Systems and methods for determining, collecting, and using geographic locations of internet users

Abstract

A method of determining a geographic location of an Internet user involves determining if the host is on-line, determining ownership of the host name, and then determining the route taken in delivering packets to the user. Based on the detected route, the method proceeds with determining the geographic route based on the host locations and then assigning a confidence level to the assigned location. A system collects the geographic information and allows web sites or other entities to request the geographic location of their visitors. The database of geographic locations may be stored in a central location or, alternatively, may be at least partially located at the web site. With this information, web sites can target content, advertising, or route traffic depending upon the geographic locations of their visitors. Through web site requests for geographic information, a central database tracks an Internet user's traffic on the Internet whereby a profile can be generated. In addition to this profile, the central database can store visitor's preferences as to what content should be delivered to an IP address, the available interface, and the network speed associated with that IP address.

1 . A database containing the geographic locations of a plurality of Internet users, created by the steps of: 
 receiving one of an IP address, host name or domain name associated with an Internet user;    determining a geographic address of an entity that owns the IP address, host name or domain name;    obtaining a route through the Internet to a target host for the IP address, the route containing any intermediate hosts;    determining a geographic naming convention for all hosts contained in the route through the Internet to the target host;    deriving a geographic location of any intermediate hosts contained in the route by automatically matching intermediate hosts to geographic locations through use of a database correlating geographic naming conventions to geographic locations;    if any intermediate hosts within the route do not have associated known geographic naming conventions, deriving the geographic locations of any unknown intermediate host in the route by determining the geographic location of an entity that owns the unknown intermediate host;    automatically determining the geographic location of the Internet user by analysis of the route and the geographic locations of the intermediate hosts; and    storing the geographic location of the Internet user in the database along with the geographic locations of a plurality of other Internet users.    
     
     
         2 . The database as set forth in  claim 1 , wherein the receiving step comprises receiving both the IP address and the domain name and the database is further created by verifying that the IP address corresponds to the host name or the domain name.  
     
     
         3 . The database as set forth in  claim 2 , wherein the verifying step comprises performing an nslookup on one of the IP address, host name or domain name.  
     
     
         4 . The database as set forth in  claim 1 , wherein the Internet user geographic location determination step comprises performing a whois for the IP address.  
     
     
         5 . The database as set forth in  claim 1 , wherein the database is further created by checking whether the target host is on-line prior to determining the geographic address.  
     
     
         6 . The database as set forth in  claim 5 , wherein the checking step comprises performing a ping.  
     
     
         7 . The database as set forth in  claim 1 , wherein the obtaining step comprises performing a traceroute.  
     
     
         8 . The database as set forth in  claim 1 , wherein the database is further created by assigning a confidence level to the geographic location of the Internet user.  
     
     
         9 . The database as set forth in  claim 1 , wherein the geographic location determination step includes analyzing the domain name for the geographic location.  
     
     
         10 . The database as set forth in  claim 1 , wherein the database is further created by confirming the geographic location of the Internet user.  
     
     
         11 . The database as set forth in  claim 1 , wherein automatically determining the geographic location of the Internet user comprises automatically determining a city where the Internet user is located.  
     
     
         12 . The database as set forth in  claim 1 , wherein automatically determining the geographic location of the Internet user comprises automatically determining a region within a country where the Internet user is located.  
     
     
         13 . The database as set forth in  claim 1 , wherein the receiving step comprises receiving a plurality of IP addresses, host names or domain names associated with the plurality of Internet users and the automatically determining step comprises automatically determining geographic locations of the plurality of Internet users.  
     
     
         14 . The database as set forth in  claim 13 , wherein the storing step comprises compiling a database containing the geographic locations of the Internet users.  
     
     
         15 . The database as set forth in  claim 1 , wherein the database is further created by receiving queries for the geographic location of the Internet user and returning the geographic location.  
     
     
         16 . A computer-readable medium having computer readable program code for creating a database containing the geographic locations of a plurality of Internet users, the computer-readable medium comprising: 
 program code for receiving one of an IP address, host name or domain name associated with an Internet user;    program code for determining a geographic address of an entity that owns the IP address, host name or domain name;    program code for obtaining a route through the Internet to a target host for the IP address, the route containing any intermediate hosts;    program code for determining a geographic naming convention for all hosts contained in the route through the Internet to the target host;    program code for deriving a geographic location of any intermediate hosts contained in the route by automatically matching intermediate hosts to geographic locations through use of a database correlating geographic naming conventions to geographic locations;    program code for deriving the geographic locations of any unknown intermediate host in the route by determining the geographic location of an entity that owns the unknown intermediate host, if any intermediate hosts within the route do not have associated known geographic naming conventions;    program code for automatically determining the geographic location of the Internet user by analysis of the route and the geographic locations of the intermediate hosts; and    program code for storing the geographic location of the Internet user in the database along with the geographic locations of a plurality of other Internet users.    
     
     
         17 . A computer-readable medium storing a database, the database containing the geographic locations of a plurality of Internet users, the database being created by the steps of: 
 receiving one of an IP address, host name or domain name associated with an Internet user;    determining a geographic address of an entity that owns the IP address, host name or domain name;    obtaining a route through the Internet to a target host for the IP address, the route containing any intermediate hosts;    determining a geographic naming convention for all hosts contained in the route through the Internet to the target host;    deriving a geographic location of any intermediate hosts contained in the route by automatically matching intermediate hosts to geographic locations through use of a database correlating geographic naming conventions to geographic locations;    if any intermediate hosts within the route do not have associated known geographic naming conventions, deriving the geographic locations of any unknown intermediate host in the route by determining the geographic location of an entity that owns the unknown intermediate host;    automatically determining the geographic location of the Internet user by analysis of the route and the geographic locations of the intermediate hosts; and    storing the geographic location of the Internet user in the database along with the geographic locations of a plurality of other Internet users.    
     
     
         18 . The computer-readable medium as set forth in  claim 17 , wherein the receiving step comprises receiving both the IP address and the domain name and the database is further created by verifying that the IP address corresponds to the host name or the domain name.  
     
     
         19 . The computer-readable medium as set forth in  claim 18 , wherein the verifying step comprises performing an nslookup on one of the IP address, host name or domain name.  
     
     
         20 . The computer-readable medium as set forth in  claim 17 , wherein the Internet user geographic location determination step comprises performing a whois for the IP address.  
     
     
         21 . The computer-readable medium as set forth in  claim 17 , wherein the database is further created by checking whether the target host is on-line prior to determining the geographic address.  
     
     
         22 . The computer-readable medium as set forth in  claim 21 , wherein the checking step comprises performing a ping.  
     
     
         23 . The computer-readable medium as set forth in  claim 17 , wherein the obtaining step comprises performing a traceroute.  
     
     
         24 . The computer-readable medium as set forth in  claim 17 , wherein the database is further created by assigning a confidence level to the geographic location of the Internet user.  
     
     
         25 . The computer-readable medium as set forth in  claim 17 , wherein the geographic location determination step includes analyzing the domain name for the geographic location.  
     
     
         26 . The computer-readable medium as set forth in  claim 17 , wherein the database is further created by confirming the geographic location of the Internet user.  
     
     
         27 . The computer-readable medium as set forth in  claim 17 , wherein automatically determining the geographic location of the Internet user comprises automatically determining a city where the Internet user is located.  
     
     
         28 . The computer-readable medium as set forth in  claim 17 , wherein automatically determining the geographic location of the Internet user comprises automatically determining a region within a country where the Internet user is located.  
     
     
         29 . The computer-readable medium as set forth in  claim 17 , wherein the receiving step comprises receiving a plurality of IP addresses, host names or domain names associated with the plurality of Internet users and the automatically determining step comprises automatically determining geographic locations of the plurality of Internet users.  
     
     
         30 . The computer-readable medium as set forth in  claim 29 , wherein the storing step comprises compiling a database containing the geographic locations of the Internet users.  
     
     
         31 . The computer-readable medium as set forth in  claim 17 , wherein the database is further created by receiving queries for the geographic location of the Internet user and returning the geographic location.  
     
     
         32 . A computer-readable medium having computer readable program code for creating a database containing the geographic locations of a plurality of Internet users, the computer-readable medium comprising: 
 program code for receiving one of an IP address, host name or domain name associated with an Internet user;    program code for determining a geographic address of an entity that owns the IP address, host name or domain name;    program code for obtaining a route through the Internet to a target host for the IP address, the route containing any intermediate hosts;    program code for determining a geographic naming convention for all hosts contained in the route through the Internet to the target host;    program code for deriving a geographic location of any intermediate hosts contained in the route by automatically matching intermediate hosts to geographic locations through use of a database correlating geographic naming conventions to geographic locations;    program code for deriving the geographic locations of any unknown intermediate host in the route by determining the geographic location of an entity that owns the unknown intermediate host, if any intermediate hosts within the route do not have associated known geographic naming conventions;    program code for automatically determining the geographic location of the Internet user by analysis of the route and the geographic locations of the intermediate hosts; and    program code for storing the geographic location of the Internet user in the database along with the geographic locations of a plurality of other Internet users.    
     
     
         33 . A computer-readable medium storing a copy of a database, the copy of the database containing the geographic locations of a plurality of Internet users, the database created by the steps of: 
 receiving one of an IP address, host name or domain name associated with an Internet user;    determining a geographic address of an entity that owns the IP address, host name or domain name;    obtaining a route through the Internet to a target host for the IP address, the route containing any intermediate hosts;    determining a geographic naming convention for all hosts contained in the route through the Internet to the target host;    deriving a geographic location of any intermediate hosts contained in the route by automatically matching intermediate hosts to geographic locations through use of a database correlating geographic naming conventions to geographic locations;    if any intermediate hosts within the route do not have associated known geographic naming conventions, deriving the geographic locations of any unknown intermediate host in the route by determining the geographic location of an entity that owns the unknown intermediate host;    automatically determining the geographic location of the Internet user by analysis of the route and the geographic locations of the intermediate hosts; and    storing the geographic location of the Internet user in the database along with the geographic locations of a plurality of other Internet users.    
     
     
         34 . A computer-implemented method comprising: 
 requesting geographic location information; and    receiving the requested geographic location information, the geographic location information being provided from a database correlating geographic naming conventions to geographic locations, the database created by the steps of: 
 receiving one of an IP address, host name or domain name associated with an Internet user;  
 determining a geographic address of an entity that owns the IP address, host name or domain name;  
 obtaining a route through the Internet to a target host for the IP address, the route containing any intermediate hosts;  
 determining a geographic naming convention for all hosts contained in the route through the Internet to the target host;  
 deriving a geographic location of any intermediate hosts contained in the route by automatically matching intermediate hosts to geographic locations through use of the database;  
 if any intermediate hosts within the route do not have associated known geographic naming conventions, deriving the geographic locations of any unknown intermediate host in the route by determining the geographic location of an entity that owns the unknown intermediate host;  
 automatically determining the geographic location of the Internet user by analysis of the route and the geographic locations of the intermediate hosts; and  
 storing the geographic location of the Internet user in the database along with the geographic locations of a plurality of other Internet users.