Method and system to associate a geographic location information with a network address using a combination of automated and manual processes

• US 9,413,712 B2
• Filed: 04/15/2015
• Issued: 08/09/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 04/03/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: NeuStar IP Intelligence, Inc. (Neustar Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: NeuStar IP Intelligence, Inc. (Neustar Incorporated)
• Inventors: Anderson, Mark, Bansal, Ajay, Doctor, Brad, Hadjiyiannis, George, Herringshaw, Christopher, Karplus, Eli, Muniz, Derald
• Primary Examiner(s): DINH, KHANH Q
• Application Number:
  US14/687,635
• Publication Number:
  US 20150295881A1
• Time in Patent Office: 482 Days
• Field of Search: 709/203, 709/220, 709/224, 709/228
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/29 Geographical information databases
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2101/30 Types of network names
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/00 Network arrangements, protocols or services for addressing or naming
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/10 of different types
• 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 61/3015 Name registration, generation or assignment
• 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 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 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/52 specially adapted for the location of the user terminal
• 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: Y10S 707/99943 Generating database or data structure, e.g. via user interface

Abstract

A method and a system map a geographic location to a network address. At least one automated process is performed to identify a geographic location for the network address. A determination is made whether the automated process provided satisfactory geographic location information for the network address. If the automated process did not provided satisfactory geographic location information for the network address, then the network address is forwarded for manual resolution.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method to determine a geographic location for a network address on a network, the method comprising:

performing a plurality of traceroutes to the network address, each traceroute performed by a data collection agent of a plurality of data collection agents connected to the network and hosted at geographically disperse locations;

identifying a plurality of results of the plurality of traceroutes which terminate at or near a geographic location;

associating the geographic location from the plurality of results with the network address in the network; and

computing a similarity of the plurality of results to generate a confidence factor for the geographic location associated with the network address.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

filtering the plurality of results based on which data collection agents of the plurality of data collection agents are most appropriate for the network address.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein at least some of the plurality of data collection agents are connected to the network using disparate internet access providers.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of traceroutes is performed in response to a user accessing a website, and the network address is associated with a machine of the user.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining which of the plurality of traceroutes proceeds through a common set of routers.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein associating the geographic location with the network address includes utilizing knowledge of locations of the common set of routers to extrapolate a direction indication for the geographic location.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

extrapolating a plurality of direction indications utilizing knowledge of the locations of the common set of routers; and

using the plurality of direction indications as a factor in identifying the plurality of results.

8. A system to determine a geographic location for a network address on a network, the system comprising:

a memory resource to store instructions; and

one or more processors using the instructions stored in the memory resource to;

perform a plurality of traceroutes to the network address, each traceroute performed by a data collection agent of a plurality of data collection agents connected to the network and hosted at geographically disperse locations;

identify a plurality of results of the plurality of traceroutes which terminate at or near a geographic location;

associate the geographic location from the plurality of results with the network address in the network; and

compute a similarity of the plurality of results to generate a confidence factor for the geographic location associated with the network address.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the memory resource stores further instructions to:

filter the plurality of results based on which data collection agents of the plurality of data collection agents are most appropriate for the network address.

10. The system of claim 8, wherein at least some of the plurality of data collection agents are connected to the network using disparate internet access providers.

11. The system of claim 8, wherein the plurality of traceroutes is performed in response to a user accessing a website, and the network address is associated with a machine of the user.

12. The system of claim 8, wherein the memory resource stores further instructions to:

determine which of the plurality of traceroutes proceeds through a common set of routers.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein associating the geographic location with the network address includes utilizing knowledge of locations of the common set of routers to extrapolate a direction indication for the geographic location.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the memory resource stores further instructions to:

extrapolate a plurality of direction indications utilizing knowledge of the locations of the common set of routers; and

use the plurality of direction indications as a factor in identifying the plurality of results.

15. A non-transitory computer-readable medium that stores instructions, executable by one or more processors, to cause the one or more processors to perform operations that comprise:

performing a plurality of traceroutes to a network address on a network, each traceroute performed by a data collection agent of a plurality of data collection agents connected to the network and hosted at geographically disperse locations;

identifying a plurality of results of the plurality of traceroutes which terminate at or near a geographic location;

associating the geographic location from the plurality of results with the network address in the network;

computing a similarity of the plurality of results to generate a confidence factor for the geographic location associated with the network address.

16. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15, storing further instructions to perform operations that comprise:

filtering the plurality of results based on which data collection agents of the plurality of data collection agents are most appropriate for the network address.

17. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15, wherein at least some of the plurality of data collection agents are connected to the network using disparate internet access providers.