Method and system for linking and delinking data records

• US 7,657,540 B1
• Filed: 02/04/2003
• Issued: 02/02/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 02/04/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LexisNexis Risk Data Management, Inc. (RELX PLC)
• Original Assignee: Seisint, Inc.
• Inventors: Bayliss, David
• Primary Examiner(s): Padmanabhan; Kavita
• Application Number:
  US10/357,481
• Time in Patent Office: 2,555 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/283 Multi-dimensional databases or data warehouses, e.g. MOLAP or ROLAP
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management

Abstract

Exemplary systems and methods for linking entity references to entities and identifying associations between entities are presented. In particular, a method for delinking one or more entity references linked to a same entity is provided, where the one or more entity references have at least one common data field. The method comprises the steps of evaluating at least one actual measurement of the entity based at least in part on one or more field values of the one or more entity references, determining a difference between the at least one actual measurement and at least one predefined measurement associated with the entity and delinking the one or more entity references based at least in part on a comparison of the difference and a defined threshold.

Claims

1. A computer implemented method for delinking an erroneously linked entity reference from a plurality of linked entity references, the erroneously linked entity reference and the plurality of linked entity references in an computer implemented database, the erroneously linked entity reference and the plurality of linked entity references having at least one common data field, the erroneously linked entity reference and the plurality of linked entity references linked by the inclusion of a common identifier in the at least one common data field in each of the erroneously linked entity reference and the plurality of linked entity references, the method comprising the steps of:

evaluating, using a programmed computer that includes a memory and a processor, at least one actual measurement of the erroneously linked entity reference and the plurality of linked entity references based at least in part on a plurality of field values of the erroneously linked entity reference and the plurality of linked entity references, wherein the erroneously linked entity reference and the plurality of linked entity references include at least one common data field, the erroneously linked entity reference and the plurality of linked entity references linked by the inclusion of a common identifier in the at least one common data field in each of the erroneously linked entity reference and the plurality of linked entity references;

determining, using a programmed computer that includes a memory and a processor, a difference between the at least one actual measurement and at least one predefined measurement associated with the erroneously linked entity reference and the plurality of linked entity references; and

delinking, using a programmed computer that includes a memory and a processor, the erroneously linked entity reference from the plurality of linked entity references based at least in part on a comparison of the difference and a defined threshold, wherein the delinking is accomplished by altering a content of the at least one common data field in the erroneously linked entity reference.

2. The method as in claim 1, wherein the erroneously linked entity reference is delinked from the plurality of linked entity references when the difference is greater than or equal to the defined threshold.

3. The method as in claim 1, wherein the erroneously linked entity reference is delinked from the plurality of linked entity references when the difference is less than or equal to the defined threshold.

4. The method as in claim 1, wherein the at least one actual measurement includes at least one selected from the group consisting of:

a variance between field values;

a ratio of variances between field values; and

a summation of one or more variances between field values.

5. The method as in claim 1, wherein the at least one predefined measurement is based in part on at least one attribute of the erroneously linked entity reference and the plurality of linked entity references.

6. The method as in claim 5, wherein the at least one attribute includes at least one selected from the group consisting of:

race;

ethnicity;

geographic location;

geographic proximity;

social proximity;

familial relationships;

gender;

nation of origin;

age;

employment;

education; and

religion.

7. The method as in claim 1, wherein the database includes at least one selected from the group consisting of:

a medical records database;

a criminal records database;

a motor vehicles registration database;

a voters registration database;

a Uniform Commercial Code filings database;

a corporations filing database;

a Federal Aviations Administration database;

a credit report database;

an immigrations database;

a bankruptcy filings database;

a property deeds database; and

a directory assistance database.

8. A computer readable medium comprising a set of executable instructions being adapted to manipulate a computer including a memory and a processor to delink an erroneously linked entity reference from a plurality of linked entity references in a computer implemented database, the erroneously linked entity reference and the plurality of linked entity references having a common data field, the erroneously linked entity reference and the plurality of linked entity references linked by the inclusion of a common identifier in the common data field in each of the erroneously linked entity reference and the plurality of linked entity references, the computer readable medium comprising:

executable instructions for manipulating a processor to evaluate at least one actual measurement of the erroneously linked entity reference and the plurality of linked entity references based at least in part on a plurality of field values of the erroneously linked entity reference and the plurality of linked entity references, wherein the erroneously linked entity reference and the plurality of linked entity references include a common data field, the erroneously linked entity reference and the plurality of linked entity references linked by the inclusion of a common identifier in the common data field in each of the erroneously linked entity reference and the plurality of linked entity references;

executable instructions for manipulating a processor to determine a difference between the at least one actual measurement and at least one predefined measurement associated with the erroneously linked entity reference and the plurality of linked entity references; and

executable instructions for manipulating a processor to delink the erroneously linked entity reference from the plurality of linked entity references based at least in part on a comparison of the difference and a defined threshold, wherein the delinking is accomplished by altering a content of the common data field in the erroneously linked entity reference.

9. The computer readable medium as in claim 8, wherein the erroneously linked entity reference is delinked from the plurality of linked entity references when the difference is greater than or equal to the defined threshold.

10. The computer readable medium as in claim 8, wherein the at least one actual measurement includes at least one selected from the group consisting of:

a variance between field values;

a ratio of variances between field values; and

a summation of one or more variances between field values.

11. The computer readable medium as in claim 8, wherein the at least one predefined measurement is based in part on at least one attribute of the erroneously linked entity reference and the plurality of linked entity references.

12. The computer readable medium as in claim 11, wherein the at least one attribute of the erroneously linked entity reference and the plurality of linked entity references includes at least one selected from the group consisting of race;

ethnicity;

geographic location;

geographic proximity;

social proximity;

familial relationships;

gender;

nation of origin;

age;

employment;

education; and

religion.

13. A system for delinking an erroneously linked entity reference from a plurality of linked entity references, the erroneously linked entity reference and the plurality of linked entity references having a common data field, the erroneously linked entity reference and the plurality of linked entity references linked by the inclusion of a common identifier in the common data field in each of the erroneously linked entity reference and the plurality of linked entity references, the system comprising:

memory;

a processor operably connected to the memory; and

a set of executable instructions stored in the memory and being adapted to manipulate the processor to;

evaluate at least one actual measurement of the erroneously linked entity reference and the plurality of linked entity references based at least in part on a plurality of field values of the erroneously linked entity reference and the plurality of linked entity references, the erroneously linked entity reference and the plurality of linked entity references having a common data field, the erroneously linked entity reference and the plurality of linked entity references linked by the inclusion of a common identifier in the common data field in each of the erroneously linked entity reference and the plurality of linked entity references;

determine a difference between the at least one actual measurement and at least one predefined measurement associated with the erroneously linked entity reference and the plurality of linked entity references; and

delink the erroneously linked entity reference from the plurality of linked entity references based at least in part on a comparison of the difference and a defined threshold, wherein the delinking is accomplished by altering a content of the common data field in the erroneously linked entity reference.

14. The system as in claim 13, wherein the erroneously linked entity reference is delinked from the plurality of linked entity references when the difference is greater than or equal to the defined threshold.

15. The system as in claim 13, wherein the at least one actual measurement includes at least one selected from the group consisting of:

a variance between field values;

a ratio of variances between field values; and

a summation of one or more variances between field values.

16. The system as in claim 13, wherein the at least one predefined measurement is based in part on at least one attribute of the erroneously linked entity reference and the plurality of linked entity references.

17. The system as in claim 16, wherein the at least one attribute includes at least one selected from the group consisting of:

race;

ethnicity;

geographic location;

geographic proximity;

social proximity;

familial relationships;

gender;

nation of origin;

age;

employment;

education; and

religion.