Apparatuses, methods and systems for a smart address parser

• US 8,271,525 B2
• Filed: 10/09/2009
• Issued: 09/18/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 10/09/2009
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Verizon Patent and Licensing Incorporated (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Verizon Patent and Licensing Incorporated (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Inventors: Sharma, Nityanand, Chatterjee, Sutap
• Primary Examiner(s): LE, DEBBIE M
• Application Number:
  US12/576,330
• Publication Number:
  US 20110087839A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,075 Days
• Field of Search: 707/771, 707/708, 707/780
• US Class Current: 707/771
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/29 Geographical information databases
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/279 Recognition of textual entities

Abstract

The apparatus, methods and systems for a smart address parser (hereinafter, “SAP”) described herein implement a text parser whereby users may enter a text string, such as manually via an input field. The SAP processes the input address string to extract address elements for storage, display, reporting, and/or use in a wide variety of back-end applications. In various embodiments and implementations, the SAP may facilitate: separation and identification of address components regardless of the order in which they are supplied in the input address string; supplementation of missing address information; correction and/or recognition of misspelled terms, abbreviations, alternate names, and/or the like variants of address elements; recognition of unique addresses based on minimal but sufficient input identifiers; and/or the like.

Claims

1. An address-parsing processor-implemented method, comprising:

reading a list of states, including corresponding state variants, from a state database into a cached state array;

receiving an input address string;

trimming spaces from ends of the input address string;

replacing each instance of punctuation in the input address string with a space;

replacing each instance of multiple adjacent spaces in the input address string with a single space;

splitting the input address string by the single space delimiters into a plurality of address components;

associating each of the plurality of address components with an element of an input address array;

locating at least one input address array state element corresponding to a matching state from the cached state array by a serially telescoping state search;

recording the matching state;

dropping the at least one input address array state element from the input address array;

reading a list of cities associated with the matching state, including corresponding city variants, into a cached city array;

locating at least one input address array city element corresponding to a matching city from the cached city array by a serially telescoping city search;

recording the matching city;

dropping the at least one input address array city element from the input address array;

reading a list of streets associated with the matching city and the matching state, including corresponding street variants, into a cached street array;

locating at least one input address array street element corresponding to a matching street from the cached street array by a serially telescoping street search;

recording the matching street;

dropping the at least one input address array street element from the input address array;

reading a list of street prefixes and street suffixes associated with the matching street into the cache;

comparing the list of street prefixes and street suffixes with the input address array to identify any matching street prefixes and street suffixes;

searching the input address array for a numerical element;

recording the numerical element as a house address;

dropping the numerical element from the input address array; and

providing the matching state, matching city, matching street, and the house address.

2. An address-parsing apparatus, comprising:

a memory;

a processor disposed in communication with the memory, and configured to issue a plurality of processing instructions stored in the memory, wherein the instructions include;

read a list of states, including corresponding state variants, from a state database into a cached state array;

receive an input address string;

trim spaces from ends of the input address string;

replace each instance of punctuation in the input address string with a space;

replace each instance of multiple adjacent spaces in the input address string with a single space;

split the input address string by the single space delimiters into a plurality of address components;

associate each of the plurality of address components with an element of an input address array;

locate at least one input address array state element corresponding to a matching state from the cached state array by a serially telescoping state search;

record the matching state;

drop the at least one input address array state element from the input address array;

read list of cities associated with the matching state, including corresponding city variants, into a cached city array;

locate at least one input address array city element corresponding to a matching city from the cached city array by a serially telescoping city search;

record the matching city;

drop the at least one input address array city element from the input address array;

read a list of streets associated with the matching city and the matching state, including corresponding street variants, into a cached street array;

locate at least one input address array street element corresponding to a matching street from the cached street array by a serially telescoping street search;

record the matching street;

drop the at least one input address array street element from the input address array;

read a list of street prefixes and street suffixes associated with the matching street into the cache;

compare the list of street prefixes and street suffixes with the input address array to identify any matching street prefixes and street suffixes;

search the input address array for a numerical element;

record the numerical element as a house address;

drop the numerical element from the input address array; and

provide the matching state, matching city, matching street, and the house address.

3. An address-parsing processor-accessible non-transitory medium, comprising:

a plurality of processor-issuable instructions, wherein the instructions include;

read a list of states, including corresponding state variants, from a state database into a cached state array;

receive an input address string;

trim spaces from ends of the input address string;

replace each instance of punctuation in the input address string with a space;

replace each instance of multiple adjacent spaces in the input address string with a single space;

split the input address string by the single space delimiters into a plurality of address components;

associate each of the plurality of address components with an element of an input address array;

locate at least one input address array state element corresponding to a matching state from the cached state array by a serially telescoping state search;

record the matching state;

drop the at least one input address array state element from the input address array;

read list of cities associated with the matching state, including corresponding city variants, into a cached city array;

locate at least one input address array city element corresponding to a matching city from the cached city array by a serially telescoping city search;

record the matching city;

drop the at least one input address array city element from the input address array;

read a list of streets associated with the matching city and the matching state, including corresponding street variants, into a cached street array;

locate at least one input address array street element corresponding to a matching street from the cached street array by a serially telescoping street search;

record the matching street;

drop the at least one input address array street element from the input address array;

read a list of street prefixes and street suffixes associated with the matching street into the cache;

compare the list of street prefixes and street suffixes with the input address array to identify any matching street prefixes and street suffixes;

search the input address array for a numerical element;

record the numerical element as a house address;

drop the numerical element from the input address array; and

provide the matching state, matching city, matching street, and the house address.