Patent ID: 8190616
Filing Date: 2012-05-29
Classification: G06F

Abstract:
1. A method of identifying, using a search criteria, 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 which is calculated based on the data value stored in the field of the record, wherein the search criteria comprises at least one field value that is not identical to a field value in a record in an entity representation that is identified by the method, the method comprising: selecting a field; applying a symmetric, reflexive and transitive function to each field value in the selected field of each of a plurality of records, whereby a plurality of field value codes are generated, and whereby applying the symmetric, reflexive and transitive function to each field value in the selected field of each of a plurality of records in the database defines a partition of the plurality of records; populating a field of each of the plurality of records with a field value code; computing a field value weight for each field value code; distributing, for each record, a field value weight associated with a field value in the selected field, among the field value in the selected field and a field value code, wherein the distributing comprises, for each record of the plurality of records, calculating a difference between a field value weight associated with a field value in the selected field and a field value weight for a field value code; receiving a plurality of search criteria field values; determining a highest ranked entity representation according to summed field value weights for field values matching the plurality of search criteria field values; calculating a confidence level reflecting a likelihood that the highest ranked entity representation corresponds to the plurality of search criteria field values; and outputting, if the confidence level exceeds a predetermined threshold, an identifier for the highest ranked entity representation.