Method, system, and computer program product for linking customer information
First Claim
1. A method comprising:
- identifying, by a computing system, a first customer account and a second customer account, wherein customer account data lists the first customer account and the second customer account as belonging to different customers;
conducting, by the computing system, a search of at least one external third-party database to obtain personal identification information associated with the first customer account and the second customer account;
comparing, by the computing system, the customer account data associated with the first customer account and the second customer account with the personal identification information associated with the first customer account and the second customer account;
determining, by the computing system, based on the comparing the customer account data with the personal identification information, that the first customer account and the second customer account actually belong to a single customer; and
associating, by the computing system, the first customer account and the second customer account with an identifier associated with the single customer.
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Accused Products
Abstract
In a business where a database tracks customers and manages customer accounts, a method and system correctly link accounts with customers. The method entails reading customer information for a first customer and for a second customer, and then utilizing personal identification information obtained from other sources to determine if the first customer is the same as the second customer. If the first customer and the second customer are the same person, the first customer and the second customer are identified as being the same unique person. Accounts associated with the two customers are identified as belonging to the same unique person. Viewed another way, the method and system of the present invention takes an existing database of personal identification information, and cross-references that database against other sources of personal identification information to identify persons who appear to be separate persons, but who are actually one and the same individual.
102 Citations
20 Claims
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1. A method comprising:
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identifying, by a computing system, a first customer account and a second customer account, wherein customer account data lists the first customer account and the second customer account as belonging to different customers; conducting, by the computing system, a search of at least one external third-party database to obtain personal identification information associated with the first customer account and the second customer account; comparing, by the computing system, the customer account data associated with the first customer account and the second customer account with the personal identification information associated with the first customer account and the second customer account; determining, by the computing system, based on the comparing the customer account data with the personal identification information, that the first customer account and the second customer account actually belong to a single customer; and associating, by the computing system, the first customer account and the second customer account with an identifier associated with the single customer. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11)
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12. An article of manufacture including a non-transitory computer readable medium having instructions stored thereon that, in response to execution by a computer system, cause the computer system to carry out operations comprising:
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conducting a search of at least one external database to obtain personal identification information associated with record data including a first record and a second record; comparing the record data with the personal identification information; identifying the first record and the second record based on comparing the record data and the personal identification information, wherein the record data lists the first record and the second record as corresponding to different individuals, and wherein the personal identification information indicates that the first record and the second record correspond to a single individual; determining that the first record and the second record correspond to the single individual; and associating the first record and the second record with an identifier that is associated with the single individual. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16)
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13. A system comprising:
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at least one processor; and a non-transitory memory having instructions stored thereon that, in response to execution by the at least one processor, cause the system to perform operations comprising; conducting a search of at least one external database to obtain personal identification information associated with customer account data including a first customer account and a second customer account; comparing the customer account data with the personal identification information; determining, based on comparing the customer account data with the personal identification information, that the first customer account and the second customer account actually belong to a single customer, wherein the customer account data lists the first customer account and the second customer account as belonging to different customers; and associating the first customer account and the second customer account with an identifier that is associated with the single customer. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18, 19, 20)
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Specification