Abuse detection for phone number lookups

• US 9,819,793 B2
• Filed: 02/27/2017
• Issued: 11/14/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 08/27/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Tamvada, Radhika, Reiter, Kobi Isaac
• Primary Examiner(s): Ho, Huy C
• Application Number:
  US15/443,581
• Publication Number:
  US 20170171386A1
• Time in Patent Office: 260 Days
• Field of Search: 37914204
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9017 using directory or table look-up use of a directory or look-up table in file systems G06F16/13
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0283 Price estimation or determination
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/01 Social networking
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/141 Indication of costs
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1432 Metric aspects
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/306 User profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/61 based on the service used
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/755 Account identification
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42068 where the identifier is used to access a profile
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/20 Transfer of user or subscriber data

Abstract

A system and method for rate-limiting phone number lookups. An account look-up application receives an address book of a first user, the address book including a phone number that belongs to a second user, creates a phone edge by associating the phone number in the address book with an account of the second user, receives a request including the phone number from the first user for obtaining the account associated with the phone number, determines an edge cost associated with the phone edge for the first user, determines whether to provide the phone edge to the first user based on the edge cost, and provides the phone edge to the first user responsive to a positive determination.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method comprising:

creating, using one or more processors, a phone edge by associating a phone number in an address book of a first user with an account of a second user;

receiving, using one or more processors, a request including the phone number from the first user for obtaining information of the account associated with the phone number;

determining, using one or more processors, an edge cost associated with the phone edge for the first user;

computing, using one or more processors, a cost-based quota for the first user based on edge costs associated with phone edges created for phone numbers in the address book of the first user; and

responsive to the request, determining whether to provide the phone edge to the first user based on the edge cost and the cost-based quota, the phone edge including information of the account of the second user.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the edge cost associated with the phone edge further comprises:

determining whether there is a name corresponding to the phone number in the address book;

determining a level of a match between the name in the address book and an account name of the second user; and

computing the edge cost associated with the phone edge for the first user based on whether the name corresponding to the phone number is in the address book and the level of the match between the name in the address book and the account name of the second user.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

determining a confidence score for the match; and

modifying the edge cost based on the confidence score.

4. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

determining levels of matches between names in the address book and account names;

identifying an amount of phone edges at each level; and

wherein computing the cost-based quota for the first user is based on the identified amount of phone edges and the edge costs.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising adjusting the cost-based quota for the first user based on the levels of matches.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining an attribute-based quota for the first user based on at least one attribute of the first user; and

wherein determining whether to provide the phone edge to the first user is also based on the attribute-based quota.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising adjusting the attribute-based quota for the first user.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

computing a time difference between the request and a failure to provide the phone edge to the first user prior to the request;

determining whether the time difference exceeds a threshold time; and

wherein determining whether to provide the phone edge to the first user is responsive to the time interval exceeding the threshold time.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

annotating the phone edge with a mark;

determining whether to change the mark of the phone edge based on the cost-based quota; and

providing the phone edge to the first user responsive to the mark being changed.

10. A computer program product comprising a non-transitory computer usable medium including a computer readable program, wherein the computer readable program when executed on a computer causes the computer to:

create a phone edge by associating a phone number in an address book of a first user with an account of a second user;

receive a request including the phone number from the first user for obtaining information of the account associated with the phone number;

determine an edge cost associated with the phone edge for the first user;

compute a cost-based quota for the first user based on edge costs associated with phone edges created for phone numbers in the address book of the first user; and

responsive to the request, determine whether to provide the phone edge to the first user based on the edge cost and the cost-based quota, the phone edge including information of the account of the second user.

11. The computer program product of claim 10, wherein determining the edge cost associated with the phone edge further comprises:

determining whether there is a name corresponding to the phone number in the address book;

determining a level of a match between the name in the address book and an account name of the second user; and

computing the edge cost associated with the phone edge for the first user based on whether the name corresponding to the phone number is in the address book and the level of the match between the name in the address book and the account name of the second user.

12. The computer program product of claim 11, wherein the computer readable program, when executed on the computer, further causes the computer to:

determine a confidence score for the match; and

modify the edge cost based on the confidence score.

13. The computer program product of claim 11, wherein the computer readable program, when executed on the computer, further causes the computer to:

determine levels of matches between names in the address book and account names;

identify an amount of phone edges at each level; and

wherein computing the cost-based quota for the first user is based on the identified amount of phone edges and the edge costs.

14. The computer program product of claim 13, wherein the computer readable program, when executed on the computer, further causes the computer to adjust the cost-based quota for the first user based on the levels of matches.

15. The computer program product of claim 10, wherein the computer readable program when executed on the computer further causes the computer to:

determine an attribute-based quota for the first user based on at least one attribute of the first user; and

wherein determining whether to provide the phone edge to the first user is also based on the attribute-based quota.

16. A system comprising:

one or more processors; and

a memory storing instructions that, when executed, cause the system to;

create a phone edge by associating a phone number in an address book of a first user with an account of a second user;

receive a request including the phone number from the first user for obtaining information of the account associated with the phone number;

determine an edge cost associated with the phone edge for the first user;

compute a cost-based quota for the first user based on edge costs associated with phone edges created for phone numbers in the address book of the first user; and

responsive to the request, determine whether to provide the phone edge to the first user based on the edge cost and the cost-based quota, the phone edge including information of the account of the second user.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein determining the edge cost associated with the phone edge further comprises:

determining whether there is a name corresponding to the phone number in the address book;

determining a level of a match between the name in the address book and an account name of the second user; and

computing the edge cost associated with the phone edge for the first user based on whether the name corresponding to the phone number is in the address book and the level of the match between the name in the address book and the account name of the second user.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein instructions that, when executed, further causes the system to:

determine levels of matches between names in the address book and account names;

identify an amount of phone edges at each level; and

wherein computing the cost-based quota for the first user is based on the identified amount of phone edges and the edge costs.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein instructions that, when executed, further causes the system to adjust the cost-based quota for the first user based on the levels of matches.

20. The system of claim 16, wherein instructions that, when executed, further causes the system to:

determine an attribute-based quota for the first user based on at least one attribute of the first user; and

wherein determining whether to provide the phone edge to the first user is also based on the attribute-based quota.