system is designed to identify the customer with the call identification (510). Other methods are taken to determine the location of the customer, such as initiating a voice prompt, connecting the contact with a customer service representative, or other similar methods known in the art.

Para 66 once the sponsor and/or host has set up the menu driven software, the sponsor advertises to contact the routing system services. As described above, the sponsor advertises the telephone number to potential customers and call recipients (512). The call recipient may register with the system via telephone. After registration, the call recipient may join various contact lists to enable customer contact to be directed to them (514). Of course, the call recipient may contact the originator and/or the host by other methods known in the art. For example, the call recipient may utilize a website, telephone, mail, or fax to register with the sponsor and/or host. The customer may also contact a unique phone number or other similar contact means to be directed to the call recipient (516), as more fully depicted in fig. 6.

Para 67 the call recipient first creates a new account with the sponsor and/or host (600), as shown in fig. 6. The account identifies at least the call recipient and includes contact information such as a telephone number, email address, and the like. The contact information is used to route the customer contact directly to the call recipient. The sponsor and/or host simply deposits funds into the call recipient account by check or credit card. The deposit occurs after contact is made between the customer and the call recipient and after goods and/or services are provided to the customer. The call recipient selects a contact list to join after establishing the account (602). The system can automatically associate the call recipient with a particular contact list based on geographic location. Alternatively, the call recipient is not geographically limited. In this embodiment, the call recipient can join a national or state contact list. For example, the call recipient may have offices in multiple locations. Thus, the call recipient is able to join multiple contact lists representing multiple geographic locations where their offices are located. In addition, the call recipient may provide a plurality of services. For example, a call recipient law firm may provide representatives in the areas of criminal law, real estate law, litigation, or intellectual property law. In this way, the call recipient qualifies to join multiple contact lists, even within a single geographic location. The call recipient is also able to place multiple bid amounts for each individual listing. A particular contact list belonging to one geographic region may be more valuable than another contact list belonging to another geographic region. For example, a contact list in a metropolitan area may be more valuable than a contact list in a rural area.

Para 68 the call recipient then selects the lowest cost for providing the goods and/or services. The fee is based on established minimum, maximum and/or current market prices (604). The sponsor and/or host lists the call recipients in order from charging the lowest rate to charging the highest rate. The sponsor and/or host may choose to establish an upper limit (cap) whereby items above the upper limit are excluded from the list. The highest contact list priority is given to the call recipient with the lowest charge. Typically, transaction fees or contact fees are established by the sponsor and/or host. The promoter and/or host charges the customer a fixed fee for contact or a variable fee based on the bid. A minimum per contact charge for the call recipient contact may also be applied. For example, the per-contact charge may be one dollar per contact ($ 1.00) or a fixed percentage of bids. Alternatively, the fee may include a percentage of the value of the goods and/or services performed. The call recipient is paid a fee based on the bid (e.g., $7.00 a fee per hour for performing two hours of work $ 14.00). The sponsor charges the customer more than the call recipient bids. Even though the customer may decide not to obtain goods and/or services from the call recipient, the promoter and/or host may still charge the customer (fixed or variable) for the contact established between the customer and the call recipient.

Para 69 in a specific preferred embodiment of the present invention, call recipients bid against each other for a "minimum" bid or transaction amount per contact. The call recipient can not only view the established minimum cost per contact list, but also the lowest bid on the contact list. The call recipient may also call a telephone number, such as a customer service number or the like, to retrieve the information. The contact list ranks call recipients from the lowest bidder to the highest bidder. Customer contacts are routed accordingly. As such, market governance considers the cost to the sponsor and/or host, and the call recipient is willing to provide the price to obtain the lowest ranking in order to potentially receive the most customer contacts. The call recipient may select the minimum bid amount acceptable as a payment for the goods and/or services provided to bid for bidding on other call recipients on the listing. The lowest bid amount is selected to place the call recipient in the first position on the contact list. Selecting a higher bid amount lowers call recipient priority on the list. The sponsor and/or host establishes the maximum bid that the call recipient can place. The sponsor and/or host never charges the call recipient for contact from the customer. Rather, the customer pays the host and/or the promoter.

Para 70 the present invention contemplates that some call recipients may remain on a regular business hour such as 8:00 am to 5:00 pm. Thus, customer contacts are not routed to the call recipient before 8:00 am or after 5:00 pm. The system is designed to enable call recipients to bid for certain times of the day. For example, a connection received between 8:00 am and noon may receive a lower bid than a connection received between noon and 5:00 pm. The call recipient may also not place a bid for non-business hours. In addition, the call recipient can place a bid for a particular day. The call recipient may select which hours of those days the call recipient is available to receive contact. Customer contacts are not routed to unavailable call recipients.

Para 71 each call recipient can access the account number by logging in via the internet, by telephone, or the like. Preferably, the account number is available over the internet so that the call recipient can easily obtain the information via the provider and/or host website (606). If the login is unsuccessful, the customer service representative can assist in calling the recipient. The username and password can be electronically addressed to the call recipient (608).

Para 72 after logging into an account, the call recipient can deduct funds from the account, determine current bid ranks, increase or decrease bid amounts per contact, check account balances, check historical payments and contacts, and/or check account status (610). Thus, the amount charged per contact is preferably constantly variable, even after registration of the account. In this manner, the call recipient can view or change the ranking by accessing the contact list. The free market determines the minimum price per contact for each transaction received, maximizing revenue for the sponsor and/or host. The call recipient also keeps control over the number of contacts received. The call recipient can arrange to deposit funds into the bank account when the sponsor and/or host pays the call recipient. Payment occurs via check, electronic transfer, etc.

Para 73 the call recipient remains on the contact list (612) until removed. In one embodiment, the call recipient requests removal from the contact list (614). Thereafter, a notification (616) is sent to the call recipient to determine whether the call recipient wants to be placed back in the contact list (618). The call recipient receives a message from the system indicating the number of customer contacts lost during removal from the contact list. The message is used to persuade the call recipient to re-register with the system (620). The message is periodically sent to the call recipient (622). The call recipient receives the minimum or lowest bid if placed back in the contact list. Thereafter, the call recipient is asked to enter a new bid amount or to select the established minimum bid amount (624). The call recipient's bid cannot be higher than the maximum amount listed for the goods and/or services by the sponsor and/or host (626). During the time that the call recipient's bid is not above the maximum allowable bid amount, the call recipient is placed back on the list (628). Once placed back in the contact list, customer contacts are routed to the call recipient in accordance with the present invention.

Para 74 when the current call recipient bids higher than the amount charged by the originator and/or host, the call recipient is prompted to re-bid to be placed back in the contact list (624). Alternatively, the sponsor and/or host may keep the call recipient inactive, but open the account. The call recipient may be periodically charged (e.g., monthly) during the time the account is active.

Para 75 the call recipient may access a bank account to periodically deduct funds as needed. In addition, the call recipient may access its current ranking and increase the bid amount. The call recipient remains on the contact list while maintaining the active account as described above (630). If priority on the contact list is taken into account, the call recipient submits a lower bid to move to a location before the other call recipient, sending the message and the message regarding the change in location to the other call recipient (634). The call recipient will now have the highest ranking position on the contact list (632) if the goods and/or services are offered with the lowest bid. Messages sent to other call recipients are automatically generated by email, instant messaging, telephone voicemail messages, and the like. The call recipient is prompted to reduce the associated bid amount to obtain a higher position on the contact list, although the call recipient may act and remain in a lower priority position and charge a higher amount to provide the goods and/or services (636). The message conveys the current minimum bid amount and asks the call recipient to enter a new bid amount (638). The call recipient may establish a bank account to receive automatic deposits from the originator and/or the host. The voice recognition or window driven portion of the message may allow the call recipient to transfer additional funds from the originator and/or host account into a separate bank account. There is no need for the call recipient to log in online to accomplish this task. The automated system is capable of directly notifying the call recipient of the account balance. This step may be accomplished via an interactive voice recognition system, email, instant message, or by accessing a call recipient account. Of course, the promoter and/or host may employ an operator or customer service representative to receive responses to account requests.

Para 76 figure 7 shows a process for routing customer-initiated contacts in the form of telephone calls. The potential customer calls a system telephone number, preferably a toll free number or other local telephone number, a long distance number, a special 1-900 number, or any other suitable telephone number (700). The system determines whether the number is menu-assisted or requires menu assistance (702). VoIP provides another route for a user's call into the network to be connected to the call recipient. Routing of the call can be done entirely through the PSTN, partially through the PSTN, or not at all through the PSTN. For example, a customer initiates a call using the PSTN, but then is routed to the call recipient via VoIP. If the system is set up to identify the geographic location of the customer through caller identification (704), the call may be automatically routed to the call recipient at the first position or highest ranked bid position on the call list (706). Other calls may be automatically routed to the call recipient at the first location on the call list without identifying the customer location.

Para 77 if the telephone number is menu-assisted because of screening or caller identification by system design, the customer is prompted to select from various options or to select to connect to customer service. The customer may press the "0" button on the telephone keypad or verbally request customer service. The menu system may be built up based on the geographic location of the customer or the geographic location of the services provided. The customer can enter relevant location information such as area code, zip code, city, state, etc. through voice recognition or keypad entry. The customer may make other verbal or telephone keypad (708) inputs for other selections, such as the type of service. For example, a customer may request a taxi type. The customer can select a luxury, general, small truck, or the like vehicle. The selection may occur before the call or after the call is routed and before the call recipient answers the phone as described above (710).

Para 78 a customer may dial a "0" to seek customer service (712) or otherwise request customer service by speaking a telephone. Thereafter, the customer service representative routes (714) the call to the call recipient (716) at the first location on the call list. Alternatively, when the customer responds to the list of questions provided by the system, the system routes the call (716). A call recipient (706) at a first location on the appropriate call list receives the call. Alternatively, the system may route the customer to the call recipient that the customer previously contacted. There are many different ways of routing calls within the scope of the present invention. The system may consider dropped calls, satisfaction rates, bids (lowest rate or volume), call length, reputation, cost, etc. to determine call routing. In addition, the call recipient may be audibly listed for the customer. This listing process includes algorithms based on the criteria described above. Further, the system may randomly select call recipients or select call recipients based on a round robin method. Alternatively, a certain percentage of calls may be routed to the highest priority bidding call recipient (i.e., the lowest bidder), while another percentage of calls are routed to the next highest priority call recipient in the contact list that is below the bid line.

Para 79 the present invention also includes a "search engine," such as an automated telephone system similar to the dial 411 operator. In this embodiment, the call recipients are ranked by category based on industry and/or geographic location. In operation, a customer calls a telephone number with a telephone query. The customer is then routed to the particular call recipient's business by speaking the phone, entering information via a telephone keypad, or transmitting information via other similar methods. The "search engine" facilitates real-time connectivity between the customer and the call recipient. For example, call recipients who strive to sell 2003 Honda Accord issue classified ads within the system of the present invention. The call recipient pays a specific fee to the sponsor and/or host for each customer contact pursuant to the advertisement. The call recipient pays the originator and/or the host based on any of a number of criteria as previously described. For example, the sponsor and/or host may set a flat fee or minimum fee that may be paid by the call recipient. Alternatively, the call recipient may pay the sponsor and/or host a bid amount. When the call recipient bids certain fees, the present invention routes the potential customer to contact the highest bidding call recipient. For example, the first call recipient in an effort to sell 2003 Honda Accord places a fifty cents ($ 0.50) bid per contact. The call recipient has a higher routing priority than a second call recipient who also sells 2003 Honda Accord and has a forty cents ($ 0.40) bid for customer contact, although competition is not necessarily limited by the highest bid. The sponsor and/or host may create algorithms to take into account other parameters such as geographic location, dropped calls, satisfaction rate, number of bids, call length, reputation, cost, etc. In fact, on-demand classified systems bridge call recipients and users in the telephone market. In this example, the call recipient sells goods rather than providing services.

Para 80 once the call is routed to the call recipient, the call recipient must answer the call within a certain number of rings, such as 3 or 4 rings (718). If the call recipient does not answer, the system may prompt the customer to "please wait, you are being connected" (720). The system then routes the call to the next call recipient on the call list (722). If a common call recipient is unavailable (e.g., busy or on vacation), the customer is routed to another call recipient without leaving a message to the first call recipient. This enables lower ranked call recipients to receive calls despite the highest ranked call recipients receiving the most customer calls.

Para 81 call recipients (718) answering calls within a certain number of rings are presented with live customer calls or automated messages. The automated message may ask the call recipient, for example, "press 1 to accept" or "press 2 to reject" the telephone call. The voice response may also accept or decline the telephone call and be interpreted by voice recognition software or the like (724). If the call recipient declines the telephone call (726), the call recipient may be removed from the call list and not charged to the customer by the billing server (728). Alternatively, the system may not remove the call recipient from the call list, but the call recipient selectively accepts or rejects the call until the call recipient closes the bank account. In this event, the system routes the call to the next highest ranked call recipient in the list (722).

Para 82 the top ranked call recipient accepts the customer call via verbal acceptance, pressing a button on the telephone keypad, or simply answering the telephone call (730). The call is then established and registered in the billing server (732). Thereafter, upon completion of the provision of goods and/or services, each call "bid amount" of the call recipient is charged to the call recipient's account (734). Preferably, each call bid amount charged is automatically credited to the call recipient's account. The sponsor (736) benefits by the difference between the fee charged from the customer and the amount paid to the call recipient.

[ paragraph 83)]Even though the description provided above with reference to fig. 7 relates to customer-initiated contact in the form of a telephone call, such as a cellular telephone or POTS "landline" call, the invention is not so limited. Other forms of routing are also compatible with the present invention. Capable of uplink via Internet, VoIP link, satellite support (e.g., OnStar)^TM) Live voice sessions, automated dialers (including pre-programmed telephone or contact numbers), and any other system that does not require a potential customer to dial an actual telephone number. Non-voice based customer contacts such as electronic messages, dynamic routing including text messages, SMS messages, email messages, instant messages, etc. may also be compatible with the present invention. For example, an email-initiated customer contact may be routed to the relevant call recipient email address,Telephone devices, SMS devices, etc. Similarly, SMS or text message initiated customer requests may be routed to a corresponding call recipient SMS device, telephone device, or the like. The call recipient can respond by electronic message, or otherwise contacting the potential customer. Steps like those shown in fig. 7 may be applied to each type of communication contact initiated by the customer.

Para 84 during system design, the sponsor can create a scoring system that allows customers to evaluate call recipients. The evaluation criteria may include call recipient satisfaction or service pricing. The evaluation system may also allow the originator and/or host to rank call recipients with "star-rated" or "highest-evaluation" call recipients. A call recipient with a low score may have to pay a higher minimum bid or even terminate system participation to enable the system to maintain customer confidence. This quality control gives the user rich feedback on the behavior of the call recipient. The customer may evaluate the call recipient electronically at the end of the call or during a return call from the sponsor and/or host. The originator and/or host may also obtain call recipient satisfaction ranking and reputation information from the parallel web site. The assessments generated by the customer on other websites may include comments, expert feedback, and the like. An example of such a third-party website may include www.angieslist.com. Otherwise, customers with an experience that is not full of call recipients may return to the call recipient call list to select a new call recipient. Alternatively, the system may automatically route the customer to the next call recipient on the call recipient call list. The system function is similar to the internet search engine results page to enable the customer to select a first call recipient (or a first link on the internet search engine results page), talk to that particular call recipient, and if dissatisfied, return to the call recipient list and select a second call recipient (a second link on the internet search engine results page). This feature of the invention is similar to the internet search engine experience, but over the phone. Additionally, the customer may be recorded during the call so that a system administrator may monitor the quality therein. The above method guarantees the overall quality of the system and the value of the routed calls.

Para 85 in another alternative embodiment, a process for dynamically routing telephone customer contacts in real time is facilitated via an internet browser integrated into the telephone. For example, cellular telephones are now able to access the internet via any of a number of internet browsers installed therein. Internet browsers that support cellular telephones are often a modernized version of a larger, more comprehensive web browser for personal computer use. However, any internet-enabled telephone communication device capable of making or receiving telephone calls, such as a cellular telephone, VoIP, personal data assistant with telephone and internet connectivity, or a computer is suitable for use with this embodiment. In accordance with the present invention, a customer accesses a call recipient search engine web page via an internet-enabled browser. Accordingly, the customer searches for the call recipient by entering a set of search criteria. The search criteria include, but are not limited to, keywords, geography, type of goods or services, and the like. In this embodiment, the search engine web page displays a contact list of call recipients that match the search criteria. The contact list is orderable according to any method or algorithm disclosed herein, such as bid amount, geographic location, and/or keyword relevance. For example, in rank order, the highest bidding call recipient is the first on the contact list followed by the lower bidding call recipient. Alternatively, the search engine web page displays three highest bid call recipients, followed by a series of non-bid call recipients. The customer selects the call recipient directly from the search engine web page via an internet-enabled browser. Immediately thereafter, the telephone dials the telephone number of the selected call recipient to establish real-time customer contact with the call recipient. In an alternative embodiment, the internet-enabled browser automatically connects the customer to the call recipient. For example, a customer searches for a call recipient by entering a set of search criteria into a call recipient search engine via an internet-enabled browser. Thereafter, the routing system of the present invention immediately routes the customer to the call recipient without first displaying a contact list or any other aspect of the search results. Thereafter, a real-time communication link is established between the customer and the call recipient.

Para 86 additionally, the sponsor may need to pay a fixed fee to the host for operating the system of the present invention. The terms of the fee are determined by contractual obligations with the host. The contract may require payment for each new registered call recipient. Alternatively, the payment may include a portion of each per-contact fee. The charges may be paid periodically by sending a bill to the call recipient. Alternatively, the sponsor account can be automatically added for each charged contractor. The originator may directly credit the call recipient account or periodically bill the call recipient. Accordingly, the sponsor pays the host according to any of the above methods.

Para 87 the call recipient can advertise the service as needed. The cost for advertising occurs only when the call recipient needs to work or is in a location where more contacts can be received. The customer is routed directly to a call recipient who can respond immediately to the customer's needs.

Para 88 in another optional embodiment, the present invention may facilitate a competitive bidding system over the internet. A customer or call recipient may access or advertise a particular service via an internet search engine. The online system facilitates competitive bidding on how much the call recipient is willing to pay to receive customer contact.

Para 89 the present invention also enables an originator to establish a viable business model based on dynamic call routing to various businesses and/or call recipients. The sponsor may change the routing system to match specific business requirements.

Para 90 although several embodiments of the present invention have been described in detail for purposes of illustration, various modifications may be made to each embodiment without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Accordingly, the invention is not limited except as by the appended claims.

Claims

1. A process for dynamically routing telephone customer contacts in real time, comprising the steps of:

establishing an account of the call recipient in an electronic database;

creating a contact list of the call recipient from an account in an electronic database;

ranking the call recipients on a contact list;

receiving a contact from a customer; and

the customer is routed to the call recipient on the contact list.

2. A process according to claim 1 including the step of allowing call recipients to bid on each other for priority on the contact list.

3. A process according to claim 2 wherein the call recipient can place multiple bids.

4. A process according to claim 2 including listing only call recipients on the contact list who bid below the maximum bid.

5. The process of claim 2, wherein the contact list includes, at least in part, non-bidding call recipients.

6. The process of claim 5 wherein the bidding call recipient is a higher priority on the contact list relative to the non-bidding call recipient.

7. A process according to claim 1 including the step of notifying the call recipient when the call recipient ranking on the contact list changes.

8. A process according to claim 1 wherein the customer is routed to a call recipient selected by the customer.

9. A process according to claim 8 including the step of re-routing the customer to a new call recipient selected by the customer from the contact list.

10. The process of claim 1, wherein the ranking step comprises the step of compiling a contact list from the lowest bidding call recipient to the highest bidding call recipient, wherein the customer is routed to the lowest bidding call recipient.

11. A process according to claim 10 including the step of re-routing the customer to the next lowest bid call recipient on the contact list if the lowest bid call recipient does not respond or refuses customer contact.

12. The process of claim 1 wherein the ranking step comprises the step of compiling a contact list from the highest bidding call recipient to the lowest bidding call recipient, wherein the customer is routed to the highest bidding call recipient.

13. A process according to claim 12 including the step of re-routing the customer to the next highest bidding call recipient on the contact list if the highest bidding call recipient does not respond or refuses customer contact.

14. A process according to claim 1 wherein the ranking step comprises the step of compiling a contact list based on proximity of call recipients to customers, wherein customers are routed to call recipients located closest to the customers.

15. A process according to claim 14 including the step of re-routing the customer contact to the next closest call recipient on the contact list if the nearest call recipient does not respond or refuses the customer contact.

16. A process according to claim 1 wherein the ranking step comprises the step of compiling a contact list based on the geographic location of the customer.

17. The process of claim 16, including the step of determining the geographic location of the customer by customer-supplied geographic information, customer telephone caller identification, GPS-assisted positioning, triangulation, operator-assisted positioning, geolocation, satellite, or cellular telephone company-assisted positioning.

18. A process according to claim 1 wherein the ranking step comprises the step of compiling a contact list according to the rating of each call recipient on the contact list, wherein the customer is routed to the highest rated call recipient.

19. A process according to claim 18 including the step of re-routing the customer contact to the next highest rated call recipient if the highest rated call recipient does not respond or refuses customer contact.

20. The process of claim 1, wherein the ranking step comprises the step of compiling a contact list according to an algorithm based on the call recipient bids, the proximity of the call recipient to the customer, the geographic location of the customer, or the call recipient rate, wherein the customer is routed to the first call recipient according to the algorithm.

21. A process according to claim 20 including the step of re-routing the customer contact to the second call recipient according to the algorithm if the first call recipient does not respond or refuses the customer contact.

22. The process of claim 1, wherein the customer contact is received via a real-time communication link comprising a telephone link, a voice over internet protocol link, a satellite-enabled voice link, or an audiovisual link.

23. A process according to claim 1 wherein the customer contact comprises a live session between the customer and the call recipient via a real-time communication link or a customer-initiated electronic message.

24. A process according to claim 1, comprising the step of charging the customer a flat rate for the call recipient to contact or for goods and/or services received from the call recipient.

25. A process according to claim 24 including the step of crediting the call recipient account with the amount bid by the call recipient for receiving customer contact.

26. A process according to claim 25 in which the crediting step includes the step of periodically paying the call recipient.

27. A process according to claim 1, wherein the creating step comprises the step of combining a plurality of contact lists to form the provided contact list.

28. A process according to claim 1 including the step of delivering an advertisement to the customer prior to providing the contact list or prior to routing the customer to a call recipient on the contact list.

29. A process according to claim 28 in which a plurality of advertisers bid on each other for priority of delivery of advertisements.

30. A process according to claim 28 including charging the advertiser a bid amount or flat rate per delivered advertisement.

31. A process according to claim 28 in which the advertisement correlates customer contact, advertiser bids, or advertiser rates.

32. A process according to claim 1 wherein the receiving step comprises the step of selecting goods and/or services to generate a customer contact.

33. The process of claim 1 further comprising the step of advertising the call recipient contact system to the user and the potential call recipients.

34. A process according to claim 1 including listing to the call recipient a withdrawal price amount for each customer connection or call recipient listing, a flat fee for each call recipient listing, or a percentage of the withdrawal price amount for each customer connection.

35. A process for dynamically routing telephone customer contacts in real time, comprising the steps of:

establishing an account of the call recipient in an electronic database;

creating a contact list of call recipients from an account in an electronic database, wherein the contact list includes, at least in part, non-bidding call recipients;

allowing call recipients to bid on each other for priority on the contact list;

ranking the call recipients on the contact list according to their proximity to the customer;

receiving a contact from a customer;

routing the customer to a call recipient located closest to the customer on the contact list; and

if the nearest call recipient does not respond or rejects the customer contact, the customer contact is rerouted to the next closest call recipient on the contact list.

36. The process according to claim 35 further comprising the step of listing only call recipients on the contact list who bid below the maximum bid, wherein the call recipients can place multiple bids.

37. The process of claim 35 wherein the bidding call recipient is a higher priority on the contact list than the non-bidding call recipient.

38. A process according to claim 35 including the step of notifying the call recipient when the call recipient ranking on the contact list changes.

39. The process according to claim 35, further comprising the step of:

providing a contact list to the customer;

routing the customer to a call recipient selected by the customer; and

the customer is rerouted to a new call recipient selected by the customer from the contact list.

40. The process according to claim 35, further comprising the step of:

compiling a contact list from a lowest bid call recipient to a highest bid call recipient, wherein the customer is routed to the lowest bid call recipient; and

if the lowest bidding call recipient does not respond or refuses customer contact, the customer is rerouted to contact the next lowest bidding call recipient on the contact list.

41. The process according to claim 35, further comprising the step of:

compiling a contact list from the highest bidding call recipient to the lowest bidding call recipient, wherein the customer is routed to the highest bidding call recipient; and

if the highest bidding call recipient does not respond or refuses customer contact, the customer is rerouted to contact the next highest bidding call recipient on the contact list.

42. The process according to claim 35, further comprising the step of:

compiling a contact list according to the geographic position of the customer; and

the geographic location of the customer is determined by geographic information provided by the customer, customer telephone caller identification, GPS assisted positioning, triangulation, operator assisted positioning, geolocation, satellite, or cell phone company assisted positioning.

43. A process for dynamically routing telephone customer contacts in real time, comprising the steps of:

establishing an account of the call recipient in an electronic database;

allowing call recipients to bid on each other for a priority on a contact list, wherein the bidding call recipient is a higher priority on the contact list relative to non-bidding call recipients;

listing only call recipients having a bid on the contact list below a maximum bid, wherein the call recipients can place a plurality of bids;

receiving a contact from a customer;

44. The process according to claim 43, further comprising the step of:

notifying the call recipient when the call recipient ranking on the contact list changes;

providing a contact list to the customer;

routing the customer to a call recipient selected by the customer; and

45. The process according to claim 43, further comprising the step of:

46. The process according to claim 43, further comprising the step of:

compiling a contact list from a highest bidding call recipient to a lowest bidding call recipient, wherein the customer is routed to the highest bidding call recipient; and

47. The process according to claim 43, further comprising the step of: