Systems and methods for determining, collecting, and using geographic locations of Internet users

• US 20050021853A1
• Filed: 02/24/2004
• Published: 01/27/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 05/03/1999
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Benjamin Lutch, Neal K. Tibrewala, Robert B. Friedman, Sanjay M. Parekh
• Original Assignee: Benjamin Lutch, Neal K. Tibrewala, Robert B. Friedman, Sanjay M. Parekh
• Inventors: Parekh, Sanjay M., Friedman, Robert B., Lutch, Benjamin, Tibrewala, Neal K.
• Granted Patent: US 7,451,233 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/245
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/29 Geographical information databases
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9537 Spatial or temporal dependent retrieval, e.g. spatiotemporal queries
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3224 Transactions dependent on location of M-devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2101/30 Types of network names
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2101/69 using geographic information, e.g. room number
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/12 Discovery or management of network topologies
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/50 Testing arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/30 Managing network names, e.g. use of aliases or nicknames name-to-address mapping H04L61/45
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/35 involving non-standard use of addresses for implementing network functionalities, e.g. coding subscription information within the address or functional addressing, i.e. assigning an address to a function
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/4511 using domain name system [DNS]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/306 User profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/52 specially adapted for the location of the user terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/53 using third party service providers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/535 Tracking the activity of the user network monitoring arrangements H04L43/00; recording of computer activity G06F11/34
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/023 using mutual or relative location information between multiple location based services [LBS] targets or of distance thresholds
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/18 Information format or content conversion, e.g. adaptation by the network of the transmitted or received information for the purpose of wireless delivery to users or terminals

Abstract

A method of determining a geographic location of an Internet user involves determining if the host is on-line, determining ownership of the host name, and then determining the route taken in delivering packets to the user. Based on the detected route, the method proceeds with determining the geographic route based on the host locations and then assigning a confidence level to the assigned location. A system collects the geographic information and allows web sites or other entities to request the geographic location of their visitors. The database of geographic locations may be stored in a central location or, alternatively, may be at least partially located at the web site. With this information, web sites can target content, advertising, or route traffic depending upon the geographic locations of their visitors. Through web site requests for geographic information, a central database tracks an Internet user'"'"'s traffic on the Internet whereby a profile can be generated. In addition to this profile, the central database can store visitor'"'"'s preferences as to what content should be delivered to an IP address, the available interface, and the network speed associated with that IP address.

Claims

1-36. -36. (Canceled)

37. An automated computer-implemented method of determining a geographic location of an Internet user, comprising:

receiving at least one of an IP address, host name or domain name associated with the Internet user, wherein the IP address, host name or domain name are associated with a target host;

obtaining a route through the Internet to the target host, the route containing intermediate hosts;

determining strings of characters associated with geographic naming conventions for at least some of the intermediate hosts contained in the route;

determining geographic locations associated with at least some of the intermediate hosts by use of a database correlating the strings of characters to geographic locations; and

automatically determining the geographic location of the Internet user by analysis of the route and the geographic locations of at least some of the intermediate hosts.

38. The method of claim 37, further comprising deriving the geographic location for an unknown intermediate host within the route that does not have an associated string of characters associated with a geographic naming convention by determining the geographic location of an entity that owns the unknown intermediate host.

39. The method of claim 37, further comprising storing the geographic location of the Internet user in a database along with the geographic locations of a plurality of other Internet users.

40. The method of claim 37, further comprising determining a geographic address of an entity that owns the IP address, host name or domain name.

41. The method of claim 37, wherein the receiving one of the IP address, host name or the domain name comprises receiving both the IP address and the domain name and the method further comprises verifying that the IP address corresponds to the host name or the domain name.

42. The method of claim 37, wherein the obtaining of the route through the Internet comprises performing a traceroute.

43. The method of claim 37, further comprising assigning a confidence level to the geographic location of the Internet user.

44. The method of claim 37, wherein automatically determining the geographic location of the Internet user comprises automatically determining a city where the Internet user is located.

45. The method of claim 37, wherein automatically determining the geographic location of the Internet user comprises automatically determining a region within a country where the Internet user is located.

46. The method of claim 37, wherein receiving comprises receiving a plurality of IP addresses, host names or domain names associated with a plurality of Internet users, and wherein automatically determining comprises automatically determining geographic locations of the plurality of Internet users.

47. The method of claim 37, further comprising receiving queries for the geographic location of the Internet user and returning the geographic location.

48. A computer-implemented method of determining a geographic location of a target host, comprising:

receiving at least one of an IP address, host name or domain name associated with the target host;

obtaining a route through the Internet to the target host, the route containing at least one intermediate host having an intermediate host name;

determining a string of characters associated with a geographic naming convention in the intermediate host name;

determining a geographic location of the intermediate host based at least in part on the string of characters; and

automatically determining the geographic location of the target host at least in part by analysis of the route and the geographic location of the intermediate host.

49. The method of claim 48, further comprising storing the geographic location of the target host in a database along with the geographic locations of a plurality of other target hosts.

50. The method of claim 48, wherein the target host is associated with at least one Internet user.

51. The method of claim 48, wherein determining a first geographic location of the intermediate host comprises using a database associating a plurality of strings of characters with geographic locations.

52. The method of claim 48, wherein receiving comprises receiving a plurality of IP addresses, host names or domain names associated with a plurality of target hosts, and wherein automatically determining comprises automatically determining geographic locations of the plurality of target hosts.

53. The method of claim 48, wherein the route contains a plurality of intermediate hosts and a geographic location is determined for each intermediate host.

54. The method of claim 53, wherein automatically determining the geographic location of the target host comprises analysis of the route and the geographic locations of the intermediate hosts.

55. The method of claim 53, further comprising determining a confidence level associated with the geographic location of the intermediate host.

56. The method of claim 48, further comprising determining a confidence level associated with the geographic location of the target host.

57. The method of claim 48, wherein the receiving one of the IP address, host name or the domain name comprises receiving both the IP address and the domain name and the method further comprises verifying that the IP address corresponds to the host name or the domain name.

58. The method of claim 48, wherein the obtaining of the route through the Internet comprises performing a traceroute.

59. The method of claim 48, wherein automatically determining the geographic location of the target host comprises automatically determining a city where the target host is located.

60. The method of claim 48, wherein automatically determining the geographic location of the target host comprises automatically determining a region within a country where the target host is located.

61. The method of claim 50, further comprising receiving at least one query for the geographic location of the Internet user and returning the geographic location.