US 9,390,225 B2Granted

Family networks

AssigneeAncestry.com DNA, LLC

InventorsMathew J. Barber, Ross E. Curtis, Catherine Ann Ball, Kenneth Gregory Chahine

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Abstract

Described embodiments enable identification of family networks using combinations of DNA analysis and genealogical information. Genealogical data is provided by users of a genealogical research service or collected from other sources and used to create family trees for each user. DNA samples are also received from the users. By analyzing the DNA samples, potential genetic relationships can be identified between some users. Once these DNA-suggested relationships have been identified, common ancestors can be sought in the respective trees of the potentially related users. Where these common ancestors exist, an inference is drawn that the DNA-suggested relationship accurately represents a familial overlap between the individuals in question. People descended from the same common ancestor are each members of a family network. Members of a family network not in a user's tree may be identified for the user, enabling the user to discover additional ancestors that might otherwise have remained unknown.

Claims25

Dependent claims

A computer-implemented method for identifying genealogically related individuals, the method comprising:

maintaining a plurality of sets of genetic data sampled from a plurality of human individuals;
receiving a set of genetic data sampled from a first human individual not included in the plurality of human individuals;
identifying segments of genetic data shared between the received set of genetic data and one or more of the maintained sets of genetic data, the segmental sharing indicating that one or more human individuals corresponding to the one or more sets, including a second human individual, are genetically related to the first human individual;
receiving a selection by the first human individual, from the indicated one or more human individuals, of one or more human individuals related to the first human individual;
creating a first set of genealogical data representing ancestors of the first human individual based on the received selection of the one or more related human individuals;
identifying a second set of genealogical data representing individuals that are ancestors of the second human individual;
creating, by a computer, a first set of nodes where each node in the first set corresponds to a unique individual identified in both the first and the second sets of genealogical data by comparing bibliographic data, each node comprising at least two identifiers each corresponding to a location of the unique individual within one of the sets of genealogical data;
concatenating, by the computer, the first set of nodes with a second set of nodes having at least one unique individual in common with the first set of nodes to create a concatenated set of nodes, the concatenating comprising merging nodes both comprising a same identifier;
and
selecting, by the computer, one of the nodes in the concatenated set a common ancestor of the first human individual and the second human individual;
and
providing, by the computer, bibliographic data about the common ancestor to the first human individual.

9 more elements

A non-transitory computer readable storage medium comprising computer program instructions that, when executed by a processor of a computer, cause the processor to:

maintain a plurality of sets of genetic data sampled from a plurality of human individuals;
receive a set of genetic data sampled from a first human individual not included in the plurality of human individuals;
identify segments of genetic data shared between the received set of genetic data and one or more of the maintained sets of genetic data, the segmental sharing indicating that one or more human individuals corresponding to the one or more sets, including a second human individual, are genetically related to the first human individual;
receive a selection by the first human individual, from the indicated one or more human individuals, of one or more human individuals related to the first human individual;
create a first set of genealogical data representing ancestors of the first human individual based on the received selection of the one or more related human individuals;
identify a second set of genealogical data representing ancestors of the second human individual;
create, by the computer, a first set of nodes where each node in the first set corresponds to a unique individual identified in both the first and the second sets of genealogical data by comparing bibliographic data, each node comprising at least two identifiers each corresponding to a location of the unique individual within one of the sets of genealogical data;
concatenate, by the computer, the first set of nodes with a second set of nodes having at least one unique individual in common with the first set of nodes to create a concatenated set of nodes, the concatenating comprising merging nodes both comprising a same identifier;
and
select, by the computer, one of the nodes in the concatenated set a common ancestor of the first human individual and the second human individual;
and
provide, by the computer, bibliographic data about the common ancestor to the first human individual.

9 more elements

A computer system comprising:

a DNA data store configured to:
maintain a plurality of sets of genetic data sampled from a plurality of human individuals;
receive a set of genetic data sampled from a first human individual not included in the plurality of human individuals;
a DNA relationship engine configured to:
identify segments of genetic data shared between the received set of genetic data and one or more of the maintained sets of genetic data, the segmental sharing indicating that one or more human individuals corresponding to the one or more sets, including a second human individual, are genetically related to the first human individual;
a hints engine configured to:
receive a selection by the first human individual, from the indicated one or more human individuals, of one or more human individuals related to the first human individual;
a trees MRCA service configured to:
create a first set of genealogical data representing ancestors of the first human individual based on the received selection of the one or more related human individuals;
identifying a second set of genealogical data representing ancestors of the second human individual;
the hints engine further configured to:
create a first set of nodes where each node in the first set corresponds to a unique
individual identified in both the first and the second sets of genealogical data by comparing bibliographic data, each node comprising at least two identifiers each corresponding to a location of the unique individual within one of the sets of genealogical data;
concatenate the first set of nodes with a second set of nodes having at least one unique individual in common with the first set of nodes to create a concatenated set of nodes, the concatenating comprising merging nodes both comprising a same identifier;
and
select one of the nodes in the concatenated set a common ancestor of the first human individual and the second human individual;
and
provide bibliographic data about the common ancestor to the first human individual.

15 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 14/214,856Filed 15 Mar 2014 · us provisional application
Priority: 15 Mar 2013
Published: US 2014/0278138 A118 Sep 2014
Granted: 12 Jul 2016
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.