System and method for associating a geographic location with an internet protocol address

• US 8,024,454 B2
• Filed: 03/28/2007
• Issued: 09/20/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 03/28/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Verizon Patent and Licensing Incorporated (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Yahoo! Inc. (Apollo Global Management, Inc.)
• Inventors: Riise, Soren, Campbell, Bruce, Pai, Ramesh, Patel, Devesh
• Primary Examiner(s): Chang; Jungwon
• Application Number:
  US11/729,365
• Publication Number:
  US 20080243822A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,637 Days
• Field of Search: 709/224, 709/222, 707/5, 707/16, 707/737, 707/716
• US Class Current: 709/224
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9537 Spatial or temporal dependent retrieval, e.g. spatiotemporal queries
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0261 based on user location

Abstract

The present application is directed to systems and methods for associating a geographic location with an IP address. Generally, an IP address from which each of a plurality of users accesses a network is recorded. A geo tag is associated with each of the plurality of users and a subset of the plurality of users is identified, the subset including users associated with a first IP address. The subset of the plurality of users is clustered into a spatial cluster including users associated with geo tags located with a defined distance of a geo tag of at least one other user of the cluster. A geographic location associated with a geographic center of the cluster is then associated with the first IP address.

Claims

1. A method for associating a geographic location with an internet protocol (“

IP”

) address, the method executable by a computer having a processor, the method comprising the steps of;

determining, by the processor, an IP address associated with each of a plurality of browser cookies, each of the plurality of browser cookies indicating a geographic location associated with computing devices of a plurality of corresponding users;

associating, by the processor, a geo tag with each of the plurality of browser cookies based on the geographic location indicated by the browser cookie;

identifying, by the processor, a subset of the plurality of browser cookies, the subset comprising browser cookies associated with a first IP address based on shared use of the first IP address by the computing devices;

clustering, by the processor, the subset of the plurality of browser cookies into a spatial cluster comprising browser cookies associated with geo tags identifying locations located within a defined distance of a location identified in a geo tag of at least one other browser cookie of the spatial cluster; and

storing by the processor in a memory an association between a geographic location associated with a geographic center of the spatial cluster and the first IP address.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining whether a number of browser cookies in the subset of the plurality of browser cookies exceeds a quorum threshold.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

adding one or more browser cookies of the plurality of browser cookies that are associated with an IP address adjoining the first IP address to the subset so that the number of browser cookies in the subset exceeds the quorum threshold.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

normalizing a weight associated with at least one of the plurality of browser cookies based on a population density of a geographic location associated with the at least one browser cookie.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein associating a geographic location associated with a geographic center of the cluster with the first IP address comprises:

determining a geographic location associated with a geographic center of the cluster; and

associating the determined geographic location associated with the geographic center of the cluster with the first IP address.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising:

determining an accuracy score of the association on a zip code level based on a number of browser cookies in the cluster associated with the same zip code as the geographic center of the cluster and a total number of browser cookies in the cluster.

7. The method of claim 5, further comprising:

determining an accuracy score of the association on a city level based on a number of browser cookies in the cluster associated with the same city as the geographic center of the cluster and a total number of browser cookies in the cluster.

8. The method of claim 5, further comprising:

determining an accuracy score of the association on a designated market area (“

DMA”

) level based on a number of browser cookies in the cluster associated with the same DMA as the geographic center of the cluster and a total number of browser cookies in the cluster.

9. The method of claim 5, further comprising:

determining an accuracy score of the association on a state level based on a number of browser cookies in the cluster associated with the same state as the geographic center of the cluster and a total number of browser cookies in the cluster.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

exporting the association between the geographic location and the first IP address to a search engine.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

exporting the association between the geographic location and the first IP address to an online advertisement service provider.

12. A non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising a set of instructions for associating a geographic location with an Internet Protocol (“

IP”

) address, the set of instructions to direct a processor to perform the acts of;

identifying a plurality of browser cookies associated with a first IP address, each of the plurality of browser cookies indicating a geographic location associated with a computing device of a user such that computing devices of a plurality of users share use of the first IP address;

clustering the plurality of browser cookies into a spatial cluster comprising browser cookies associated with locations within a defined distance of a location associated with at least one other browser cookie of the spatial cluster; and

storing an association between a geographic location associated with a geographic center of the spatial cluster and the first IP address.

13. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 12, further comprising a set of instructions to direct the processor to perform the acts of:

determining an IP address associated with each of the plurality of browser cookies.

14. A system for associating a geographic location with an Internet protocol (“

IP”

) address, the system comprising;

a computer having a processor and memory to execute an IP address to location module, the processor operative to execute instructions in the memory such that the IP address to location module is operative to;

process at least one search log to identify a plurality of browser cookies associated with a first IP address, each of the plurality of browser cookies indicating a geographic location associated with a computing device of a user such that computing devices of a plurality of users share use of the first IP address;

cluster the plurality of browser cookies into a cluster comprising browser cookies associated with locations within a defined distance of a location associated with at least one other browser cookie of the cluster; and

store an association between a geographic location associated with a geographic center of the cluster and the first IP address.

15. The system of claim 14, further comprising:

a search engine in communication with the IP address to location module, the search engine operative to receive search queries associated with at least one of the plurality of browser cookies and to record information associated with the received search queries and browser cookies to generate at least a part of the at least one search log.

16. The system of claim 15, further comprising:

an online advertisement service provider in communication with the IP address to location module, the online advertisement service provider operative to receive digital ad requests associated with at least one of the plurality of browser cookies, to serve digital ads in response to the digital ad requests, and to record information associated with the served digital ads to generate at least a part of the at least one search log.

17. The system of claim 14, wherein the IP address to location module is operative to determine an accuracy score associated with the association of the geographic location and the first IP address on at least one of a zip code level, a city level, a designated market area (“

DMA”

) level, and a state level.

18. The system of claim 14, wherein the IP address to location module is further operative to associate a geo tag with each of the plurality of browser cookies.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein the geo tag associates at least a longitude and latitude with a browser cookie.

20. The system of claim 14, wherein the IP address to location module is further operative to export the association of a geographic location with the first IP address to at least one of a search engine and an online advertisement service provider.