Awarded 20 September to the US National Security Agency. Details here.

Method for geolocating logical network addresses on electronically switched dynamic communications networks, such as the Internet, using the time latency of communications to and from the logical network address to determine its location. Minimum round-trip communications latency is measured between numerous stations on the network and known network addressed equipment to form a network latency topology map. Minimum round-trip communications latency is also measured between the stations and the logical network address to be geolocated. The resulting set of minimum round-trip communications latencies is then correlated with the network latency topology map to determine the location of the network address to be geolocated.

In plain English… How to find the geographical location of a networked computer from its IP address. Now I wonder why they’re interested in that? And wouldn’t the RIAA and MPAA just love to licence the patent… (Link via Bruce Schneier.)