System and method for merging internet protocol address to location data from multiple sources

• US 7,870,227 B2
• Filed: 07/31/2007
• Issued: 01/11/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 07/31/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Verizon Patent and Licensing Incorporated (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Yahoo! Inc. (Apollo Global Management, Inc.)
• Inventors: Yue, Li, Pai, Ramesh, Patel, Devesh, Riise, Soren
• Primary Examiner(s): Eng; David Y
• Application Number:
  US11/831,331
• Publication Number:
  US 20090037602A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,260 Days
• Field of Search: 709/218, 709/217, 709/203
• US Class Current: 709/218
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2101/69 using geographic information, e.g. room number
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/45 Network directories; Name-to-address mapping
• 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

Systems and methods for associating a geographic location with an Internet protocol (IP address) are disclosed. Generally, an IP address to location module determines whether a geographic location is associated with a common IP address in a majority of IP address to location data sets. The IP address to location module then stores an association between a geographic location and the IP address in a master IP address to location data set based on whether a geographic location is associated with a common IP address in a majority of IP address to location data sets.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for associating a geographic location with an Internet protocol address (IP address), the method comprising:

determining, with an IP address to location module comprising a processor and a computer-readable storage medium, whether a first geographic location associated with a first IP address in a first IP address to location data set is the same as a second geographic location associated with the first IP address in a second IP address to location data set; and

storing, with the IP address to location module, an association between a geographic location and the first IP address in a third IP address to location data set based at least on the determination of whether the first and second geographic locations are the same;

wherein storing an association between a geographic location and the first IP address in a third IP to location data set based at least on the determination of whether the first and second geographic locations are the same comprises;

determining, with the IP address to location module, that the first and second geographic locations are not the same; and

determining, with the IP address to location module, whether a first accuracy score associated with the first geographic location and the first IP address is greater than a second accuracy score associated with the second geographic location and the first IP address in response to determining that the first and second geographic locations are not the same; and

storing, with the IP address to location module, an association between a geographic location and the first IP address in the third IP address to location data set based at least on the determination of whether the first and second geographic locations are the same and the determination of whether the first accuracy score is greater than the second accuracy score.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein storing an association between a geographic location and the first IP address in the third IP address to location data set based at least on the determination of whether the first and second geographic locations are the same and the determination of whether the first accuracy score is greater than the second accuracy score comprises:

determining, with the IP address to location module, that the first accuracy score is within a predetermined percentage of the second accuracy score;

identifying, with the IP address to location module, an association of a third geographic location and a second IP address in the third IP address to location data set in response to the determination that the first accuracy score is within a predetermined percentage of the second accuracy score, wherein the second IP address is adjacent to the first IP address; and

storing, with the IP address to location module, an association between a geographic location and the first IP address in the third IP address to location data set based on at least the first, second, and third geographic locations.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein storing an association between a geographic location and the first IP address in the third IP address to location data set based at least on the determination of whether the first and second geographic locations are the same and the determination of whether the first accuracy score is greater than the second accuracy score comprises:

determining, with the IP address to location module, the first accuracy score is greater than the second accuracy score; and

storing, with the IP address to location module, an association between the first geographic location and the first IP address in the third IP address to location data set.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising:

expanding, with the IP address to location module, at least one of the first IP address to location data set and the second IP address to location data set.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising:

normalizing, with the IP address to location module, the first and second accuracy scores.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising:

grouping, with the IP address to location module, adjacent IP addresses associated with common geographic locations in the third IP address to location data set into logical groups.

7. A computer-readable storage medium comprising a set of instructions for associating a geographic location with an Internet protocol address (IP address), the set of instructions to direct a processor to perform acts of:

determining whether a first geographic location associated with a first IP address in a first IP address to location data set is the same as a second geographic location association with the first IP address in a second IP address to location data set; and

storing an association between a geographic location and the first IP address in a third IP address to location data set based at least on whether the first and second geographic locations are the same;

wherein storing an association between a geographic location and the first IP address in a third IP to location data set based at least on whether the first and second geographic locations are the same comprises;

determining that the first and second geographic locations are not the same;

determining whether a first accuracy score associated with the first geographic location and the first IP address is greater than a second accuracy score associated with the second geographic location and the first IP address in response to determining that the first and second geographic locations are not the same; and

storing an association between a geographic location and the first IP address in the third IP address to location data set based at least on the determination of whether the first and second geographic locations are the same and the determination of whether the first accuracy score is greater than the second accuracy score.

8. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 7, wherein storing an association between a geographic location and the first IP address in the third IP address to location data set based at least on the determination of whether the first and second geographic locations are the same and the determination of whether the first accuracy score is greater than the second accuracy score comprises:

determining that the first accuracy score is within a predetermined percentage of the second accuracy score;

identifying an association of a third geographic location and a second IP address in the third IP address to location data set in response to the determination that the first accuracy score is within a predetermined percentage of the second accuracy score, wherein the second IP address is adjacent to the first IP address; and

storing an association between a geographic location and the first IP address in the third IP address to location data set based on at least the first, second, and third geographic locations.

9. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 7, wherein storing an association between a geographic location and the first IP address in the third IP address to location data set based at least on the determination of whether the first and second geographic locations are the same and whether the first accuracy score is greater than the second accuracy score comprises:

determining the first accuracy score is greater than the second accuracy score; and

storing an association between the first geographic location and the first IP address in the third IP address to location data set.