January 12, 2006
Google looking to patent single-click dialing for advertisers
Google Inc. is working to patent a wireless marketing method that would allow users to dial an advertiser's phone number with a single click, according to a U.S. Patent & Trademark Office application published last week, reports RCR News via Moco News.
"The document outlines a mobile marketing strategy that delivers advertisements that include clickable phone numbers.
"The present invention concerns adapting an online ad environment to make ads more useful for devices with call functionality, and/or a limited ability to render Web pages in a manner more satisfying to a user… such as mobile phones for example," according to the document.
... How Google's proposed marketing method is worthy of a patent is unclear, however. Many text message search services already include links to phone numbers that users can dial with a single click".
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