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

• US 7,657,655 B2
• Filed: 05/24/2006
• Issued: 02/02/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 03/19/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Hampton, Thomas H.
• Primary Examiner(s): WINDER, PATRICE L
• Application Number:
  US11/440,645
• Publication Number:
  US 20060212601A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,350 Days
• Field of Search: 709217-219, 709/215, 709/245
• 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. A method for determining a geographic location for a network user, comprising:

receiving a plurality of mapping requests from a plurality of network addresses;

correlating a defined geographic location with each of the plurality of network addresses for each of the plurality of mapping requests;

storing each defined geographic location and the correlated one of the plurality of network addresses in a database;

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

querying the database to determine a correlated network address that is similar to the user'"'"'s network address; and

providing the defined geographic location correlated with the correlated network address similar to the user'"'"'s network address as the geographic location for the network user.

2. The method of claim 1, 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.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

communicating geographically relevant information based on the defined geographic location.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the network user is identified by an Internet Protocol (IP) address.

5. The method of claim 2 wherein correlating 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.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein correlating the defined geographic location comprises:

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

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the correlating is only performed for mapping requests received over a defined period of time.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the correlating is only performed if the plurality of mapping requests comprises at least a minimum number of mapping requests.

9. 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;

correlating a defined geographic location with each of the plurality of associated IP addresses for each of the plurality of mapping requests;

storing each defined geographic location and the correlated each of the plurality of associated IP addresses in a database;

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

determining a correlated IP address stored in the database that is similar to the Internet user'"'"'s IP address; and

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

10. The method of claim 9 wherein correlating comprises;

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

11. The method of claim 10 wherein the grouping of IP addresses comprises those mapping requests that share a common portion of the associated IP address.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein the common portion comprises the first three bytes of the associated IP address.

13. The method of claim 9 wherein the correlating is only performed for mapping requests received over a defined period of time.

14. The method of claim 9 wherein the correlating is only performed if a predetermined number of mapping requests have been received.

15. 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;

correlating a defined geographic location with one of the plurality of associated network addresses for each of the plurality of mapping requests;

storing a defined geographic location and the correlated one of the plurality of associated network addresses in a database;

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

querying the database to determine a correlated one of the plurality of associated network addresses that is similar to the network user'"'"'s address; and

providing the defined geographic location correlated with the similar one of the plurality of associated network addresses as the geographic location for the network user.

16. The machine readable medium of claim 15 having further instructions thereon which cause the processor to perform further operations comprising:

communicating geographically relevant information based on the defined geographic location.

17. The machine readable medium of claim 15 wherein correlating 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 associated network addresses that issued mapping requests included in the first defined geographic region.

18. The machine readable medium of claim 15 wherein correlating the defined geographic location comprises:

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

19. The machine readable medium of claim 15 wherein the correlating is only performed for mapping requests received over a defined period of time.

20. machine readable medium of claim 15 wherein the correlating is only performed if the plurality of mapping requests comprises at least a minimum number of mapping requests.