GB2466440A

GB2466440A - Website directory providing temporary phone numbers

Info

Publication number: GB2466440A
Application number: GB0823021A
Authority: GB
Inventors: James Edward Barrington-Brown; Kingsley Tart; Chris Fitzsimons
Original assignee: SKYMARKET Ltd
Current assignee: SKYMARKET Ltd
Priority date: 2008-12-18
Filing date: 2008-12-18
Publication date: 2010-06-23
Also published as: GB0823021D0

Abstract

A website based directory which provides proxy non-geographic telephone numbers for a set allocated to the directory service, which a user can ring to be connected to ordinary geographic and permanent telephone numbers. The temporary numbers may be dynamically overlaid so that they are allocated to a particular search query result for a period of time, so that frequent searches, do not produce conflicting reference numbers, yet the total number of phone numbers needed by the directory database will be small in order to allocate a track to calls made through the website. The available non-geographic numbers may be re-used in sequence so that oldest numbers are used first. A follow-up call to the searched company number may be made to try to solicit further advertising business. Calls may be transferred to different telephone lines at different times of day and message taking or caller IDs provided.

Description

Website directories The present invention relates to Website directories and the like, and in particular directories containing telephone numbers..

In general, telephone numbers are in short supply. Within the UK, Ofcom oversees the allocation of all number ranges in the UK, typically to telecommunications companies like Skycom and BT, who then supply them to businesses all over the UK. Most small businesses just need a single geographic (like 0207) or non-geographic (like 0845) number, but some businesses require more (for a fax line, or perhaps to track advertising). Some online businesses require much larger allocations, particularly those that run online business directories. Such an online directory might be supplied for example with 1000 or so unique non-geographic phone numbers that they could use to manually replace the geographic phone numbers belonging to any business on the directory website, and this provides substantial benefits.

Unfortunately the larger directories like www.yell.com cannot use this option, because the volume of numbers required makes it unpractical. www.yeiL corn *...

has a database of maybe 2.5 million businesses and would therefore need at least 2.5 million phone numbers to cater for them all. If it is assumed there are :20 perhaps 20 online business directories widely used in the UK then that's a potential requirement for 50 million phone numbers. S... ** * * . .

* There is therefore a problem of capacity in the allocation of non-geographic numbers in the context of Internet websites. A normal non-geographic (NGN) phone number like an 0845 number has a maximum of only 7 digits to play with -e.g 0845 888 9999. Even if every 0845 number that exists were allocated, that would only be 10 million numbers, which would be barely enough for 4 large directories such as yell.com

Summary of the Invention

It is an object of the present invention to solve the above mentioned problem.

We have developed a dynamic overlay system that can be used to replace telephone numbers on online listings.

The present invention in one aspect provides a method of operating a Website which includes a a data collection of a plurality of data items, each data item including at least one geographic phone number, the method comprising: providing a store of a plurality of non-geographic telephone numbers, and, in response to an enquiry or search request from a client, providing a result comprising one or more of said data items, and replacing in said result, one or more of said geographic phone numbers, with one or more of said non-geographic numbers from said store.

In a further aspect, the invention provides a Website which includes a a data collection of a plurality of data items, each data item including at least one * 15 geographic phone number, and the website including a store of a plurality of non-geographic telephone numbers, and the Website being arranged such that in response to an enquiry or search request from a client, a result is provided *:*. comprising one or more of said data items, and wherein one or more of said geographic phone numbers contained in said result is replaced with one or more of said non-geographic numbers from said store. *.**

S S. I * S I

* For the purpose of the present invention "Website" is intended to mean one or more files held on one or more Web servers, and defining one or more Web pages, each Web page have an associated Web address, or URL. The Website may be accessed across the Internet, Intranet, or other communication network.

For the purpose of the present invention "Data collection" is intended to include a database, directory, or other assembly of a plurality of separate data items.

The present invention provides the following features: * A method of dynamically replacing phone numbers shown on the internet with other phone numbers.

* A method of allowing a follow-up phone call to be placed automatically to a recent recipient of a call and offering them an IVR-driven choice to respond, placing a return call to the originator of the primary call.

* A method of routing a call to the overlaid number of a business listed on an online directory according to the day and time parameters specified by the advertiser.

* A method of routing a call to the overlaid number of a business listed on an online directory and then rerouting the call to a series of subsequent destinations or staff using a set of time-dependant criteria specified by the advertiser.

* A method of routing a call to the overlaid number of a business listed on an online directory and then rerouting the call to a message-taking facility.

* A method of routing a fax to the overlaid number of a business listed on an online directory and then rendering the faxed document as an * attachment to an email and emailing it to the advertiser.

* 20 * A method of routing a call to the overlaid number of a business listed on an online directory and presenting on "caller ID" the number that the caller dialled, rather than the dialled number.

* A method of generating revenue from the overlaid number of a business listed on an online directory.

* A method of routing a call to the overlaid number of a business listed on an online directory and presenting on a call announcement whisper "this call has been brought to you by xxx".

* A method of recording statistics upon routing a call to the overlaid number of a business listed on an online directory.

* A method of recording telephone calls to the overlaid number of a business listed on an online directory and either emailing the sound file or allowing to collection from the server.

Brief Description of the Drawings

A preferred embodiment of the invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a screenshot of a prior art Web page listing a directory of small firms (solicitors), showing ways in which telephone numbers are represented; and Figure 2 is a flow chart showing operation of a preferred embodiment of the invention.

Description of the Preferred Embodiment

Referring to Figure 1, a screenshot of a search on www.yell.com for "lawyers" in "lslington" returns results, of which a few are shown for the purposes of this *:*:* example. Telephone numbers ringed as at 2 are for businesses with non geographic numbers (NGN), and those ringed as at 4 are for businesses using geographic numbers (020 numbers).

A directory such as Yell.com cannot manually allocted NGN -they would need a maximum of 2.5 million numbers were they to do so, as they deal with every business in the UK potentially. So would every other business directory. The resource simply does not exist for this.

The present invention provides a means of permitting large directories to apply NGN to each listing, and, in a preferred embodiment of the present invention, as shown in Figure 2 in terms of a flow chart, phone numbers are assigned to the Dynamic Number Overlay System (DNOS) in which: 1) All phone numbers owned by the DNOS are placed into a central "pool".

2) Each time a search is performed on a business directory, a number is dynamically allocated to each listing shown, overlaying each advertiser's actual phone number.

3) Once displayed, the DNOS ensures that number remains assigned to that listing for a minimum of x days, so it can display the same number if the listing is shown again, if searched for.

4) If at any point the DNOS needs to allocate a number from the pool to a listing on any directoty and the only numbers available are numbers already previously assigned to other listings, the DNOS uses the one that was displayed least recently, as long as the x day minimum period has been met.

5) If the pool cannot supply any numbers then the business listing would display its actual number.

Using the system of the invention, the same numbers could be reused over and over again across all directories and listings, so the requirement is radically *:*: minimised. There is a strong number conservation angle here, as the system maximises the use of the numbers, rather than simply allocating them to a *:*. listing and leaving it there, which is quite a poor use of a limited resource.

Once a number is overlaid we can deploy a series of advanced features: 1) Follow-up S...

If a visitor to a directory incorporating the invention, searches for example for a lawyer in lslington and subsequently calls them, the DNOS will place a follow-up call to the lawyer once that call has ended. When the lawyer picks up, they will hear an announcement advising them that the last call was generated by a search on the directory website and offering them the chance to "press 1" to find out how to get more calls like that last one" or similar. If they then press 1, a call is placed to the advertising sales team at the directory. If the lawyer does not wish to place that call, "press 2" will cancel the process. "press 3' permits recording of a message which would be emailed to the yell.com sales team.

2) Announcements If a visitor to the directory searches for a lawyer in lslington and subsequently calls them, the DNOS can play an announcement to the recipient so when the lawyer picks up, they will initially hear an announcement advising them that the call was generated by a search on the directory website.

3) Unified Communications Every number supplied by the DNOS of the invention can have advanced routing capabilities built in, so for example we would look to firstly allow the advertiser to route calls through to his staff on a "day-parted" basis, where he can specify the day/time segments that he wishes the calls to arrive at specific destinations. We will also allow the advertiser to route calls to subsequent parties on a route plan, and also to use the standard voicemail and fax-to-email facilities.

*.. This would mean that an advertiser (for example with staff members Tom, Dick ** and Harry) could specify the following if they wished: * . a) Their overlaid number is displayed on their listing during a business search *S es** * 20 on yell.com b) The caller dials that number S. *S *:*. c) The DNOS consults the day parting set up for that number and realises that because it is a Saturday at 3pm, Tom is first in line to receive a call.

d) Tom's phone rings e) If Tom doesn't pick up after a given period of time, Dick's phone rings f) If Dick fails to pick up after a given period of time, Harry's phone rings.

g) Harry picks up (potentially hearing the directory announcement at this point) and speaks with the caller h) When the call is over, Harry hangs up j) The DNOS calls Harry k) Harry picks up and hears the follow-up announcement I) Harry presses 1 to be connected to the directory sales team m) The phone rings in the directory sales team office n) A member of the sales team picks up and speaks with Harry about a more prominent advert on the directory directory * ** * * * * ** * * *... ** S * S S * SS *

*S***S * S 0*SS

S *S.S S. * * * . * S.

Claims

CLAIMS: 1. A method of operating a Website which includes a a data collection of a plurality of data items, each data item including at least one geographic phone number, the method comprising: providing a store of a plurality of non-geographic telephone numbers, and, in response to an enquiry or search request from a client, providing a result comprising one or more of said data items, and replacing in said result, one or more of said geographic phone numbers, with one or more of said non-geographic numbers from said store.
2. A Website which includes a data collection of a plurality of data items, each data item including at least one geographic phone number, and the website including a store of a plurality of non-geographic telephone numbers, and the Website being arranged such that in 0*** response to an enquiry or search request from a client, a result is provided comprising one or more of said data items, and wherein one S or more of said geographic phone numbers contained in said result is *SS.S' * replaced with one or more of said non-geographic numbers from said : 20 store. ****
3. A method as claimed in claim 1 or website as claimed in claim 2, wherein all geographic phone numbers contained in said result are replaced by respective said non-geographic numbers from said store.
4. A method or website according to any preceding claim, wherein the replacement of said one or more geographic numbers with one or more said non-geographic numbers is maintained for a predetermined time period.
5. A method or website according to claim 4, wherein if the only numbers available in said store are numbers already previously assigned to other listings, the number is used that was displayed least recently, as long as the x day minimum period has been met.
6. A method or website according to claim 5, wherein if the store has no numbers for allocation, then the result displays the relevant geographic numbers.
7. A method or website according to any preceding claim, wherein a follow-up phone call is placed automatically to a recent recipient of a call and offering them a choice to respond.
8. A method or website according to any preceding claim wherein said replacing takes place according to day and time parameters specified.
9. A method or website according to any preceding claim, including routing a call to the replacement number, and then rerouting the call to a series of subsequent destinations or staff using a set of time-dependant criteria specified by the advertiser.

:1::
1O.A method or website according to any preceding claim including * .** routing a call to the replacement number, and then rerouting the call to a message-taking facility.
11.A method or website according to any preceding claim, including routing a call to the replacement number and presenting on "caller ID" the number that the caller dialled.