Method and system for geo-targeted content delivery

• US 8,463,942 B2
• Filed: 02/22/2010
• Issued: 06/11/2013
• 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., Tibrewala, Neal K., Lutch, Benjamin
• Primary Examiner(s): BARQADLE, YASIN M
• Application Number:
  US12/709,656
• Publication Number:
  US 20100153552A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,205 Days
• Field of Search: 709201-203, 709217-225, 709238-245
• US Class Current: 709/245
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/29 Geographical information databases
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9537 Spatial or temporal dependent retrieval, e.g. spatiotemporal queries
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3224 Transactions dependent on location of M-devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2101/30 Types of network names
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2101/69 using geographic information, e.g. room number
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/12 Discovery or management of network topologies
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/50 Testing arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/30 Managing network names, e.g. use of aliases or nicknames name-to-address mapping H04L61/45
• 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 67/306 User profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/52 specially adapted for the location of the user terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/53 using third party service providers
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/023 using mutual or relative location information between multiple location based services [LBS] targets or of distance thresholds
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/18 Information format or content conversion, e.g. adaptation by the network of the transmitted or received information for the purpose of wireless delivery to users or terminals

Abstract

A method and server for providing geo-targeted content delivery are provided. The method may include receiving, by a web server, a request for information from an Internet user; determining, by the web server, a geographic location of the Internet user; and tailoring information provided to the Internet user based at least in part on the geographic location of the Internet user. Determining the geographic location of the Internet user may involve obtaining a route through the Internet to a target host for an IP address associated with the Internet user, wherein the route may include one or more intermediate hosts; deriving a geographic location of one or more of the intermediate hosts within the route; and automatically determining the geographic location of the Internet user by analysis of the route and the geographic location of the one or more intermediate hosts.

Claims

1. A method comprising

receiving, by a web server, a request for information from an Internet user;

determining a connection speed of the Internet user;

determining, by the web server, a geographic location of the Internet user, wherein determining the geographic location comprises;

receiving one of an Internet protocol (IP) address, host name or domain name associated with the Internet user;

determining a geographic address of an entity that owns the IP address, host name or domain name;

obtaining a route through the Internet to a target host for the IP address, the route comprising any intermediate hosts;

determining a geographic naming convention for each intermediate host within the route through the Internet to the target host, the geographic naming convention suitable for inferring a geographic location of an intermediate host within the route;

deriving the geographic location of the intermediate host within the route by automatically matching intermediate hosts to geographic locations through use of a database correlating geographic naming conventions to geographic locations;

if the intermediate hosts within the route does not have associated known geographic naming conventions, deriving the geographic location of the intermediate host in the route by determining a geographic location of an entity that owns the intermediate host, and

automatically determining the geographic location of the Internet user by analysis of the route and the geographic location of each intermediate host; and

tailoring, by the web server, information provided to the Internet user based at least in part on the geouaphic location of the Internet user and the connection speed of the Internet user.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving, by a web server, a request for information from an Internet user further comprises receiving a request to access an Internet site.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein tailoring information provided to the Internet user further comprises tailoring the content of the requested Internet site based at least in part on the geographic location of the Internet user.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein tailoring information provided to the Internet user further comprises tailoring one or more advertisements associated with the requested Internet site based at least in part on the geographic location of the Internet user.

5. The method of claim 2, wherein tailoring information provided to the Internet user further comprises:

determining whether the Internet user is allowed to access the requested Internet site based at least in part on the geographic location of the Internet user;

allowing access to the requested Internet site only if it is determined that the Internet user is allowed; and

disallowing access to the requested Internet site if it is determined that the Internet user is not allowed.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein tailoring information provided to the Internet user further comprises selecting a language of the information based at least in part on the geographic location of the Internet user.

7. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

receiving, by the web server, a request for information from each of a plurality of Internet users, wherein the plurality of requests comprise a plurality of requests to access an Internet site;

determining, by the web server, a geographic location of respective Internet users of the plurality; and

compiling a breakdown of the geographic locations of the plurality of Internet users, such that the Internet site can be marketed based at least in part on the breakdown.

8. A method comprising:

receiving, by a web server, a request for information from an Internet user;

determining a connection speed of the Internet user;

determining, by the web server, a geographic location of the Internet user, wherein determining the geographic location comprises;

obtaining a route through the Internet to a target host for an IP address associated with the Internet user, the route comprising one or more intermediate hosts;

deriving a geographic location of one or more of the intermediate hosts within the route, wherein deriving a geographic location of one or more of the intermediate hosts further comprises;

determining a geographic naming convention for each intermediate host within the route through the Internet to the target host, the geographic naming convention being suitable for inferring a geographic location of an intermediate host within the route;

deriving the geographic location of one or more of the intermediate hosts by automatically matching intermediate hosts to geographic locations through use of a database correlating geographic naming conventions to geographic locations; and

for any intermediate hosts within the route that do not have associated known geographic naming conventions, deriving the geographic locations of any unknown intermediate host in the route by determining the geographic location of an entity that owns the unknown intermediate host; and

automatically determining the geographic location of the Internet user by analysis of the route and the geographic location of the one or more intermediate hosts; and

tailoring information provided to the Internet user based at least in part on the geographic location of the Internet user and the connection speed of the Internet user.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein determining, by the web server, a geographic location of the Internet user further comprises:

determining a geographic address of an entity that owns the IP address associated with the Internet user.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein receiving, by a web server, a request for information from an Internet user further comprises receiving a request to access an Internet site.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein tailoring information provided to the Internet user further comprises tailoring the content of the requested Internet site based at least in part on the geographic location of the Internet user.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein tailoring information provided to the Internet user further comprises tailoring one or more advertisements associated with the requested Internet site based at least in part on the geographic location of the Internet user.

13. The method of claim 10, wherein tailoring information provided to the Internet user further comprises:

determining whether the Internet user is allowed to access the requested Internet site based at least in part on the geographic location of the Internet user;

allowing access to the requested Internet site only if it is determined that the Internet user is allowed; and

disallowing access to the requested Internet site if it is determined that the Internet user is not allowed.

14. The method of claim 8, wherein tailoring information provided to the Internet user further comprises selecting a language of the information based at least in part on the geographic location of the Internet user.

15. The method of claim 8 further comprising:

receiving, by the web server, a request for information from each of a plurality of Internet users, wherein the plurality of requests comprise a plurality of requests to access an Internet site;

determining, by the web server, a geographic location of respective Internet users of the plurality; and

compiling a breakdown of the geographic locations of the plurality of Internet users, such that the Internet site can be marketed based at least in part on the breakdown.

16. A server, comprising:

a memory comprising computer-executable instructions; and

a processor functionally coupled to the memory and configured, by the computer-executable instructions, to

receive a request for information from an Internet user;

determine a connection speed of the Internet user;

determine a geographic location of the Internet user, wherein in order to determine the geographic location, the server is further configured to;

obtain a route through the Internet to a target host for an IP address associated with the Internet user, the route comprising one or more intermediate hosts;

derive a geographic location of one or more of the intermediate hosts within the route, wherein in order to derive a geographic location of one or more of the intermediate hosts, the server is further configured to;

determine a geographic naming convention for all hosts within the route through the Internet to the target host, the geographic naming convention being suitable for inferring a geographic location of an intermediate host within the route;

derive the geographic location of one or more of the intermediate hosts by automatically matching intermediate hosts to geographic locations through use of a database correlating geographic naming conventions to geographic locations; and

for any intermediate hosts within the route that do not have associated known geographic naming conventions, derive the geographic locations of any unknown intermediate host in the route by determining the geographic location of an entity that owns the unknown intermediate host; and

automatically determine the geographic location of the Internet user by analysis of the route and the geographic location of the one or more intermediate hosts; and

tailor information provided to the Internet user based at least in part on the geographic location of the Internet user and the connection speed of the Internet user.

17. The server of claim 16, wherein in order to determine a geographic location of the Internet user, the server is further configured, by the computer-executable instructions to:

determine a geographic address of an entity that owns the IP address associated with the Internet user.

18. The server of claim 16, wherein in order to receive a request for information from an Internet user, the server is further configured, by the computer-executable instructions, to:

receive a request to access an Internet site.

19. The server of claim 18, wherein in order to tailor information provided to the Internet user, the server is further configured, by the computer-executable instructions, to:

tailor the content of the requested Internet site based at least in part on the geographic location of the Internet user.

20. The server of claim 18, wherein in order to tailor information provided to the Internet user, the server is further configured, by the computer-executable instructions, to:

tailor one or more advertisements associated with the requested Internet site based at least in part on the geographic location of the Internet user.

21. The server of claim 18, wherein in order to tailor information provided to the Internet user, the server is further configured, by the computer-executable instructions, to:

determine whether the Internet user is allowed to access the requested Internet site based at least in part on the geographic location of the Internet user;

allow access to the requested Internet site only if it is determined that the Internet user is allowed; and

disallow access to the requested Internet site if it is determined that the Internet user is not allowed.

22. The server of claim 16, wherein in order to tailor information provided to the Internet user, the server is further configured, by the computer-executable instructions, to:

select a language of the information based at least in part on the geographic location of the Internet user.

23. The server of claim 16, wherein the server is further configured, by the computer-executable instructions, to:

receive a request for information from each of a plurality of Internet users, wherein the plurality of requests comprise a plurality of requests to access an Internet site;

determine a geographic location of respective Internet users of the plurality; and

compile a breakdown of the geographic locations of the plurality of Internet users, such that the Internet site can be marketed based at least in part on the breakdown.