Method and System For Indexing, Relating and Managing Information About Entities

• US 20110191349A1
• Filed: 02/11/2011
• Published: 08/04/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 09/28/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Wilkinson, David, Grashel, Richard Gary II, Ford, Aaron Dea, Schumacher, Scott
• Granted Patent: US 9,286,374 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 707/741
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/285 Clustering or classification
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/288 Entity relationship models

Abstract

Systems and methods for use in association with a master entity index system may allow data records to be grouped together into various entities, where each of the entities may represent a logical or physical item. These entities may also be associated with one another in a manner such that relationships between entities may likewise be represented. In one embodiment, an interface may be provided for use in conjunction with the master entity index system such that these various entities and relationships may be better managed, manipulated or visualized. This interface may allow a user to search for or otherwise obtain an entity, where a representation of this entity and one or more associated entities may be presented to the user along with representations of the relationships between these entities.

Claims

1-13. -13. (canceled)

14. A method for displaying and configuring associations between data records, comprising:

presenting a user with an interface for use with a system, wherein the system is operable to associate data records as entities according to a set of entity types and establish relationships between a first entity and one or more second different entities and the relationships are defined according to a set of relationship types, wherein the first entity is associated with a first set of data records including information pertaining to that first entity and the one or more second entities are each associated with a corresponding different set of data records including information pertaining to that second entity, and wherein the relationship provides a link to enable retrieval of the one or more second entities based on the first entity, the interface operable to;

search for a first entity using one or more search criteria; and

display a first entity representation corresponding to the first entity; and

display one or more second entity representations, each second entity representation representing a corresponding second entity having a relationship with the first entity.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein the interface is operable to display a set of relationship representations, each relationship representation representing a relationship between the first entity and one of the one or more second entities.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the interface is operable to:

allow a user to select the first entity representation and one of the second entity representations;

offer a set of possible relationships based upon the selection; and

allow a user to select one of the set of possible relationships, wherein the system establishes a first relationship between the entity represented by the first entity and the selected second entity representation based upon the selected possible relationship.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the set of possible relationships are determined based upon a first entity type associated with the first entity representation and a second entity type associated with the second entity representation.

19. The method of claim 16, wherein the interface is operable to allow a user to select a relationship representation for deletion, wherein the system deletes a relationship represented by the selected relationship representation.

15. (canceled)

20. A computer readable medium for associating data records, comprising instructions translatable for:

presenting a user with an interface for use with a system, wherein the system is operable to associate data records as entities according to a set of entity types and establish relationships between a first entity and one or more second different entities and the relationships are defined according to a set of relationship types, wherein the first entity is associated with a first set of data records including information pertaining to that first entity and the one or more second entities are each associated with a corresponding different set of data records including information pertaining to that second entity, and wherein the relationship provides a link to enable retrieval of the one or more second entities based on the first entity, the interface operable to;

search for a first entity using one or more search criteria;

display a first entity representation corresponding to the first entity; and

display one or more second entity representations, each second entity representation representing a corresponding second entity having a relationship with the first entity.

22. The computer readable medium of claim 20, wherein the interface is operable to display a set of relationship representations, each relationship representation representing a relationship between the first entity and one of the one or more second entities.

23. The computer readable medium of claim 22, wherein the interface is operable to:

allow a user to select the first entity representation and one of the second entity representations;

offer a set of possible relationships based upon the selection; and

allow a user to select one of the set of possible relationships, wherein the system establishes a first relationship between the entity represented by the first entity and the selected second entity representation based upon the selected possible relationship.

24. The computer readable medium of claim 23, wherein the set of possible relationships are determined based upon a first entity type associated with the first entity representation and a second entity type associated with the second entity representation.

25. The computer readable medium of claim 22, wherein the interface is operable to allow a user to select a relationship representation for deletion, wherein the system deletes a relationship represented by the selected relationship representation.

21. (canceled)

26. A system for displaying and configuring associations between data records, comprising:

one or more information sources, each information source comprising a computer readable medium; and

a master entity index system comprising a processor and operable for;

presenting a user with an interface, wherein the master entity index system is operable to associate data records as entities according to a set of entity types and establish relationships between a first entity and one or more second different entities and the relationships are defined according to a set of relationship types, wherein the first entity is associated with a first set of data records including information pertaining to that first entity and the one or more second entities are each associated with a corresponding different set of data records including information pertaining to that second entity, and wherein the relationship provides a link to enable retrieval of the one or more second entities based on the first entity, the interface operable to;

search for a first entity using one or more search criteria;

display a first entity representation corresponding to the first entity; and

display one or more second entity representations, each second entity representation representing a corresponding second entity having a relationship with the first entity.

27. The system of claim 26, wherein the interface is operable to display a set of relationship representations, each relationship representation representing a relationship between the first entity and one of the one or more second entities.

28. The system of claim 27, wherein the interface is operable to:

allow a user to select the first entity representation and one of the second entity representations;

offer a set of possible relationships based upon the selection; and

allow a user to select one of the set of possible relationships, wherein the master entity index system establishes a first relationship between the entity represented by the first entity and the selected second entity representation based upon the selected possible relationship.

29. The system of claim 28, wherein the set of possible relationships are determined based upon a first entity type associated with the first entity representation and a second entity type associated with the second entity representation.

30. The system of claim 27, wherein the interface is operable to allow a user to select a relationship representation for deletion, wherein the master entity index system deletes a relationship represented by the selected relationship representation.