Providing Regional Content by Matching Geographical Properties

• US 20100185663A1
• Filed: 08/13/2009
• Published: 07/22/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 08/13/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Alibaba Group Holding Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Alibaba Group Holding Ltd.
• Inventors: Le, Xiao Shuan, Zhou, Hong Xi, Wang, Ming You, Chen, Chuan Wen, Wang, Xuan, Liu, Wei Jia, Lei, Guo Ping, Ma, Na
• Granted Patent: US 8,812,536 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 707/769
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/148 File search processing
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/29 Geographical information databases
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9535 Search customisation based on user profiles and personalisation
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising

Abstract

A method and a system provide regional content to users by associating data files with geographical properties and matching the geographical property of a data file with the geographical property of the user. The system extracts geographical information from a data file, and associates the data file with a source geographical property corresponding to the extracted geographical information according to a geographical information database. Upon obtaining a user geographical property of a user, the system provides the data file to the user if the source geographical property matches the user geographical property. The method and the system may be implemented using a geographical name lexicon or a geographical name suffix lexicon.

Claims

1. A method for providing regional content, the method comprising:

extracting geographical information from a data file;

associating the data file with a source geographical property corresponding to the extracted geographical information according to a geographical information database;

obtaining a user geographical property of a user; and

providing the data file to the user if the source geographical property matches the user geographical property.

2. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein extracting the geographical information from the data file comprises:

providing a geographical name lexicon containing a plurality of geographical word entries;

finding a keyword in the data file matching one of the plurality of geographical word entries; and

taking the matching keyword as at least a part of the geographical information extracted from the data file.

3. The method as recited in claim 2, wherein the plurality of geographical keyword entries include either geographical names or phrases indicative of geographical names, or both the geographical names and the phases indicative of geographical names.

4. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein extracting the geographical information from the data file comprises:

providing a geographical name suffix lexicon containing a plurality of geographical name suffixes;

finding a phrase in the data file frequently preceding a keyword matching one of the plurality of geographical name suffixes; and

taking the phrase as at least a part of the geographical information extracted from the data file.

5. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein extracting the geographical information from the data file comprises:

identifying multiple geographical information pieces from the data file; and

taking the geographical information piece which has the highest frequency of appearance in the data file to be the geographical information extracted from the data file.

6. The method as recited in claim 5, wherein the geographical information database contains a plurality of geographical information pieces and affiliating relationships among the plurality of geographical information pieces, and wherein the frequency of appearance of each geographical information piece takes into account the appearances of at least some of the affiliated geographical information pieces having an affiliating relationship with the geographical information piece.

7. The method as recited in claim 5, wherein each geographical information piece comprises a geographical name or a phrase indicative of a geographical name.

8. The method as recited in claim 5, wherein each geographical information piece comprises a geographical name or a phrase indicative of a geographical name, and wherein the frequency of appearance of each geographical information piece takes into account appearances of subordinate geographical names have been an affiliated relationship with the said geographical name.

9. The method as recited in claim 8, wherein the affiliated relationship between the subordinate geographical names and the geographical name is defined by a physical relationship therebetween including any one or more of territorial relationship, jurisdiction relationship, administrative relationship, municipal relationship, and political relationship.

10. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein obtaining the user geographical property comprises any one or more of the following:

obtaining the user geographical property by inquiring the user'"'"'s IP address;

obtaining the user geographical property by inquiring the user'"'"'s registered address;

obtaining the user geographical property by inquiring a geographical location set by the user;

obtaining the user geographical property by obtaining coordinate information of the user; and

obtaining the user geographical property by collecting a focus point of the user'"'"'s online browsing.

11. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein providing the data file to the user if the source geographical property matches the user geographical property comprises:

identifying a plurality of data files whose source geographical property matches the user geographical property at one of various geographical levels; and

providing the plurality of data files to the user with the various geographical levels, or allowing the user to select from the plurality of data files at the various geographical levels.

12. The method as recited in claim 11, wherein the various geographical levels are defined by a physical relationship including any one of territorial relationship, jurisdiction relationship, administrative relationship, municipal relationship, and political relationship.

13. A method for providing regional content, the method comprising:

providing a geographical information database;

extracting geographical information from a data file;

identifying in the geographical information database a source geographical property corresponding to the extracted geographical information;

associating the data file with the source geographical property;

obtaining a user geographical property of a user; and

providing the data file to the user if the source geographical property matches the user geographical property.

14. The method as recited in claim 13, wherein the geographical information database contains a geographical name lexicon having a plurality of geographical word entries, and wherein extracting the geographical information from the data file comprises:

finding a keyword in the data file matching one of the plurality of geographical word entries; and

taking the matching keyword as at least a part of the geographical information extracted from the data file.

15. A computer-implemented system of providing regional content, wherein the system comprises a computer having a computer processor and a storage, the computer processor being programmed to perform the following:

extracting geographical information from a data file;

associating the data file with a source geographical property corresponding to the extracted geographical information according to a geographical information database;

obtaining a user geographical property of a user; and

providing the data file to the user if the source geographical property matches the user geographical property.

16. The system as recited in claim 15, wherein the computer is a server computer connected to the Internet.

17. The system as recited in claim 15, wherein the geographical information database is stored in the storage of the system.