Method and system to parse addresses using a processing system

• US 8,055,497 B2
• Filed: 11/02/2007
• Issued: 11/08/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 11/02/2007
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Yazici, Baris
• Primary Examiner(s): RIDER, JUSTIN W
• Application Number:
  US11/934,709
• Publication Number:
  US 20090119093A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,467 Days
• Field of Search: 704/9
• US Class Current: 704/9
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/205 Parsing

Abstract

A method and system for parsing an address is disclosed. The method and system comprise separating the address into a plurality of tokens and providing one or more token meaning discovery passes based upon region specific configuration information to determine the meaning of each token in the address. In so doing, an address can be parsed by a processing system in an efficient and effective fashion. By disclosing the meaning of each token of the address in accordance with a region specific configuration information rule set a parsing process is provided which allows for easy modification as the requirements for the parsing change.

Claims

1. A parsing method comprising:

separating an address into a plurality of tokens;

performing an initial pass on the plurality of tokens based on geographic region-specific configuration information for the address to determine at least one candidate classification for each of the tokens in the plurality of tokens, wherein the initial token meaning discovery pass is performed without context-specific information for the address; and

performing, by operation of one or more computer processors, one or more additional passes on the plurality of tokens based on the geographic region-specific configuration information for the address to determine a final classification of each token in the address, wherein the final classification is selected from the determined candidate classifications for the token, and wherein the one or more additional passes are performed with context-specific information relating the token to one or more other tokens in the plurality of tokens.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein region specific configuration information includes address parts and rule sets.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the address comprises a street address.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the region specific configuration information comprises context specific rules and non-context specific rules.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the non-context specific rules are used to determine the candidate classifications for each token during the initial pass, and wherein the context specific rules are used to determine the final classification of each token during the additional passes.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein at least one of the non-context specific rules specifies one or more data types for each candidate classifications, and wherein the candidate classifications for each token are determined based on a data type of the respective token.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein elements of the address are merged to provide a token.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one Element of the address is separated to provide separate tokens.

9. A non-transitory computer-readable medium containing program instructions for parsing an address comprising:

separating an address into a plurality of tokens;

performing an initial pass on the plurality of tokens based on geographic region-specific configuration information for the address to determine at least one candidate classification for each of the tokens in the plurality of tokens, wherein the initial token meaning discovery pass is performed without context-specific information for the address; and

performing one or more additional passes on the plurality of tokens based on the geographic region-specific configuration information for the address to determine a final classification of each token in the address, wherein the final classification is selected from the determined candidate classifications for the token, and wherein the one or more additional passes are performed with context-specific information relating the token to one or more other tokens in the plurality of tokens.

10. The computer-readable medium of claim 9, wherein region specific configuration information includes address parts and rule sets.

11. The computer-readable medium of claim 9, wherein the address comprises a street address.

12. The computer-readable medium of claim 9, wherein the region specific configuration information comprises context specific rules and non-context specific rules.

13. The computer-readable medium of claim 12, wherein the non-context specific rules are used to determine the candidate classifications for each token during the initial pass, and wherein the context specific rules are used to determine the final classification of each token during the additional passes.

14. The computer-readable medium of claim 13, wherein at least one of the non-context specific rules specifies one or more data types for each candidate classifications, and wherein the candidate classifications for each token are determined based on a data type of the respective token.

15. The computer-readable medium of claim 9, wherein elements of the address are merged to provide a token.

16. The computer-readable medium of claim 9, wherein at least one element of the address is separated to provide separate tokens.

17. A processing system comprising:

a processor;

a memory coupled to the processor and containing a program that, when executed by the processor, performs an operation for parsing an address, comprising;

separating an address into a plurality of tokens;

performing an initial pass on the plurality of tokens based on geographic region-specific configuration information for the address to determine at least one candidate classification for each of the tokens in the plurality of tokens, wherein the initial token meaning discovery pass is performed without context-specific information for the address; and

performing one or more additional passes on the plurality of tokens based on the geographic region-specific configuration information for the address to determine a final classification of each token in the address, wherein the final classification is selected from the determined candidate classifications for the token, and wherein the one or more additional passes are performed with context-specific information relating the token to one or more other tokens in the plurality of tokens.

18. The processing system of claim 17, wherein region specific configuration information includes address parts and rule sets.

19. The processing system of claim 17, wherein the address comprises a street address.

20. The processing system of claim 17, wherein the region specific configuration information comprises context specific rules and non-context specific rules.

21. The processing system of claim 17, wherein elements of the address are merged to provide a token.

22. The processing system of claim 17, wherein at least one element of the address is separated to provide separate tokens.

23. The processing system of claim 20, wherein the non-context specific rules are used to determine the candidate classifications for each token during the initial pass, and wherein the context specific rules are used to determine the final classification of each token during the additional passes.

24. The processing system of claim 23, wherein at least one of the non-context specific rules specifies one or more data types for each candidate classifications, and wherein the candidate classifications for each token are determined based on a data type of the respective token.