System and method for data cleansing

• US 9,268,803 B2
• Filed: 02/25/2010
• Issued: 02/23/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 03/28/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Dun & Bradstreet Corp., DUN & Bradstreet Incorporated (Dun & Bradstreet Corp.), Hoover's Incorporated (Dun & Bradstreet Holdings, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Dun & Bradstreet Corp.
• Inventors: Kapochunas, Andrew, Bergelt, Cynthia
• Primary Examiner(s): PARDO, THUY N
• Application Number:
  US12/712,868
• Publication Number:
  US 20110055252A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,189 Days
• Field of Search: 707/749, 707/769, 707/814, 707/724, 707/767, 707/999.203, 705/26, 705/26.1, 705/39, 705/57, 709/200, 703/155
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/217 Database tuning G06F16/2282 takes precedence; database performance monitoring G06F11/3409
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06375 Prediction of business process outcome or impact based on a proposed change
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/08 Auctions
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99954 Version management

Abstract

There is provided a method that includes (a) receiving an input postal address, (b) comparing the input postal address to a standard, (c) providing a single best postal address corresponding to the input postal address based on the comparing, (d) matching the single best postal address to a business in a business information database, (e) obtaining a business address for the business from the business information database, and (f) correcting the single best postal address, based on the business address, to yield a corrected postal address. There is also provided a system that performs the method, and a machine-readable medium having instructions stored thereon that cause the machine to perform the method.

Claims

1. A method performed by a processor in accordance with instructions that said processor reads from a machine-readable medium, said method comprising:

receiving an input postal address;

comparing said input postal address to a standard;

providing a single best postal address corresponding to said input postal address based on said comparing;

attempting to match said single best postal address to a business in a business information database;

if a match to a business in said business information database is found, then;

(a) obtaining a business address for said business from said business information database; and

(b) correcting said single best postal address, based on said business address, to yield a corrected postal address; and

if a match to a business in said business information database is not found, then sending said single best postal address to an investigator for further processing.

2. A system, comprising:

a processor; and

a machine-readable medium having instructions stored thereon that cause said processor to perform operations of;

a pre-auditor that generates a report having a plurality of views of an input address file, said input address file including a record having an input postal address;

a component that compares said input postal address to a file of standardized postal addresses, and provides a single best postal address derived from said input postal address, based on said comparison;

a matcher that attempts to match said single best postal address to a business in a business information database, and if a match to a business in said business information database is found, obtains a business address for said business from said business information database;

a component that corrects said single best postal address based on said business address, to yield a corrected postal address, if a match to a business in a business information database is found; and

an investigator that further processes said single best postal address, if a match to a business in said business information database is not found.

3. A machine-readable medium comprising instructions stored thereon that cause said machine to perform actions of:

receiving an input postal address;

comparing said input postal address to a standard;

providing a single best postal address corresponding to said input postal address based on said comparing;

attempting to match said single best postal address to a business in a business information database;

if a match to a business in said business information database is found, then;

(a) obtaining a business address for said business from said business information database; and

(b) correcting said single best postal address, based on said business address, to yield a corrected postal address; and

if a match to a business in said business information database is not found, then sending said single best postal address to an investigator for further processing.