Providing regional content by matching geographical properties

• US 8,812,536 B2
• Filed: 08/13/2009
• Issued: 08/19/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 08/13/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Alibaba Group Holding Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Alibaba Group Holding Ltd.
• Inventors: Lei, Guo Ping, Li, Xiao Shuan, Ma, Na, Liu, Wei Jia, Chen, Chuan Wen, Wang, Ming You, Zhou, Hong Xi, Wang, Xuan
• Primary Examiner(s): Fan, Shiow-Jy
• Application Number:
  US12/664,863
• Publication Number:
  US 20100185663A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,832 Days
• Field of Search: 707/736, 707/769, 707/E17.014, 707/E17.018, 707/723
• US Class Current: 707/769
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/148 File search processing
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/29 Geographical information databases
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9535 Search customisation based on user profiles and personalisation
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising

Abstract

A method and a system provide regional content to users by associating data files with geographical properties and matching the geographical property of a data file with the geographical property of the user. The system extracts geographical information from a data file, and associates the data file with a source geographical property corresponding to the extracted geographical information according to a geographical information database. Upon obtaining a user geographical property of a user, the system provides the data file to the user if the source geographical property matches the user geographical property. The method and the system may be implemented using a geographical name lexicon or a geographical name suffix lexicon.

Claims

1. A method for providing regional content, the method comprising:

identifying a plurality of geographical information pieces in a data file, wherein each geographical information piece corresponds to an identifier of a geographical region;

wherein the identifying of the plurality of geographical information pieces in the data file comprises the following;

A) providing a geographical name lexicon containing a plurality of geographical word entries, the plurality of geographical word entries include phrases indicative of geographical names, names of establishments indicative of geographical names, names of products or services indicative of geographical names, or any combination thereof;

finding a first keyword and a second keyword in the data file matching one of the plurality of geographical word entries; and

taking the matching keywords as at least a part of the geographical information pieces extracted from the data file; and

B) providing a geographical name affix lexicon containing a plurality of geographical name suffixes and prefixes, the plurality of geographical name suffixes and prefixes including common terms used to identify a geographical location;

finding a phrase in the data file frequently preceding a keyword matching one of the plurality of geographical name affixes; and

taking the phrase as at least a part of the pieces of geographical information extracted from the data file;

calculating a frequency of appearance in the data file for each geographical information piece that corresponds to an identifier of a geographical re ion that has an affiliated relationship with one or more subordinate geographical regions based at least in part on summing the respective frequency of appearance for each geographical information piece that corresponds to one of the subordinate geographical regions;

associating the data file with a source geographical property corresponding to geographical information extracted from the data file based at least in part on the calculated frequency of appearances of the geographical information pieces;

obtaining a user geographical property of a user; and

providing the data file to a computing device of the user responsive to the source geographical property matching the user geographical property.

2. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the plurality of geographical word entries include geographical names and the phases indicative of geographical names.

3. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein each geographical information piece comprises a geographical name or a phrase indicative of a geographical name.

4. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the affiliated relationship between the subordinate geographical names and the geographical name is defined by a physical relationship therebetween including any one or more of territorial relationship, jurisdiction relationship, administrative relationship, municipal relationship, and political relationship.

5. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the obtaining a user geographical property comprises any one or more of the following:

obtaining the user geographical property by inquiring the user'"'"'s IP address;

obtaining the user geographical property by inquiring the user'"'"'s registered address;

obtaining the user geographical property by inquiring a geographical location set by the user;

obtaining the user geographical property by obtaining coordinate information of the user; and

obtaining the user geographical property by collecting a focus point of the user'"'"'s online browsing.

6. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the providing the data file to a computing device of the user responsive to the source geographical property matching the user geographical property comprises:

identifying a plurality of data files whose source geographical property matches the user geographical property at one of various geographical levels; and

allowing the user to select from the plurality of data files at the various geographical levels.

7. The method as recited in claim 6, wherein the various geographical levels are defined by a physical relationship including any one of territorial relationship, jurisdiction relationship, administrative relationship, municipal relationship, and political relationship.

8. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the obtaining a user geographical property comprises:

obtaining the user geographical property by inquiring the user'"'"'s registered address, the registered address including a home address, a school address, or a work address.

9. A computer-implemented system of providing regional content, wherein the system comprises a computer having a computer processor and a storage, the computer processor being programmed to perform the following:

identifying a plurality of geographical information pieces in a data file, wherein each geographical information piece corresponds to an identifier of a geographical region;

wherein the identifying of the plurality of geographical information pieces in the data file comprises the following;

A) providing a geographical name lexicon containing a plurality of geographical word entries, the plurality of geographical word entries include phrases indicative of geographical names, names of establishments indicative of geographical names, names of products or services indicative of geographical names, or any combination thereof;

finding a first keyword and a second keyword in the data file matching one of the plurality of geographical word entries; and

taking the matching keywords as at least a part of the geographical information pieces extracted from the data file; and

B) providing a geographical name affix lexicon containing a plurality of geographical name suffixes and prefixes, the plurality of geographical name suffixes and prefixes including common terms used to identify a geographical location;

finding a phrase in the data file frequently preceding a keyword matching one of the plurality of geographical name affixes; and

taking the phrase as at least a part of the pieces of geographical information extracted from the data file;

calculating a frequency of appearance in the data file for each geographical information piece that corresponds to an identifier of a geographical region that has an affiliated relationship with one or more subordinate geographical regions based at least in part on summing the respective frequency of appearance for each geographical information piece that corresponds to one of the subordinate geographical regions;

associating the data file with a source geographical property corresponding to geographical information extracted from the data file based at least in part on the calculated frequency of appearances of the geographical information pieces;

obtaining a user geographical property of a user; and

providing the data file to a computing device of the user responsive to the source geographical property matching the user geographical property.

10. The system as recited in claim 9, wherein the computer is a server computer connected to the Internet.

11. The system as recited in claim 9, wherein the geographical information database is stored in the storage of the system.

12. A computer program product for providing regional content, the computer program product being embodied in a tangible non-transitory computer readable storage medium and comprising computer instructions for:

identifying a plurality of geographical information pieces in a data file, wherein each geographical information piece corresponds to an identifier of a geographical region;

wherein the identifying of the plurality of geographical information pieces in the data file comprises the following;

A) providing a geographical name lexicon containing a plurality of geographical word entries, the plurality of geographical word entries include phrases indicative of geographical names, the phrases indicative of geographical names including phrases indicative of geographical names, names of establishments indicative of geographical names, names of products or services indicative of geographical names, or any combination thereof;

finding a first keyword and a second keyword in the data file matching one of the plurality of geographical word entries; and

taking the matching keywords as at least a part of the geographical information pieces extracted from the data file; and

B) providing a geographical name affix lexicon containing a plurality of geographical name suffixes and prefixes, the plurality of geographical name suffixes and prefixes including common terms used to identify a geographical location;

finding a phrase in the data file frequently preceding a keyword matching one of the plurality of geographical name affixes; and

taking the phrase as at least a part of the pieces of geographical information extracted from the data file;

determining an initial frequency of appearance in the data file for each geographical information piece of the plurality of geographical information pieces;

calculating a frequency of appearance in the data file for each geographical information piece that corresponds to an identifier of a geographical region that has an affiliated relationship with one or more subordinate geographical regions based at least in part on summing the respective frequency of appearance for each geographical information piece that corresponds to one of the subordinate geographical regions;

associating the data file with a source geographical property corresponding to geographical information extracted from the data file based at least in part on the calculated frequency of appearances of the geographical information pieces;

obtaining a user geographical property of a user; and

providing the data file to a computing device of the user responsive to the source geographical property matching the user geographical property.

13. The computer program product as recited in claim 12, wherein identifying a plurality of geographical information pieces in a data file comprises:

providing a geographical-name-affix lexicon containing a plurality of affixes for geographical names, wherein each affix is either a prefix or a suffix;

finding in the data file a phrase that includes a keyword matching one of the plurality of affixes; and

extracting from the data file geographical information corresponding to at least a portion of the phrase.

14. The computer program product as recited in claim 12, further comprising:

taking the geographical information piece which has a highest frequency of appearance in the data file to be the geographical information extracted from the data file.

15. The computer program product as recited in claim 12, wherein the providing the data file to a computing device of the user responsive to the source geographical property matching the user geographical property comprises:

identifying a plurality of data files whose source geographical property matches the user geographical property at one of various geographical levels; and

allowing the user to select from the plurality of data files at the various geographical levels.

16. The computer program product as recited in claim 15, wherein the various geographical levels are defined by a physical relationship including any one of territorial relationship, jurisdiction relationship, administrative relationship, municipal relationship, and political relationship.