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

• US 8,621,064 B2
• Filed: 03/28/2007
• Issued: 12/31/2013
• 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: Campbell, Bruce, Patel, Devesh, Riise, Soren
• Primary Examiner(s): Wang, Liangche A
• Assistant Examiner(s): LIN, SHERMAN L
• Application Number:
  US11/729,364
• Publication Number:
  US 20080244046A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,470 Days
• Field of Search: 709/222, 709/227, 709/224
• US Class Current: 709/224
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/29 Geographical information databases
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/951 Indexing; Web crawling techniques
• 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: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information

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 computer-implemented method for associating a geographic location with an internet protocol (“

IP”

) address, the method comprising the steps of;

recording with a processor an IP address from which each of a plurality of users accesses a network through a computing device of each respective user based, at least in part, on a plurality of localized search queries of search queries received at a search engine, wherein each of the localized search queries have an explicit geographic location and a term indicating a local intent;

associating with the processor a geo tag with each user of the plurality of users based on a geographic location associated with the computing device of the user;

identifying with the processor a subset of users of the plurality of users into a spatial cluster comprising at least two users of the plurality of users accessing the network, where each user of the spatial cluster is associated with a geo tag identifying a geographic location that is located within a defined distance of a geographic location identified in a geo tag of at least one other user of the spatial cluster;

determining with the processor a geographic location associated with a geographic center of the spatial cluster;

associating with the processor the determined geographic location associated with the geographic center of the spatial cluster with the first IP address; and

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

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining with the processor whether a number of users in the subset of the plurality of users exceeds a quorum threshold.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

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

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

normalizing with the processor a weight associated with at least one user of the plurality of users based on a population density of the geographic location associated with the at least one user.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining with the processor an accuracy score of the association between a geographic location associated with a center of the spatial cluster and the first IP address on a zip code level based on a number of users in the spatial cluster located in a same zip code as the geographic center of the spatial cluster and a total number of users in the spatial cluster.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining with the processor an accuracy score of the association between a geographic location associated with a center of the spatial cluster and the first IP address on a city level based on a number of users in the spatial cluster located in a same city as the geographic center of the spatial cluster and a total number of users in the spatial cluster.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining with the processor an accuracy score of the association between a geographic location associated with a center of the spatial cluster and the first IP address on a designated market area (“

DMA”

) level based on a number of users in the spatial cluster located in a same DMA as the geographic center of the spatial cluster and a total number of users in the spatial cluster.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining with the processor an accuracy score of the association between a geographic location associated with a center of the spatial cluster and the first IP address on a state level based on a number of users in the spatial cluster located in a same state as the geographic center of the spatial cluster and a total number of users in the spatial cluster.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

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

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

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

11. A non-transitory computer-readable storage 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 users whose computing devices are each associated with a first IP address based, at least in part, on a plurality of localized search queries of search queries received at a search engine, wherein each of the localized search queries have an explicit geographic location and a term indicating a local intent;

clustering the plurality of users into a spatial cluster comprising at least two users of the plurality of users whose computing devices are each associated with the first IP address, where each user of the spatial cluster is associated with a geographic location within a defined distance of a geographic location associated with at least one other user of the spatial cluster;

determining with the processor a geographic location associated with a geographic center of the spatial cluster;

associating with the processor the determined geographic location associated with the geographic center of the spatial cluster with the first IP address; and

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

12. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 11, further comprising a set of instructions to direct the processor to perform the acts of:

recording an IP address from which each computing device of each user of the plurality of users accesses a network.

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

IP”

) address, the system comprising;

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

process at least one search log to identify a plurality of users, each of which is associated with a first IP address based, at least in part, on a plurality of localized search queries of search queries received at a search engine, wherein each of the localized search queries have an explicit geographic location and a term indicating a local intent;

cluster the plurality of users into a spatial cluster comprising at least two users of the plurality of users associated with the first IP address, where each user of the spatial cluster is associated with a geographic location that is located within a defined distance of a geographic location associated with at least one other user of the spatial cluster;

associate the determined geographic location associated with the geographic center of the spatial cluster with the first IP address; and

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

14. The system of claim 13, further comprising:

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

15. The system of claim 14, further comprising:

an online advertisement service provider in communication with the IP address to location module, the online advertisement service provider configured to serve digital ads to the plurality of users and record information associated with the served digital ads to generate at last a part of the at least one search log.

16. The system of claim 13, wherein the IP address to location module is configured 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.

17. The system of claim 13, wherein the IP address to location module is further configured to associate a geo tag with each of the plurality of users.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the geo tag associates at least a longitude and latitude with a user.

19. The system of claim 13, wherein the IP address to location module is further configured to export the association of a geographic location with the first IP address to at least one of the search engine and an online advertisement service provider.