System, method and software for providing persistent entity identification and linking entity information in an integrated data repository
First Claim
1. A computer-implemented method of creating a data structure stored in one or more data storage devices, wherein the data structure provides information to link records that are related to a same entity of a plurality of entities, for database searching and record matching operations, the method comprising:
- (a) associating a first record, of a plurality of records, with a first identifier of a plurality of identifiers that identifies at least one entity of the plurality of entities, wherein each identifier is unique and persistent for a predetermined period of time;
(b) associating a second record, of the plurality of records, with a second identifier that identifies at least one entity of the plurality of entities;
(c) determining that the first identifier and the second identifier correspond to a same entity by determining that a third record, of the plurality of records, matches with a first element of a first plurality of elements of the first record and further matches with a second element of a second plurality of elements of the second record;
(d) determining a plurality of potentially matching records, and from the plurality of potentially matching records, eliminating a potentially matching record which does not sufficiently match a selected or predetermined element of the first, second or third records within a selected or predetermined confidence level;
(e) linking the first identifier and the second identifier in a data structure that references the first and second records without merging the first and second records under either the first or second identifiers and without merging the first and second identifiers;
(f) separately maintaining in at least one database information in the first record associated with the first identifier and information in the second record associated with the second identifier for the predetermined period of time;
(g) using the link between the first and second identifiers in the data structure, grouping and providing retrieved information that is separately maintained in both the first and second records in response to a request for information about the same entity; and
(h) collectively utilizing records associated with the linked first identifier and second identifier in subsequent search and match determinations.
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Accused Products
Abstract
The present invention provides a system, method and software for linking persistent and unique business identifiers, associated with business entities, for associating corresponding business records without a loss of historical records, regardless of subsequent changes, updates, and mergers. In the various embodiments, a first business record, of the plurality of business records, is associated with a first business identifier; and a second business record, which does not match the first record, is associated with a second business identifier. Subsequently, when the first business identifier and the second business identifier are determined to correspond to a singular business entity, the first business identifier and the second business identifier are linked, and respective associations of the first business record and the second business record with the linked first business identifier and second business identifier are maintained, with corresponding source references, and collectively utilized in subsequent search and match determinations.
105 Citations
37 Claims
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1. A computer-implemented method of creating a data structure stored in one or more data storage devices, wherein the data structure provides information to link records that are related to a same entity of a plurality of entities, for database searching and record matching operations, the method comprising:
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(a) associating a first record, of a plurality of records, with a first identifier of a plurality of identifiers that identifies at least one entity of the plurality of entities, wherein each identifier is unique and persistent for a predetermined period of time; (b) associating a second record, of the plurality of records, with a second identifier that identifies at least one entity of the plurality of entities; (c) determining that the first identifier and the second identifier correspond to a same entity by determining that a third record, of the plurality of records, matches with a first element of a first plurality of elements of the first record and further matches with a second element of a second plurality of elements of the second record; (d) determining a plurality of potentially matching records, and from the plurality of potentially matching records, eliminating a potentially matching record which does not sufficiently match a selected or predetermined element of the first, second or third records within a selected or predetermined confidence level; (e) linking the first identifier and the second identifier in a data structure that references the first and second records without merging the first and second records under either the first or second identifiers and without merging the first and second identifiers; (f) separately maintaining in at least one database information in the first record associated with the first identifier and information in the second record associated with the second identifier for the predetermined period of time; (g) using the link between the first and second identifiers in the data structure, grouping and providing retrieved information that is separately maintained in both the first and second records in response to a request for information about the same entity; and (h) collectively utilizing records associated with the linked first identifier and second identifier in subsequent search and match determinations. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
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15. A system for creating a data structure to link records that are related to a same entity of a plurality of entities, for data repository searching and for record matching operations, the system comprising:
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one or more data storage devices to store the data repository having a plurality of records and a plurality of identifiers that identifies the plurality of entities, wherein each identifier is unique and persistent for a predetermined period of time; and one or more processors coupled to the one or more data storage devices, the one or more processors to associate a first record of the plurality of records with a first identifier that identifies at least one entity of the plurality of entities;
to associate a second record of the plurality of records with a second identifier that identifies at least one entity of the plurality of entities;
to determine that the first identifier and the second identifier correspond to the same entity by determining that a third record, of the plurality of records, matches with a first element of a first plurality of elements of the first record and further matches with a second element of a second plurality of elements of the second record;
to determine a plurality of potentially matching records, and from the plurality of potentially matching records, to eliminate a potentially matching record which does not sufficiently match a selected or predetermined element of the first, second or third records within a selected or predetermined confidence level;
to link in the data repository the first identifier and the second identifier in a data structure that references the first and second records without merging the first and second records under either the first or second identifiers and without merging the first and second identifiers;
to separately maintain in the data repository information in the first record associated with the first identifier and information in the second record associated with the second identifier for the predetermined period of time; and
using the link between the first and second identifiers in the data structure, to retrieve and group information that is separately maintained in both the first and second records in response to a request for information about the same entity. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29)
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30. A computer-readable medium storing computer-readable software for creating a data structure in a database stored in one or more data storage devices, wherein the data structure provides information to link records that are related to a same entity of a plurality of entities, for database searching and record matching operations, the computer-readable medium storing computer-readable software comprising:
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a first program construct for associating a first record, of a plurality of records stored in the one or more data storage devices having the database, with a first identifier of a plurality of identifiers that identifies at least one entity of the plurality of entities, wherein each identifier is unique and persistent for a predetermined period of time; a second program construct for associating a second record, of the plurality of records, with a second identifier that identifies at least one entity of the plurality of entities; a third program construct for determining that the first identifier and the second identifier correspond to the same entity by determining that a third record, of the plurality of records, matches with a first element of a first plurality of elements of the first record and further matches with a second element of a second plurality of elements of the second record; a fourth program construct for determining a plurality of potentially matching records, and from the plurality of potentially matching records, eliminating a potentially matching record which does not sufficiently match a selected or predetermiend element of the first, second or third records within a selected or predetermined confidence level; a fifth program construct for linking the first identifier and the second identifier in a data structure that references the first and second records without merging the first and second records under either the first or second identifiers and without merging the first and second identifiers; a sixth program construct for separately maintaining in the database information in the first record associated with the first identifier and information in the second record associated with the second identifier for the predetermined period of time; a seventh program construct for using the link between the first and second identifiers in the data structure and grouping and providing retrieved information that is separately maintained in both the first and second records in response to a request for information about the same entity; an eighth program construct for collectively utilizing records associated with the linked first identifier and second identifier in subsequent search and match determinations. - View Dependent Claims (31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36)
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37. A computer-implemented method of creating a data structure stored in one or more data storage devices, wherein the data structure provides information to link records with an entity of a plurality of entities, for database searching and record matching operations, the method comprising:
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associating a first record, of a plurality of records, with a first identifier of a plurality of identifiers that identifies at least one entity of the plurality of entities, wherein each identifier is unique and persistent for a predetermined period of time; associating a second record, of the plurality of records, with a second identifier that identifies at least one entity of the plurality of business entities; determining that the first identifier and the second identifier correspond to a same entity of the plurality of entities by determining that a third record, of the plurality of records, sufficiently matches with a first element of a first plurality of elements of the first record to a selected or predetermined confidence level and further sufficiently matches with a second element of a second plurality of elements of the second record to the selected or predetermined confidence level; determining a plurality of potentially matching records, and from the plurality of potentially matching records, eliminating a potentially matching record which does not sufficiently match a name element and a tax identification element of the first, second or third records within the selected or predetermined confidence level; linking the first identifier and the second identifier in a data structure that references the first and second records without merging the first and second records and without merging the first and second identifiers; separately maintaining in a database information in the first record associated with the first identifier and information in the second record associated with the second identifier for the predetermined period of time; and using the link between the first and second identifiers in the data structure, retrieving and grouping information that is separately maintained in both the first and second records in response to a request for information about the same entity.
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Specification