Providing regional content by matching geographical properties

• US 9,652,474 B2
• Filed: 07/11/2014
• Issued: 05/16/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 08/13/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Alibaba Group Holding Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Alibaba Group Holding Ltd.
• Inventors: Liu, Wei Jia, Chen, Chuan Wen, Wang, Ming You, Zhou, Hong Xi, Wang, Xuan, Lei, Guo Ping, Li, Xiao Shuan, Ma, Na
• Primary Examiner(s): Fan, Shiow-Jy
• Application Number:
  US14/329,603
• Publication Number:
  US 20150032770A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,040 Days
• 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:

extracting geographical information from a data file, comprising;

identifying multiple geographical information pieces from the data file; and

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

a geographical information database contains a plurality of geographical information pieces and affiliating relationships among the plurality of geographical information pieces, and

frequency of appearance of each geographical information piece takes into account the appearances of at least some of the affiliated geographical information pieces having an affiliating relationship with the geographical information piece;

associating the data file with a source geographical property corresponding to the extracted geographical information according to the geographical information database;

obtaining a user geographical property of a user, comprising;

obtaining the user geographical property by collecting a focus point of online browsing by the user, the focus point relating to a geographical location that has been searched for or inquired by the user within a period of time;

comparing a user administrative level of the user geographical property with an administrative level of the extracted geographical information, comprising;

comparing a first administrative level of the user geographical property with a first administrative level of the extracted geographical information, the first administrative level of the user geographical property corresponding with the first administrative level of the extracted geographical information; and

in the event that the first administrative level of the user geographical property does not match the first administrative level of the extracted geographical information;

comparing a second administrative level of the user geographical property with a second administrative level of the extracted geographical information, the second administrative level of the user geographical property corresponding with the second administrative level of the extracted geographical information, the first administrative level of the user geographical property being finer than the second administrative level of the user geographical property; and

in the event that the second administrative level of the user geographical property matches the second administrative level of the extracted geographical information, determining that the administrative level of the extracted geographical information matches the user administrative level of the user geographical property; and

providing the data file to the user if the administrative level of the extracted geographical property matches the user administrative level of the user geographical property.

2. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein extracting the geographical information from the data file comprises:

providing a geographical name lexicon containing a plurality of geographical keyword entries;

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

taking the matching keyword as at least a part of the geographical information extracted from the data file.

3. The method as recited in claim 2, wherein the plurality of geographical keyword entries include either geographical names or phrases indicative of geographical names, or both the geographical names and the phases indicative of geographical names.

4. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein extracting the geographical information from the data file comprises:

providing a geographical name suffix lexicon containing a plurality of geographical name suffixes;

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

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

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

6. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein each geographical information piece comprises a geographical name or a phrase indicative of a geographical name, and wherein the frequency of appearance of each geographical information piece takes into account appearances of subordinate geographical names have been an affiliated relationship with the said geographical name.

7. The method as recited in claim 6, 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.

8. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein obtaining the 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; and

obtaining the user geographical property by obtaining coordinate information of the user.

9. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein:

the user administrative level of the user geographical property relates to one of a country, a province level, a country level, a city level, a prefecture level, a village level, or a street level; and

the administrative level of the extracted geographical information relates to one of a country, a province level, a country level, a city level, a prefecture level, a village level, or a street level.

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

providing a geographical information database;

extracting geographical information from a data file, comprising;

identifying multiple geographical information pieces from the data file; and

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

the geographical information database contains a plurality of geographical information pieces and affiliating relationships among the plurality of geographical information pieces, and

frequency of appearance of each geographical information piece takes into account the appearances of at least some of the affiliated geographical information pieces having an affiliating relationship with the geographical information piece;

identifying in the geographical information database a source geographical property corresponding to the extracted geographical information;

associating the data file with the source geographical property;

obtaining a user geographical property of a user, comprising;

obtaining the user geographical property by collecting a focus point of online browsing by the user, the focus point relating to a geographical location that has been searched for or inquired by the user within a period of time;

comparing a user administrative level of the user geographical property with an administrative level of the extracted geographical information, comprising;

comparing a first administrative level of the user geographical property with a first administrative level of the extracted geographical information, the first administrative level of the user geographical property corresponding with the first administrative level of the extracted geographical information; and

in the event that the first administrative level of the user geographical property does not match the first administrative level of the extracted geographical information;

comparing a second administrative level of the user geographical property with a second administrative level of the extracted geographical information, the second administrative level of the user geographical property corresponding with the second administrative level of the extracted geographical information, the first administrative level of the user geographical property being finer than the second administrative level of the user geographical property; and

in the event that the second administrative level of the user geographical property matches the second administrative level of the extracted geographical information, determining that the administrative level of the extracted geographical information matches the user administrative level of the user geographical property; and

providing the data file to the user if the administrative level of the extracted geographical property matches the user administrative level of the user geographical property.

11. The method as recited in claim 10, wherein the geographical information database contains a geographical name lexicon having a plurality of geographical keyword entries, and wherein extracting the geographical information from the data file comprises:

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

taking the matching keyword as at least a part of the geographical information extracted from the data file.

12. 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:

extracting geographical information from a data file, comprising;

identifying multiple geographical information pieces from the data file; and

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

a geographical information database contains a plurality of geographical information pieces and affiliating relationships among the plurality of geographical information pieces, and

frequency of appearance of each geographical information piece takes into account the appearances of at least some of the affiliated geographical information pieces having an affiliating relationship with the geographical information piece;

associating the data file with a source geographical property corresponding to the extracted geographical information according to the geographical information database;

obtaining a user geographical property of a user, comprising;

obtaining the user geographical property by collecting a focus point of online browsing by the user, the focus point relating to a geographical location that has been searched for or inquired by the user within a period of time;

comparing a user administrative level of the user geographical property with an administrative level of the extracted geographical information, comprising;

comparing a first administrative level of the user geographical property with a first administrative level of the extracted geographical information, the first administrative level of the user geographical property corresponding with the first administrative level of the extracted geographical information; and

in the event that the first administrative level of the user geographical property does not match the first administrative level of the extracted geographical information;

comparing a second administrative level of the user geographical property with a second administrative level of the extracted geographical information, the second administrative level of the user geographical property corresponding with the second administrative level of the extracted geographical information, the first administrative level of the user geographical property being finer than the second administrative level of the user geographical property; and

in the event that the second administrative level of the user geographical property matches the second administrative level of the extracted geographical information, determining that the administrative level of the extracted geographical information matches the user administrative level of the user geographical property; and

providing the data file to the user if the administrative level of the extracted geographical property matches the user administrative level of the user geographical property.

13. The system as recited in claim 12, wherein the computer is a server computer connected to the Internet.

14. The system as recited in claim 12, wherein the geographical information database is stored in the storage of the system.