Parsing culturally diverse names

• US 8,855,998 B2
• Filed: 09/22/2011
• Issued: 10/07/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 03/25/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Gillam, Richard T., Patman Maguire, Frankie E., Shaefer, Leonard A. Jr.
• Primary Examiner(s): GUERRA-ERAZO, EDGAR X
• Application Number:
  US13/240,939
• Publication Number:
  US 20120016660A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,111 Days
• Field of Search: 704 1- 10, 704/240, 704/257, 704/270, 704/270.1, 704/275
• US Class Current: 704/9
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/90344 by using string matching techniques
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/216 using statistical methods

Abstract

Provided are techniques for parsing a name. A name to be parsed is received. A culture of the name is identified. One or more name phrases from the name are identified. Statistics for the one or more name phrases are identified. It is determined whether to perform a first parsing technique that parses different types of name elements within at least one field of the name. In response to determining that the first parsing technique is to be performed, the name is parsed using the statistics and the first parsing technique. In response to determining that the first parsing technique is not to be performed, the name is parsed using the statistics and a second parsing technique.

Claims

1. A method for parsing a name, comprising:

receiving, using a processor of a computer, a name to be parsed;

identifying a culture of the name;

identifying one or more name phrases from the name;

associating the name phrases with fields, wherein each of the fields is one of a given name field and a surname field;

identifying statistics for the one or more name phrases;

providing different parsing techniques that parse different types of name elements differently within at least one of the fields;

determining whether to select a first parsing technique among the different parsing techniques based on the culture;

in response to determining that the first parsing technique is to be selected,

parsing the name using the statistics and the first parsing technique to parse at least one field of the name into the different types of name elements based on the culture;

providing the name phrases in the given name field and the surname field; and

for the at least one field of the name, providing the name elements and their types; and

in response to determining that the first parsing technique is not to be selected, parsing the name using the statistics and a second parsing technique.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the name includes fields comprising a title, the given name, the surname, and a qualifier.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the second parsing technique parses the name into one or more of:

a title, the given name, the surname, and a qualifier.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining whether the parsed name is valid; and

in response to determining that the parsed name is not valid,

reordering name phrases of the name to form a reordered name;

determining whether to perform the first parsing technique;

in response to determining that the first parsing technique is to be performed, parsing the reordered name using the statistics and the first parsing technique; and

in response to determining that the first parsing technique is not to be performed, parsing the reordered name using the statistics and a second parsing technique.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the determination of whether the parsed name is valid is based on the statistics and one of the first parsing technique and the second parsing technique.

6. A computer program product for parsing a name, the computer program product comprising:

a non-transitory computer readable storage medium having computer readable program code embodied therewith, wherein the computer readable program code, when executed by a processor of a computer, is configured to perform;

receiving a name to be parsed;

identifying a culture of the name;

identifying one or more name phrases from the name;

associating the name phrases with fields, wherein each of the fields is one of a given name field and a surname field;

identifying statistics for the one or more name phrases;

providing different parsing techniques that parse different types of name elements differently within at least one of the fields;

determining whether to select a first parsing technique among the different parsing techniques based on the culture;

in response to determining that the first parsing technique is to be performed selected,

parsing the name using the statistics and the first parsing technique to parse at least one field of the name into the different types of name elements based on the culture;

providing the name phrases in the given name field and the surname field; and

for the at least one field of the name, providing the name elements and their types; and

in response to determining that the first parsing technique is not to be selected, parsing the name using the statistics and a second parsing technique.

7. The computer program product of claim 6, wherein the name includes fields comprising a title, the given name, the surname, and a qualifier.

8. The computer program product of claim 6, wherein the second parsing technique parses the name into one or more of:

a title, the given name, the surname, and a qualifier.

9. The computer program product of claim 6, wherein the computer readable program code, when executed by the processor of the computer, is configured to perform:

determining whether the parsed name is valid; and

in response to determining that the parsed name is not valid,

reordering name phrases of the name to form a reordered name;

determining whether to perform the first parsing technique;

in response to determining that the first parsing technique is to be performed, parsing the reordered name using the statistics and the first parsing technique; and

in response to determining that the first parsing technique is not to be performed, parsing the reordered name using the statistics and a second parsing technique.

10. The computer program product of claim 9, wherein the determination of whether the parsed name is valid is based on the statistics and one of the first parsing technique and the second parsing technique.

11. A computer system for parsing a name, comprising:

a processor; and

a storage device connected to the processor,

wherein the storage device has stored thereon a program, and

wherein the processor is configured to execute instructions of the program to perform operations, wherein the operations comprise;

receiving a name to be parsed;

identifying a culture of the name;

identifying one or more name phrases from the name;

associating the name phrases with fields, wherein each of the fields is one of a given name field and a surname field;

associating the name phrases with fields, wherein each of the fields is one of a given name field and a surname field;

identifying statistics for the one or more name phrases;

providing different parsing techniques that parse different types of name elements differently within at least one of the fields;

determining whether to select a first parsing technique among the different parsing techniques based on the culture;

in response to determining that the first parsing technique is to be selected,

parsing the name using the statistics and the first parsing technique to parse at least one field of the name into the different types of name elements based on the culture;

providing the name phrases in the given name field and the surname field; and

for the at least one field of the name, providing the name elements and their types; and

in response to determining that the first parsing technique is not to be selected, parsing the name using the statistics and a second parsing technique.

12. The computer system of claim 11, wherein the name includes fields comprising a title, the given name, the surname, and a qualifier.

13. The computer system of claim 11, wherein the second parsing technique parses the name into one or more of:

a title, the given name, the surname, and a qualifier.

14. The computer system of claim 13, wherein the operations further comprise:

determining whether the parsed name is valid; and

in response to determining that the parsed name is not valid,

reordering name phrases of the name to form a reordered name;

determining whether to perform the first parsing technique;

in response to determining that the first parsing technique is to be performed, parsing the reordered name using the statistics and the first parsing technique; and

in response to determining that the first parsing technique is not to be performed, parsing the reordered name using the statistics and a second parsing technique.

15. The computer system of claim 14, wherein the determination of whether the parsed name is valid is based on the statistics and one of the first parsing technique and the second parsing technique.