Click-to-dial Document Rendering with Sponsored VoIP Calls
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current VoIP and packet-based communication systems charge users for calls, limiting accessibility and affordability, especially for long-distance communications.
Innovation Solution
A method and system that integrates phone number recognition in documents to render clickable call icons, allowing users to initiate VoIP calls, with optional sponsorship-based free or reduced-cost calls, featuring advertising support and location-specific services.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If service providers charge fees for VoIP calls, then service quality and infrastructure maintenance are ensured, but user accessibility and affordability deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an advertisement server as an intermediary that mediates between users and service providers. The advertisement server provides sponsored calling services where advertisers fund calls in exchange for displaying advertisements, thereby subsidizing call costs for users while maintaining service quality infrastructure
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes the economic parameter of call pricing by introducing sponsored calls with advertising revenue. Instead of direct user payment, the cost structure shifts to include advertising revenue streams, transforming the pricing model from user-paid to advertiser-subsidized
2Device complexity
If traditional phone number display is used in documents, then document simplicity is maintained, but user convenience for initiating calls deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the phone number display with interactive call initiation functionality. By integrating clickable call icons that embed phone numbers within web documents, the system combines information display with direct action capability, allowing users to initiate calls with a single click while maintaining document readability
Solution Approach 2:
The system replaces the mechanical action of manually dialing phone numbers with an electronic click-to-dial interface. The clickable call icons substitute the traditional manual dialing process, enabling users to initiate calls through simple clicking actions within the web document environment
3Ease of operation
If click-to-dial functionality is integrated into web documents, then call initiation convenience is improved, but system complexity and advertising integration requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The advertisement server performs multiple functions: it manages sponsored calling services, displays advertisements to fund calls, tracks call metrics for advertisers, and integrates with the click-to-dial infrastructure. This multi-functionality consolidates complexity into a single unified system rather than requiring separate components
Data Source
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AI summary
A method for rendering a document is disclosed. The method includes identifying a phone number in the document. The sponsorship configuration of the phone number is then determined. A caller account configuration is also determined. The caller account configuration is associated with a user of a device and the device is configured to display the document. The document is amended to format the phone number according to the sponsorship configuration and the caller account configuration.