Statistical measure and calibration of search criteria where one or both of the search criteria and database is incomplete
AssigneeLexisNexis Risk & Information Analytics Group Inc.
InventorDavid Alan BAYLISS
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Disclosed is a system for, and method of, identifying an entity representation. In some embodiments, search criteria are used to identify an entity representation in a universal database, and this identification is then used to identify a corresponding entity representation in a foreign database. Certain embodiments provide assurance, with a know probability of error, that the entity representation identified in the universal database is correct.
Claims13
A method of identifying an entity representation in an electronic universal database that corresponds to an entity representation in an electronic foreign database, each database comprising a plurality of entity representations, each entity representation comprising a plurality of linked records, each record comprising a plurality of fields, each field capable of containing a field value, each field value associated with a field value weight, the method comprising:
- receiving a plurality of search criteria field values identifying an entity representation in the foreign database;
- ranking entity representations in the universal database according to summed field value weights, wherein each summed field value weight comprises weights corresponding to field values, from records within a same entity representation from the universal database, that match a search criteria field value, and wherein, for each summed field value weight, each weight corresponding to field values is counted at most once for each search criteria field value;
- determining a highest ranked entity representation;
- calculating a confidence level reflecting a likelihood that the highest ranked entity representation corresponds to the entity representation identified by the search criteria field values;
- and
- outputting, if the confidence level exceeds a predetermined threshold, an identifier for the highest ranked entity representation.
A system for identifying an entity representation in an electronic universal database that corresponds to an entity representation in an electronic foreign database, each database comprising a plurality of entity representations, each entity representation comprising a plurality of linked records, each record comprising a plurality of fields, each field capable of containing a field value, each field value associated with a field value weight, the system comprising:
- an electronic universal database comprising a plurality of electronically stored entity representations, each entity representation comprising a plurality of linked records, each record comprising a plurality of fields, each field capable of containing a field value, each field value associated with a field value weight;
- an electronic memory storing a plurality of search criteria field values identifying an entity representation in the foreign database;
- a processor programmed to rank entity representations in the universal database according to summed field value weights, wherein each summed field value weight comprises weights corresponding to field values, from records within a same universal entity representation, that match a search criteria field value, and wherein, for each summed field value weight, each weight corresponding to field values is counted at most once for each search criteria field value;
- a processor programmed to determine a highest ranked universal entity representation;
- a processor programmed to calculate a confidence level reflecting a likelihood that the highest ranked entity representation corresponds to the entity representation identified by the search criteria field values;
- and
- a processor programmed to output, if the confidence level exceeds a predetermined threshold, an identifier for the highest ranked entity representation.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.