Method and system to determine the geographic location of a network user

• US 20060212601A1
• Filed: 05/24/2006
• Published: 09/21/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 03/19/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Hampton, Thomas H.
• Granted Patent: US 7,657,655 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/245
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/00 Network arrangements, protocols or services for addressing or naming
• 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 67/52 specially adapted for the location of the user terminal

Abstract

A system and method to determine the geographic location of a network user based on a plurality of network addresses and a plurality of mapping request information. The method involves receiving a plurality of mapping requests from a plurality of network users identified by a plurality of network addresses. A geographic location of a network user associated with a network address is then derived based on the plurality of network addresses and the plurality of mapping requests. In one embodiment, the network address is an Internet Protocol (IP) address. The method may be implemented, in one embodiment, as part of a system that executes as software on a computer.

Claims

1-21. -21. (canceled)

22. A method for determining a geographic location for a network user, comprising:

associating a defined geographic location with an associated network address for each of a plurality of mapping requests;

receiving a request for a geographic location for a network user having a network address;

determining an associated network address that is similar to the network address; and

providing the defined geographic location associated with the similar network address as the geographic location for the network user.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein the plurality of mapping requests request one or more maps of defined geographic locations from a plurality of other network users identified by a plurality of associated network addresses.

24. The method of claim 22 further comprising:

communicating geographically relevant information based on the geographic location.

25. The method of claim 22 wherein the network user is identified by an Internet Protocol (IP) address.

26. The method of claim 23 wherein associating the defined geographic location comprises:

assigning a first set of network addresses to a first defined geographic region based on the predominance of the plurality of network addresses that issued mapping requests included in the defined geographic region.

27. The method of claim 22 wherein associating the defined geographic location comprises:

grouping those mapping requests sharing a common portion of the network address.

28. The method of claim 22 wherein the associating is only performed for mapping requests received over a recent period of time.

29. The method of claim 22 wherein the associating is only performed if the plurality of mapping requests comprises at least a minimum number of mapping requests.

30. A method for determining a geographic location for an Internet user, comprising:

receiving a plurality of mapping requests requesting one or more maps of defined geographic locations from a plurality of other Internet users identified by a plurality of associated Internet Protocol (IP) addresses;

associating a defined geographic location with an associated IP address for each of the plurality of mapping requests;

receiving a request for a geographic location for the IP user having an IP address;

determining an associated IP address that is similar to the IP address; and

providing the defined geographic location associated with the similar IP address as the geographic location for the IP user.

31. The method of claim 30 wherein associating comprises;

assigning a grouping of IP addresses to defined geographic regions based on the predominance of the plurality of IP addresses that issued mapping requests included in the defined geographic region.

32. The method of claim 31 wherein the grouping of IP addresses comprises those mapping requests that share a common portion of a corresponding IP address.

33. The method of claim 32 wherein the common portion comprises the first three bytes of an IP address.

34. The method of claim 30 wherein the associating is only performed for mapping requests received over a recent period of time.

35. The method of claim 30 wherein the associating is only performed if a predetermined number of mapping requests have been received.

36. A machine readable medium having instructions stored thereon which when executed by a processor cause the processor to perform operations for determining a geographic location for a network user, the operations comprising:

receiving a plurality of mapping requests requesting one or more maps of defined geographic locations from a plurality of other network users identified by a plurality of associated network addresses;

associating a defined geographic location with an associated network address for each of the plurality of mapping requests;

receiving a request for a geographic location for the network user having a network address;

determining an associated network address that is similar to the network address; and

providing the defined geographic location associated with the similar network address as the geographic location for the network.

37. The machine readable medium of claim 36 having further instructions thereon which cause the processor to perform further operations comprising:

communicating geographically relevant information based on the geographic location.

38. The machine readable medium of claim 36 wherein associating the defined geographic location comprises:

assigning a first set of network addresses to a first defined geographic region based on the predominance of the plurality of network addresses that issued mapping requests included in the defined geographic region.

39. The machine readable medium of claim 36 wherein associating the defined geographic location comprises:

grouping those mapping requests sharing a common portion of the network address.

40. The machine readable medium of claim 36 the associating is only performed for mapping requests received over a recent period of time.

41. The machine readable medium of claim 36 wherein the associating is only performed if the plurality of mapping requests comprises at least a minimum number of mapping requests.