Generating Specific Risk Cohorts

• US 20100153147A1
• Filed: 12/12/2008
• Published: 06/17/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 12/12/2008
• Status: Active Application

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Kraemer, James R., Angell, Robert Lee, Friedlander, Robert R.
• Application Number:
  US12/333,321
• Publication Number:
  US 20100153147A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/7
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/04 Forecasting or optimisation specially adapted for administrative or management purposes, e.g. linear programming or "cutting stock problem" market predictions or forecasting for commercial activities G06Q30/0202
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/0635 Risk analysis of enterprise or organisation activities

Abstract

A computer implemented method, apparatus, and computer program product for generating risk scores for specific risk cohorts. Digital sensor data associated with a specific risk cohort is received from a set of multimodal sensors. The specific risk cohort includes a set of identified cohort members. The digital sensor data includes metadata describing attributes associated with at least one cohort member in the set of identified cohort members. Description data for each cohort member in the set of identified cohort members is retrieved to form a set of cohort description data. The description data for each cohort member comprises data describing a previous history of the cohort member or a current status of the cohort member. The cohort member is a person, animal, plant, thing, or location. A specific risk score is generated for the specific risk cohort based on selected risk factors, the attributes associated with the at least one identified member, and the set of cohort description data. A response action is initiated in response to a determination that the specific risk score exceeds a risk threshold.

Claims

1. A computer implemented method of generating risk scores for specific risk cohorts, the computer implemented method comprising:

receiving digital sensor data associated with a specific risk cohort from a set of multimodal sensors, wherein the specific risk cohort comprises a set of identified cohort members, wherein the digital sensor data comprises metadata describing attributes associated with at least one cohort member in the set of identified cohort members;

retrieving description data for each cohort member in the set of identified cohort members to form a set of cohort description data, wherein the description data for the each cohort member comprises data describing at least one of a previous history and a current status of the cohort member, wherein the cohort member is a person, animal, plant, thing, or location;

generating a specific risk score for the specific risk cohort based on selected risk factors, the attributes associated with the at least one identified member, and the set of cohort description data; and

responsive to a determination that the specific risk score exceeds a risk threshold, initiating a response action.

2. The computer implemented method of claim 1 further comprising:

responsive to a determination that the specific risk score fails to exceed a risk threshold, retrieving new digital sensor data associated with the specific risk cohort from the set of multimodal sensors.

3. The computer implemented method of claim 2 wherein the response action is a first response action and further comprising:

responsive to a determination that new digital sensor data associated with the general risk cohort is available, receiving the new digital sensor data, wherein the new digital sensor data comprises updated metadata describing updated attributes associated with the at least one cohort member of the specific risk cohort;

generating an updated specific risk score for the specific risk cohort based on the selected risk factors, the description data for the set of identified cohort members, and the updated attributes;

comparing the updated specific risk score with the risk threshold;

responsive to a determination that the updated specific risk score fails to exceed the risk threshold, ceasing the first response action; and

responsive to a determination that the updated specific risk score exceeds the risk threshold, initiating a second response action, wherein the process iteratively generates updated specific risk scores using updated sensor data to update risk scores and initiate response actions when any risk score exceeds the risk threshold.

4. The computer implemented method of claim 1 wherein the response action is a first response action, wherein the selected risk factors is a first set of selected risk factors, and further comprising:

responsive to a determination that a second set of selected risk factors are received, generating an updated specific risk score for the specific risk cohort based on the second set of selected risk factors, the description data for the set of identified cohort members, and the attributes associated with the at least one cohort member of the specific risk cohort;

responsive to a determination that the updated general risk score fails to exceed the risk threshold, ceasing the first response action; and

responsive to a determination that the updated general risk score exceeds the risk threshold, initiating a second response action, wherein the process iteratively generates updated specific risk scores using updated digital sensor data to update risk scores and initiate response actions when any risk score exceeds the risk threshold.

5. The computer implemented method of claim 1 wherein the risk threshold comprises an upper risk threshold and a lower risk threshold, and wherein specific risk score exceeds the risk threshold if the risk score exceeds the upper risk threshold;

and wherein the specific risk score exceeds the risk threshold if the risk score is less than the lower risk threshold.

6. The computer implemented method of claim 1 wherein receiving the digital sensor data associated with the specific risk cohort from the set of multimodal sensors further comprises:

receiving cohort data for a set of multimodal cohorts, wherein the cohort data comprises metadata describing attributes of members of the set of multimodal cohorts; and

generating the specific risk score for the specific risk cohort based on the selected risk factors, the attributes associated with the set of multimodal cohorts, the attributes associated with the at least one member of the specific risk cohort, and the description data, wherein the set of multimodal cohorts comprises at least one of a video cohort, an audio cohort, an olfactory cohort, a biometric cohort, a furtive glance cohort, and a sensor and actuator cohort.

7. The computer implemented method of claim 1 wherein the risk threshold is a default threshold.

8. The computer implemented method of claim 1 further comprising:

analyzing the digital sensor data using manual input and at least one of cohort criteria, cohort constraints, a set of data models, and risk patterns to generate the specific risk cohort.

9. The computer implemented method of claim 1 further comprising:

analyzing the selected risk factors using at least one of manual input from a user and a lookup table of weight indicators to generate weighted risk factors; and

identifying a weighted risk score associated with the specific risk cohort based on the weighted risk factors, wherein the response action is initiated if the weighted risk score exceeds the risk threshold.

10. The computer implemented method of claim 1 wherein the set of multimodal sensors comprises at least one of a set of chemical sensors, a set of audio sensors, a set of cameras, a set of biometric sensors, and a set of sensors and actuators, and further comprising:

responsive to receiving sensor data from the set of multimodal sensors, processing the sensor data to the form digital sensor data, wherein a sensor data analysis engine converts any input received in an analog format into a digital format to form the digital sensor data.

11. A computer implemented method of generating risk scores for specific risk cohorts, the computer implemented method comprising:

responsive to receiving digital sensor data associated with a general risk cohort, identifying a general risk score associated with the general risk cohort, wherein the digital sensor data comprises metadata describing general risk attributes associated with members of the general risk cohort, and wherein the general risk score is generated based on an analysis of the general risk attributes and a first set of selected risk factors, and wherein each member of the general risk cohort is a representative of a general category of objects;

responsive to a determination that the general risk score exceeds a risk threshold, retrieving digital sensor data associated with members of a specific risk cohort from a set of multimodal sensors, wherein the specific risk cohort comprises a set of identified cohort members, wherein the digital sensor data comprises metadata describing specific risk attributes associated with the set of identified cohort members;

retrieving description data for each cohort member in the set of identified cohort members to form a set of cohort description data, wherein the description data for the each cohort member comprises data describing at least one of a previous history and a current status of the cohort member;

generating a specific risk score for the specific risk cohort based on a second set of selected risk factors, the specific risk attributes associated with the specific risk cohort, and the set of cohort description data; and

responsive to a determination that the specific risk score exceeds a risk threshold, initiating a response action.

12. The computer implemented method of claim 11 further comprising:

responsive to a determination that new digital sensor data associated with the general risk cohort is available, receiving the new digital sensor data, wherein the new digital sensor data comprises updated metadata describing updated attributes associated with the at least one cohort member of the specific risk cohort;

generating an updated specific risk score for the specific risk cohort based on the selected risk factors, the description data for the set of identified cohort members, and the updated attributes;

comparing the updated specific risk score with the risk threshold;

responsive to a determination that the updated specific risk score fails to exceed the risk threshold, ceasing the first response action; and

responsive to a determination that the updated specific risk score exceeds the risk threshold, initiating a second response action, wherein the process iteratively generates updated specific risk scores using updated sensor data to update risk scores and initiate response actions when any risk score exceeds the risk threshold.

13. A computer program product for risk scores for specific risk cohorts, the computer program product comprising:

a computer usable medium having computer usable program code embodied therewith, the computer usable program code comprising;

computer usable program code configured to receive digital sensor data associated with a specific risk cohort from a set of multimodal sensors, wherein the specific risk cohort comprises a set of identified cohort members, wherein the digital sensor data comprises metadata describing attributes associated with at least one cohort member in the set of identified cohort members;

computer usable program code configured to retrieve description data for each cohort member in the set of identified cohort members to form a set of cohort description data, wherein the description data for the each cohort member comprises data describing at least one of a previous history and a current status of the cohort member, wherein the cohort member is a person, animal, plant, thing, or location;

computer usable program code configured to generate a specific risk score for the specific risk cohort based on selected risk factors, the attributes associated with the at least one identified member, and description data in the set of cohort description data; and

computer usable program code configured to initiate a response action in response to a determination that the specific risk score exceeds a risk threshold.

14. The computer program product of claim 13 further comprising:

computer usable program code configured to retrieve new digital sensor data associated with the specific risk cohort from the set of multimodal sensors in response to a determination that the specific risk score fails to exceed a risk threshold.

15. The computer program product of claim 13 wherein the response action is a first response action and further comprising:

computer usable program code configured to receive the new digital sensor data in response to a determination that new digital sensor data associated with the general risk cohort is available, wherein the new digital sensor data comprises updated metadata describing updated attributes associated with the at least one cohort member of the specific risk cohort;

computer usable program code configured to generate an updated specific risk score for the specific risk cohort based on the selected risk factors, the description data for the set of identified cohort members, and the updated attributes;

computer usable program code configured to compare the updated specific risk score with the risk threshold;

computer usable program code configured to cease the first response action in response to a determination that the updated specific risk score fails to exceed the risk threshold in response to a determination that the updated specific risk score fails to exceed the risk threshold; and

computer usable program code configured to initiate a second response action in response to a determination that the updated specific risk score exceeds the risk threshold, wherein the process iteratively generates updated specific risk scores using updated sensor data to update risk scores and initiate response actions when any risk score exceeds the risk threshold.

16. The computer program product of claim 13 wherein the response action is a first response action, wherein the selected risk factors is a first set of selected risk factors, and further comprising:

computer usable program code configured to generate an updated specific risk score for the specific risk cohort based on the second set of selected risk factors, the description data for the set of identified cohort members, and the attributes associated with the at least one cohort member of the specific risk cohort in response to a determination that a second set of selected risk factors are received;

computer usable program code configured to cease the first response action in response to a determination that the updated general risk score fails to exceed the risk threshold; and

computer usable program code configured to initiate a second response action, wherein the process iteratively generates updated specific risk scores using updated digital sensor data to update risk scores and initiate response actions when any risk score exceeds the risk threshold in response to a determination that the updated general risk score exceeds the risk threshold.

17. The computer program product of claim 13 wherein the risk threshold comprises an upper risk threshold and a lower risk threshold, and wherein specific risk score exceeds the risk threshold if the risk score exceeds the upper risk threshold;

and wherein the specific risk score exceeds the risk threshold if the risk score is less than the lower risk threshold.

18. An apparatus comprising:

a bus system;

a communications system coupled to the bus system;

a memory connected to the bus system, wherein the memory includes computer usable program code; and

a processing unit coupled to the bus system, wherein the processing unit executes the computer usable program code to receive digital sensor data associated with a specific risk cohort from a set of multimodal sensors, wherein the specific risk cohort comprises a set of identified cohort members, wherein the digital sensor data comprises metadata describing attributes associated with at least one cohort member in the set of identified cohort members;

retrieve description data for each cohort member in the set of identified cohort members to form a set of cohort description data, wherein the description data for the each cohort member comprises data describing at least one of a previous history and a current status of the cohort member, wherein the cohort member is a person, animal, plant, thing, or location;

generate a specific risk score for the specific risk cohort based on selected risk factors, the attributes associated with the at least one identified member, and the set of cohort description data; and

initiate a response action in response to a determination that the specific risk score exceeds a risk threshold.

19. The apparatus of claim 18 wherein the processing unit executes the computer usable program code to retrieve new digital sensor data associated with the specific risk cohort from the set of multimodal sensors in response to a determination that the specific risk score fails to exceed a risk threshold.

20. The apparatus of claim 18 wherein the processing unit executes the computer usable program code to receive the new digital sensor data in response to a determination that new digital sensor data associated with the general risk cohort is available, wherein the new digital sensor data comprises updated metadata describing updated attributes associated with the at least one cohort member of the specific risk cohort;

generate an updated specific risk score for the specific risk cohort based on the selected risk factors, the description data for the set of identified cohort members, and the updated attributes;

compare the updated specific risk score with the risk threshold;

cease the first response action in response to a determination that the updated specific risk score fails to exceed the risk threshold in response to a determination that the updated specific risk score fails to exceed the risk threshold; and

initiate a second response action in response to a determination that the updated specific risk score exceeds the risk threshold, wherein the process iteratively generates updated specific risk scores using updated sensor data to update risk scores and initiate response actions when any risk score exceeds the risk threshold.