Rule-based database object matching with comparison certainty

• US 7,644,055 B2
• Filed: 05/02/2005
• Issued: 01/05/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 05/02/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Regional Resources Ltd (Imperial Metals Corp.)
• Original Assignee: SAP AG (SAP SE)
• Inventors: Furst, Karl, Chemy, Eugene, Langlotz, Andrea, Sullivan, Dave, Brookler, David
• Primary Examiner(s): Vincent; David R
• Assistant Examiner(s): Kennedy; Adrian L
• Application Number:
  US11/120,541
• Publication Number:
  US 20070005543A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,709 Days
• Field of Search: 706/45, 706/47, 706/48, 700/135
• US Class Current: 706/47
• CPC Class Codes: G06N 5/04 Inference or reasoning models

Abstract

Rule based data object matching to determine if two or more objects are similar to allow the objects to be merged into one master data object. The rules explicitly state what conditions are required to consider two or more objects equal. The certainty of the rule may be specified. Examples for the certainty are automatic, manual high, medium and low probability. For example, the certainty “automatic” specifies that the objects can be considered matches and no additional manual verification is needed. The certainty “manual low probability” specifies that there is a low probability that the objects are matches and that a manual verification is needed. Matching rules may be grouped by priority. If matches are not found, the next highest priority group of rules is processed. Hierarchical matching rules may be specified that are able to express similarity of objects considering structured objects containing sub-objects in a hierarchical manner.

Claims

1. A computer program product for rule-based data object matching comprising:

a computer usable memory medium having computer readable program code embodied therein wherein said computer readable program code comprises a matching module that is configured to;

obtain a source database record and a target database record;

obtain an object matching rule;

compare a first data value held within a field in said source database record to a second data value held within said field in said target database record utilizing said object matching rule wherein said object matching rule comprises a fuzziness evaluation based on an evaluation selected from the group consisting of a sounds-like evaluation, a transposition of letters evaluation, a doubling of a letter evaluation and an adjacent-on-keyboard evaluation of said first data value and said second data value;

determine whether said compare of said first data value held within said field in said source database field to said second data value held within said field in said target database field has resulted in a match in order to determine when done;

check for more target database records to compare;

said obtain said object matching rule further configured to obtain a next highest priority rule from a prioritized list of rules;

check for more rules in said prioritized list of rules;

check for more sub objects associated with said source database record and said target database record to compare;

determine a certainty setting for a comparison result derived from said compare;

obtain user input with respect to said comparison result when said certainty setting is set to manual verification;

confirm said comparison result; and

,

merge said source database record and said target database record into a master data object when confirmation obtained from said confirm said comparison indicates an actual match, whereby said merge produces said master data object.

2. The computer program product of claim 1 wherein said computer readable program code is further configured to:

display a graphical user interface configured for said obtain said object matching rule; and

,

display said graphical user interface configured for said obtain said user input with respect to said comparison result.