Patents by Inventor Sean Van der Linden
Sean Van der Linden has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).
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Patent number: 10769720Abstract: Methods and apparatuses to connect people for services delivered via real time communications and to optionally generate leads to new customers for the services. One embodiment includes: providing a communication reference to an entity for distribution to customers; establishing connections for real time communications between the entity and the customers in response to requests made via the communication reference; charging the customers on behalf of the entity using a process to establish the connections for a service of the entity provided to the customers over the connections; presenting the service of the entity to customers on behalf of the entity; charging the entity a first fee according to what the entity charges a customer for the service; and charging the entity a second fee according to a bid price specified by the entity in response to a determination that the presenting of the service leads to the customer.Type: GrantFiled: August 18, 2017Date of Patent: September 8, 2020Assignee: Thryv, Inc.Inventors: Ebbe Altberg, Scott Faber, Ron Hirson, Sean Van Der Linden
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Patent number: 10425538Abstract: Methods and apparatuses to present advertisements on mobile devices for communication connections of multiple content types. In one embodiment, a method includes: providing an advertisement to a mobile device, the advertisement to include a communication reference to be used by the mobile device to request a communication connection; and billing for the advertisement in response to an initiation of a communication, comprising more than one of text, voice, audio, image, and video, via the communication reference.Type: GrantFiled: September 28, 2006Date of Patent: September 24, 2019Assignee: YELLOWPAGES.COM LLCInventors: Ebbe Altberg, Scott Faber, Ron Hirson, Sean Van Der Linden
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Patent number: 10380631Abstract: Systems and methods to provide advertisements based on the content of documents in which the advertisements are presented. One embodiment includes: a web server to receive a request for an advertisement in reference to a document provided to a user by a content provider; a backend server to identify the advertisement based on relevancy of the advertisement to the content of the document and to associate a communication reference with the advertisement and the content provider, the web server to provide the advertisement and the reference for inclusion in the document; and a telecommunication server coupled to a session border controller and the backend server to receive a connection request via the reference, to determine contact information of the advertiser and identify the content provider based on the reference, and to establish the connection between the user and the advertiser using the determined contact information.Type: GrantFiled: June 29, 2015Date of Patent: August 13, 2019Assignee: YELLOWPAGES.COM LLCInventors: Ebbe Altberg, Scott Faber, Ron Hirson, Sean Van Der Linden, Paul G. Manca
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Patent number: 10380637Abstract: Methods and apparatuses to dynamically allocate location dependent telephone numbers to facilitate voice connections between people. One embodiment includes: responsive to a request from a user, selecting a telephone number from a plurality of telephone numbers of a connection server to match a location indicator of the request; embedding the telephone number in an advertisement, the telephone number to be used by the user to initiate a telephone call to the connection server for further connection to an advertiser of the advertisement; and providing the advertisement with the telephone number of the connection server as a response to the request. In one embodiment, responsive to receiving the telephone call at the telephone number of the connection server from the user, whether to play a prompt message to the user is determined based at least in part on statistic data about telephone calls collected at the connection server.Type: GrantFiled: March 14, 2016Date of Patent: August 13, 2019Assignee: YELLOWPAGES.COM LLCInventors: Ebbe Altberg, Christopher Scott Crothers, Scott Faber, Ron Hirson, Paul G. Manca, Sean Van Der Linden
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Patent number: 10210531Abstract: Methods and systems to specify complex geographic areas for advertisements to connect advertisers and customers for real time communications. One embodiment includes: a web server to present a user interface to receive input specifying a plurality of geographic areas and one or more operations to combine the plurality of geographic areas into a geographic area of service of an advertisement and to provide the advertisement with a reference of a connection server for presentation to a customer when a location of the customer matches with the geographic area of service of the advertisement; and a connection server to receive a request from the customer for a connection to an advertiser of the advertisement and to provide the connection for real time communications between the customer and the advertiser in response to the request made via the reference of the connection server.Type: GrantFiled: September 26, 2007Date of Patent: February 19, 2019Assignee: YELLOWPAGES.COM LLCInventors: Ebbe Altberg, Scott Faber, Ron Hirson, Paul G. Manca, Sean Van Der Linden, Jennifer R Zagofsky
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Patent number: 10147099Abstract: Methods and apparatuses to dynamically customize a listing to track a selected type of responses to be generated from a presentation of the customized listing, where the selection of the type of responses is based at least in part on one or more characteristics of the request for the listing. One embodiment includes receiving a request for a listing of an entity; determining a characteristic of the request; selecting a type of responses for the listing based on the determined characteristic; generating a version of the listing to track the type of responses that are responsive to a presentation of the listing; and providing the version of the listing in response to the request.Type: GrantFiled: December 19, 2007Date of Patent: December 4, 2018Assignee: YELLOWPAGES.COM LLCInventors: Ebbe Altberg, Jonathan Chang, Scott Faber, Ron Hirson, Sean Van Der Linden
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Patent number: 10102550Abstract: Systems and methods to provide telephonic connections. In one embodiment, a method includes: providing a listing on a marketplace, the listing including an assigned reference to be used to initiate a real time communication connection; and billing for a real time communication lead generated from presenting the listing in response to a real time communication initiated via the reference. In one embodiment, a method includes: conducting online auction of telephonic leads; determining a way to present listings based at least partially on received price bids on the telephonic leads (e.g., the order of placement, the selection for placement, etc); and providing the listings with information to initiate a telephonic connection in a way trackable to measure a number of telephonic calls generated from presenting the listings.Type: GrantFiled: March 16, 2017Date of Patent: October 16, 2018Assignee: YELLOWPAGES.COM LLCInventors: Ebbe Altberg, Scott Faber, Ron Hirson, Sean Van Der Linden
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Patent number: 10102548Abstract: Methods and apparatuses to connect telephone calls and track information about the telephone calls resulting from advertisements for groups of advertisers. For example, a method includes: determining a geographic area after receiving a telephone call to a first telephone number publicized in an advertisement; determining a telephone number of a first advertiser; and connecting the telephone call to the telephone number of the first advertiser, the first advertiser billed for the advertisement based on telephonic connections made to connect the first advertiser and telephone calls to the first telephone number.Type: GrantFiled: August 7, 2013Date of Patent: October 16, 2018Assignee: YELLOWPAGES.COM LLCInventors: Ebbe Altberg, Marc Barach, Scott Faber, Michael Fordyce, Chris Hickson, Ron Hirson, John Somorjai, Sean Van Der Linden
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Patent number: 10089658Abstract: Systems and methods to selectively block calls from reaching destinations based on an input received from a callback connection. One embodiment includes a web server to receive a selection of an advertisement from an customer and to obtain a communication reference from the customer in response to the selection; a session border controller to interface with a packet switched network; and one or more telecommunication servers coupled to the session border controller and the web server, the one or more telecommunication servers to establish a connection for real time communications using the communication reference, to initiate a connection for real time communications with an advertiser of the advertisement after receiving an indication of acceptance of the connection established using the communication reference; where the advertiser is charged an advertisement fee in response to establishing a connection for real time communications between the advertiser and the customer.Type: GrantFiled: June 7, 2017Date of Patent: October 2, 2018Assignee: YELLOWPAGES.COM LLCInventors: Ebbe Altberg, Scott Faber, Ron Hirson, Paul G. Manca, Sean Van Der Linden, Virginia Hong-Jia Yang
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Patent number: 10074110Abstract: Methods and apparatuses to connect telephone calls and track information about the telephone calls resulting from advertisements on mobile/wireless media channels. In one embodiment, a method includes: assigning a telephone number to an advertiser, one of the telephone number and a reference to the telephone number to be included in an advertisement provided to an end user via a wireless media; and, monitoring telephone connections to the telephone number to bill the advertiser for the advertisement in response to each telephone connection to the telephone number. In one embodiment, a method includes: a first party providing an advertisement to a mobile device on behalf of an advertiser, the advertisement to include at least a reference to a telephonic connection with the advertiser; and, the first party collecting a fee from the advertiser in response to a telephonic connection being established between the advertiser and customer.Type: GrantFiled: November 11, 2008Date of Patent: September 11, 2018Assignee: YELLOWPAGES.COM LLCInventors: Anuj Agarwal, Nitin Ahuja, Ebbe Altberg, Scott Faber, Mark Arthur Buchler Halstead, Sean Van Der Linden
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Patent number: 9984377Abstract: A method and system of advertising. In response to a request received from an advertiser, an audio advertisement is generated based on visual advertisement information. The audio advertisement is provided for presentation on behalf of the advertiser. In one embodiment, the audio advertisement is an abbreviated form of the visual advertisement information. A determination is made as to whether a call from a customer has been connected to the advertiser via the audio advertisement. The advertiser is charged a predefined fee if it is determined that a call from a customer has been connected to the advertiser via the audio advertisement. In one embodiment, a text for a first advertisement presentable in a first media type is received to generate an abbreviated text for a second advertisement presentable in a second media type.Type: GrantFiled: January 18, 2007Date of Patent: May 29, 2018Assignee: YELLOWPAGES.COM LLCInventors: Ebbe Altberg, Scott Faber, Ron Hirson, Sean Van Der Linden, Ben Harris Lyon, Paul G. Manca
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Publication number: 20180012294Abstract: Methods and apparatuses to connect people for services delivered via real time communications and to optionally generate leads to new customers for the services. One embodiment includes: providing a communication reference to an entity for distribution to customers; establishing connections for real time communications between the entity and the customers in response to requests made via the communication reference; charging the customers on behalf of the entity using a process to establish the connections for a service of the entity provided to the customers over the connections; presenting the service of the entity to customers on behalf of the entity; charging the entity a first fee according to what the entity charges a customer for the service; and charging the entity a second fee according to a bid price specified by the entity in response to a determination that the presenting of the service leads to the customer.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 18, 2017Publication date: January 11, 2018Inventors: Ebbe ALTBERG, Scott FABER, Ron HIRSON, Sean VAN DER LINDEN
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Patent number: 9836767Abstract: Methods and systems to facilitate real time communications and commerce via answers presented to questions. One embodiment includes one or more web servers to receive from a second user an answer to a question of a first user, and to present the answer with a communication reference of a connection provider to a third user; a session border controller of the connection provider to interface with a packet switched network; and one or more telecommunication servers of the connection provider coupled with the session border controller to connect the third user to the second user for real time communications in response to a request made via the communication referenced. One embodiment includes: receiving from a second user an answer to a question of a first user; and presenting to a third user the answer with a reference for requesting fee-based content from or real time communications with the second user.Type: GrantFiled: July 18, 2016Date of Patent: December 5, 2017Inventors: Ebbe Altberg, Scott Faber, Ron Hirson, Sean Van Der Linden
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Patent number: 9787728Abstract: Methods and apparatuses to provide telephonic connections to members of a social network. One embodiment includes: identifying a first member connected to a second member in a social network; determining whether profile data of the first member of the social network includes a telephonic reference of the first member; presenting a user interface element to the second member over a data communication network in response to a determination that the profile data of the first member includes the telephonic reference of the first member; and responsive to a selection of the user interface element, initiating a first telephonic connection to the first member using the telephonic reference of the first member and a second telephonic connection to the second member to provide a telephonic connection between the first member and the second member.Type: GrantFiled: June 11, 2015Date of Patent: October 10, 2017Assignee: YELLOWPAGES.COM LLCInventors: Ebbe Altberg, Scott Faber, Ron Hirson, Sean Van Der Linden
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Publication number: 20170270569Abstract: Systems and methods to selectively block calls from reaching destinations based on an input received from a callback connection. One embodiment includes a web server to receive a selection of an advertisement from an customer and to obtain a communication reference from the customer in response to the selection; a session border controller to interface with a packet switched network; and one or more telecommunication servers coupled to the session border controller and the web server, the one or more telecommunication servers to establish a connection for real time communications using the communication reference, to initiate a connection for real time communications with an advertiser of the advertisement after receiving an indication of acceptance of the connection established using the communication reference; where the advertiser is charged an advertisement fee in response to establishing a connection for real time communications between the advertiser and the customer.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 7, 2017Publication date: September 21, 2017Inventors: Ebbe Altberg, Scott Faber, Ron Hirson, Paul G. Manca, Sean Van Der Linden, Virginia Hong-Jia Yang
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Patent number: 9767510Abstract: Methods and apparatuses to connect people for services delivered via real time communications and to optionally generate leads to new customers for the services. One embodiment includes: providing a communication reference to an entity for distribution to customers; establishing connections for real time communications between the entity and the customers in response to requests made via the communication reference; charging the customers on behalf of the entity using a process to establish the connections for a service of the entity provided to the customers over the connections; presenting the service of the entity to customers on behalf of the entity; charging the entity a first fee according to what the entity charges a customer for the service; and charging the entity a second fee according to a bid price specified by the entity in response to a determination that the presenting of the service leads to the customer.Type: GrantFiled: May 30, 2008Date of Patent: September 19, 2017Assignee: YELLOWPAGES.COM LLCInventors: Ebbe Altberg, Scott Faber, Ron Hirson, Sean Van Der Linden
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Patent number: 9704182Abstract: Systems and methods to selectively block calls from reaching destinations based on an input received from a callback connection. One embodiment includes a web server to receive a selection of an advertisement from an customer and to obtain a communication reference from the customer in response to the selection; a session border controller to interface with a packet switched network; and one or more telecommunication servers coupled to the session border controller and the web server, the one or more telecommunication servers to establish a connection for real time communications using the communication reference, to initiate a connection for real time communications with an advertiser of the advertisement after receiving an indication of acceptance of the connection established using the communication reference; where the advertiser is charged an advertisement fee in response to establishing a connection for real time communications between the advertiser and the customer.Type: GrantFiled: May 29, 2015Date of Patent: July 11, 2017Assignee: YELLOWPAGES.COM LLCInventors: Ebbe Altberg, Scott Faber, Ron Hirson, Paul G. Manca, Sean Van Der Linden, Virginia Hong-Jia Yang
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Publication number: 20170186050Abstract: Systems and methods to provide telephonic connections. In one embodiment, a method includes: providing a listing on a marketplace, the listing including an assigned reference to be used to initiate a real time communication connection; and billing for a real time communication lead generated from presenting the listing in response to a real time communication initiated via the reference. In one embodiment, a method includes: conducting online auction of telephonic leads; determining a way to present listings based at least partially on received price bids on the telephonic leads (e.g., the order of placement, the selection for placement, etc); and providing the listings with information to initiate a telephonic connection in a way trackable to measure a number of telephonic calls generated from presenting the listings.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 16, 2017Publication date: June 29, 2017Inventors: Ebbe ALTBERG, Scott FABER, Ron HIRSON, Sean VAN DER LINDEN
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Patent number: 9639863Abstract: Systems and methods to provide telephonic connections. In one embodiment, a method includes: providing a listing on a marketplace, the listing including an assigned reference to be used to initiate a real time communication connection; and billing for a real time communication lead generated from presenting the listing in response to a real time communication initiated via the reference. In one embodiment, a method includes: conducting online auction of telephonic leads; determining a way to present listings based at least partially on received price bids on the telephonic leads (e.g., the order of placement, the selection for placement, etc); and providing the listings with information to initiate a telephonic connection in a way trackable to measure a number of telephonic calls generated from presenting the listings.Type: GrantFiled: May 28, 2013Date of Patent: May 2, 2017Assignee: YELLOWPAGES.COM LLCInventors: Ebbe Altberg, Scott Faber, Ron Hirson, Sean Van Der Linden
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Patent number: 9553851Abstract: Methods and systems to facilitate real time communications via a telephonic apparatuses that support data communications. In one embodiment, a telephonic apparatus includes: a network interface to submit a query over a data communication network and to receive a listing with embedded information about the query; and a call module coupled to the network interface, the call module to embed the information about the query in a call signaling message for a telephonic connection according to the listing.Type: GrantFiled: August 3, 2015Date of Patent: January 24, 2017Assignee: YELLOWPAGES.COM LLCInventors: Mehul Jain, Scott Faber, Nitin Ahuja, Anuj Agarwal, Sean Van Der Linden, Ebbe Altberg, Ron Hirson