METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR FOCUSED MULTI-BLOCKING TO INCREASE LINK IDENTIFICATION RATES IN RECORD COMPARISON

• US 20140324906A1
• Filed: 04/26/2013
• Published: 10/30/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 04/26/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Walmart Apollo, LLC (WalMart Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Wal-Mart Stores Texas LLC (WalMart Inc.)
• Inventors: Ray, Andrew Benjamin, Troutman, Nathaniel Philip
• Granted Patent: US 9,760,654 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 707/771
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9024 Graphs; Linked lists G06F16/9027 takes precedence

Abstract

Techniques for comparing customer records to identify linked customer records pertaining to a single customer entity are provided. The techniques include identifying a target group of electronic customer records having data fields containing data pertaining to a customer, identifying one or more focused blockers identifying a data value for an electronic customer record data field, and analyzing the target group of electronic customer records to identify a focused group of electronic customer records containing the focused blocker data value. The techniques also include comparing pairs of electronic customer records from the focused group of electronic customer records to identify linked records which pertain to a single customer entity.

Claims

1. A computer implemented method comprising:

a computer system identifying a target group of electronic customer records, each electronic customer record having data fields containing data pertaining to a customer;

the computer system identifying a first focused blocker, the first focused blocker identifying a data value for an electronic customer record data field;

the computer system analyzing the target group of electronic customer records to identify a first focused group of electronic customer records, the first focused group of electronic customer records comprising electronic customer records containing the first focused blocker data value; and

the computer system comparing pairs of electronic customer records from the first focused group of electronic customer records to identify linked records, each linked record comprising two or more electronic customer records which pertain to a single customer entity.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the first focused blocker comprises a first data value for a first electronic customer record data field and a second data value for a second electronic customer record data field.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the first focused group of electronic customer records more specifically comprises electronic customer records containing the first focused blocker first data value and the first focused blocker second data value.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the first focused blocker identifies first data values and second data values selected from the group consisting of:

double metaphone of last name and zip code, last name and zip code, last name and house number, and house number and zip code.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the target group of electronic customer records comprises a first group of electronic customer records obtained from a first source and a second group of electronic customer records obtained from a second source.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the single customer entity is selected from a group consisting of a single customer, a household, and a business.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the method further comprises:

the computer system identifying a second focused blocker, the second focused blocker identifying a data value for an electronic customer record data field which is different than the first focused blocker data value;

the computer system analyzing the target group of electronic customer records to identify a second focused group of electronic customer records, the second focused group of electronic customer records comprising electronic customer records containing the second focused blocker data value; and

the computer system comparing pairs of electronic customer records from the second focused group of electronic customer records to identify linked records, each linked record comprising two or more electronic customer records which pertain to a single customer entity.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the method more specifically comprises the computer system comparing all possible pairs of electronic customer records from the first focused group of electronic customer records to identify linked records.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the computer system does not compare pairs of electronic customer records which are not found within a focused group of electronic customer records.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the method more specifically comprises:

the computer system identifying a first focused blocker, the first focused blocker identifying an electronic customer record data field;

the computer system analyzing electronic customer records from within the target group of electronic customer records to, for each electronic customer record within the target group of electronic customer records, identify first focused blocker keys, the first focused blocker keys comprising data values from an electronic customer record corresponding to the first focused blocker identified data field; and

the computer system identifying a first focused group of electronic customer records, the first focused group of electronic customer records comprising electronic customer records containing like first focused blocker keys.

11. A computer implemented method comprising:

a computer system identifying a target group of electronic records, each electronic record having data fields containing data pertaining to an event;

the computer system identifying a first focused blocker, the first focused blocker identifying a data value for an electronic record data field;

the computer system analyzing the target group of electronic records to identify a first focused group of electronic records, the first focused group of electronic records comprising electronic records containing the first focused blocker data value; and

the computer system comparing pairs of electronic records from the first focused group of electronic records to identify linked records, each linked record comprising two or more electronic records which pertain to a single event.

12. A computer system comprising:

a computer system programmed to;

identify a target group of electronic customer records, each electronic customer record having data fields containing data pertaining to a customer;

identify a first focused blocker, the first focused blocker identifying a data value for an electronic customer record data field;

analyze the target group of electronic customer records to identify a first focused group of electronic customer records, the first focused group of electronic customer records comprising electronic customer records containing the first focused blocker data value; and

compare pairs of electronic customer records from the first focused group of electronic customer records to identify linked records, each linked record comprising two or more electronic customer records which pertain to a single customer entity.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the first focused blocker comprises a first data value for a first electronic customer record data field and a second data value for a second electronic customer record data field.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the first focused group of electronic customer records more specifically comprises electronic customer records containing the first focused blocker first data value and the first focused blocker second data value.

15. The system of claim 12, wherein the target group of electronic customer records comprises a first group of electronic customer records obtained from a first source and a second group of electronic customer records obtained from a second source.

16. The system of claim 12, wherein the single customer entity is selected from a group consisting of a single customer, a household, and a business.

17. The system of claim 13, wherein the first focused blocker identifies first data values and second data values selected from the group consisting of:

double metaphone of last name and zip code, last name and zip code, last name and house number, and house number and zip code.

18. The system of claim 12, wherein the computer system is further programmed to:

identify a second focused blocker, the second focused blocker identifying a data value for an electronic customer record data field which is different than the first focused blocker data value;

analyze the target group of electronic customer records to identify a second focused group of electronic customer records, the second focused group of electronic customer records comprising electronic customer records containing the second focused blocker data value; and

compare pairs of electronic customer records from the second focused group of electronic customer records to identify linked records, each linked record comprising two or more electronic customer records which pertain to a single customer entity.

19. The system of claim 12, wherein the computer system is more specifically programmed to compare all possible pairs of electronic customer records from the first focused group of electronic customer records to identify linked records.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein the computer system is programmed to not compare pairs of electronic customer records which are not found within a focused group of electronic customer records.