Method and apparatus for building small business graph from electronic business data

• US 8,799,177 B1
• Filed: 07/29/2010
• Issued: 08/05/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 07/29/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Intuit, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Intuit, Inc.
• Inventors: Saiprasad, Sundar, Ittyavirath, Seegler
• Primary Examiner(s): FEENEY, BRETT A
• Application Number:
  US12/845,951
• Time in Patent Office: 1,468 Days
• US Class Current: 705/319
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/063 Operations research, analysis or management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/067 Enterprise or organisation modelling
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/01 Social networking

Abstract

Embodiments of the present invention provide a method, a computer-readable storage medium, and an apparatus for building a small business social graph. During operation, the system receives a collection of data from a first business. Next, the system determines if a first node for the first business exists in a social graph, wherein the social graph is a graph-based data model that indicates relationships among various businesses. If not, the system adds the first node for the first business to the social graph. The system then analyzes the collection of data to identify a second business. Next, the system determines if a second node for the second business exists in the social graph. If not, the system adds the second node for the second business to the social graph. Finally, the system adds a relationship between the first node and the second node to the social graph to indicate the relationship between the first business and the second business.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for building a small business social graph, the method comprising:

receiving, by computer, a collection of data from a first business; and

building, by computer, a social graph that adheres to a Resource Description Framework Schema (RDFS) by;

determining an ontology for businesses in the social graph;

determining if a first node for the first business exists in the social graph, wherein the social graph is a graph-based data model that indicates relationships among various businesses;

if not, adding the first node for the first business to the social graph according to the ontology;

analyzing the collection of data to identify a second business;

determining if a second node for the second business exists in the social graph;

if not, adding the second node for the second business to the social graph according to the ontology;

adding a relationship between the first node and the second node to the social graph, according to the ontology, to indicate the relationship between the first business and the second business;

analyzing the collection of data to identify a first person;

determining if a third node for the first person exists in the social graph;

if not, adding the third node for the first person to the social graph according to the ontology;

determining that the second node and the third node share a unique identifier; and

relating the second business and the first person as a same entity.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein adding a node to the social graph involves adding metadata describing the node to the social graph.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein adding a node to the social graph involves adding at least one unique identifier to the node.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 3, wherein the unique identifier may include at least one of:

a phone number;

an email address;

a street address;

a contractor license number;

a tax identification number;

a Social Security number; and

an account number.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a request to query the social graph from the first business, wherein the query includes an item of metadata;

in response to the request, querying the social graph with the item of metadata; and

returning the results of the query to the first business.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 5, wherein the results of the query can include:

a result node;

an intermediary node between the result node and the first node for the first business;

a first relationship between the first node and the intermediary node; and

a second relationship between the intermediary node and the result node.

7. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the collection of data can include:

accounting data;

financial data;

social-network data; and

personal information from a Personal Information Manager (PIM).

11. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 6, wherein the unique identifier may include at least one of:

a phone number;

an email address;

a street address;

a contractor license number;

a tax identification number;

a Social Security number; and

an account number.

8. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing instructions that when executed by a computer cause the computer to perform a method for building a small business social graph, the method comprising:

receiving a collection of data from a first business; and

building a social graph that adheres to a Resource Description Framework Schema (RDFS) by;

determining an ontology for businesses in the social graph;

determining if a first node for the first business exists in the social graph, wherein the social graph is a graph-based data model that indicates relationships among various businesses;

if not, adding the first node for the first business to the social graph according to the ontology;

analyzing the collection of data to identify a second business;

determining if a second node for the second business exists in the social graph;

if not, adding the second node for the second business to the social graph according to the ontology;

adding a relationship between the first node and the second node to the social graph, according to the ontology, to indicate the relationship between the first business and the second business,

analyzing the collection of data to identify a first person;

determining if a third node for the first person exists in the social graph;

if not, adding the third node for the first person to the social graph according to the ontology;

determining that the second node and the third node share a unique identifier; and

relating the second business and the first person as a same entity.

9. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 8, wherein adding a node to the social graph involves adding metadata describing the node to the social graph.

10. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 8, wherein adding a node to the social graph involves adding at least one unique identifier to the node.

12. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 8, wherein the method further comprises:

receiving a request to query the social graph from the first business, wherein the query includes an item of metadata;

in response to the request, querying the social graph with the item of metadata; and

returning the results of the query to the first business.

13. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 12, wherein the results of the query can include:

a result node;

an intermediary node between the result node and the first node for the first business;

a first relationship between the first node and the intermediary node; and

a second relationship between the intermediary node and the result node.

14. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 8, wherein the collection of data can include:

accounting data;

financial data;

social-network data; and

personal information from a Personal Information Manager (PIM).

15. An apparatus configured for building a small business social graph, comprising:

a memory;

a processor;

a receiving mechanism configured to receive a collection of data from a first business;

a graphing mechanism configured to build a social graph that adheres to a Resource Description Framework Schema (RDFS);

a determination mechanism configured to determine an ontology for businesses in the social graph

wherein the determination mechanism is further configured to determine if a first node for the first business exists in the social graph, wherein the social graph is a graph-based data model that indicates relationships among various businesses;

wherein the graphing mechanism is further configured to add the first node for the first business to the social graph according to the ontology if the first node does not already exist in the social graph;

an analysis mechanism configured to analyze the collection of data to identify a second business;

wherein the determination mechanism is further configured to determine if a second node for the second business exists in the social graph;

wherein the graphing mechanism is further configured to add the second node for the second business to the social graph according to the ontology if the second node does not already exist in the social graph;

wherein the graphing mechanism is further configured to add a relationship between the first node and the second node to the social graph, according to the ontology, to indicate the relationship between the first business and the second business;

wherein the analysis mechanism is further configured to analyze the collection of data to identify a first person;

wherein the determination mechanism is further configured to determine if a third node for the first person exists in the social graph;

wherein the graphing mechanism is further configured to add the third node for the first person to the social graph according to the ontology if the third node does not exist;

wherein the determination mechanism is further configured to determine that the second node and the third node share a unique identifier; and

wherein the graphing mechanism is further configured to relate the second business and the first person as a same entity.

16. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the graphing mechanism adds metadata describing the node to the social graph when adding the node to the social graph.