Method and system for creating and maintaining an index for tracking files relating to people

• US 7,676,459 B2
• Filed: 06/17/2005
• Issued: 03/09/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 05/28/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: JP Morgan Chase Bank, N.A. (JP Morgan Chase & Co)
• Original Assignee: JP Morgan Chase Bank, N.A. (JP Morgan Chase & Co)
• Inventors: Penaflor, Edgar A., Carone, Trevor A., Kane, Matthew Michael, Gazoli, Batista Macario
• Primary Examiner(s): To; Baoquoc N
• Application Number:
  US11/155,386
• Publication Number:
  US 20050234913A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,726 Days
• Field of Search: 707/3, 707/10
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/02 Banking, e.g. interest calculation or account maintenance credit or loans G06Q40/03
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/944 Business related
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99931 Database or file accessing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99933 Query processing, i.e. searching
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99934 Query formulation, input preparation, or translation
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99954 Version management

Abstract

A computer system creates and maintains an index for tracking information relating to individuals. Such information can include, but is not limited to, social security numbers, names, address information, credit bureau identification numbers, and credit history information on individuals. The invention employs logical rules to this information in order to create and maintain a set of files for each individual. The logical rules can include social security rules, geography rules, and address ranking rules. The invention is designed to evaluate slight variations in information very carefully in order to insure that appropriate files are assigned the same index identification number or that appropriate records are assigned separate and different index identification numbers as a situation warrants. The present invention is designed to maintain numerous files for each individual being tracked instead of merging and purging files as is done in the conventional art.

Claims

1. A computer implemented method for creating an index that tracks consumers, comprising:

maintaining a first set of data records in a data store, each record comprising identification information, geography information, and other information of a consumer, the identification information comprising a social security number;

using at least one computer processor, creating a first identification information index comprising the identification information and the geography information for each record of the first set of data records;

using an interface device coupled to said storage device, receiving a second set of data records from a trusted data source, each record comprising identification information, geography information, and other information of a consumer, the identification information comprising at least a social security number, the trusted data source comprising at least one of a government agency, a data aggregator and a credit reporting agency;

using the at least one computer processor, separating an identification information and a geography information from other information of a consumer for each record of the second set of data records;

using the at least one computer processor, creating a second identification information index comprising the identification information and the geography information for each record of the second set of data records;

using the at least one computer processor, sorting each set of data records in said second identification information index by social security number;

using the at least one computer processor, placing sets of data records in said second identification information index with similar social security numbers into groups;

and using the at least one computer processor, applying one or more social security number based rules to the groups without user intervention to determine whether one or more information index and a record from the second set of data records relate to a single consumer.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising using the at least one computer processor, converting each identification information index into a standard format.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising using the at least one computer processor, applying address hygiene to the geography information of each identification information index.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein applying social security number based rules comprises:

comparing social security numbers and geography information of the first identification information index with the second set of data records to determine if there are any matches between the first identification information index and the second set of data records.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising using the at least one computer processor, assigning index identification numbers sequentially to the one or more identification information indices and a record of the second set of data that have been identified as a single consumer by the social security number based rules.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising using the at least one computer processor, placing data records with similar geographical information into groups.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising using the at least one computer processor, applying geography based rules to determine if one or more information indices and a record from the second set of data records relate to a single consumer.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising using the at least one computer processor, creating another information index comprising information other than the identification information and geography information for each record of the second set of data records.

9. A computer implemented method for creating an index that tracks consumers, comprising:

maintaining a first set of data records in a data store, each record comprising identification information, geography information, and other information of a consumer, the identification information comprising a social security number;

using at least one computer processor, creating a first identification information index comprising the identification information and the geography information for each record of the first set of data records;

using an interface device coupled to said storage device, receiving a second set of data records from a trusted data source, each record comprising identification information, geography information, and other information of a consumer, the identification information comprising at least a social security number, the trusted data source comprising at least one of a government agency, a data aggregator and a credit reporting agency;

using the at least one computer processor, separating an identification information and a geography information from information other than the identification information and geography information for each record of the second set of data records;

using the at least one computer processor, creating a second identification information index comprising the identification information and the geography information for each record of the second set of data records;

using the at least one computer processor, placing sets of data records in said second identification information index with similar geographical information into groups;

and using the at least one computer processor, applying one or more geography based rules to the groups without user intervention to determine whether one or more information index and a record from the second set of data records relate to a single consumer.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein applying geography based rules comprises:

comparing geography information of the first identification information index with the second set of data records to determine if there are any matches between the first identification information files and the second set of data records.

11. The method of claim 9, further comprising using the at least one computer processor, sorting each set of data records in said second identification information index by social security number.

12. The method of claim 9, further comprising using the at least one computer processor, placing sets of data records in said second identification information index with similar social security numbers into groups.

13. The method of claim 9, further comprising using the at least one computer processor, applying social security number based rules to determine if one or more information index and a record from the second set of data records relate to a single consumer.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein applying social security number based rules comprises:

comparing social security numbers and geography information of the first identification information index with the second set of data records to determine if there are any matches between the first identification information index and the second set of data records.

15. The method of claim 9, further comprising using the at least one computer processor, converting each identification information index into a standard format.

16. The method of claim 9, further comprising using the at least one computer processor, applying address hygiene to the geography information of each identification information index.

17. The method of claim 9, further comprising using the at least one computer processor, assigning index identification numbers sequentially to the one or more identification information indices and record of the second set of data that have been identified as a single consumer by the geography based rules.

18. The method of claim 9, further comprising using the at least one computer processor, creating another information index comprising information other than the identification information and geography information for each record of the second set of records.

19. A system for creating an index that tracks consumers, comprising:

a storage device for maintaining a first set of data records in a data store, each record comprising identification information, geography information, and other information of a consumer, the identification information comprising a social security number;

an interface device coupled to said storage device for receiving a second set of data records from a trusted data source, each record comprising identification information, geography information, and other information of a consumer, the identification information comprising at least a social security number, the trusted data source comprising at least one of a government agency, data aggregator and a credit reporting agency;

a processor coupled to said storage device operable to create a first identification information index comprising the identification information and the geography information for each record of the first set of data records;

said processor being further operable to separate identification information and geography information from information other than the identification information and geography information for each record of the second set of data records;

said processor being further operable to create a second identification information index comprising the identification information and the geography information for each record of the second set of data records;

said processor being further operable to place sets of data records in said second identification information index with similar geographical information into groups;

and said processor being further operable to apply one or more geography based rules to the groups without user intervention to determine whether one or more information index and a record from the second set of data records relate to a single consumer.

20. A system for creating an index that tracks consumers, comprising:

a storage device for maintaining a first set of data records in a data store, each record comprising identification information, geography information, and other information of a consumer, the identification information comprising a social security number;

an interface device coupled to said storage device for receiving a second set of data records from a trusted data source, each record comprising identification information, geography information, and other information of a consumer, the identification information comprising at least a social security number, the trusted data source comprising at least one of a government agency, a data aggregator and a credit reporting agency;

at least one computer processor coupled to said storage and said interface device; and

a computer-readable media comprising code that, when executed by the at least one computer processor, performs to perform the steps of;

creating a first identification information index comprising the identification information and the geography information for each record of the first set of data records;

separating an identification information and a geography information from other information of a consumer for each record of the second set of data records;

creating a second identification information index comprising the identification information and the geography information for each record of the second set of data records;

sorting each set of data records in said second identification information index by social security number;

placing sets of data records in said second identification information index with similar social security numbers into groups; and

applying one or more social security number based rules to the groups without user intervention to determine whether one or more information index and a record from the second set of data records relate to a single consumer.