IP Library Granted Patent US 9,116,882
Granted Patent B1
US 9,116,882 · App. 13/804,178 · Granted Aug 25, 2015

Identification of matrilineal or patrilineal relatives

Inventors: John Michael Macpherson (Mountain View, CA); Michael Polcari (San Francisco, CA); Brian Thomas Naughton (Mountain View, CA)
Assignee: 23andMe, Inc.
G06F19/28G06F19/24
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 9,116,882
App. No.
13/804,178
Granted
Aug 25, 2015
Kind
B1
Abstract

Determining relative relationships among a plurality of individuals, comprising: accessing user-specified genealogical information of at least some of the plurality of individuals and genetic information of recombinable deoxyribonucleic acids (DNAs) of at least some of the plurality of individuals; determining, using one or more computer processors and among the plurality of individuals, one or more related individuals who are relatives of a target individual, and information pertaining to the one or more related individuals, and presenting information pertaining to at least one of the one or more related individuals, including to present an indication of whether the at least one of the one or more related individuals is a matrilineal relative or a patrilineal relative of the target individual.

Claims (53)

1. A system for determining relative relationships among a plurality of individuals, comprising:

one or more computer processors to:

access user-specified genealogical information of at least some of the plurality of individuals and genetic information of recombinable deoxyribonucleic acids (DNAs) of at least some of the plurality of individuals;

determine, among the plurality of individuals, one or more related individuals who are relatives of a target individual, and information pertaining to the one or more related individuals, wherein:

the determination is based at least in part on the user-specified genealogical information of at least some of the plurality of individuals, and the genetic information of recombinable DNAs of at least some of the plurality of individuals; and

the information pertaining to the one or more related individuals includes whether a related individual is a matrilineal relative or a patrilineal relative of the target individual;

present information pertaining to at least one of the one or more related individuals, including to present an indication of whether the at least one of the one or more related individuals is a matrilineal relative or a patrilineal relative of the target individual;

present an option to filter the determined one or more related individuals on the basis of matrilineal relatives or patrilineal relatives;

receive a user selection associated with the option; and

display only matrilineal relatives or only patrilineal relatives among the determined one or more related individuals based on the user selection; and

one or more memories coupled to the one or more processors, configured to provide the one or more processors with instructions.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the one or more processors are further to obtain at least a portion of the user-specified genealogical information from the target individual.

3. The system of claim 1 , wherein the genetic information includes genotype information.

4. The system of claim 1 , wherein to determine one or more related individuals who are relatives of the target individual includes:

to access information pertaining to a specified relative who is specified as a matrilineal relative or a patrilineal relative of the target individual; and

to identify, among the plurality of individuals, one or more individuals whose genetic information matches genetic information of the specified relative of the target individual.

5. The system of claim 4 , wherein to present information pertaining to at least one of the one or more related individuals further includes to present an indication that the at least one of the one or more related individuals is identified based at least in part on matching genetic information with respect to the specified relative.

6. The system of claim 1 , wherein information pertaining to a plurality of the one or more related individuals is presented.

7. The system of claim 6 , wherein to present information pertaining to the plurality of related individuals further includes to separately present information pertaining to those individuals identified as matrilineal relatives and information pertaining to those individuals identified as patrilineal relatives.

8. The system of claim 6 , wherein to present information pertaining to the plurality of related individuals includes to present the information to be displayed in a list view.

9. The system of claim 6 , wherein the information pertaining to the plurality of related individuals includes geographical location information.

10. The system of claim 9 , wherein to present information pertaining to the plurality of related individuals further includes to present the information to be displayed in a map view illustrating the geographical location information.

11. The system of claim 1 , wherein the information pertaining to at least one of the one or more related individuals includes surnames of the related individuals.

12. The system of claim 11 , wherein to present information pertaining to at least one of the one or more related individuals further includes to sort the surname information, and to display surnames according to patrilineal association or matrilineal association.

13. The system of claim 1 , wherein to determine one or more related individuals who are relatives of the target individual includes to compare genetic information of at least some of the plurality of individuals with a genotyped parent of the target individual to identify one or more Inheritance By Descent (IBD) regions.

14. The system of claim 1 , wherein the one or more computer processors are further to cause a display interface to display a first type of graphical icon representing one or more matrilineal relatives among the one or more related individuals, and a second type of graphical icon representing one or more patrilineal relatives among the one or more related individuals, the first type of graphical icon being different from the second type of graphical icon.

15. A method of determining relative relationships among a plurality of individuals, comprising:

accessing user-specified genealogical information of at least some of the plurality of individuals and genetic information of recombinable deoxyribonucleic acids (DNAs) of at least some of the plurality of individuals;

determining, using one or more computer processors and among the plurality of individuals, one or more related individuals who are relatives of a target individual, and information pertaining to the one or more related individuals, wherein:

the determination is based at least in part on the user-specified genealogical information of at least some of the plurality of individuals, and the genetic information of recombinable DNAs of at least some of the plurality of individuals; and

the information pertaining to the one or more related individuals includes whether a related individual is a matrilineal relative or a patrilineal relative of the target individual; and

presenting information pertaining to at least one of the one or more related individuals, including to present an indication of whether the at least one of the one or more related individuals is a matrilineal relative or a patrilineal relative of the target individual;

presenting an option to filter the determined one or more related individuals on the basis of matrilineal relatives or patrilineal relatives;

receiving a user selection associated with the option; and

displaying only matrilineal relatives or only patrilineal relatives among the determined one or more related individuals based on the user selection.

16. The method of claim 15 , further comprising obtaining at least a portion of the user-specified genealogical information from the target individual.

17. The method of claim 15 , wherein the genetic information includes genotype information.

18. The method of claim 15 , wherein determining one or more related individuals who are relatives of the target individual includes:

accessing information pertaining to a specified relative who is specified as a matrilineal relative or a patrilineal relative of the target individual; and

identifying, among the plurality of individuals, one or more individuals whose genetic information matches genetic information of the specified relative of the target individual.

19. The method of claim 15 , wherein information pertaining to a plurality of the one or more related individuals is presented.

20. The method of claim 15 , wherein the information pertaining to at least one of the one or more related individuals includes surnames of the related individuals.

21. The method of claim 15 , wherein to determine one or more related individuals who are relatives of the target individual includes to compare genetic information of at least some of the plurality of individuals with a genotyped parent of the target individual to identify one or more Inheritance By Descent (IBD) regions.

22. The method of claim 15 , further comprising causing a display interface to display a first type of graphical icon representing one or more matrilineal relatives among the one or more related individuals, and a second type of graphical icon representing one or more patrilineal relatives among the one or more related individuals, the first type of graphical icon being different from the second type of graphical icon.

23. A computer program product for determining relative relationships among a plurality of individuals, the computer program product being embodied in a tangible computer readable storage medium and comprising computer instructions for:

accessing user-specified genealogical information of at least some of the plurality of individuals and genetic information of recombinable deoxyribonucleic acids (DNAs) of at least some of the plurality of individuals;

determining, among the plurality of individuals, one or more related individuals who are relatives of a target individual, and information pertaining to the one or more related individuals, wherein:

the determination is based at least in part on the user-specified genealogical information of at least some of the plurality of individuals, and the genetic information of recombinable DNAs of at least some of the plurality of individuals; and

the information pertaining to the one or more related individuals includes whether a related individual is a matrilineal relative or a patrilineal relative of the target individual;

presenting information pertaining to at least one of the one or more related individuals, including to present an indication of whether the at least one of the one or more related individuals is a matrilineal relative or a patrilineal relative of the target individual;

presenting an option to filter the determined one or more related individuals on the basis of matrilineal relatives or patrilineal relatives;

receiving a user selection associated with the option; and

displaying only matrilineal relatives or only patrilineal relatives among the determined one or more related individuals based on the user selection.

Assignments (4)
CORRECTIVE ASSIGNMENT TO CORRECT THE APP. NO. 63806415 TO 63806145 AND APPL NO. 17721779 TO 17731779 PREVIOUSLY RECORDED ON REEL 73168 FRAME 531. ASSIGNOR(S) HEREBY CONFIRMS THE CHANGE OF NAME. Recorded Jan 6, 2026
From: 23ANDME PGS LLC
To: 23ANDME GENOMICS LLC
Reel/Frame 074434/0334 →
CHANGE OF NAME Recorded Oct 22, 2025
From: 23ANDME PGS LLC
To: 23ANDME GENOMICS LLC
Reel/Frame 073168/0531 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Aug 26, 2025
From: 23ANDME, INC.
To: 23ANDME PGS LLC
Reel/Frame 072562/0795 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Sep 25, 2013
From: MACPHERSON, JOHN MICHAEL; POLCARI, MICHAEL; NAUGHTON, BRIAN THOMAS
To: 23ANDME, INC.
Reel/Frame 031275/0510 →
Continuity (1)
Provisional Application 61678912 · Aug 2, 2012