Geo-intelligent traffic reporter

• US 7,685,311 B2
• Filed: 03/25/2002
• Issued: 03/23/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 05/03/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Digital Envoy, Inc. (Landmark Media Enterprises LLC)
• Original Assignee: Digital Envoy, Inc. (Landmark Media Enterprises LLC)
• Inventors: Parekh, Sanjay M., Friedman, Robert B.
• Primary Examiner(s): Flynn; Nathan
• Assistant Examiner(s): Joo; Joshua
• Application Number:
  US10/106,523
• Publication Number:
  US 20030110293A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,920 Days
• Field of Search: 709220-226, 709238-243, 709/245, 370229-238, 370/400
• US Class Current: 709/245
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9537 Spatial or temporal dependent retrieval, e.g. spatiotemporal queries
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/12 Discovery or management of network topologies
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/062 related to network traffic
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/067 using time frame reporting
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0817 by checking functioning
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0829 Packet loss
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0852 Delays
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0858 One way delays
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0876 Network utilisation, e.g. volume of load or congestion level
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0882 Utilisation of link capacity
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0894 Packet rate
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/10 Active monitoring, e.g. heartbeat, ping or trace-route
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/12 Network monitoring probes
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/50 Testing arrangements
• 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 61/4511 using domain name system [DNS]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/303 Terminal profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/306 User profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/51 Discovery or management thereof, e.g. service location protocol [SLP] or web services
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/52 specially adapted for the location of the user terminal
• 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: H04L 69/329 : in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 : Network security protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 : Services making use of location information

Abstract

A traffic reporter gathers real-time information on traffic conditions within a network and sends out traffic reports to traffic managers. The traffic reporter analyzes the network and also gathers network information from the traffic managers and analyzers dispersed throughout the network. These traffic reports provide real-time information on network conditions to allow the traffic managers to route network traffic in the most efficient, reliable, and fastest manner.

Claims

1. A method for routing network traffic, comprising:

receiving network traffic over a network;

determining a destination for the network traffic;

obtaining geographic information on one of a source or the destination using an IP address of the source or destination;

maintaining a database of historical data on historical network traffic;

deriving a geographic location of an intermediate host through which the network traffic will be directed on the network traffic'"'"'s way to the destination, using an IP address of the intermediate host by performing the steps of;

extracting geographic naming information for the intermediate host, from a first part of a host name associated with the intermediate host;

comparing at least a part of the extracted geographic naming information for the intermediate host to one or more of the plurality of variations of each of a plurality of geographic names stored in a database containing geographic naming information; and

determining a geographic location of the intermediate host based at least in part on the comparison;

determining a confidence level for the geographic location;

receiving real-time information on traffic traveling through the network; and

directing the network traffic to a desired destination based on the geographic information of the source or destination, the geographic location of the intermediate host, the historical data, the confidence level of the geographic location, and the real-time information on the traffic traveling through the network.

2. The method as set forth in claim 1, further comprising monitoring network traffic.

3. The method as set forth in claim 2, wherein monitoring network traffic comprises monitoring local network traffic.

4. The method as set forth in claim 3, further comprising comparing the historical data on historical network traffic to the real-time information on traffic traveling through the network to determine if there are any chances and determining if changes between the historical data and the real-time information are significant.

5. The method as set forth in claim 4, further comprising transmitting a traffic report containing the significant changes in the real-time information.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising generating a traffic report containing one or more significant changes in the network traffic based on a comparison between the real-time information on traffic traveling through the network and data on historical network traffic.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising transmitting the traffic report to one or more entities responsible for routing network traffic to be used by one or more entities to derive routing directions through the network.