Determining the degree of relevance of alerts in an entity resolution system over alert disposition lifecycle

• US 8,015,137 B2
• Filed: 04/29/2008
• Issued: 09/06/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 04/29/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Caceres, Barry M., Allen, Thomas B.
• Primary Examiner(s): HOLMES, MICHAEL B
• Application Number:
  US12/111,753
• Publication Number:
  US 20090271349A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,225 Days
• Field of Search: 706/45
• US Class Current: 706/45
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/24565 Triggers; Constraints
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management

Abstract

An entity resolution system and alert analysis system configured to process inbound identity records and to generate alerts based on relevant identities, entities, conditions, activities, or events is disclosed. One process of resolving identity records and detecting relationships between entities may be performed using a pre-determined or configurable entity resolution rules. Further, the entity resolution system may include an alert analysis system configured to allow analysts to review and analyze alerts, entities, and identities, as well as provide comments or assign a disposition to alerts generated by the entity resolution system. Furthermore, the entity resolution system may be configured to handle duplicate alerts, i.e., one or more identical or near-identical alerts generated using the same entities and/or identities as well as assign a relevance score to the particular entities and identities included in the alert.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for processing identity records received by an entity resolution system:

receiving a first identity record;

associating the identity record with the first entity;

evaluating at least the first entity against one or more conditions specified in a relevance detection rule; and

upon determining that the one or more conditions specified by the relevance detection rule are satisfied;

generating an alert,

assigning an original alert relevance score to the alert, determined, at least in part, on a rule relevance score associated with the relevance detection rule, and

assigning an alert disposition status to the alert selected from a plurality of alert statuses.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the alert relevance score provides a quantitative measure regarding a perceived degree of relevance of the alert.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the original alert relevance score is further based, at least in part, on an alert relevance rule specifying one or more adjustments to the original alert relevance score to apply to each alert generated on the basis of the relevance detection rule.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein each entity in the set of known entities includes one or more identity records, and wherein each known entity is perceived by the entity resolution system to represent a single individual.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

transitioning the alert disposition status from a first stage in the alert lifecycle to a second stage in the alert lifecycle; and

assigning a current alert relevance score to the alert based, at least in part, on the first stage in the alert lifecycle and the second stage in the alert lifecycle.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the current alert relevance score provides a quantitative measure regarding a perceived current degree of relevance of the alert.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the alert includes at least a reference to the first entity, a reference to the first identity record, and a reference to the relevance detection rule.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein associating the identity record with the first entity comprises one of resolving the identity record to an existing entity in the entity resolution system and creating a new entity in the entity resolution system.

9. A computer-readable storage medium containing a program, which, when executed by a processor, performs an operation for processing identity records received by an entity resolution system, the operation comprising:

receiving a first identity record;

associating the identity record with the first entity;

evaluating at least the first entity against one or more conditions specified in a relevance detection rule; and

upon determining that the one or more conditions specified by the relevance detection rule are satisfied;

generating an alert,

assigning an original alert relevance score to the alert, determined, at least in part, on a rule relevance score associated with the relevance detection rule, and

assigning an alert disposition status to the alert selected from a plurality of alert statuses.

10. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 9, wherein the alert relevance score provides a quantitative measure regarding a perceived degree of relevance of the alert.

11. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 9, wherein the original alert relevance score is further based, at least in part, on an alert relevance rule specifying one or more adjustments to the original alert relevance score to apply to each alert generated on the basis of the relevance detection rule.

12. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 9, wherein each entity in the set of known entities includes one or more identity records, and wherein each known entity is perceived by the entity resolution system to represent a single individual.

13. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 9, wherein the operation further comprises:

transitioning the alert disposition status from a first stage in the alert lifecycle to a second stage in the alert lifecycle; and

assigning a current alert relevance score to the alert based, at least in part, on the first stage in the alert lifecycle and the second stage in the alert lifecycle.

14. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 13, wherein the current alert relevance score provides a quantitative measure regarding a perceived current degree of relevance of the alert.

15. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 9, wherein the alert includes at least a reference to the first entity, a reference to the first identity record, and a reference to the relevance detection rule.

16. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 9, wherein associating the identity record with the first entity comprises one of resolving the identity record to an existing entity in the entity resolution system and creating a new entity in the entity resolution system.

17. A system, comprising:

a processor; and

a memory containing a program, which, when executed by the processor is configured to process identity records received by an entity resolution system by performing a method comprising;

receiving a first identity record;

associating the identity record with the first entity;

evaluating at least the first entity against one or more conditions specified in a relevance detection rule; and

upon determining that the one or more conditions specified by the relevance detection rule are satisfied;

generating an alert,

assigning an original alert relevance score to the alert, determined, at least in part, on a rule relevance score associated with the relevance detection rule, and

assigning an alert disposition status to the alert selected from a plurality of alert statuses.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the alert relevance score provides a quantitative measure regarding a perceived degree of relevance of the alert.

19. The system of claim 17, wherein the original alert relevance score is further based, at least in part, on an alert relevance rule specifying one or more adjustments to the original alert relevance score to apply to each alert generated on the basis of the relevance detection rule.

20. The system of claim 17, wherein each entity in the set of known entities includes one or more identity records, and wherein each known entity is perceived by the entity resolution system to represent a single individual.

21. The system of claim 17, wherein the program is further configured to perform the steps of:

transitioning the alert disposition status from a first stage in the alert lifecycle to a second stage in the alert lifecycle; and

assigning a current alert relevance score to the alert based, at least in part, on the first stage in the alert lifecycle and the second stage in the alert lifecycle.

22. The system of claim 21, wherein the current alert relevance score provides a quantitative measure regarding a perceived current degree of relevance of the alert.

23. The system of claim 17, wherein the alert includes at least a reference to the first entity, a reference to the first identity record, and a reference to the relevance detection rule.

24. The system of claim 17, wherein associating the identity record with the first entity comprises one of resolving the identity record to an existing entity in the entity resolution system and creating a new entity in the entity resolution system.