Systems and methods for providing an integrated identifier

• US 8,312,033 B1
• Filed: 06/26/2009
• Issued: 11/13/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 06/26/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Experian Marketing Solutions, LLC (Experian plc)
• Original Assignee: Experian Marketing Solutions Incorporated (Experian plc)
• Inventors: McMillan, Helen, Sumida, Timothy, Skurtovich, John Lawrence Jr., Kress, Anita, McVey, Michael Charles
• Primary Examiner(s): Ortiz Ditren, Belix M
• Application Number:
  US12/493,115
• Time in Patent Office: 1,236 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 707/758
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/284 Relational databases
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2149 Restricted operating environment
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 10/60 for patient-specific data, e.g. for electronic patient records
• CPC Class Codes: G16Z 99/00 Subject matter not provided for in other main groups of this subclass
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/102 Entity profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/10 in which an application is distributed across nodes in the network software deployment G06F8/60; multiprogramming arrangements G06F9/46

Abstract

Embodiments described herein provide systems and methods to streamline the mechanism by which data users access differently regulated data through the use of one or more integrated identifiers. The integrated identifiers lessen or eliminate the need to separately maintain one set of identifiers for regulated data and another set for non-regulated data. The methods and systems may be applicable in various credit and healthcare contexts where regulations over data use are prevalent. In one or more embodiments, a data user receives a unique integrated identifier for each of the data user'"'"'s current or prospective customers, and the integrated identifiers can be used to persistently identify and track the customers over time and across applications that access regulated and/or non-regulated data. In the healthcare context, a healthcare provider may utilize a patient ID as the integrated identifier. To protect privacy, the integrated identifier may not include social security numbers or birthdates.

Claims

1. A system for providing integrated identifiers comprising:

a first database that stores a first plurality of records comprising regulated data, the first plurality of records accessible by a plurality of regulated data identifiers;

a second database that stores a second plurality of records comprising non-regulated data, the second plurality of records accessible by a plurality of non-regulated data identifiers; and

a computing device in communication with the first database and the second database, comprising;

an integrated identifier management module, the management module configured to;

intermittently reconcile a selected plurality of non-regulated data identifiers and a selected plurality of regulated data identifiers by;

determining a correlation between data associated with certain non-regulated data identifiers and data associated with certain regulated data identifiers; and

associating regulated data identifiers and non-regulated data identifiers having a determined correlation therebetween with respective integrated identifiers; and

an application module for accepting data requests to access data in the first or second database, whereby the records of the first database and the second database are accessible by the respective integrated identifiers.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the integrated identifier management module is further configured to associate the selected non-regulated data identifiers with the selected regulated data identifiers by determining whether for each selected non-regulated data identifier, there is a corresponding regulated data identifier.

3. The system of claim 2 wherein the integrated identifier management module is further configured to associate the selected non-regulated data identifiers with the selected regulated data identifiers by triggering a merge of multiple selected regulated data identifiers into one regulated data identifier in response to determining that the multiple selected regulated data identifiers correspond to a single selected non-regulated data identifier.

4. The system of claim 1 wherein the integrated identifier management module is further configured to store correspondences between the integrated identifiers and respective regulated data identifiers and non-regulated data identifiers having the determined correlation therebetween.

5. The system of claim 4 further comprising:

a first shadow database that stores a plurality of records comprising customer data stored in a customer database, the records accessible by the plurality of regulated data identifiers; and

a second shadow database that stores a plurality of records comprising customer data stored in the customer database, the records accessible by the plurality of non-regulated data identifiers.

6. The system of claim 1 wherein the first database stores credit data.

7. The system of claim 1 wherein the second database stores marketing data.

8. The system of claim 1 wherein the first database stores medical data.

9. The system of claim 1 wherein the first database and the second database store data records associated with individuals.

10. The system of claim 1 wherein the first database and the second database store data records associated with businesses.

11. A system for providing integrated identifiers comprising:

a first database that stores a first plurality of records comprising data regulated under a first set of legal requirements, the first plurality of records accessible by a plurality of first regulated data identifiers;

a second database that stores a second plurality of records comprising data regulated under a second set of legal requirements, the second plurality of records accessible by a plurality of second regulated data identifiers; and

a computing device in communication with the first database and the second database, comprising;

an integrated identifier management module, the management module configured to;

reconcile a selected plurality of first regulated data identifiers and a selected plurality of second regulated data identifiers by;

determining a correlation between certain first regulated data identifiers and certain second regulated data identifiers; and

associating groups of first regulated and second regulated data identifiers with respective integrated identifiers;

an application module for accepting data requests to access data in the first or second database, whereby the records of the first database and the second database are accessible using respective integrated identifiers.

12. The system of claim 11 wherein the first database and the second database store data records associated with individuals.

13. The system of claim 11 wherein the first database and the second database store data records associated with businesses.

14. A method for providing integrated identifiers, the method configured for execution by a computing device having one or more processors, the method comprising:

accessing a first data structure storing a first plurality of records comprising regulated data, the first plurality of records accessible by a corresponding plurality of regulated data identifiers;

accessing a second data structure storing a second plurality of records comprising non-regulated data, the second plurality of records accessible by a corresponding plurality of non-regulated data identifiers;

intermittently reconciling the plurality of non-regulated data identifiers and the plurality of regulated data identifiers by;

determining a correlation between data associated with certain non-regulated data identifiers and data associated with certain regulated data identifiers; and

associating regulated data identifiers and non-regulated data identifiers with respective integrated identifiers in response to determined correlations therebetween.

15. The method of claim 14 further comprising identifying correlations between the non-regulated data identifiers and the regulated data identifiers by determining whether for each non-regulated data identifier there is a corresponding regulated data identifier.

16. The method of claim 14 further comprising identifying correlations between the non-regulated data identifiers and the selected regulated data identifiers by triggering a merge of multiple selected regulated data identifiers into one regulated data identifier in response to determining that the multiple selected regulated data identifiers correspond to a single individual or business.

17. The method of claim 14 further comprising storing correspondences between integrated identifiers and the regulated data identifiers and non-regulated data identifies with a determined correlation therebetween.

18. A non-transitory computer-readable medium having stored thereon instructions that, in response to execution by a computer system, cause the computer system to:

access a first data structure storing a first plurality of records comprising regulated data, the first plurality of records accessible by a corresponding plurality of regulated data identifiers;

access a second data structure storing a second plurality of records comprising non-regulated data, the second plurality of records accessible by a corresponding plurality of non-regulated data identifiers;

intermittently reconcile the plurality of non-regulated data identifiers and the plurality of regulated data identifiers by;

determining a correlation between data associated with certain non-regulated data identifiers and data associated with certain regulated data identifiers; and

associating regulated data identifiers and non-regulated data identifiers with respective integrated identifiers in response to determined correlations therebetween.

19. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 18, having stored thereon instructions that, when executed by the computer system, cause the computer system to associate the selected non-regulated data identifiers with the selected regulated data identifiers by determining whether for each selected non-regulated data identifier, there is a corresponding regulated data identifier.

20. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 18, having stored thereon instructions that, when executed by the computer system, cause the computer system to associate the selected non-regulated data identifiers with the selected regulated data identifiers by triggering a merge of multiple selected regulated data identifiers into one regulated data identifier in response to determining that the multiple selected regulated data identifiers correspond to a single selected non-regulated data identifier.

21. A system for providing integrated identifiers comprising:

a first data structure that stores a first plurality of records comprising regulated data, the first plurality of records associated with a corresponding plurality of regulated data identifiers;

a second data structure that stores a second plurality of records comprising non-regulated data, the second plurality of records associated with a corresponding plurality of non-regulated data identifiers; and

a computing device in communication with the first data structure and the second data structure, the computing device comprising;

an integrated identifier module configured to;

intermittently reconcile a selected plurality of the non-regulated data identifiers and a selected plurality of the regulated data identifiers by;

determining a correlation between data in a record associated with a first non-regulated data identifier and data in a record associated with a first regulated data identifier; and

associating both the first non-regulated data identifier and the first regulated data identifier with a first integrated identifier; and

an application module for accepting data requests to access data in the first data structure and the second data structure, whereby the record associated with the first non-regulated data identifier and the record associated with the first regulated data identifier are accessible using the first integrated identifier.