System, method and software for providing persistent personal and business entity identification and linking personal and business entity information in an integrated data repository

• US 8,001,153 B2
• Filed: 11/17/2009
• Issued: 08/16/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 05/29/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Experian Marketing Solutions, LLC (Experian plc)
• Original Assignee: Experian Marketing Solutions Incorporated (Experian plc)
• Inventors: Skurtovich, John L. Jr., Sumida, Timothy, Barrios, Pamela
• Primary Examiner(s): Thai; Hanh B
• Application Number:
  US12/620,323
• Publication Number:
  US 20100211593A1
• Time in Patent Office: 637 Days
• Field of Search: 707790-802
• US Class Current: 707/791
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/211 Schema design and management
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/24 Querying
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/24553 of query operations
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/24575 using context
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/2465 Query processing support for facilitating data mining operations in structured databases
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/2471 Distributed queries
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9535 Search customisation based on user profiles and personalisation
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/02 Banking, e.g. interest calculation or account maintenance credit or loans G06Q40/03
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99948 Application of database or data structure, e.g. distributed, multimedia, or image

Abstract

The present invention provides a system, method and software for linking persistent and unique business identifiers, associated with business entities, for associating corresponding business records without a loss of historical records, regardless of subsequent changes, updates, and mergers. In the various embodiments, a first business record, of the plurality of business records, is associated with a first business identifier; and a second business record, which does not match the first record, is associated with a second business identifier. Subsequently, when the first business identifier and the second business identifier are determined to correspond to a singular business entity, the first business identifier and the second business identifier are linked, and respective associations of the first business record and the second business record with the linked first business identifier and second business identifier are maintained, with corresponding source references, and collectively utilized in subsequent search and match determinations.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method of creating a data structure stored in a memory, wherein the data structure provides information to link business or personal records that are related to a same person of a plurality of persons or to a same business entity of a plurality of business entities, for database searching and record matching operations, the method comprising:

(a) associating a first record, of a plurality of business or personal records, with a first identifier of a plurality of identifiers that identifies at least one person of the plurality of persons or identifies at least one business entity of the plurality of business entities, wherein each identifier is unique and persistent for a predetermined period of time;

(b) associating a second record, of the plurality of business or personal records, with a second identifier that identifies at least one person of the plurality of persons or identifies at least one business entity of the plurality of business entities;

(c) determining that the first identifier and the second identifier correspond to a same person or same business entity by determining that a third record, of the plurality of business or personal records, matches with a first element of a first plurality of elements of the first record and further matches with a second element of a second plurality of elements of the second record;

(d) determining a plurality of potentially matching records, and from the plurality of potentially matching records, eliminating a potentially matching record which does not sufficiently match a name element of the first, second or third records within a selected or predetermined confidence level;

(e) when the first identifier and the second identifier are determined to correspond to the same person of the plurality of persons or to the same business entity of the plurality of business entities, linking the first identifier and the second identifier in a data structure that provides respective references to the first and second records without merging the first and second records under either the first or second identifiers and without merging the first and second identifiers;

(f) separately maintaining information in the first record associated with the first identifier and information in the second record associated with the second identifier for the predetermined period of time; and

(g) when information about the same person of the plurality of persons or the same business entity of the plurality of business entities is requested, grouping retrieved information that is separately maintained in both the first and second records via either one of the first identifier or second identifier based on the link between the first and second identifiers in the data structure.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising:

collectively utilizing the first record and the second record, corresponding to the linked first identifier and second identifier, in subsequent search and match determinations.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein step (c) further comprises:

determining that the first identifier and the second identifier correspond to the same person or same business entity by determining that a third record, of the plurality of business or personal records, is associated with both the first record and the second record.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the first plurality of elements and the second plurality of elements each comprise at least two elements selected from the group consisting of:

a name element, an address element, a tax identification element, a telephone number element, a standard industry code element, and a client key element.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining a plurality of potentially matching records from the plurality of business or personal records, and from the plurality of potentially matching records, eliminating a potentially matching record which does not match a tax identification element element of the third record.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 5, further comprising:

from the plurality of potentially matching records, eliminating a potentially matching record which does not match an address element of the third record.

7. The computer-implemented method of claim 5, further comprising:

from the plurality of potentially matching records, eliminating a potentially matching record which does not match a standard industry code element of the third record.

8. The computer-implemented method of claim 5, further comprising:

following elimination of one or more potentially matching records from the plurality of potentially matching records, affirmatively matching the third record to the first element of the first plurality of elements of the first record, the first record remaining within the plurality of potentially matching records, and affirmatively matching the third record to the second element of the second plurality of elements of the second record, the second record remaining within the plurality of potentially matching records.

9. The computer-implemented method of claim 8, wherein the affirmative matching is flexible and has a corresponding confidence level.

10. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the sufficiency of matching is flexible and has a corresponding selected or predetermined confidence level.

11. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein step (a) further comprises:

associating the first record with the first identifier by matching the first record to another record associated with the first identifier, of the plurality of business or personal records.

12. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein step (a) further comprises:

associating the first record with the first identifier by not matching to any another record of the plurality of business or personal records and assigning the first identifier to the first record as representative of a previously unidentified person of the plurality of persons or a previously unidentified business entity of the plurality of business entities.

13. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising:

associating a plurality of addresses with the first identifier, each address of the plurality of addresses having a unique site identifier of a plurality of site identifiers associated with the first identifier.

14. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising:

associating a site identifier with the first identifier, the site identifier corresponding to an address associated with the first identifier.

15. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising:

prior to step (a), searching a consumer database for a match of the first record and, when no match is determined, searching a business database for a match of the first record.

16. A system for creating a data structure to link records that are related to a same person of a plurality of persons or to a same business entity of a plurality of business entities, for data repository searching and for record matching operations, the system comprising:

a memory to store the data repository having a plurality of business or personal records and a plurality of identifiers that identifies the plurality of persons or the plurality of business entities, wherein each identifier is unique and persistent for a predetermined period of time; and

a processor coupled to the memory, the processor to associate a first record of the plurality of business or personal records with a first identifier that identifies at least one person of the plurality of persons or identifies at least one business entity of the plurality of business entities;

to associate a second record of the plurality of business or personal records with a second identifier that identifies at least one person of the plurality of persons or identifies at least one business entity of the plurality of business entities;

to determine that the first identifier and the second identifier correspond to the same person or same business entity by determining that a third record, of the plurality of business or personal records, matches with a first element of a first plurality of elements of the first record and further matches with a second element of a second plurality of elements of the second record;

to determine a plurality of potentially matching records, and from the plurality of potentially matching records, to eliminate a potentially matching record which does not sufficiently match a name element of the first, second or third records within a selected or predetermined confidence level;

when the first identifier and the second identifier are determined to correspond to the same person of the plurality of persons or to the same business entity of the plurality of business entities, to link in the data repository the first identifier and the second identifier in a data structure that provides respective references to the first and second records without merging the first and second records under either the first or second identifiers and without merging the first and second identifiers;

to separately maintain in the data repository information in the first record associated with the first identifier and information in the second record associated with the second identifier for the predetermined period of time; and

when information about the same person or same business entity is requested, to retrieve and group information that is separately maintained in both the first and second records via either one of the first identifier or second identifier based on the link between the first and second identifiers in the data structure.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the processor further is to collectively utilize the first record and the second record, corresponding to the linked first identifier and second identifier, in subsequent search and match determinations.

18. The system of claim 16, wherein the processor further is to determine that the first identifier and the second identifier correspond to the same person or same business entity by determining that a third record, of the first or second pluralities of records, is associated with both the first record and the second record.

19. The system of claim 16, wherein the first plurality of elements and the second plurality of elements each comprise at least two elements selected from the group consisting of:

a name element, an address element, a tax identification element, a telephone number element, a standard industry code element, and a client key element.

20. The system of claim 16, wherein the processor further is to determine a plurality of potentially matching records, and from the plurality of potentially matching records, to eliminate a potentially matching record which does not match a tax identification element element of the third record.

21. The system of claim 20, wherein the processor further is to eliminate, from the plurality of potentially matching records, a potentially matching record which does not match an address element of the third record.

22. The system of claim 20, wherein the processor further is to eliminate, from the plurality of potentially matching records, a potentially matching record which does not match a standard industry code element of the third record.

23. The system of claim 20, wherein following elimination of one or more potentially matching records from the plurality of potentially matching records, the processor further is to affirmatively match the third record to the first element of the first plurality of elements of the first record, the first record remaining within the plurality of potentially matching records, and to affirmatively match the third record to the second element of the second plurality of elements of the second record, the second record remaining within the plurality of potentially matching records.

24. The system of claim 23, wherein the affirmative matching is flexible and has a corresponding confidence level.

25. The system of claim 16, wherein the sufficiency of matching is flexible and has a corresponding selected or predetermined confidence level.

26. The system of claim 16, wherein the processor further is to associate the first record with the first identifier by matching the first record to another record associated with the first identifier, of the plurality of business or personal records.

27. The system of claim 16, the processor further is to associate the first record with the first identifier by not matching the first record to any another record of the first plurality of records and to assign the first identifier to the first record as representative of a previously unidentified person of the plurality of persons or a previously unidentified business entity of the plurality of business entities.

28. The system of claim 16, wherein the processor further is to associate a plurality of addresses with the first identifier, each address of the plurality of addresses having a unique site identifier of a plurality of site identifiers associated with the first identifier, and to maintain in the data repository the association of the plurality of addresses and corresponding plurality of site identifiers with the first identifier.

29. The system of claim 16, wherein the processor further is to associate a site identifier with the first identifier, the site identifier corresponding to an address associated with the first identifier, and to maintain in the data repository the association of the addresses and corresponding site identifier with the first identifier.

30. The system of claim 16, wherein the processor further is to search a consumer database for a match of the first record and, when no match is determined, to search a business database for a match of the first record.

31. A computer-readable medium storing computer-readable software for creating a data structure in a database stored in a memory, wherein the data structure provides information to link records that are related to a same person of a plurality of persons or to a same business entity of a plurality of business entities, for database searching and record matching operations, the computer-readable medium storing computer-readable software comprising:

a first program construct for associating a first record, of a plurality of business or personal records stored in the memory having the database, with a first identifier of a plurality of identifiers that identifies at least one person of the plurality of persons or identifies at least one business entity of the plurality of business entities, wherein each identifier is unique and persistent for a predetermined period of time;

a second program construct for associating a second record, of the plurality of business or personal records, with a second identifier that identifies at least one person of the plurality of persons or identifies at least one business entity of the plurality of business entities;

a third program construct for linking in the database the first identifier and the second identifier in the data repository identifier in a data structure that provides respective references to the first and second records without merging the first and second records under either the first or second identifiers and without merging the first and second identifiers when the first identifier and the second identifier are determined to correspond to the same person of the plurality of persons or to the same business entity of a plurality of business entities;

a fourth program construct for separately maintaining information in the first record associated with the first identifier and information in the second record associated with the second identifier for the predetermined period of time; and

when information about the same person or same business entity is requested, grouping retrieved information that is separately maintained in both first and second records via either one of the first identifier or second identifier based on the link between the first and second identifiers in the data structure;

a fifth program construct for determining that the first identifier and the second identifier correspond to the same person or same business entity by determining that a third record, of the plurality of records, matches with a first element of a first plurality of elements of the first record and further matches with a second element of a second plurality of elements of the second record; and

a sixth program construct for determining a plurality of potentially matching records, and from the plurality of potentially matching records, eliminating a potentially matching record which does not sufficiently match a name element of the first, second or third records within a selected or predetermined confidence level.

32. The computer-readable medium storing computer-readable software of claim 31, wherein the third program construct provides for the collective utilization of the first record and the second record, corresponding to the linked first identifier and second identifier, in subsequent search and match determinations.

33. The computer-readable medium storing computer-readable software of claim 31, wherein the fifth program construct further provides for determining that the first identifier and the second identifier correspond to the same person or same business entity by determining that a third record, of the first or second pluralities of records, is associated with both the first record and the second record.

34. The computer-readable medium storing computer-readable software of claim 31, wherein the first plurality of elements and the second plurality of elements each comprise at least two elements selected from the group consisting of:

a name element, an address element, a tax identification element, a telephone number element, a standard industry code element, and a client key element.

35. The computer-readable medium storing computer-readable software of claim 31, wherein the fifth program construct further determines a match by:

determining a plurality of potentially matching records, and from the plurality of potentially matching records, eliminating a potentially matching record which does not match a tax identification element element of the third record;

from the plurality of potentially matching records, eliminating a potentially matching record which does not match an address element of the third record;

from the plurality of potentially matching records, eliminating a potentially matching record which does not match a standard industry code element of the third record; and

following elimination of one or more potentially matching records from the plurality of potentially matching records, affirmatively matching the third record to the first element of the first plurality of elements of the first record, the first record remaining within the plurality of potentially matching records, and affirmatively matching the third record to the second element of the second plurality of elements of the second record, the second record remaining within the plurality of potentially matching records.

36. The computer-readable medium storing computer-readable software of claim 31, wherein the first program construct associates the first record with the first identifier by matching the first record to another record associated with the first identifier, of the plurality of business or personal records.

37. The computer-readable medium storing computer-readable software of claim 31, further comprising:

a seventh program construct for associating a plurality of addresses with the first identifier, each address of the plurality of addresses having a unique site identifier of a plurality of site identifiers associated with the first identifier.

38. The computer-readable medium storing computer-readable software of claim 31, further comprising:

an eighth program construct for associating a site identifier with the first identifier, the site identifier corresponding to an address associated with the first identifier.

39. A computer-implemented method of creating a data structure stored in a memory, wherein the data structure provides information to link business or personal records with a person of a plurality of persons or a business entity of the plurality of business entities, for database searching and record matching operations, the method comprising:

associating a first record, of a plurality of business or personal records, with a first identifier of a plurality of identifiers that identifies at least one person of the plurality of persons or identifies at least one business entity of the plurality of business entities, wherein each identifier is unique and persistent for a predetermined period of time;

associating a second record, of the plurality of business or personal records, with a second identifier that identifies at least one person of the plurality of persons or identifies at least one business entity of the plurality of business entities;

determining that the first identifier and the second identifier correspond to a same person of the plurality of persons or a same business entity of the plurality of business entities by determining that a third record, of the plurality of business or personal records, matches with a first element of a first plurality of elements of the first record and further matches with a second element of a second plurality of elements of the second record;

determining a plurality of potentially matching records, and from the plurality of potentially matching records, eliminating a potentially matching record which does not sufficiently match a name element and a tax identification element of the first, second or third records within a selected or predetermined confidence level;

when the first identifier and the second identifier are determined to correspond to the same person of the plurality of persons or to the same business entity of a plurality of business entities, linking the first identifier and the second identifier in a data structure that provides respective references to the first and second records without merging the first and second records and without merging the first and second identifiers;

separately maintaining information in the first record associated with the first identifier and information in the second record associated with the second identifier for the predetermined period of time; and

when information about the same person or same business entity is requested, retrieving and grouping information that is separately maintained in both the first and second records via either one of the first identifier or second identifier based on the link between the first and second identifiers in the data structure.