System and Methods to Facilitate Analytics with a Tagged Corpus

• US 20140114962A1
• Filed: 10/19/2012
• Published: 04/24/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 10/19/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: RELX Inc. (RELX PLC)
• Original Assignee: LexisNexis Group Inc. (RELX PLC)
• Inventors: Sharma, Sanjay, Rosenburg, Dihan Marie, Meiser, Scott Edward, Slisz, Susan Marie, Keenan, Daren William, Daley, Raymond A., Sluterbeck, Michael Ronald, Chidambaram, Saravanan, Tonsaly, Mina, Schmeer, David L., Attenborough, John Scott, Ritchie, James Antony
• Granted Patent: US 9,208,460 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 707/723
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/2423 Interactive query statement specification based on a database schema
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/2425 Iterative querying; Query formulation based on the results of a preceding query
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/24578 using ranking
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/248 Presentation of query results
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/063 Operations research, analysis or management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/0637 Strategic management or analysis, e.g. setting a goal or target of an organisation; Planning actions based on goals; Analysis or evaluation of effectiveness of goals

Abstract

The disclosed embodiments provide a set of methods, systems, data structures, and computer-executable instructions for executing on a compute machine to automatically analyze data associated with an indexed corpora and to generate for graphical display a set of results associated with those analytic operations.

Claims

1. A system configured to perform analytics to facilitate issue awareness comprising:

a. at least one computer-readable storage medium on which a database management system is stored and configured to access an index of metadata corresponding to a set of content items in a corpora of electronically stored content;

b. at least one sub-system configured to generate at least one interactive graphical user interface (GUI) for display on a computer-based visual sub-system;

c. at least one sub-system configured to receive a query request configured by a user in said interactive GUI wherein said query request includes a user-defined threshold;

d. a computer machine configured to

i. receive said query as computer machine input;

ii. search a set of metadata tags stored in said index for at least one term contained in said query;

iii. identify a set of metadata tags which match said query;

iv. identify at least one document, in said corpora, which is associated with said set of metadata tags;

v. calculate a content score for each document identified in the previous step;

vi. if said content score exceeds said user-defined threshold, surface said document;

vii. calculate a summary score for a set of documents surfaced in the previous step based on the content scores associated with said documents;

viii. generate for graphical display a second interactive user interface to communicate said summary score wherein said second GUI is configured to permit a user to click through said summary score to reveal a set of documents from which said summary score was derived.

2. A system configured to perform analytics to facilitate issue awareness as claimed in claim 1 wherein:

a. said query request comprises at least one entity;

b. said summary score averages said content scores for said set of surfaced documents for each of said at least one entity;

c. said second GUI displays each summary score in a grid.

3. A system configured to perform analytics to facilitate issue awareness as claimed in claim 2 wherein:

a. an entity profile associated with said entity comprises a set of tags, a supplier tier, a supplier tier weight, a supplier category, and a supplier category weight and wherein said set of tags in said entity profile are included in said query;

b. said query request comprises a risk category weight;

c. said system is further configured to calculate

i. a tier score by averaging said summary scores for all entities assigned to a given tier;

ii. a weighted tier score for said tier by applying said tier weight; and

iii. a supplier category score by selecting a maximum score associated with a supplier within a given supplier category and applying a supplier category weight.

4. A system configured to perform analytics to facilitate issue awareness as claimed in claim 1 wherein:

a. said query request comprises at least one entity profile and at least one risk category and risk category weight;

b. said summary score averages said content scores for said set of surfaced documents for each of said at least one entity profile in each of said at least one risk category; and

c. said second GUI displays each summary score in a grid juxtaposing a set of suppliers against a set of risk categories.

5. A system as claimed in claim 4 wherein said risk categories are chosen from the list consisting of environmental issues, economic issues, societal issues, political issues, technology issues, business-specific issues and legal issues.

6. A system as claimed in claim 5 wherein:

a. said second GUI is further configured to expand said set of risk categories into a set of risk dimensions comprising a company perspective, an industry perspective, and a location perspective; and

b. said summary score for said company perspective is based on a subset of said surfaced documents comprising a match with at least one company name associated with said entity profile;

c. said summary score for said industry perspective is based on a subset of said surfaced documents comprising a match with at least one industry tag associated with said entity profile; and

d. said summary score for said location perspective is based on a subset of said surfaced documents comprising a match with at least one location tag associated with said entity profile.

7. A system as claimed in claim 6 further comprising an administrative subsystem configured to:

a. generate for graphical display on a computer-based visual sub-system an interactive administrative GUI to allow a user to configure at least one entity profile further comprising a supplier and a set of tags associated with said supplier including a supplier tier, a supplier tier weight, a supplier category, and a supplier category weight; and

b. receive and store said entity profile in a computer-readable storage medium.

8. A system configured to perform analytics to facilitate issue awareness as claimed in claim 1 wherein:

a. said query request comprises at least two time periods and at least one geographic designation;

b. said query request further includes a subject chosen from a set of subjects contained in said metadata index;

c. said summary score counts said set of surfaced documents for each of said at least two time periods;

d. said second GUI graphically compares said summary score associated with each of said at least two time periods.

9. A system as claimed in claim 8 wherein said at least two time periods comprise a baseline time period and a second time period and said threshold comprises a minimum relevance level.

10. A system as claimed in claim 9 wherein said index of metadata comprises a set of geographic tags and wherein each content item in said corpora of electronically stored content is associated with a tag corresponding to said content item'"'"'s region of publication.

11. A system as claimed in claim 10 wherein said second GUI graphically displays said summary scores for each of said geographic designations.

12. A system as claimed in claim 11 said query request is further configured by providing a set of weights to use as computer machine input to determine if a document meets or exceeds said minimum relevance level wherein said set of weights are associated with said subject'"'"'s location and frequency in said document.

13. A method to perform analytics to facilitate issue awareness comprising:

a. accessing, from an operational database, at least one profile for a supplier comprising a set of tags, a tier, a tier weight, a category, a category weight, a sub-category and a sub-category weight;

b. accessing, via said operational database, an index of metadata associated with a corpora of electronically stored content;

c. automatically matching, using a computer machine, a document from said corpora to said profile wherein said set of tags associated with said supplier profile match a set of terms in said index of metadata associated with said document;

d. calculating, using a computer machine, a base document score for said document;

e. calculating, for a given supplier, an average base document score by averaging all said base document scores for a given supplier;

f. calculating, using a computer machine, a tier content score by averaging said average base document score for all suppliers within a given tier;

g. calculating, using a computer machine, a weighted tier score for said tier by applying a tier factor;

h. calculating, using a computer machine, a subcategory risk score by applying a subcategory risk weight to a maximum weighted tier score within said subcategory;

i. calculating, using a computer machine, a category risk score by applying a category risk weight to a maximum subcategory risk score within said category;

j. calculating, using a computer machine, a departmental risk score by averaging all category risk scores within said department;

k. generating, using a computer machine, at least one interactive graphical user interface comprising a risk grid having a supplier axis and a risk category axis wherein;

i. said supplier axis is organized in a taxonomy with a highest level being a departmental row, a next level being a category row;

a next level being a subcategory row and a next level comprising a row assigned to each supplier falling into that taxonomy;

ii. said risk category axis provides a column for each risk category within a set of risk categories;

iii. each cell within said risk grid comprises a representation of a risk score calculated for an intersection of said supplier axis level and said risk category;

iv. each cell within said risk grid may be clicked through to reveal a list of content sources from which said risk score derived; and

v. each item in said list of content sources may be clicked through to reveal an underlying document for said item.

14. A method to perform analytics to facilitate issue awareness comprising:

a. accessing, from an operational database, at least one profile for a supplier comprising a set of tags, a tier, a tier weight, a category, a category weight, a sub-category and a sub-category weight;

b. accessing, via said operational database, an index of metadata associated with a corpora of electronically stored content;

c. automatically matching, using a computer machine, at least one document from said corpora to said profile wherein said set of tags associated with said supplier profile match a set of terms in said index of metadata associated with said document;

d. calculating, using a computer machine, a base document score for said document;

e. determining, using a computer machine, a score for said supplier with an algorithm using said base document score and said profile for said supplier as computer machine input; and

f. generating, using a computer machine, at least one interactive graphical user interface comprising said score for said supplier wherein said at least one document can be accessed by clicking on an icon representing said score for said supplier.

15. A method to perform analytics as claimed in claim 14 wherein said index of metadata comprises a list of risk categories.

16. A method to perform analytics as claimed in claim 15 wherein said list of risk categories comprises a taxonomy of issues including environmental issues, economic issues, societal issues, political issues, technological issues, business-specific issues, and legal issues.

17. A method as claimed in claim 16 wherein said base document score will be lower if a set of metadata, associated with said base document, matches a predetermined list of risk subjects wherein said risk subjects are organized into said taxonomy of risk categories.

18. A method to perform analytics as claimed in claim 17 wherein said base document score comprises a risk event if said base document score negatively affects said score for said supplier.

19. A computer-readable medium comprising computer-executable instructions for execution by a computer machine to perform analytics to facilitate issue awareness that when executed, cause the computer machine to:

a. receive a query including a supplier profile;

b. access at least one profile for a supplier, from a computerized database, comprising a set of tags, a tier, a tier weight, a category, a category weight, a sub-category and a sub-category weight;

c. access an index of metadata, stored on a computer-readable medium, associated with a corpora of electronically stored content;

d. match a document from said corpora to said profile;

e. calculate a base content score for said document wherein said set of tags, associated with said supplier, match a set of terms in said index associated with said document;

f. calculate a tier content score by averaging said base content score for all suppliers within a given tier;

g. calculate a weighted tier score for said tier by applying a tier factor;

h. calculate a subcategory risk score by applying a risk subcategory factor and a subcategory factor to a maximum weighted tier score within said subcategory;

i. calculate a category risk score by applying a category risk factor to a maximum subcategory risk score within said category;

j. calculate a departmental risk score by averaging all category risk scores within said department;

k. generate at least one interactive graphical user interface comprising a risk grid having a supplier axis and a risk category axis wherein;

i. said supplier axis is organized in a taxonomy with the highest level being a departmental row, the next level being a category row;

the next level being a subcategory row and the next level comprising a row assigned to each supplier falling into that taxonomy;

ii. said risk category axis provides a column for each risk category within a set of risk categories;

iii. each cell within said risk grid comprises a representation of a risk score calculated for an intersection of said supplier axis level and said risk category;

iv. each cell within said risk grid may be clicked through to reveal a list of content sources from which said risk score derived; and

v. each item in said list of content sources may be clicked through to reveal an underlying document for said item.

20. A computer-readable medium comprising computer-executable instructions for execution by a computer machine as claimed in claim 19 that when executed generates said interactive GUI comprising a risk grid to allow a user to expand or collapse said supplier axis to reveal or hide a given level within said taxonomy and to expand or collapse said risk category axis to reveal or hide a set of risk perspectives associated with each risk category.