System and method for managing and updating information relating to economic entities

• US 20030097380A1
• Filed: 11/19/2001
• Published: 05/22/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 11/19/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Equifax, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Equifax, Inc.
• Inventors: Satterfield, Markus R., Karas, David J., Mulhern, Robert Kelly, Redman, James Crawford
• Granted Patent: US 7,370,044 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/381 using identifiers, e.g. barcodes, RFIDs for URLs G06F16/9554
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99936 Pattern matching access

Abstract

Methods and systems for managing and updating information relating to economic entities using sets of unique identifiers. A universe database contains record entries. Each of the record entries is associated with a unique universe identifier. A customer database contains customer record entries. Each customer record entry is associated with a unique customer identifier. A conversion table provides a mapping between the unique universe identifiers and the unique customer identifiers. The information contained in the customer database is updated using the unique universe identifiers, unique customer identifiers and the conversion table. The unique universe identifiers and the unique customer identifiers are stable over a period of time.

Claims

1. A method for updating a customer file having a plurality of record entries, comprising:

receiving raw data corresponding to at least one event generating entity;

processing the raw data and generating at least one processed record entry;

storing a plurality of processed record entries in a universe database, each record entry being associated with a unique universe identifier (“

UUID”

);

comparing the content of the customer file with the content of the universe database;

generating a matched customer file and a non-matched customer file;

assigning a unique customer number (“

UCID”

) for each record entry contained in the customer file;

associating each UCID with a corresponding UUID; and

updating a portion of at least one record entry in the matched customer file with information contained in the processed record entry associated with the UUID corresponding to the UCID associated with the at least one record entry.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein each UUID is stable over a period of time;

and each UCID is stable over another period of time, and the raw data is subject to change.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein a UCID is assigned to every record entry contained in the customer file regardless of whether a record entry corresponds to an existing economic entity.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the action of comparing the content of the customer file with the content of the universe database comprises organizing the record entries in the customer file per person.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the action of comparing the content of the customer file with the content of the universe database comprises using public domain identity data common to the customer file and the universe database.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the action of associating each UCID with a corresponding UUID comprises:

generating a conversion table providing a mapping between the UCID'"'"'s with a set of the UUID'"'"'s contained in the universe database.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the action of updating a portion of at least one record entry is accomplished using a batch mode.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the action of updating at least a portion of at least one record entry is accomplished in near real-time via the Internet.

9. A method for updating a customer file having a plurality of customer record entries, each customer record entry being associated with a unique customer identifier (UCID), comprising:

transferring a UCID contained in the customer file;

associating the transferred UCID with a corresponding unique universe identifier (UUID) referencing one record entry contained in an information supplier'"'"'s database; and

updating a portion of the customer record entry associated with the transferred UCID with information contained in the record entry referenced by the corresponding UUID.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the record entry contains information relating to events generated by an economic entity;

each UCID is stable over a period of time; and

each UUID is stable over another period of time.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein the action of associating the transferred UCID with the corresponding UUID comprises referencing a conversion table providing a mapping between a plurality of UCID'"'"'s and a plurality of UUID'"'"'s.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein the action of updating a portion of the customer record entry associated with the transferred UCID comprises a batch processing mode.

13. The method of claim 9, wherein the action of transferring a UCID comprises a transfer of data via the Internet.

14. The method of claim 9, wherein the action of transferring a UCID comprises a transfer of data via a wireless communication link.

15. The method of claim 9, wherein the action of updating a portion of the customer record entry associated with the transferred UCID comprises a transfer of data via the Internet.

16. The method of claim 9, wherein the action of updating a portion of the customer record entry associated with the transferred UCID comprises a transfer of data via a wireless communication link.

17. The method of claim 9, comprising:

updating the transferred UCID with a new UCID;

associating the new UCID with a UUID; and

generating a conversion table providing a mapping between the new UCID and the UUID associated with the new UCID.

18. A method for updating a customer file having a plurality of customer record entries, each customer record entry being associated with a unique customer identifier (UCID), comprising:

transferring a UCID to an information supplier, the supplier having a universe database containing record entries, each of said record entry being associated with a unique universe identifier (“

UUID”

);

associating the transferred UCID with a corresponding UUID; and

updating a portion of the customer record entry associated with the transferred UCID with information contained in the record entry being associated with the corresponding UUID.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein each of the record entries comprises processed information from raw data corresponding to events generated by an economic entity.

20. The method of claim 18, wherein the action of transferring a UCID is accomplished via the Internet.

21. The method of claim 18, wherein the action of transferring a UCID is accomplished via a wireless communication link.

22. The method of claim 18, wherein the action of transferring a UCID is accomplished via a wired communication link.

23. The method of claim 18, wherein the action of updating a portion of the customer entry associated with the transferred UCID comprises a batch processing.

24. The method of claim 18, wherein the action of updating a portion of the customer entry associated with the transferred UCID comprises a transfer of data via a wired communication link.

25. The method of claim 18, wherein the action of updating a portion of the customer entry associated with the transferred UCID comprises a transfer of data via a wireless communication link.

26. The method of claim 18, wherein each UCID is stable over a period time and each UUID is stable over another period of time.

27. The method of claim 18, comprising:

changing the transferred UCID to a new UCID, associating the new UCID with a UUID; and

generating a conversion table providing a mapping between the new UCID and the UUID associated with the new UCID.

28. A system for updating a plurality of customer files, each of said customer files belonging to an information buyer, comprising:

a universe database containing record entries, each record entry being associated with a unique universe identifier (“

UUID”

);

a means for assigning a set of unique customer identifiers (“

UCID”

) for each of the customer files;

a conversion table providing a mapping between a set of the UUID'"'"'s and each set of the UCID'"'"'s assigned to each of the plurality of customer files; and

updating a portion of at least one customer file using at least one UCID in the set of the UCID'"'"'s corresponding to the least one customer file and a portion of the conversion table.

29. The system of claim 28, wherein each set of the UCID'"'"'s is different from another set of the UCID'"'"'s.

30. The system of claim 28, wherein the conversion table comprises a plurality of customer conversion tables, each customer conversion table corresponding to one of the plurality of customer files and providing a mapping between a set of UUID'"'"'s and the set of UCID'"'"'s assigned for the corresponding customer file.

31. The system of claim 28, wherein the record entries contained in the universe database correspond to economic entities;

each UUID is stable over a period of time; and

each UCID is stable over another period of time.

32. The system of claim 28, wherein at least one set of UCID'"'"'s is changed to a new set of UCID'"'"'s, each UCID in the new set being associated with a UUID;

and a conversion table provides a mapping between the new set of UCID'"'"'s and a set of the UUID'"'"'s.

33. A system for updating a customer database containing a plurality of customer record entries, each customer record entry being associated with a unique customer identifier (“

UCID”

), comprising;

a universe database containing record entries, each record entry being associated with a unique universe identifier (“

UUID”

);

a conversion table providing a mapping between the UUID'"'"'s and UCID'"'"'s; and

updating a portion of the customer database with information contained in the universe database using the UUID'"'"'s, the conversion table and the UCID'"'"'s.

34. The system of claim 33, wherein the UUID'"'"'s are stable over a period of time and the UCID'"'"'s are stable over another period of time.

35. The system of claim 33, wherein the UCID'"'"'s are updated with a new UCID'"'"'s and a new conversion table provides a mapping between the UUID'"'"'s and UCID'"'"'s.

36. A method for managing information relating to event generating entities, comprising:

receiving raw data generated by the entities;

processing the raw data and generating processed record entries, each record entry being associated with a unique universe identifier (“

UUID”

), receiving a customer database containing a plurality of customer record entries; and

assigning a unique customer identifier (“

UCID”

) for each of the customer record entries; and

creating a conversion table providing a mapping for each UCID to one and only corresponding UUID.

37. The method of claim 36, wherein

each UUID is stable over a period of time;

each UCID is stable over another period of time.

38. The method of claim 36, wherein a portion of the customer database is updated using the UUID'"'"'s, UCID'"'"'s and the conversion table.

39. A method for managing information relating to event generating entities, comprising:

receiving raw data generated by the entities;

processing the raw data and generating processed record entries, each record entry being associated with a unique universe identifier (“

UUID”

);

receiving at least one unique customer identifier (“

UCID”

); and

updating a portion of the customer database using a conversion table providing a mapping of the at least one UCID to a corresponding UUID.

40. The method of claim 39, wherein

each UUID is stable over a period of time;

each UCID is stable over another period of time.

41. The method of claim 39, wherein the received UCID is changed with a new UCID and the conversion table provides a mapping between the new UCID and a UUID.

42. A method for managing information relating to an event generating entity, comprising:

receiving raw data generated by the entity;

processing the raw data and generating at least one data file being accessible by a unique universe identifier (“

UUID”

);

finding a corresponding unique universe customer identifier (“

UCID”

) using a conversion table;

transferring the at least one data file to update a record entry being associated with the UCID.

43. The method of claim 42, wherein the action of transferring the at least one data file occurs after determining the state of an attribute associated with the at least one data file.

44. The method of claim 42, wherein the UUID is stable over a period of time and the UCID is stable over another period of time.

45. A system for managing information relating to an event generating entity, comprising:

a record entry comprising a plurality of data inputs, the record entry being associated with a unique universe identifier (“

UUID”

);

a customer record entry comprising a plurality of customer data inputs, the customer record entry being associated with a unique customer identifier (“

UCID”

);

a conversion table providing a mapping between the UUID and UCID; and

updating a portion of the customer record entry using the UUID, UCID and conversion table.

46. The system of claim 45, wherein the UUID is stable over a period of time and the UCID is stable over another period of time.

47. The system of claim 45, wherein each of the plurality of customer data inputs is associated with an attribute and the action of updating a portion of the customer record entry occurs in response to determining the state of the attribute associated with at least one of the plurality of customer data inputs.

48. A method for updating a plurality of customer files, each customer file having a plurality of record entries, comprising:

receiving raw data corresponding to at least one event generating entity;

processing the raw data and generating at least one processed record entry;

storing a plurality of processed record entries in a universe database;

each record entry being associated with a unique universe identifier (“

UUID”

);

comparing the content of each of the plurality of customer files with the content of the universe database;

generating a matched customer file and a non-matched customer file for each of the plurality of customer files;

assigning a set of unique customer identifiers (“

UCID'"'"'s”

) for each customer file, each UCID within the set being associated with each record entry contained in the customer file corresponding to the set of UCID'"'"'s;

associating each UCID with a corresponding UUID; and

updating a portion of at least one record entry in at least one matched customer file with information contained in the processed record entry associated with the UUID corresponding to the UCID associated with the at least one record entry.

49. The method of claim 48, wherein each UUID is stable over a period of time;

and each UCID is stable over another period of time.

50. The method of claim 48, wherein a UCID is assigned to every record entry contained in each of the plurality of customer files regardless of whether a record entry corresponds to an existing economic entity.

51. The method of claim 48, wherein the action of associating each UCID with a corresponding UUID comprises:

generating a conversion table for each of the plurality of customer files, each conversion file providing a mapping between the set of UCID'"'"'s assigned to the corresponding customer files with a set of the UUID'"'"'s contained in the universe database.

52. The method of claim 48, wherein the action of updating a portion of at least one record entry is accomplished using a batch mode.

53. The method of claim 48, wherein the action of updating at least a portion of at least one record entry is accomplished in near real-time via the Internet.