Systems, methods, and computer program products for data governance and licensing

• US 9,705,880 B2
• Filed: 03/01/2013
• Issued: 07/11/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 03/01/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: United Parcel Service Of America Incorporated (United Parcel Service Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: United Parcel Service Of America Incorporated (United Parcel Service Incorporated)
• Inventors: Siris, Marc
• Primary Examiner(s): Kim, Tae
• Assistant Examiner(s): KU, SHIUH-HUEI P
• Application Number:
  US13/782,686
• Publication Number:
  US 20140250537A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,593 Days
• Field of Search: 705 52, 705 59, 705333, 726 28
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/0833 Tracking
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/10 for controlling access to devices or network resources

Abstract

Various embodiments provide a data governance and licensing system for monitoring usage of tracking data associated with transport of a plurality of packages and for facilitating licensing arrangements in connection therewith. In certain embodiments, the system comprises: one or more memory storage areas containing a variety of data and one or more computer processors. The one or more computer processors are configured to: receive observed data associated with access of tracking data by at least one accessing party; analyze at least a portion of the observed data to determine identification data for the accessing party; compare the identification data and the authorized user data to determine whether the accessing party is an authorized party; determine whether one or more discrepancies exist between the observed data and either generic usage data or authorized user data; and if so, generate either a license proposal or a license revision request.

Claims

1. A data governance and licensing system for monitoring usage of tracking data associated with transport of a plurality of packages by a common carrier and for facilitating licensing arrangements in connection therewith and between the common carrier and a plurality of authorized parties, said system comprising:

one or more memory storage areas containing tracking data related to one or more parameters associated with transport of a plurality of package, generic usage data, and authorized user data related to the plurality of authorized parties, the authorized parties comprising those parties authorized to access the tracking data, the generic usage data comprising at least one threshold associated with access to said tracking data, and the at least one threshold being based upon;

(a) a volume of said access to said tracking data, (b) a duration of said access, and (c) a type of said access to said tracking data, wherein said type of said access to said tracking data, upon which the at least one threshold is based in part, comprises a determination of whether the authorized party is an external or internal party relative to said common carrier and an assessment of whether standard view information or tracking data has been accessed; and

one or more computer processors configured to;

(A) receive observed data associated with access of at least a portion of said tracking data by said at least one accessing party;

(B) analyze at least a portion of the observed data to determine an identity of the accessing party, the determined identity being stored as identification data;

(C) compare the identification data and the authorized user data to determine whether the accessing party is an authorized party;

(D) in response to the accessing party not being an authorized party;

i. determine whether one or more discrepancies exist between the observed data and the generic usage data; and

ii. in response to one or more discrepancies existing, generate a license proposal request configured to govern future access to said tracking data by said at least one accessing party; and

(E) in response to the accessing party being an authorized party;

i. determine whether one or more discrepancies exist between the observed data and the authorized user data; and

ii. in response to one or more discrepancies existing, generate a license revision request configured to govern future access to said tracking data by said at least one accessing party.

2. The data governance and licensing system of claim 1, wherein at least a portion of the observed data in (B) comprises an observed Internet Protocol address (IP address), said observed IP address being configured, at least in part, to identify a using party associated therewith.

3. The data governance and licensing system of claim 2, wherein:

said authorized user data comprises one or more authorized IP addresses; and

said one or more computer processors are further configured, in (C), to determine whether the accessing party is an authorized party based at least in part upon a comparison of said observed IP address with said one or more authorized IP addresses.

4. The data governance and licensing system of claim 1, wherein:

said observed data comprises quantitative data related to the tracking data accessed; and

said one or more discrepancies in (D) are determined based at least in part upon at least one parameter within said quantitative data exceeding said at least one threshold.

5. The data governance and licensing system of claim 4, wherein said at least one threshold is further based at least in part upon at least one of:

a data-type of said access, a frequency of said access, or a classification of said access.

6. The data governance and licensing system of claim 4, wherein, in response to said quantitative data exceeding said at least one threshold, said one or more computer processors are configured to generate a license proposal request.

7. The data governance and licensing system of claim 1, wherein:

said license proposal request comprises a draft licensing agreement; and

said one or more computer processors are further configured to, in response to one or more discrepancies existing, transmit a notification of said draft licensing agreement to at least one party.

8. The data governance and licensing system of claim 7, wherein said notification is transmitted, in response to one or more discrepancies existing, to a party selected from a group consisting of:

the at least one accessing party, an account administrator, and a legal representative.

9. The data governance and licensing system of claim 1, wherein said one or more computer processors are further configured to, in response to one or more discrepancies existing, generate one or more reports.

10. The data governance and licensing system of claim 1, wherein:

said observed data comprises quantitative data related to the tracking data accessed;

said authorized user data comprises at least one parameter associated with access to the tracking data; and

said one or more discrepancies in (E) are determined based at least in part upon at least one parameter within said quantitative data being substantially different from a corresponding one of said parameters associated with access to the tracking data.

11. The data governance and licensing system of claim 10, wherein:

said at least one parameter associated with access to the tracking data comprises at least one authorized threshold; and

said one or more discrepancies in (E) are determined by at least one of said one or more parameters associated with access to the tracking data exceeding said authorized threshold.

12. The data governance and licensing system of claim 11, wherein said at least one authorized threshold comprises a threshold selected from a group consisting of:

a volumetric access threshold, a frequency access threshold, a duration access threshold, a data-type access threshold, a classification access threshold, and any combination thereof.

13. The data governance and licensing system of claim 11, wherein, in response to said quantitative data exceeding said at least one authorized threshold, said one or more computer processors are configured to generate a license proposal request.

14. The data governance and licensing system of claim 13, wherein said license proposal requests comprises a request to revise an existing license agreement previously entered into by said authorized party accessing said tracking data.

15. The data governance and licensing system of claim 14, wherein said one or more computer processors are further configured to, in response to one or more discrepancies existing, transmit a notification of said license proposal request to at least one party.

16. The data governance and licensing system of claim 15, wherein said notification is transmitted to at least one party selected from a group consisting of:

the at least one accessing party, an account administrator, and a legal representative.

17. A computer program product comprising at least one non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having computer-readable program code portions embodied therein, the computer-readable program code portions comprising:

(A) a first executable portion configured for receiving a plurality of data, wherein said data comprises;

(i) tracking data related to one or more parameters associated with transport of a plurality of packages by a common carrier,

(ii) generic usage parameter data, the generic usage parameter data comprising at least one threshold associated with access to said tracking data, and the at least one threshold being based upon;

(a) a volume of said access to said tracking data, (b) a duration of said access; and

(c) a type of said access to said tracking data, wherein said type of said access to said tracking data, upon which the at least one threshold is based in part, comprises a determination of whether the authorized party is an external or internal party relative to said common carrier and an assessment of whether standard view information or tracking data has been accessed; and

(iii) authorized user data related to a plurality of authorized parties, the authorized parties comprising those parties authorized to access the tracking data;

(B) a second executable portion configured for analyzing at least a portion of the observed data to determine an identity of the at least one accessing party, the determined identity being stored as identification data;

(C) a third executable portion configured for comparing the identification data and the authorized user data to determine whether the at least one accessing party is an authorized party; and

(D) a fourth executable portion configured for;

i. in response to the accessing party not being an authorized party;

a) determining whether one or more discrepancies exist between the observed data and the generic usage parameter data; and

b) in response to one or more discrepancies existing, generating a license proposal request configured to govern future access to said tracking data by said at least one accessing party; and

ii. in response to the accessing party being an authorized party;

a) determining whether one or more discrepancies exist between the observed data and the authorized user data; and

b) in response to one or more discrepancies existing, generating a license revision request configured to govern future access to said tracking data by said at least one accessing party.

18. The computer program product of claim 17, wherein:

at least a portion of the observed data in (B) comprises an observed Internet Protocol address (IP address);

said authorized user data comprises one or more authorized IP addresses; and

said third executable portion is further configured for determining whether the accessing party is an authorized party based at least in part upon a comparison of said observed IP address with said one or more authorized IP addresses.

19. The computer program product of claim 17, wherein:

said observed data comprises quantitative data related to the tracking data accessed; and

said fourth executable portion is configured to determine said one or more discrepancies based at least in part upon at least one parameter within said quantitative data exceeding at least one of said thresholds.

20. The computer program product of claim 19, wherein, in response to said quantitative data exceeding at least one of said thresholds, said fourth executable portion is further configured to generate at least one of a notification and a continued monitoring request.

21. The computer program product of claim 20, wherein, in response to said quantitative data exceeding at least one of said thresholds, said fourth executable portion is further configured to transmit said notification to at least one party, said notification including at least some indicia of at least one of said license proposal request and said license revision request.

22. A computer-implemented method for managing governance and licensing of data related to transport of a plurality of packages by a common carrier and for facilitating licensing arrangements in connection therewith and between the common carrier and a plurality of authorized parties, the method comprising the steps of:

(A) receiving and storing observed data within one or more memory storage areas, the actual data being associated with access of at least a portion of said tracking data by at least one accessing party;

(B) analyzing at least a portion of the observed data to determine an identity of the accessing party, the determined identity being stored as identification data;

(C) retrieving from the one or more memory storage areas at least a portion of authorized user data related to a plurality of authorized parties, the authorized parties comprising those parties authorized to access the tracking data;

(D) comparing, via at least one computer processor, the identification data and the retrieved portion of the authorized user data to determine whether the accessing party is an authorized party;

(E) in response to the accessing party not being an authorized party;

i. retrieving from the one or more memory storage areas at least a portion of generic usage data, the generic usage data comprising at least one threshold associated with access to said tracking data, and the at least one threshold being based upon;

(a) a volume of said access to said tracking data, (b) a duration of said access, and (c) a type of said access to said tracking data, wherein said type of said access to said tracking data, upon which the at least one threshold is based in part, comprises a determination of whether the authorized party is an external or internal party relative to said common carrier and an assessment of whether standard view information or tracking data has been accessed;

ii. determining whether one or more discrepancies exist between the observed data and the generic usage data; and

iii. in response to one or more discrepancies existing, generating a license proposal request configured to govern future access to said tracking data by said at least one accessing party; and

(F) in response to the accessing party being an authorized party;

i. retrieving from the one or more memory storage areas at least a portion of the authorized user data, the authorized user data comprising at least one threshold associated with access to said tracking data, and the at least one threshold being based upon;

(a) a volume of said access to said tracking data, (b) a duration of said access, and (c) a type of said access to said tracking data, wherein said type of said access to said tracking data, upon which the at least one threshold is based in part, comprises a determination of whether the authorized party is an external or internal party relative to said common carrier and an assessment of whether standard view information or tracking data has been accessed;

ii. determining whether one or more discrepancies exist between the observed data and the authorized user data; and

iii. in response to one or more discrepancies existing, generating a license revision request configured to govern future access to said tracking data by said at least one accessing party.