Method and system for determining a potential relationship between entities and relevance thereof

• US 8,595,161 B2
• Filed: 04/14/2009
• Issued: 11/26/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 05/12/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Vecna Technologies, Inc
• Original Assignee: Vecna Technologies, Inc
• Inventors: Bearman, Michael, Stein, Carrie
• Primary Examiner(s): CHANG, LI WU
• Application Number:
  US12/423,507
• Publication Number:
  US 20090265106A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,687 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 706/17
• CPC Class Codes: G06N 5/02 Knowledge representation; Symbolic representation
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/00 Administration; Management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/10 Services
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13095 PIN / Access code, authentication

Abstract

A method and system for identifying a relevance of a relation between at least two entities includes receiving at least one item of information relating to one or more of the entities and determining whether a proximity between the at least two entities exists. A level of the proximity between the entities is identified. The relevance of the proximity between the entities is determined based on the level of the proximity and the at least one item of information received.

Claims

1. A method of identifying a relevance of a relation between at least two entities, the method comprising:

receiving data relating to one or more of the entities;

determining whether a proximity between the two entities exists;

developing an intimacy score at least including a level of the proximity between the entities, and

determining the relevance of the proximity between the entities based on the intimacy score and the data received, the relevance of the proximity at least being used to determine whether additional actions with regard to at least one of the entities is appropriate when the intimacy score reaches a predetermined level based on the particular data received relating to one or more of the entities and at least includes determining a probability that an event will occur, the event at least including an infectious disease transmission from one entity to another.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the proximity between the entities results from a co-location of the entities at an instance of time.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the level of the proximity is based in part on the separation between the entities.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the level of the proximity is based in part on the duration of time in which the entities are in proximity to each other.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the level of the proximity is based in part on the frequency in which the entities are in proximity to each other.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the level of the proximity is based in part on the time elapsed between successive occasions of contact between the entities.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the level of the proximity is based in part on whether there is a physical contact between the entities.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the proximity between the entities results from a co-location of the entities at different instances of time.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the relevance of the proximity is based on a duration of time elapsed from a first time one of the entities is in a location to a second time another of the entities is in the location.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the relevance is the determination of whether one of the entities is at risk of transmitting an infectious disease.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein one of the entities is determined to be exposed to an infectious disease.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the relevance of the proximity relates to one or more of a security issue, a theft, an access, and a prediction of behavior.

13. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

displaying one or more indicia representing the proximity between the entities, the indicia indicating a connection between the entities;

modifying an attribute of the indicia in accordance with changes in the extent of the proximity between the entities.