System for verifying access based on a determined geographic location of a subscriber of a service provided via a computer network

• US 8,213,898 B2
• Filed: 04/18/2011
• Issued: 07/03/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 12/15/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Bamtech LLC (The Walt Disney Company)
• Original Assignee: MLB Advanced Media, L.P. (Major League Baseball)
• Inventors: Choti, Joseph Francis, Shaffer, Justin Alexander, Sun, Christopher, Willis, Shadeed S.
• Primary Examiner(s): Bost, Dwayne
• Assistant Examiner(s): Mehra, Inder
• Application Number:
  US13/088,843
• Publication Number:
  US 20110196744A1
• Time in Patent Office: 442 Days
• Field of Search: 455/404.2, 455/414.1, 455/414.2, 455/414.3, 455418-420, 4554561-4567, 455/410, 455/415, 705/14.58, 705/14.64, 705/14.69, 705/7.34, 705/26, 705/29, 706/47, 709/217, 709/219, 726/27, 370352-356, 370/386, 370/401
• US Class Current: 455/404.2
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/0875 Itemisation or classification of parts, supplies or services, e.g. bill of materials
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0205 Location or geographical consideration
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0257 User requested
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0261 based on user location
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0267 Wireless devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0601 Electronic shopping [e-shopping]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/102 Entity profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/104 Grouping of entities
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/107 wherein the security policies are location-dependent, e.g. entities privileges depend on current location or allowing specific operations only from locally connected terminals
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/52 specially adapted for the location of the user terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/08 Access security
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/63 Location-dependent; Proximity-dependent
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information

Abstract

A method of limiting presentation of rules based events includes receiving a request to view a rules based event at a computer. A first estimate of a first geographic location of the computer is obtained. The first estimate includes a first confidence determination. If the first confidence determination is less than a first established confidence level, a second estimate of the first geographic location of the computer is obtained. The second estimate includes a second confidence determination for comparison to a second established confidence level. The first estimate and the second estimate define a composite estimated geographic location of the computer. Information on a second geographic location of the rules based event is retrieved. The retrieved information is compared with the composite estimated geographic location of the computer. Access to the rules based event is provided based on access rules, the comparison, and the composite estimated geographic location.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

a service computer configured to provide a subscription service to a subscriber computer via a network, wherein access to the subscription service by the subscriber computer is limited based on a geographic location of the subscriber computer; and

an event interface coupled to the service computer, wherein the event interface is configured to receive event information for a rules based event, wherein the subscription service includes communication of the event information to the subscriber computer,

and wherein the service computer is further configured to;

search a cached Internet Protocol (IP) address table based on subscriber information, wherein the cached IP address table includes a previously determined IP address for a subscriber associated with the subscriber information;

compare the previously determined IP address for the subscriber with a current IP address of the subscriber; and

when the previously determined IP address matches the current IP address, determine the geographic location based on stored geographic information that is associated with the previously determined IP address.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the subscription service comprises at least one of a promotion, a contest, a sweepstakes, or a fantasy game.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the service computer is further configured to provide the subscriber computer with an option to purchase goods or services.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the option to purchase includes purchase rules that vary depending on the geographic location of the subscriber computer.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the service computer is configured to provide the subscriber computer with targeted marketing based on the geographic location.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the service computer is further configured to determine the geographic location based at least in part on a credit card number and a billing address that are associated with the subscriber computer.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the service computer is further configured to determine the geographic location based at least in part on product registration information.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the subscriber information comprises an electronic mail address associated with the subscriber or the subscriber computer.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the geographic location is not determined if the subscriber is identified as a preferred customer.

10. The system of claim 1, further comprising an event capturing sub-system coupled to the service computer and the event interface via a second network, wherein the second network is different than the network through which the subscriber computer receives the subscription service.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein the subscriber information comprises a user identification (ID).

12. The system of claim 1, wherein the service computer is further configured to determine the geographic location based at least in part on a billing address of the subscriber.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the billing address is associated with one or more of a credit card, a debit card, an electronic check, and a payment service.

14. The system of claim 1, wherein the service computer is further configured to determine the geographic location based at least in part on product registration information received from the subscriber computer.

15. The system of claim 1, wherein the service computer is further configured to determine the geographic location based at least in part on a credit card number associated with the subscriber computer.

16. A non-transitory computer-readable medium having computer-readable instructions stored thereon, the computer-readable instructions comprising:

instructions to receive event information for a rules based event, wherein a subscription service includes communication of the event information to a subscriber computer, and wherein access to the subscription service by the subscriber computer is limited based on a geographic location of the subscriber computer;

instructions to search a cached Internet Protocol (IP) address table based on subscriber information, wherein the cached IP address table includes a previously determined IP address for a subscriber associated with the subscriber information;

instructions to compare the previously determined IP address for the subscriber with a current IP address of the subscriber; and

when the previously determined IP address matches the current IP address, instructions to determine the geographic location based on stored geographic information that is associated with the previously determined IP address.

17. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 16, wherein the subscription service comprises at least one of a promotion, a contest, a sweepstakes, or a fantasy game.

18. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 16, wherein the subscription service provides the subscriber computer with an option to purchase goods or services.

19. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 18, wherein the option to purchase includes purchase rules that vary depending on the geographic location of the subscriber computer.

20. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 16, further comprising instructions to provide the subscriber computer with targeted marketing based on the geographic location.

21. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 16, further comprising instructions to determine the geographic location based at least in part on a credit card number and a billing address associated with the subscriber computer.

22. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 16, further comprising instructions to determine the geographic location based at least in part on product registration information.

23. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 16, wherein the subscriber information comprises an electronic mail address.

24. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 16, wherein the geographic location is not determined if the subscriber is identified as a preferred customer.

25. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 16, wherein the event information is received through a second network that is different from the network through which the subscriber computer receives the subscription service.