System for verifying access based on a determined geographic location of a subscriber of a service provided via a computer network
A method of limiting presentation of rules based events includes receiving a request to view a rules based event at a computer. A first estimate of a first geographic location of the computer is obtained. The first estimate includes a first confidence determination. If the first confidence determination is less than a first established confidence level, a second estimate of the first geographic location of the computer is obtained. The second estimate includes a second confidence determination for comparison to a second established confidence level. The first estimate and the second estimate define a composite estimated geographic location of the computer. Information on a second geographic location of the rules based event is retrieved. The retrieved information is compared with the composite estimated geographic location of the computer. Access to the rules based event is provided based on access rules, the comparison, and the composite estimated geographic location.
1. A system comprising:
a service computer configured to provide a subscription service to a subscriber computer via a network; and
an event interface coupled to the service computer, wherein the event interface is configured to receive event information for a rules based event, wherein the subscription service includes communication of the event information to the subscriber computer;
wherein the service computer is further configured to:
determine a geographic location of the subscriber computer based on stored geographic information that is associated with an Internet Protocol (IP) address of the subscriber computer;
determine a blackout geographic area of the subscription service and a blackout time of the subscription service;
determine if the geographic location is within the blackout geographic area;
determine if a time that the subscription service is to be provided to the subscriber computer is within the blackout time;
deny the subscription service to the subscriber computer if it is determined that the geographic location is within the blackout geographic area and the time is within the blackout time; and
provide a token uniform resource locator (URL) to the subscriber computer if it is determined that the subscriber computer is eligible to receive the subscription service, wherein the token URL is unique and specific to the IP address of the subscriber computer, and wherein unique identifier information corresponding to the rules based event is at an end of the token URL.
2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the service computer is further configured to search a cached IP address table based on subscriber information associated with the subscriber computer, wherein the cached IP address table includes a previously determined IP address for a subscriber associated with the subscriber information.
3. The system of claim 2 , wherein the service computer is further configured to compare the previously determined IP address for the subscriber with a current IP address of the subscriber.
4. The system of claim 3 , wherein the geographic location is determined based on the stored geographic information if the previously determined IP address matches the current IP address.
5. The system of claim 2 , wherein the subscriber information comprises an electronic mail address associated with the subscriber or the subscriber computer.
6. The system of claim 1 , wherein the service computer is further configured to provide the subscriber computer with an option to purchase goods or services.
7. The system of claim 1 , wherein the service computer is further configured to determine the geographic location based at least in part on a credit card number and a billing address that are associated with the subscriber computer.
8. The system of claim 1 , wherein the service computer is further configured to determine the geographic location based at least in part on product registration information.
9. The system of claim 8 , wherein the product registration information is received from the subscriber computer.
10. The system of claim 1 , wherein the geographic location is not determined if a subscriber associated with the subscriber computer is identified as a preferred customer.
11. The system of claim 1 , wherein the blackout time corresponds to a time period during which the rules based event is ongoing.
12. The system of claim 1 , wherein determining the blackout geographic area is based on at least a portion of a uniform resource locator (URI) accessed by the subscriber computer.
13. The system of claim 1 , wherein denying the subscription service comprises sending a blackout message to a subscriber.
14. A non-transitory computer-readable medium having computer-readable instructions stored thereon, the computer-readable instructions comprising:
instructions to receive event information for a rules based event, wherein a subscription service includes communication of the event information to a subscriber computer;
instructions to determine a geographic location of the subscriber computer based on stored geographic information that is associated with an Internet Protocol (IP) address;
instructions to determine a blackout geographic area of the subscription service and a blackout time of the subscription service;
instructions to determine if the geographic location is within the blackout geographic area;
instructions to determine if a time that the subscription service is to be provided to the subscriber is within the blackout time;
instructions to deny the subscription service to the subscriber computer if it is determined that the geographic location is within the blackout geographic area and the time is within the blackout time; and
instructions to provide a token uniform resource locator (URL) to the subscriber computer if it is determined that the subscriber computer is eligible to receive the subscription service, wherein the token URL is unique and specific to the IP address of the subscriber computer, and wherein unique identifier information corresponding to the rules based event is an end of the token URL.
15. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 14 , further comprising instructions to search a cached Internet Protocol (IP) address table based on subscriber information.
16. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15 , wherein the cached IP address table includes a previously determined IP address for a subscriber associated with the subscriber information.
17. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 16 , further comprising instructions to compare the previously determined IP address for the subscriber with a current IP address of the subscriber.
18. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 16 , wherein the instructions to determine the geographic location based on the stored geographic information are performed if the previously determined IP address matches the current IP address.
19. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 14 , wherein the subscription service provides the subscriber computer with an option to purchase goods or services.
20. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 19 , wherein the option to purchase includes purchase rules that vary depending on the geographic location of the subscriber computer.
21. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 14 , further comprising instructions to determine the geographic location based at least in part on a credit card number and a billing address associated with the subscriber computer.
22. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 14 , further comprising instructions to determine the geographic location based at least in part on product registration information.
23. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 14 , wherein the geographic location is not determined if a subscriber associated with the subscriber computer is identified as a preferred customer.