Granted Patent B2

US 7,249,129 · App. 10/748,439 · Granted Jul 24, 2007

Abstract

Claims (69)

1. A method of consolidating genealogy records, comprising:

partitioning the records using at least one index file to form one or more partitions, wherein each record represents an individual and includes a name data element and at least one additional data element selected from a group of data elements consisting of birth date, birth place, death date, and death place, and wherein each record has links associated therewith, wherein the links identify related records representing an individual related to the individual of the record;

sorting the records in a partition based on a data element in the records;

comparing records within a sort range;

based on the comparison, identifying same person records, wherein identifying same person records comprises:

calculating a factor that represents the likelihood that two records represent the same individual;

comparing the factor to a predetermined threshold;

based on the comparison, provisionally determining whether the records represent the same individual;

for each pair of records provisionally determined to represent the same individual:

calculating a factor that represents the likelihood that respective mother records for the pair of records represent the same mother;

calculating a factor that represents the likelihood that respective father records for the pair of records represent the same father;

using the factor that represents the likelihood that the two records represent the same individual, the factor that represents the likelihood that respective mother records for the pair of records represent the same mother, and the factor that represents the likelihood that respective father records for the pair of records represent the same father, calculating a revised factor representing the likelihood that the pair of records represent the same individual;

comparing the revised factor to a predetermined threshold; and

based on the comparison, determining that the two records represent the same individual;

consolidating information in the same person records;

receiving a request from a user to view at least a portion of the consolidated information for a particular group of same person records; and

sending a file comprising the portion to the user.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein partitioning the records using at least one index file comprises using a surname index to identify records having the same surnames and grouping those records into a surname partition.

3. The method of claim 2 , further comprising using the surname index to identify records having similar surnames and grouping those records into the surname partition.

4. The method of claim 3 , wherein using the surname index to identify records having similar surnames comprises using a phonetic algorithm to identify records having similar surnames.

5. The method of claim 4 , wherein the phonetic algorithm comprises double metaphone.

6. The method of claim 4 , wherein the phonetic algorithm comprises SOUNDEX.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein sorting the records in a partition based on a data element in the records comprises sorting the records based on birth date.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein sorting the records in a partition based on a data element in the records comprises sorting the records based on a selection from the group consisting of name, death data, death place, and birth place.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the portion comprises a family tree based on consolidated information from a plurality of records.

10. A system for consolidating genealogy records, comprising:

a processor programmed to:

partition the records using at least one index file to form one or more partitions, wherein each record represents an individual and includes a name data element and at least one additional data element selected from a group of data elements consisting of birth date, birth place, death date, and death place, and wherein each record has links associated therewith, wherein the links identify related records representing an individual related to the individual of the record;

sort the records in a partition based on a data element in the records;

compare records within a sort range;

based on the comparison, identify same person records, by:

calculating a factor that represents the likelihood that two records represent the same individual;

comparing the factor to a predetermined threshold;

based on the comparison, provisionally determining whether the records represent the same individual;

for each pair of records provisionally determined to represent the same individual:

calculating a factor that represents the likelihood that respective mother records for the pair of records represent the same mother;

calculating a factor that represents the likelihood that respective father records for the pair of records represent the same father;

using the factor that represents the likelihood that the two records represent the same individual, the factor that represents the likelihood that respective mother records for the pair of records represent the same mother, and the factor that represents the likelihood that respective father records for the pair of records represent the same father, calculating a revised factor representing the likelihood that the pair of records represent the same individual;

comparing the revised factor to a predetermined threshold; and

based on the comparison, determining that the two records represent the same individual;

consolidate information in the same person records;

receive a request from a user to view at least a portion of the consolidated information for a particular group of same person records; and

send a file comprising the portion to the user.

11. The system of claim 10 , wherein the processor, in being programmed to partition the records using at least one index file is further programmed to use a surname index to identify records having the same surnames and grouping those records into a surname partition.

12. The system of claim 11 , the processor is further programmed to use the surname index to identify records having similar surnames and group those records into the surname partition.

13. The system of claim 12 , wherein the processor, in being programmed to use the surname index to identify records having similar surnames is further programmed to use a phonetic algorithm to identify records having similar surnames.

14. The system of claim 13 , wherein the phonetic algorithm comprises double metaphone.

15. The system of claim 13 , wherein the phonetic algorithm comprises SOUNDEX.

16. The system of claim 10 , wherein the processor, in being programmed to sort the records in a partition based on a data element in the records is further programmed to sort the records based on birth date.

17. The system of claim 10 , wherein the processor, in being programmed to sort the records in a partition based on a data element in the records is further programmed to sort the records based on a selection from the group consisting of name, death data, death place, and birth place.

18. The system of claim 16 , wherein the processor, in being programmed to compare records within a sort window is further programmed to compare records within a birth date range.

19. The system of claim 10 , wherein the portion comprises a family tree based on consolidated information from a plurality of records.

20. A method of consolidating genealogy records, comprising:

partitioning the records using at least one index file to form one or more partitions, wherein each record represents an individual and includes a name data element and at least one additional data element selected from a group of data elements consisting of birth date, birth place, death date, and death place, and wherein each record has links associated therewith, wherein the links identify related records representing an individual related to the individual of the record;

sorting the records in a partition based on a data element in the records, wherein sorting the records in a partition based on a data element in the records comprises sorting the records based on birth date;

comparing records within a sort range, wherein comparing records within a sort range comprises comparing records within a birth date range;

based on the comparison, identifying same person records, wherein identifying same person records comprises:

calculating a factor that represents the likelihood that two records represent the same individual;

comparing the factor to a predetermined threshold;

based on the comparison, provisionally determining whether the records represent the same individual;

for each pair of records provisionally determined to represent the same individual:

calculating a factor that represents the likelihood that respective mother records for the pair of records represent the same mother;

calculating a factor that represents the likelihood that respective father records for the pair of records represent the same father;

using the factor that represents the likelihood that the two records represent the same individual, the factor that represents the likelihood that respective mother records for the pair of records represent the same mother, and the factor that represents the likelihood that respective father records for the pair of records represent the same father, calculating a revised factor representing the likelihood that the pair of records represent the same individual;

comparing the revised factor to a predetermined threshold; and

based on the comparison, determining that the two records represent the same individual;

consolidating information in the same person records;

receiving a request from a user to view at least a portion of the consolidated information for a particular group of same person records; and

sending a file comprising the portion to the user.

Assignments (11)