DETERMINING FIXED/MOBILE AND PROXY/NON-PROXY NETWORK ADDRESSES

• US 20150019720A1
• Filed: 07/11/2014
• Published: 01/15/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 07/12/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Skyhook Wireless Incorporated (Liberty Broadband Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Skyhook Wireless Incorporated (Liberty Broadband Corp.)
• Inventors: Alizadeh-Shabdiz, Farshid, Brachet, Nicolas, Dancus, Andrei, Jones, Russel Kipp, Morgan, Edward James, Polak, George, Steger, Christopher, Sutton, Richard
• Granted Patent: US 10,491,563 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/224
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2101/604 Address structures or formats
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0846 based on copy from other elements
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0876 Network utilisation, e.g. volume of load or congestion level
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/4505 using standardised directories; using standardised directory access protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/5007 Internet protocol [IP] addresses
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/5046 Resolving address allocation conflicts; Testing of addresses testing when self-assigning an address H04L61/5092
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/1408 by monitoring network traffic monitoring network traffic per se H04L43/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/30 Profiles
• 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: H04W 4/029 Location-based management or tracking services

Abstract

In one embodiment, a processing technique is provided for determining a refined attribute of a network address based on one or more other attributes. A network address associated with a source device in communication with a network is observed. One or more first attributes of the network address are determined, where the one or more first attributes indicate at least a spatial or temporal property of the network address. The one or more first attributes are processed to determine a second attribute to be associated with the network address, where the second attribute indicates whether the network address is a fixed or mobile network address, or is a proxy or non-proxy network address. A record is stored that maintains the association between the second attribute and the network address.

Claims

1. A method for determining a refined attribute of a network address based on one or more other attributes, comprising;

observing a network address associated with a source device in communication with a network;

determining one or more first attributes of the network address, the one or more first attributes indicating at least a spatial or temporal property of the network address;

processing the one or more first attributes, by a network address to attribute association system executed on one or more electronic devices, to determine a second attribute to be associated with the network address, the second attribute to indicate whether the network address is a fixed or mobile network address, or is a proxy or non-proxy network address; and

storing a record that maintains the association between the second attribute and the network address in a storage device of the one or more electronic devices.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the network address is an Internet Protocol (IP) address associated with the source device.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the second attribute indicates whether the network address is a fixed or mobile network address.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the second attribute indicates whether the network address is a proxy or non-proxy network address.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the first attribute indicates a spatial property of the network address.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the first attribute indicates a temporal property of the network address.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the processing further comprises:

collecting network address observations used to determine the first attribute of the network address;

applying a statistical measure to the network address observations;

based on the statistical measure, associating the second attribute with the network address.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the first attribute indicates an estimated location of the network address, the network address observations each are associated with a location, the second attribute indicates whether the network address is a proxy or non-proxy network address, and the applying calculates a root mean-squared (RMS) distance from the location of each network address observation to an estimated location of the network address, and compares the RMS distance to a predetermined threshold to determine whether the network address is a proxy or non-proxy network address.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein the network address observations each are associated with a time, the second attribute indicates whether the network address is a proxy or non-proxy network address, and the applying calculates observation frequency of the network address observations, and compares the observation frequency to a predetermined threshold to determine whether the network address is a proxy or non-proxy network address.

10. The method of claim 7, wherein the first attribute indicates a venue associated with the network address, the second attribute indicates whether the network address is a proxy or non-proxy network address, and the applying determines side-information from a third-party data provider associated with the venue, and based on the side-information determines whether the network address is a proxy or non-proxy network address.

11. The method of claim 7, wherein the network address observations each are associated with a user identifier and a location, the second attribute indicates whether the network address is a fixed or mobile network address, and the applying groups network address observations by user identifier, calculates a spatial extent for each group of network address observations, and compares each spatial extent to a predetermined threshold to determine whether the network address is a fixed or mobile network address.

12. The method of claim 7, wherein the network address observations each are associated with a time and a location, the second attribute indicates whether the network address is a fixed or mobile network address, and the applying groups network address observations by time window, calculates a spatial extent for each group of network address observations, and compares each spatial extent to a predetermined threshold to determine whether the network address is a fixed or mobile network address.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the processing further comprises:

determining, based on the one or more first attributes, a group of network addresses to which the network address belongs;

determining the second attribute is associated with the group of network addresses; and

based on determining the second attribute is associated with the group of network addresses, associating the second attribute with the network address.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the processing further comprises:

determining, based on the one or more first attributes, a group of network addresses to which the network address belongs;

collecting network address observations associated with the group of network addresses;

applying a statistical measure to the network address observations associated with the group of network addresses; and

based on the statistical measure, associating the second attribute with the network address.

15. A non-transitory electronic-device readable medium having executable instructions stored thereon, the executable instructions when executed by one or more processors of one or more electronic devices operable to:

observe a network address associated with a source device in communication with a network;

determine one or more first attributes of the network address, the one or more first attributes indicating at least a spatial or temporal property of the network address;

process the one or more first attributes to determine a second attribute to be associated with the network address, the second attribute to indicate whether the network address is a fixed or mobile network address, or is a proxy or non-proxy network address; and

store a record that maintains the association between the second attribute and the network address.

16. The non-transitory electronic-device readable medium of claim 15, wherein the network address is an Internet Protocol (IP) address associated with the source device.

17. The non-transitory electronic-device readable medium of claim 15, wherein the second attribute indicates whether the network address is a fixed or mobile network address.

18. The non-transitory electronic-device readable medium of claim 15, wherein the second attribute indicates whether the network address is a proxy or non-proxy network address.

19. The non-transitory electronic-device readable medium of claim 15, wherein the first attribute indicates a spatial property of the network address.

20. The non-transitory electronic-device readable medium of claim 15, wherein the first attribute indicates a temporal property of the network address.