| 摘要 |
<p>A method and system (Figure 1) are disclosed for determining or verifying the geographic location of a user while communicating on a communications network such as the Internet (10). The user's location can be straightforwardly determined by a provider of a product or service during network communications between the user and the provider. Thus, the user's location can be determined at the time the service or product is requested by the provider. In one embodiment, to determine the location of the user's network station, the provider: (a) receives the user's phone number (or other identification for contacting the user's station), and (b) supplies the user's station with a distinctive identifier. Additionally, the provider supplies a location determining service the user's phone number (or other identification) requesting that the location determining service determine the location of the network station having the phone number. Moreover, a phone call is made to the phone number for retrieving the distinctive identifier from the network station having the phone number. If the distinctive identifier is retrieved and the location determining service indicates that the user's station is within an appropriate geographical area (or not within an inappropriate area), then the provider can provide the requested product or service to the user.</p> |
