EVENT RECONCILIATION SYSTEM AND METHOD

• US 20110072085A1
• Filed: 09/20/2010
• Published: 03/24/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 09/18/2009
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Stjohn Standley
• Original Assignee: Stjohn Standley
• Inventors: Standley, StJohn
• Application Number:
  US12/886,325
• Publication Number:
  US 20110072085A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/204
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/48 Retrieval characterised by using metadata, e.g. metadata not derived from the content or metadata generated manually

Abstract

A computer-implemented method of and system for matching a first and a second different independently-created descriptions of a shared event involving at least two persons is described. The method comprises: receiving each of the first and second descriptions of the shared event respectively from each of a first and a second user'"'"'s communications device; generating a first set of descriptive variables from the first received description and a second set of descriptive variables from the second received description, the first and second set of variables including the location of the event, the time/date of the event and at least one variable describing the appearance of at least one of the at least two persons; determining a matching value for each variable common to both the first and second sets; using the matching values of the first and second sets to establish the likelihood of whether the first and second descriptions describe the same event; and sending the results of the using step to each of the first user'"'"'s communication device and the second user'"'"'s communications device.

Claims

1. A method of matching a first and a second different independently-created descriptions of an event involving at least two persons, the method comprising:

receiving each of the first and second descriptions;

generating a first set of descriptive variables from the first received description and a second set of descriptive variables from the second received description;

determining a matching value for each variable common to both the first and second sets; and

using the matching values of the first and second sets to establish the likelihood of whether the first and second descriptions describe the same event.

2. A method according to claim 1, further comprising:

attributing different weighting factors to a plurality of possible variables used to describe the event;

storing the different weighting factors;

applying, for each common variable, the corresponding stored weighting factor to the respective matching value to create a set of weighted matching values;

wherein the using step comprises using the weighted matching values.

3. A method according to claim 1, wherein the first and second set of variables include at least one of the following event defining categories:

location and time/date.

4. A method according to claim 3, further comprising:

attributing different weighting factors to a plurality of possible variables used to describe the event;

storing the different weighting factors;

applying, for each common variable, the corresponding stored weighting factor to the respective matching value to create a set of weighted matching values;

wherein the using step comprises using the weighted matching values and the attributing step comprises attributing the highest weighting factors of all the variables to the location and time/date category variables.

5. A method according to claim 3, wherein any one of the location and time variables is provided using a global positioning system (GPS).

6. A method according to claim 1, wherein the using step comprises summing the matching values to determine an overall measure of the likelihood that the first and second descriptions describe the same event.

7. A method according to to claim 1, wherein the first and second set of variables include at least one visual descriptor variable describing a visual aspect of the event.

8. A method according to claim 7, wherein the at least one visual descriptor expresses the appearance of one of the persons related to the event.

9. A method according to claim 7, wherein the first set of variables includes at least one variable describing one of the at least two persons related to the event and the second set of variables includes at least one variable describing the other of the at least two persons related to the event.

10. A method according to claim 9, wherein the first description is provided from a communication device of a first user and the second description is provided from a communication device of the second user, and the method further comprises:

obtaining descriptive variables expressing the appearance of the first user from a pre-stored user-profile database and adding them to the first set of descriptive variables; and

obtaining descriptive variables expressing the appearance of the second user from a pre-stored user-profile database and adding them to the second set of descriptive variables.

11. A method according to claim 10, wherein the determining step comprises determining a matching value for variables derived from both user-provided descriptions and from the user-profile database.

12. A method according to claim 9, wherein the first set of variables includes at least one variable describing the appearance of first user at the time of the event.

13. A method according to claim 8, wherein the at least one visual descriptor comprises a variable selected from a graphical user interface describing the appearance of a person related to the event.

14. A method according to claim 1, wherein the generating step comprises parsing the received first and second descriptions and extracting the first and second sets of descriptive variables.

15. A method according to claim 14, wherein at least one of the first and second descriptions comprise a textual description and the parsing step comprises employing syntactical analysis to extract the first or second set of variables.

16. A method according to claim 14, wherein at least one of the first and second descriptions comprise an audio recording and the parsing step comprises employing audio analysis to extract audio portions representing the first or second set of variables and converting audio portions into digital information representing those audio portions.

17. A method according to claim 1, wherein the generating step comprises converting the first and second set of descriptive variables into numerical values to enable machine comparisons of the variables.

18. A method according to claim 17, wherein the generating step comprises converting each common variable in the first and second sets into a common format to enable machine comparisons of the variables.

19. A method according to claim 17, wherein the determining step comprises:

determining the numerical difference between the common variables of the first and second set of descriptive variables; and

comparing the numerical difference between common variables with a predetermined value to establish the amount of the corresponding matching value.

20. A method according to claim 19, wherein the comparing step comprises comparing the numerical difference between common variables with a predetermined range of values to establish the amount of the corresponding matching value.

21. A method according to claim 17, wherein a common variable in the first and second sets comprises location information and the determining step comprises comparing grid location references of the common variables.

22. A method according to claim 1, further comprising sending the results of the using step to each of a first user'"'"'s communication device and a second user'"'"'s communications device.

23. A method according to claim 22, further comprising ranking the results in order of the likelihood of whether the first and second descriptions describe the same event, and sending the results in ranked order to each of the first user'"'"'s communication device and the second user'"'"'s communications device.

24. A method according to claim 22, further comprising requesting confirmation from the first and second user communication devices that the sent results are correct.

25. A method according to claim 24, further comprising sending the contact details of the second user to the first user, and the contact details of the first user to the second user, on receipt of confirmation by both the first user and the second user that both the first description and the second description relate to the same event.

26. A method according to claim 22, further comprising sending a data template to each of the first and the second users'"'"' communication devices, wherein the descriptions of the physical event are provided by completing a data-entry template, the template being comprised of a plurality of different data fields;

and wherein the different data fields relate to different types of variable.

27. A method according to claim 22, further comprising:

determining from the received first and second descriptions, the type of communication devices used to send the first and the second descriptions; and

modifying the results of the using step to be compatible with each of the first user'"'"'s communication device and the second user'"'"'s communications device.

28. A method according to claim 1, wherein the receiving step comprises receiving the first description before the second description, and the method further comprises generating the first set of descriptive variables for the first received description and storing the first set until such time as the second description has been received and the second set of descriptive variables has been generated.

29. A method according claim 28, further comprising sending the contact details of the second user to the first user, and the contact details of the first user to the second user, on receipt of confirmation by both the first user and the second user that both the first description and the second description relate to the same event, wherein the storing step comprises storing the first set of descriptive variables until such time as receipt of the confirmation from both the first and the second user.

30. A method according to claim 1, wherein the event comprises a series of linked events occurring sequentially in time at adjacent locations.

31. A system for matching a first and a second different independently-created descriptions of an event involving at least two persons, the system comprising:

a receiver for receiving each of the first and second descriptions;

a set generator for generating a first set of descriptive variables from the first received description and a second set of descriptive variables from the second received description;

a match determinator for determining a matching value for each variable common to both the first and second sets; and

a results generator for using the matching values of the first and second sets to establish the likelihood of whether the first and second descriptions describe the same event.

32. A system according to claim 31, further comprising:

weighting means for attributing different weighting factors to a plurality of possible variables used to describe the event;

a data store for storing the different weighting factors;

wherein the match determinator is arranged to apply, for each common variable, the corresponding stored weighting factor to the respective matching value to create a set of weighted matching values;

wherein the results generator is arranged to use the weighted matching values.

33. A communications device for use with a system according to claim 31, the communications device being arranged to create the first or second description regarding the event and to send the same to the system.

34. A communications device according to claim 33, wherein the device comprises a graphical user interface showing the appearance of any of the at least two persons and enables rapid selection of information describing the appearance of any of the at least two persons at the time of the event.

35. A communications device according to claim 33, wherein the device comprises a camera for capturing the appearance of any of the at least two persons, the description including a captured image providing the appearance of any of the at least two persons at the time of the event.

36. A communications device according to claim 33, wherein the communications device comprises a downloadable software application to enable the device to create the first or second description regarding the event and to send the same to the system.

37. A computer-implemented method of matching a first and a second different independently-created descriptions of a shared event involving at least two persons, the method comprising:

receiving each of the first and second descriptions of the shared event respectively from each of a first and a second user'"'"'s communications device;

generating a first set of descriptive variables from the first received description and a second set of descriptive variables from the second received description, the first and second set of variables including the location of the event, the time/date of the event and at least one variable describing the appearance of at least one of the at least two persons;

determining a matching value for each variable common to both the first and second sets;

using the matching values of the first and second sets to establish the likelihood of whether the first and second descriptions describe the same event; and

sending the results of the using step to each of the first user'"'"'s communication device and the second user'"'"'s communications device.

38. A method according to claim 37, further comprising:

attributing different weighting factors to a plurality of possible variables used to describe the event;

storing the different weighting factors;

applying, for each common variable, the corresponding stored weighting factor to the respective matching value to create a set of weighted matching values;

wherein the using step comprises using the weighted matching values.

39. A computer system for matching a first and a second different independently-created descriptions of a shared event involving at least two persons, the system comprising:

a processor for attributing different weighting factors to a plurality of possible variables used to describe the event;

a data store for storing the different weighting factors;

a receiver for receiving each of the first and second descriptions;

a set generator for generating a first set of descriptive variables from the first received description and a second set of descriptive variables from the second received description;

a match determinator for determining a matching value for each variable common to both the first and second sets and for applying the corresponding stored weighting factor to the respective matching value to create a set of weighted matching values;

a results generator for using the weighted matching values of the first and second sets to establish the likelihood of whether the first and second descriptions describe the same event.

40. A communications device for use with a system according to claim 39, the communications device being arranged to create the first or second description regarding the event and to send the same to the system.

41. A communications device according to claim 40, comprising at least one of the members of the group comprising a mobile telephone, a laptop, a personal digital assistant, a wireless tablet computer, a computer, a portable WIFI device and a telephone.