System and method for contextual and free format matching of addresses

• US 9,292,581 B2
• Filed: 09/08/2014
• Issued: 03/22/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 05/16/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: TransUnion LLC (TransUnion Corporation)
• Original Assignee: TransUnion LLC (TransUnion Corporation)
• Inventors: Thompson, Douglas
• Primary Examiner(s): SYED, FARHAN M
• Application Number:
  US14/480,519
• Publication Number:
  US 20140379687A1
• Time in Patent Office: 561 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/24578 using ranking
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/3334 Selection or weighting of terms from queries, including natural language queries
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9017 using directory or table look-up use of a directory or look-up table in file systems G06F16/13
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/902 using more than one table in sequence, i.e. systems with three or more layers
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/90344 by using string matching techniques
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/90348 by searching ordered data, e.g. alpha-numerically ordered data

Abstract

A system and method for the matching addresses is provided. Addresses may be received from a search engine or other source for purposes of matching. Address parts in the addresses may be contextually identified. Identified address parts, including their associated data, that have address part types that are alike may be compared to one another and a contextual matching score may be calculated and assigned. A free format token analysis of the addresses may also be performed in parallel with, before, or after, the contextual identification, and a free format matching score may be calculated. An address likeness score may be calculated and assigned based on the contextual matching score and the free format matching score.

Claims

1. A method for matching a first address and a second address by a computing device including a processor, the method comprising:

receiving the first address and the second address at the processor from a second processor included in a second computing device, wherein the first address and the second address are each associated with one or more individuals;

deterministically evaluating at least one string in each of the first address and the second address, using the processor, to identify an address part type, a first address part of the first address, and a second address part of the second address, wherein the address part type of the first address part and the second address part is alike;

extracting first data associated with the first address part and second data associated with the second address part, using the processor, based on the address part type;

comparing the first data and the second data, using the processor;

calculating a contextual matching score, based on the comparison, using the processor;

performing a free format token analysis of the first address and the second address, using the processor;

calculating a free format matching score, based on performing the free format token analysis, using the processor;

weighting one or more of the contextual matching score or the free format matching score, using the processor;

calculating an address likeness score based on one or more of the weighted contextual matching score, the weighted free format matching score, the contextual matching score, or the free format matching score, using the processor; and

transmitting the address likeness score from the processor to the second processor.

2. The method of claim 1:

further comprising normalizing, using the processor, the first address part and the first data to produce a first normalized address part and the second address part and the second data to produce a second normalized address part;

wherein comparing the first data and the second data further comprises comparing the first normalized address part and the second normalized address part, using the processor.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein deterministically evaluating comprises:

matching a first key word in the first address using the processor, the first key word for identifying the address part type of the first address part; and

matching a second key word in the second address using the processor, the second key word for identifying the address part type of the second address part.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein matching the first key word comprises matching an acronym in the first address, using the processor.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein extracting comprises:

extracting the first data following or before the first key word of the first address, using the processor; and

extracting the second data following or before the second key word of the second address, using the processor.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the address part type comprises one or more of an apartment number, a house number, a post office box, a floor, a building, a complex, a street, a geographical direction, a district, a tehsil, a stand number, a barrio, a village, a suburb, a town, a city, or a state.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein calculating the contextual matching score comprises:

calculating a subscore for the address part type, using the processor;

weighting the subscore based on the address part type, using the processor; and

calculating the contextual matching score based on the weighted subscore, using the processor.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein weighting the subscore comprises:

weighting the subscore positively when the first data and the second data match, using the processor; and

weighting the subscore negatively when the first data and the second data do not match, using the processor.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein performing the free format token analysis comprises:

comparing variations of one or more strings in each of the first address and the second address, using the processor; and

performing a phonetic analysis on the first address and the second address, using the processor.

10. A method for matching an address and a plurality of candidate addresses by a computing device including a processor, the method comprising:

receiving the address and the plurality of candidate addresses at the processor from a second processor included in a second computing device, wherein the address and the plurality of candidate addresses are associated with one or more individuals;

deterministically evaluating at least one string in each of the address and the plurality of candidate addresses, using the processor, to identify an address part type, an address part of the address, and a plurality of candidate address parts of the plurality of candidate addresses, wherein the address part type of the address part and the plurality of candidate address parts is alike;

extracting address data associated with the address part and a plurality of candidate address data associated with the plurality of candidate address parts, using the processor, based on the address part type;

comparing the address data and the plurality of candidate address data, using the processor;

calculating a contextual matching score, based on the comparison, using the processor;

performing a free format token analysis of the address and the plurality of candidate addresses, using the processor;

calculating a free format matching score, based on performing the free format token analysis, using the processor;

weighting one or more of the contextual matching score or the free format matching score, using the processor;

calculating an address likeness score based on one or more of the weighted contextual matching score, the weighted free format matching score, the contextual matching score, or the free format matching score, using the processor; and

transmitting one or more matching addresses of the plurality of candidate addresses from the processor to the second processor, based on the address likeness score.

11. The method of claim 10:

further comprising normalizing, using the processor, the address part and the address data to produce a normalized address part and the plurality of candidate address parts and the plurality of candidate address data to produce a plurality of normalized candidate address parts;

wherein comparing the address data and the plurality of candidate address data further comprises comparing the normalized address part and the plurality of normalized candidate address parts, using the processor.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein the address part type comprises one or more of an apartment number, a house number, a post office box, a floor, a building, a complex, a street, a geographical direction, a district, a tehsil, a stand number, a barrio, a village, a suburb, a town, a city, or a state.

13. The method of claim 10, wherein deterministically evaluating comprises:

matching a key word in the address using the processor, the key word for identifying the address part type of the address part; and

matching a plurality of candidate key words in the plurality of candidate addresses using the processor, the plurality of candidate key words for identifying the address part type of the plurality of candidate address parts.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein extracting comprises:

extracting the address data following or before the key word of the address, using the processor; and

extracting the plurality of candidate address data following or before the plurality of candidate key words of the plurality of candidate addresses, using the processor.

15. The method of claim 10, wherein calculating the contextual matching score comprises:

calculating a subscore for the address part type, using the processor;

weighting the subscore based on the address part type, using the processor; and

calculating the contextual matching score based on the weighted subscore, using the processor.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein weighting the subscore comprises:

weighting the subscore positively when the address data and at least one of the plurality of candidate address data match, using the processor; and

weighting the subscore negatively when the address data and at least one of the plurality of candidate address data do not match, using the processor.

17. The method of claim 10, wherein performing the free format token analysis comprises:

comparing variations of one or more strings in each of the address and the plurality of candidate addresses, using the processor; and

performing a phonetic analysis on the address and the plurality of candidate addresses, using the processor.

18. A method for matching a first address and a second address by a computing device including a processor, the method comprising:

receiving the first address and the second address at the processor from a second processor included in a second computing device, wherein the first address and the second address are each associated with one or more individuals;

deterministically evaluating at least one string in each of the first address and the second address, using the processor, to identify an address part type, a first address part of the first address, and a second address part of the second address, wherein the address part type of the first address part and the second address part is alike;

extracting first data associated with the first address part and second data associated with the second address part, using the processor, based on the address part type;

comparing the first data and the second data, using the processor;

calculating a contextual matching score, based on the comparison, using the processor;

performing a free format token analysis of the first address and the second address, using the processor;

calculating a free format matching score, based on performing the free format token analysis, using the processor;

weighting one or more of the contextual matching score or the free format matching score, using the processor;

calculating an address likeness score based on one or more of the weighted contextual matching score, the weighted free format matching score, the contextual matching score, or the free format matching score, using the processor; and

merging a first database record and a second database record, when the address likeness score exceeds a merge score threshold, using the processor, wherein the first database record is associated with the first address and the second database record is associated with the second address.