SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR MATCHING OF DATABASE RECORDS BASED ON SIMILARITIES TO SEARCH QUERIES

• US 20130097157A1
• Filed: 06/29/2012
• Published: 04/18/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 10/14/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: TransUnion LLC (TransUnion Corporation)
• Original Assignee: TransUnion LLC (TransUnion Corporation)
• Inventors: NG, Po Cheung, Carson, Jeffrey, Haszlakiewicz, Eric
• Granted Patent: US 10,810,218 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 707/723
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/248 Presentation of query results

Abstract

A system and method for the matching of database records based on the similarity between fields in the database records and fields in the search queries is provided. A set of database records may be received from a search engine for further refinement of the search results. The database records may be assigned matching strength points, based on comparisons of fields in the search query and fields in the database records. The records that do not meet predetermined qualifying criteria, based on the matching strength points, may be rejected. The remaining records may be merged together, based on the similarity between fields of the remaining records.

Claims

1. A method for matching a plurality of database records based on a search query, the plurality of database records comprising data associated with a plurality of consumers, using a processor, the method comprising:

receiving the search query and the plurality of database records at the processor, wherein the search query comprises a search field for identifying a subject consumer of the plurality of consumers and each of the plurality of database records comprises a database field;

normalizing the search query and the plurality of database records using the processor to produce a normalized search query and a plurality of normalized database records, based on a normalization rule, wherein the normalized search query comprises a normalized search field and each of the plurality of normalized database records comprises a normalized database field;

comparing the normalized search field and the normalized database field of each of the plurality of normalized database records using the processor;

assigning a matching strength metric associated with each of the plurality of database records, based on comparing the normalized search field and the normalized database field of each of the plurality of normalized database records, using the processor; and

transmitting a subset of the plurality of database records from the processor, wherein the subset meets qualifying criteria that are based on the matching strength metric.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

screening the plurality of database records using the processor, based on the search field and the database field of each of the plurality of database records; and

discarding a rejected subset of the plurality of database records, using the processor, if the rejected subset does not pass the screening of the plurality of database records.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein:

the search field and the database field of each of the plurality of database records comprise one or more of a name word or name initials;

screening comprises comparing one or more of the name word or the name initials of the search query to one or more of the name word or the name initials of each of the plurality of database records, using the processor; and

discarding comprises rejecting the rejected subset of the plurality of database records if one or more of the name word or the name initials of the search query does not match one or more of the name word or the name initials of each of the plurality of database records.

4. The method of claim 1:

further comprising merging the subset of the plurality of database records to produce a merged subset, using the processor, based on a similarity between each of the subset of the plurality of database records;

wherein transmitting the subset comprises transmitting the merged subset of the plurality of database records from the processor.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the matching strength metric comprises one or more of a matching strength score or a matching strength flag.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the normalized search field and the normalized database field of each of the plurality of normalized database records comprise indicative information, the indicative information comprising one or more of a name, an identification number, an account number, a telephone number, an address, a date of birth, a gender, or an e-mail address.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein:

comparing the normalized search field comprises comparing one or more of a name word or name initials of the normalized search field with one or more of a name word or name initials of the normalized database field of each of the plurality of normalized database records, using the processor; and

assigning the matching strength metric comprises assigning a matching strength score associated with each of the plurality of database records, using the processor, based on comparing one or more of the name word or the name initials of the normalized search field with one or more of the name word or the name initials of the normalized database field of each of the plurality of normalized database records.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein comparing the normalized search field comprises utilizing a phonetic algorithm to match one or more of the name word or the name initials of the normalized search field with one or more of the name word or the name initials of the normalized database field of each of the plurality of normalized database records, using the processor.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein:

comparing the normalized search field comprises comparing an address of the normalized search field with an address of the normalized database field of each of the plurality of normalized database records, using the processor; and

assigning the matching strength metric comprises assigning a matching strength flag associated with each of the plurality of database records, using the processor, based on comparing the address of the normalized search field with the address of the normalized database field of each of the plurality of normalized database records.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein:

comparing the normalized search field comprises performing a calculation involving a date of birth of the normalized search field and a date of birth of the normalized database field of each of the plurality of normalized database records, using the processor; and

assigning the matching strength metric comprises assigning a matching strength flag associated with each of the plurality of database records, using the processor, based on the calculation involving the date of birth of the normalized search field and the date of birth of the normalized database field of each of the plurality of normalized database records.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the qualifying criteria comprises a predetermined condition of the matching strength metric, the method further comprising creating the subset of the plurality of database records with one or more of the plurality of database records, if the matching strength metric associated with the one or more of the plurality of database records satisfies the predetermined condition.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the predetermined condition of the matching strength metric comprises one or more of a predetermined threshold of a matching strength score and a predetermined status threshold of a matching strength flag.

13. A method for merging a plurality of database records based on a search query, the plurality of database records comprising data associated with a plurality of consumers, using a processor, the method comprising:

determining a degree of similarity between a search field of the search query and a database field of each of the plurality of database records, wherein the search field is for identifying a subject consumer of the plurality of consumers;

assigning a similarity score associated with each of the plurality of database records, based on the degree of similarity, using the processor;

ordering the plurality of database records to produce an ordered set of the plurality of database records, based on the similarity score associated with each of the plurality of database records, using the processor;

comparing a base record of the ordered set with remaining records of the ordered set using the processor, the base record having the similarity score that is highest;

merging the base record and one of the remaining records of the ordered set to produce a merged record, based on comparing the base record of the ordered set with the remaining records of the ordered set, using the processor; and

transmitting an ordered subset of the ordered set from the processor, the ordered subset comprising one or more of the base record, the merged record, or the remaining records.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the search field and the database field of each of the plurality of database records each comprise indicative information, the indicative information comprising one or more of a name, an identification number, an account number, a telephone number, an address, a date of birth, a gender, or an e-mail address.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein:

determining the degree of similarity comprises comparing a name word of the search field with a name word of the database field of each of the plurality of database records, using the processor; and

assigning the similarity score comprises assigning a name similarity score associated with each of the plurality of database records, using the processor, based on comparing the name word of the search field with the name word of the database field of each of the plurality of database records.

16. The method of claim 13, wherein:

assigning the similarity score comprises assigning an exception score based on exception criteria, using the processor, the exception score associated with each of the plurality of database records, the exception criteria comprising one or more of an exact match, a strong match, or a partial match of one or more of an identification number, account number, an address, a date of birth, a telephone number, or a name.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising rejecting from further consideration one or more of the plurality of database records, using the processor, if the exception score does not exceed a predetermined threshold.

18. The method of claim 13, wherein:

merging comprises merging the base record with one or more of the remaining records, using the processor, if the base record and the one or more of the remaining records satisfies merging criteria.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the merging criteria comprises one or more of a result of comparing the base record of the ordered set with the remaining records of the ordered set or whether the similarity score associated with each of the plurality of database records exceeds a predetermined threshold.

20. The method of claim 13, wherein:

comparing comprises comparing one or more of an identification number, a name, a date of birth, or an address of the base record with one or more of an identification number, a name, a date of birth, or an address of each of the remaining records, using the processor.