CUSTOMIZED GEOGRAPHICAL LOCATION INDEXING

• US 20090100007A1
• Filed: 09/30/2008
• Published: 04/16/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 07/05/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: R2 Solutions LLC (Acacia Research Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Yahoo! Inc. (Apollo Global Management, Inc.)
• Inventors: Babcock, Eddie, Campbell, Bruce Andrew
• Granted Patent: US 8,051,087 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9537 Spatial or temporal dependent retrieval, e.g. spatiotemporal queries

Abstract

A system is disclosed for customizing a geographic location index based on user preferences. The system obtains geographic data provided by a user and generates a customized geographic region based on the obtained geographic data. The system generates relationship data corresponding to the new customized geographic region. The system updates the geographic location index based on the new customized geographic region and corresponding relationship data. Thereafter, on-line content may be delivered to an audience associated with the new customized geographic region, thereby allowing the user, such as an advertiser or publisher, to define targeting regions that are optimal to their specific business environment.

Claims

1. A method for customizing a geographic location index, comprising:

obtaining user defined geographic data comprising information identifying a first constituent entity and a second constituent entity;

generating a customized geographic region based on the user defined geographic data;

generating relationship data corresponding to the customized geographic region; and

updating a geographic location index for use in geographically targeted content delivery, where updating the geographic location index is based on the generated customized geographic region and the generated relationship data.

2. The method of claim 1, where generating a customized geographic region comprises generating a unique identifier associated with the customized geographic region.

3. The method of claim 1, where generating relationship data comprises:

obtaining constituent relationship data from the geographic location index, where the constituent relationship data comprises relationship data associated with each of the first and second constituent entities; and

analyzing the constituent relationship data to determine the relationship data corresponding to the customized geographic region.

4. The method of claim 3, where analyzing the constituent relationship data to determine the relationship data corresponding to the customized geographic region comprises:

identifying from the constituent relationship data whether there is a parent entity in common between the first and second constituent entities; and

identifying any parent entity in common between the first and second constituent entities as a parent entity of the customized geographic region.

5. The method of claim 3, where analyzing the constituent relationship data to determine the relationship data corresponding to the customized geographic region comprises:

identifying from the constituent relationship data any child entities of the first and second constituent entities; and

identifying the first and second constituent entities, as well as the identified child entities of the first and second constituent entities, as child entities of the customized geographic region.

6. The method of claim 3, where analyzing the constituent relationship data to determine the relationship data corresponding to the customized geographic region comprises generating an adjacency list corresponding to the customized geographic region, where the adjacency list comprises an identification of any geographic entity that is adjacent to the customized geographic entity.

7. The method of claim 6, where generating the adjacency list corresponding to the customized geographic region comprises:

obtaining a first adjacency list corresponding to the first constituent entity, where the first adjacency list comprises an identification of any geographic entity that is adjacent to the first constituent entity;

obtaining a second adjacency list corresponding to the second constituent entity, where the second adjacency list comprises an identification of any geographic entity that is adjacent to the second constituent entity;

identifying the union of the first and second adjacency lists;

identifying any geographic entities in the first or second adjacency lists that share a constituent in common with the customized geographic region; and

identifying the adjacency list corresponding to the customized geographic region comprises as the union of the first and second adjacency lists minus the geographic entities in the first or second adjacency lists that share a constituent in common with the customized geographic region.

8. A geographic location index customization system, comprising:

a processor;

a memory coupled to the processor, the memory comprising;

a geographic location index;

instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to;

obtain user defined geographic data comprising information identifying a first constituent entity and a second constituent entity;

generate a customized geographic region based on the user defined geographic data;

generate relationship data corresponding to the customized geographic region;

update the geographic location index for use in geographically targeted content delivery, where updating the geographic location index is based on the generated customized geographic region and the generated relationship data; and

store the updated geographic location index in the memory.

9. The system of claim 8, where the instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to generate a customized geographic region further cause the processor to generate a unique identifier associated with the customized geographic region.

10. The system of claim 8, where the instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to generate relationship data comprise instructions that further cause the processor to:

obtain constituent relationship data from the geographic location index, where the constituent relationship data comprises relationship data associated with each of the first and second constituent entities; and

analyze the constituent relationship data to determine the relationship data corresponding to the customized geographic region.

11. The system of claim 10, where the instructions that cause the processor to analyze the constituent relationship data to determine the relationship data corresponding to the customized geographic region further comprise instructions that cause the processor to:

identify from the constituent relationship data whether there is a parent entity in common between the first and second constituent entities; and

identify any parent entity in common between the first and second constituent entities as a parent entity of the customized geographic region.

12. The system of claim 10, where the instructions that cause the processor to analyze the constituent relationship data to determine the relationship data corresponding to the customized geographic region further comprise instructions that cause the processor to:

identify from the constituent relationship data any child entities of the first and second constituent entities; and

identify the first and second constituent entities, as well as the identified child entities of the first and second constituent entities, as child entities of the customized geographic region.

13. The system of claim 10, where the instructions that cause the processor to analyze the constituent relationship data to determine the relationship data corresponding to the customized geographic region further comprise instructions that cause the processor to generate an adjacency list corresponding to the customized geographic region, where the adjacency list comprises an identification of any geographic entity that is adjacent to the customized geographic entity.

14. The system of claim 13, where the instructions that cause the processor to generate an adjacency list corresponding to the customized geographic region further comprises instructions that cause the processor to:

obtain a first adjacency list corresponding to the first constituent entity, where the first adjacency list comprises an identification of any geographic entity that is adjacent to the first constituent entity;

obtain a second adjacency list corresponding to the second constituent entity, where the second adjacency list comprises an identification of any geographic entity that is adjacent to the second constituent entity;

identify the union of the first and second adjacency lists;

identify any geographic entities in the first or second adjacency lists that share a constituent in common with the customized geographic region; and

identify the adjacency list corresponding to the customized geographic region comprises as the union of the first and second adjacency lists minus the geographic entities in the first or second adjacency lists that share a constituent in common with the customized geographic region.

15. A product comprising:

a computer readable medium; and

instructions stored on the medium that, when executed, cause a processor in a system for customizing a geographic location index to;

obtain user defined geographic data comprising information identifying a first constituent entity and a second constituent entity;

generate a customized geographic region based on the user defined geographic data;

generate relationship data corresponding to the customized geographic region; and

update a geographic location index for use in geographically targeted content delivery, where updating the geographic location index is based on the generated customized geographic region and the generated relationship data.

16. The product of claim 15, where the instructions that, when executed, cause the processor to generate a customized geographic region further cause the processor to generate a unique identifier associated with the customized geographic region.

17. The product of claim 15, where the instructions that, when executed, cause the processor to generate relationship data comprise instructions that further cause the processor to:

obtain constituent relationship data from the geographic location index, where the constituent relationship data comprises relationship data associated with each of the first and second constituent entities; and

analyze the constituent relationship data to determine the relationship data corresponding to the customized geographic region.

18. The product of claim 17, where the instructions that cause the processor to analyze the constituent relationship data to determine the relationship data corresponding to the customized geographic region further comprise instructions that cause the processor to:

identify from the constituent relationship data whether there is a parent entity in common between the first and second constituent entities; and

identify any parent entity in common between the first and second constituent entities as a parent entity of the customized geographic region.

19. The product of claim 17, where the instructions that cause the processor to analyze the constituent relationship data to determine the relationship data corresponding to the customized geographic region further comprise instructions that cause the processor to:

identify from the constituent relationship data any child entities of the first and second constituent entities; and

identify the first and second constituent entities, as well as the identified child entities of the first and second constituent entities, as child entities of the customized geographic region.

20. The product of claim 17, where the instructions that cause the processor to analyze the constituent relationship data to determine the relationship data corresponding to the customized geographic region further comprise instructions that cause the processor to generate an adjacency list corresponding to the customized geographic region, where the adjacency list comprises an identification of any geographic entity that is adjacent to the customized geographic entity.

21. The product of claim 20, where the instructions that cause the processor to generate an adjacency list corresponding to the customized geographic region further comprises instructions that cause the processor to:

obtain a first adjacency list corresponding to the first constituent entity, where the first adjacency list comprises an identification of any geographic entity that is adjacent to the first constituent entity;

obtain a second adjacency list corresponding to the second constituent entity, where the second adjacency list comprises an identification of any geographic entity that is adjacent to the second constituent entity;

identify the union of the first and second adjacency lists;

identify any geographic entities in the first or second adjacency lists that share a constituent in common with the customized geographic region; and

identify the adjacency list corresponding to the customized geographic region comprises as the union of the first and second adjacency lists minus the geographic entities in the first or second adjacency lists that share a constituent in common with the customized geographic region.