W3C Geolocation combined with IP Geolocation

[ideaproxy]

Disclosed is a software method for determining a devices location based on the devices W3C Geolocation and the device's IP geolocation. W3C Geolocation is as defined at http://dev.w3.org/geo/api/spec-source.html. IP geolocation is a pre-existing database that provides an estimated location based on a device's IP address.

The disclosed method uses JavaScript to obtain the latitude, longitude, and estimated accuracy of those coordinates from a web browser visiting a website using a service built with this method. The JavaScript then posts this information back to a host running a computer program providing the said service. This program takes the provided W3C Geolocation coordinates and compares the their accuracy to the accuracy of coordinates provided by the IP geolocation database. If the estimated accuracy of the W3C Geolocation coordinates is greater than the accuracy of the IP geolocation coordinates, then the program sends the W3C Geolocation coordinates, along with other related data such as city name, state, country, and postal code, back to the website and/or the web browser for further processing. If the IP geolocation database is determined to be more accurate, the same information is provided back using the coordinates provided by the IP geolocation database.

In both cases, the W3C Geolocation coordinates and accuracy are recorded by the computer program for further processing by either the same computer program or a separate computer program. This processing may include, but is not limited to, using the W3C Geolocation coordinates to improve the accuracy of the coordinates in an IP geolocation database.

[ideaproxy]

The W3C Geolocation coordinates are combined with log data from an online fraud detection service to enhance the accuracy of an IP geolocation database. The online fraud detection service logs the IP address and billing/shipping address to a database. The billing/shipping addresses from the fraud detection service logs are converted to lat/lon coordinates, and combined with the W3C data to form IP address / coordinate logs. If the following conditions are true:

1. Postal confidence in the IP geolocation database is below a threshold value 2. There are at least two IP address / coordinate pairs on different IP addresses inside a IP address network that are in the same geographical area (such as postal code)
3. The city confidence in the IP geolocation database is below a threshold value, if the logged IP / coordinate pair points outside the city
4. The logged IP / coordinate pair is within the expected area that the IP address location is likely to be in according to the IP geolocation database
5. The IP / coordinate pair was logged recently.

Then include IP address / coordinate inside the IP geolocation database, mapping the single IP address to the location from the logs.