System and method of using ghost identifiers in a database

• US 7,720,846 B1
• Filed: 02/04/2003
• Issued: 05/18/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 02/04/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LexisNexis Risk Data Management, Inc. (RELX PLC)
• Original Assignee: LexisNexis Risk Data Management, Inc. (RELX PLC)
• Inventors: Bayliss, David
• Primary Examiner(s): Padmanabhan; Kavita
• Application Number:
  US10/357,484
• Time in Patent Office: 2,660 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 707/736
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/285 Clustering or classification

Abstract

Various exemplary systems and methods for linking entity references and identifying associations are presented. In particular, a method for linking a plurality of entity references to at least one entity using one or more constructed ghost entity references is provided. The method comprises the steps of identifying, for one or more common data fields, at least one unique field value from one or more entity references linked to a given entity and constructing, for the given entity, at least one ghost entity reference including the at least one unique field value, wherein the at least one ghost entity reference represents at least one potential entity reference for the given entity. The method further comprises linking at least one of the plurality of entity references to the given entity when a match probability between the at least one entity reference and the ghost entity reference is greater than a defined threshold.

Claims

1. A method for linking an unlinked entity reference to a given entity, wherein the given entity consists of a collection of linked entity references, and wherein the unlinked entity reference is not initially linked to the given entity, using one or more constructed ghost entity references distinct from the unlinked entity reference and each of the collection of linked entity references, the method comprising the steps of:

constructing at least one ghost entity reference, distinct from a first entity reference and a second entity reference, comprising a first field value from the first entity reference linked to the given entity and a second field value from the second entity reference linked to the given entity, wherein the first entity reference differs from the second entity reference and the first field value differs from the second field value, wherein the at least one ghost entity reference represents at least one potential entity reference for the given entity; and

linking the unlinked entity reference to the given entity as a result of a match probability between the unlinked entity reference and the at least one ghost entity reference being greater than a defined threshold.

2. The method as in claim 1, wherein the match probability between the unlinked entity reference and the ghost entity reference is based at least in part on a statistical significance of at least one field value common to both the given entity and the ghost entity reference, and where the statistical significance of a field value is inversely related to a number of occurrences of the field value occurring in some or all of the plurality of entity references.

3. The method as in claim 1, wherein the step of linking the unlinked entity reference to the given entity includes associating a Definitive identifier (DID) of the given entity with the unlinked entity reference.

4. The method as in claim 1, wherein the ghost entity reference includes a combination of field values selected from the common data fields of the entity references that are expected to change together.

5. The method as in claim 1, further comprising the step of eliminating duplicate ghost entity references.

6. The method as in claim 1, wherein the given entity includes one of a group consisting of:

a person;

a business entity;

an organization;

a motor vehicle;

a merchant vessel; and

real property.

7. The method as in claim 1, wherein the entity references are at least part of one or more databases.

8. The method as in claim 7, wherein the one or more databases includes one of a 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.

9. A computer readable medium comprising a set of executable instructions being adapted to manipulate a processor capable of linking an unlinked entity reference to a given entity to:

construct at least one ghost entity reference, distinct from a first entity reference and a second entity reference, comprising a first field value from the first entity reference linked to the given entity and a second field value from the second entity reference linked to the given entity, wherein the first entity reference differs from the second entity reference and the first field value differs from the second field value, wherein the at least one ghost entity reference represents at least one potential entity reference for the given entity; and

link the unlinked entity reference to the given entity as a result of a match probability between the unlinked entity reference and the at least one ghost entity reference being greater than a defined threshold,

wherein the given entity consists of a collection of linked entity references, and wherein the at least one ghost entity reference is distinct from the unlinked entity reference and each of the collection of linked entity references.

10. The computer readable medium as in claim 9, wherein the match probability between the unlinked entity reference and the ghost entity reference is based at least in part on a statistical significance of at least one field value common to both the given entity and the ghost entity reference, and where the statistical significance of a field value is inversely related to a number of occurrences of the field value occurring in some or all of the plurality of entity references.

11. The computer readable medium as in claim 9, wherein the set of executable instructions includes executable instructions adapted to manipulate the processor to associate a Definitive Identifier (DID) of the given entity with the at least one entity reference.

12. The computer readable medium as in claim 9, wherein the ghost entity reference includes a combination of field values selected from the common data fields of the entity references that are expected to change together.

13. A system for linking an unlinked entity reference to a given entity using one or more constructed ghost 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;

construct at least one ghost entity reference, distinct from a first entity reference and a second entity reference, comprising a first field value from the first entity reference linked to the given entity and a second field value from the second entity reference linked to the given entity, wherein the first entity reference differs from the second entity reference and the first field value differs from the second field value, wherein the at least one ghost entity reference represents at least one potential entity reference for the given entity; and

link the unlinked entity reference to the given entity as a result of a match probability between the unlinked entity reference and the at least one ghost entity reference being greater than a defined threshold,

wherein the given entity consists of a collection of linked entity references, and wherein the at least one ghost entity reference is distinct from the unlinked entity reference and each of the collection of linked entity references.

14. The system as in claim 13, wherein the match probability between the unlinked entity reference and the ghost entity reference is based at least in part on a statistical significance of at least one field value common to both the given entity and the ghost entity reference, and where the statistical significance of a field value is inversely related to a number of occurrences of the field value occurring in some or all of the plurality of entity references.

15. The system as in claim 13, wherein the set of executable instructions includes executable instructions adapted to manipulate the processor to associate a Definitive Identifier (DID) of the given entity with the at least one entity reference.

16. The system as in claim 13, wherein the ghost entity reference includes a combination of field values selected from the common data fields of the entity references that are expected to change together.