Patent ID: 8341236
Filing Date: 2012-12-25
Classification: G06F,H04L

Abstract:
1. A method of determining a geographical location of a user network device communicating with a network site on a network having a master server and multiple slave servers, including a first slave server and a second slave server, the method comprising: receiving, at the master server via the network, (i) messages sent from the user network device, each message including a user input character padded with k−1 characters, where k equals a predefined message size, and (ii) a time stamp associated with each message and corresponding to the time that message was sent by the user network device to the master server; stamping, at the master server, each of the received messages with a time stamp corresponding to the time of receipt of that message at the master server; receiving, at the master server from the first slave server via the network, (i) the same messages, (ii) a time stamp associated with each message and corresponding to the time that message was sent by the user network device to the first slave server, and (iii) a time stamp corresponding to the time of receipt of that message at the first slave server; receiving, at the master server from the second slave server via the network, (i) the same messages, (ii) a time stamp associated with each message and corresponding to the time that message was sent by the user network device to the second slave server, and (iii) a time stamp corresponding to the time of receipt of that message at the second slave server; computing, at the master server based on the time stamps, the time taken to communicate the messages (i) from the user network device to the master server, (ii) from the user network device to the first slave server, and (iii) from the user network device to the second slave server; adjusting, at the master server, the times taken to communicate the messages based on fluctuations in the bandwidth dependent on the time of day; and determining, at the master server, a geographic location of the user network device as a function of the adjusted times.