Customized geographical location indexing

• US 8,051,087 B2
• Filed: 09/30/2008
• Issued: 11/01/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 07/05/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: R2 Solutions LLC (Acacia Research Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Yahoo! Inc. (Apollo Global Management, Inc.)
• Inventors: Campbell, Bruce Andrew, Babcodk, Eddie
• Primary Examiner(s): Robinson; Greta
• Assistant Examiner(s): Weinrich; Brian E
• Application Number:
  US12/242,148
• Publication Number:
  US 20090100007A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,127 Days
• Field of Search: 707/743, 707/798
• US Class Current: 707/743
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9537 Spatial or temporal dependent retrieval, e.g. spatiotemporal queries

Abstract

A system is disclosed for customizing a geographic location index based on user preferences. The system obtains geographic data provided by a user and generates a customized geographic region based on the obtained geographic data. The system generates relationship data corresponding to the new customized geographic region. The system updates the geographic location index based on the new customized geographic region and corresponding relationship data. Thereafter, on-line content may be delivered to an audience associated with the new customized geographic region, thereby allowing the user, such as an advertiser or publisher, to define targeting regions that are optimal to their specific business environment.

Claims

1. A method for customizing a geographic location index, comprising:

obtaining, using a computer processor, user defined geographic data comprising information identifying a first constituent entity and a second constituent entity, wherein the first and second constituent entities correspond to geographic entities identified in a geographic location index, wherein;

the geographic location index comprises a first constituent relationship data associated with the first constituent entity and a second constituent relationship data associated with the second constituent entity;

the first constituent relationship data comprises a first adjacency list comprising an identification of any geographic entity that is adjacent to the first constituent entity; and

the second constituent relationship data comprises a second adjacency list comprising an identification of any geographic entity that is adjacent to the second constituent entity;

generating, using the computer processor, a customized geographic region corresponding to a geographic region not identified in the geographic location index based on the user defined geographic data;

generating, using the computer processor, relationship data corresponding to the customized geographic region based on the first and second constituent relationship data,

wherein generating the relationship data corresponding to the customized geographic region comprises generating an adjacency list corresponding to the customized geographic region that comprises geographic entities corresponding to a union of the first and second adjacency lists minus any geographic entities in the first or second adjacency lists that share a constituent in common with the customized geographic region;

updating, using the computer processor, the geographic location index for use in geographically targeted content delivery, where updating the geographic location index is based on the generated customized geographic region and the generated relationship data.

2. The method of claim 1, where generating a customized geographic region comprises generating a unique identifier associated with the customized geographic region.

3. The method of claim 1, where generating the relationship data corresponding to the customized geographic region further comprises:

identifying from the first and second constituent relationship data whether there is a parent entity in common between the first and second constituent entities; and

identifying any parent entity in common between the first and second constituent entities as a parent entity of the customized geographic region.

4. The method of claim 1, where generating the relationship data corresponding to the customized geographic region further comprises:

identifying from the first and second constituent relationship data any child entities of the first and second constituent entities; and

identifying the first and second constituent entities, as well as the identified child entities of the first and second constituent entities, as child entities of the customized geographic region.

5. A geographic location index customization system, comprising:

a processor;

a memory coupled to the processor, the memory comprising;

a geographic location index;

instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to;

obtain user defined geographic data comprising information identifying a first constituent entity and a second constituent entity, wherein the first and second constituent entities correspond to geographic entities identified in the geographic location index, wherein;

the geographic location index comprises a first constituent relationship data associated with the first constituent entity and a second constituent relationship data associated with the second constituent entity;

the first constituent relationship data comprises a first adjacency list comprising an identification of any geographic entity that is adjacent to the first constituent entity; and

the second constituent relationship data comprises a second adjacency list comprising an identification of any geographic entity that is adjacent to the second constituent entity;

generate a customized geographic region based on the user defined geographic data corresponding to a geographic region not identified in the geographic location index;

generate relationship data corresponding to the customized geographic region based on the first and second constituent relationship data,

wherein generating the relationship data corresponding to the customized geographic region comprises generating an adjacency list corresponding to the customized geographic region that comprises geographic entities corresponding to a union of the first and second adjacency lists minus any geographic entities in the first or second adjacency lists that share a constituent in common with the customized geographic region;

update the geographic location index for use in geographically targeted content delivery, where updating the geographic location index is based on the generated customized geographic region and the generated relationship data; and

store the updated geographic location index in the memory.

6. The system of claim 5, where the instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to generate a customized geographic region further cause the processor to generate a unique identifier associated with the customized geographic region.

7. The system of claim 5, where the instructions that cause the processor to generate the relationship data corresponding to the customized geographic region further comprise instructions that cause the processor to:

identify from the first and second constituent relationship data whether there is a parent entity in common between the first and second constituent entities; and

identify any parent entity in common between the first and second constituent entities as a parent entity of the customized geographic region.

8. The system of claim 5, where the instructions that cause the processor to generate the relationship data corresponding to the customized geographic region further comprise instructions that cause the processor to:

identify from the first and second constituent relationship data any child entities of the first and second constituent entities; and

identify the first and second constituent entities, as well as the identified child entities of the first and second constituent entities, as child entities of the customized geographic region.

9. A product comprising:

a computer readable medium; and

instructions stored on the medium that, when executed, cause a processor in a system for customizing a geographic location index to;

obtain user defined geographic data comprising information identifying a first constituent entity and a second constituent entity, wherein the first and second constituent entities correspond to geographic entities identified in the geographic location index, wherein;

the geographic location index comprises a first constituent relationship data associated with the first constituent entity and a second constituent relationship data associated with the second constituent entity;

the first constituent relationship data comprises a first adjacency list comprising an identification of any geographic entity that is adjacent to the first constituent entity; and

the second constituent relationship data comprises a second adjacency list comprising an identification of any geographic entity that is adjacent to the second constituent entity;

generate a customized geographic region based on the user defined geographic data corresponding to a geographic region not identified in the geographic location index;

generate relationship data corresponding to the customized geographic region based on the first and second constituent relationship data,

wherein generating the relationship data corresponding to the customized geographic region comprises generating an adjacency list corresponding to the customized geographic region that comprises geographic entities corresponding to a union of the first and second adjacency lists minus any geographic entities in the first or second adjacency lists that share a constituent in common with the customized geographic region; and

update the geographic location index for use in geographically targeted content delivery, where updating the geographic location index is based on the generated customized geographic region and the generated relationship data.

10. The product of claim 9, where the instructions that, when executed, cause the processor to generate a customized geographic region further cause the processor to generate a unique identifier associated with the customized geographic region.

11. The product of claim 9, where the instructions that cause the processor to generate the relationship data corresponding to the customized geographic region further comprise instructions that cause the processor to:

identify from the first and second constituent relationship data whether there is a parent entity in common between the first and second constituent entities; and

identify any parent entity in common between the first and second constituent entities as a parent entity of the customized geographic region.

12. The product of claim 9, where the instructions that cause the processor to generate the relationship data corresponding to the customized geographic region further comprise instructions that cause the processor to:

identify from the first and second constituent relationship data any child entities of the first and second constituent entities; and

identify the first and second constituent entities, as well as the identified child entities of the first and second constituent entities, as child entities of the customized geographic region.