Computerized data warehousing

• US 8,191,053 B2
• Filed: 02/07/2008
• Issued: 05/29/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 04/12/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ingenix Incorporated (UnitedHealth Group Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Ingenix Incorporated (UnitedHealth Group Incorporated)
• Inventors: Grimaldi, Nancy, Goldschmidt, Dee
• Primary Examiner(s): Dao, Thuy
• Assistant Examiner(s): Rivera, Anibal
• Application Number:
  US12/027,622
• Publication Number:
  US 20080256523A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,573 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 717/141
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/52 Binary to binary

Abstract

A system and method for transforming data from a first format to a second format. A pre-existing set of software instructions may be used to transform the data from the first format to the second format. A user may document a set of format parameters for the first format of data, which can be used to determine which portion of the pre-existing software instructions are used to transform the data from the first format to the second format.

Claims

1. A method executed by a processor of transforming data, the method comprising:

receiving a first plurality of data in a first format;

documenting a first set of format parameters for the first format;

accessing a set of pre-existing software instructions;

utilizing a first portion of the pre-existing software instructions to transform the first plurality of data to a second format, wherein the first portion of the pre-existing software instructions is selected based on the first set of format parameters;

validating a subset of the first plurality of data for a desired transformation from the first format to the second format;

modifying the pre-existing software instructions if errors are detected during the validation; and

storing the first plurality of data transformed by the modified pre-existing software instruction in the second format.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

performing calculations with the first plurality of data in the first format before storing the first plurality of data in the second format.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein performing calculations with the first plurality of data in the first format comprises calculating an age of a person.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprising modifying the first set of format parameters if errors are detected during the validation.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the subset of the first plurality of data is validated for a desired transformation before the entire first plurality of data is transformed to the second format.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the first plurality of data in the second format is stored in a data warehouse.

7. The method of claim 1 further comprising generating reports from the first plurality of data in the second format.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the first portion of the pre-existing software instructions convert the first plurality of data into a flat file of commonized data before transforming the first plurality of data to a second format.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a second plurality of data in a third format;

documenting a second set of format parameters for the third format;

accessing the set of pre-existing software instructions;

utilizing a second portion of the pre-existing software instructions to transform the second plurality of data to a fourth format, wherein the second portion is determined by the second set of format parameters; and

storing the second plurality of data in the fourth format.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein documenting the first set of format parameters for the first format comprises documenting a date format for the first plurality of data.

11. The method of claim 10 wherein the computer is connected to a network that can access the first plurality of data in the first format and also the pre-existing software instructions.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein the network is connected to the internet.

13. The method of claim 1 wherein the first plurality of data in the first format is received via a computer.

14. The method of claim 1 wherein the validation further comprises receiving a confirmation from a user that the first plurality of data has been properly transformed, where the user visually inspects a subset of the transformed first plurality of data.

15. The method of claim 1 further comprising utilizing the pre-existing software instructions to automatically generate software code that is used to transform the first plurality of data from the first format to the second format.

16. The method of claim 15 wherein documenting a first set of format parameters for the first format, utilizing a first portion of the pre-existing software instructions, and automatically generating software code are done concurrently.

17. The method of claim 1, further comprising generating documentation for a set of transformation rules used to transfer the first plurality of data from the first format to the second format.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the documentation is in the form of a flowchart.

19. A system having a processor and memory storing executable instructions configured to:

receive a first plurality of data in a first format;

receive from a user a documentation of a first set of format parameters for the first format;

access a set of pre-existing software instructions;

utilize a first portion of the pre-existing software instructions to transform the first plurality of data to a second format, wherein the first portion of the pre-existing software instructions is selected based on the first set of format parameters;

validate a subset of the first plurality of data for a desired transformation from the first format to the second format;

modify the pre-existing software instructions if errors are detected during the validation; and

the first plurality of data transformed by the modified pre-existing software instruction in the second format.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein the system is configured to perform calculations with the first plurality of data in the first format before storing the first plurality of data in the second format.

21. The system of claim 19, wherein the system is configured to validate a desired transformation of a subset of the first plurality of data before transforming the data from the first format to the second format.

22. The system of claim 19, wherein the system is configured to utilize the pre-existing software instructions to automatically generate software code that is used to transform the first plurality of data from the first format to the second format.

23. The system of claim 22, wherein the system is configured to concurrently receive from a user a documentation of a first set of format parameters for the first format, access a set of pre-existing software instructions, and utilize the pre-existing software instructions to automatically generate software code that is used to transform the first plurality of data from the first format to the second format.