Patent Document ID: 9324056
Application ID: 13535565
Patent Flag: 1

Claim One:
1. A computer-implemented method for analyzing an entity network, the method comprising: receiving, at a computing system, a request to create a computer-generated representation of a model entity network that models a real entity network in the real world, wherein the real entity network comprises a representation of an organization having a plurality of entities, wherein the model entity network identifies an optimal hierarchy of relationships among the plurality of entities in the real entity network; receiving, at the computing system, at least two parameters that are to be used in the creation of the computer-generated representation of the model entity network, the at least two parameters including: (i) a first number (E) that specifies a number of entities that exist in the real entity network and that are to be represented in the model entity network, and (ii) a second number (R) that specifies a maximum number of children that any entity represented in the model entity network should have within the optimal hierarchy of relationships; creating, at the computing system and in response to receiving the request and the at least two parameters, the computer-generated representation of the model entity network by: (i) generating E number of entity entries in an entities table, each entity entry including at least an entity identifier, (ii) generating, for each entity entry in the entities table, a corresponding entry in a calculations table that is distinct from the entities table, the corresponding entry in the calculations table including (a) a level value and (b) the entity identifier for the corresponding entity entry in the entities table, (iii) assigning an initial value of zero to the level value for each of the entries in the calculations table, (iv) performing a first incrementing operation that includes incrementing by one the respective level value for every Rth entry in the calculations table, (v) performing a series of additional incrementing operations that each includes: (a) selecting a group of entries in the calculations table, the group including all entries in the calculations table whose level value was incremented in a most-recently performed incrementing operation, the group of entries excluding all entries in the calculations table whose level value was not incremented in the most-recently performed incrementing operation, and (b) incrementing by one the respective level value for every Rth entry in the selected group of entries, (vi) ceasing to perform additional incrementing operations in the series of additional incrementing operations in response to identifying that a total number of entries in the calculations table whose level value was incremented in the most-recently performed incrementing operation is less than or equal to R, (vii) determining, based on the level values, the optimal hierarchy of relationships for the plurality of entities in the real entity network; comparing the computer-generated representation of the model entity network to a representation of the real entity network to determine one or more deficiencies that exist in the real entity network; and providing, by the computing system and based on a result of the comparing, an indication to modify the real entity network so as to correct the one or more deficiencies determined to exist in the real entity network.