IP Library › Granted Patent US 11,887,697
Granted Patent B2
US 11,887,697 · App. 18/045,138 · Granted Jan 30, 2024

Graphical user interface displaying relatedness based on shared DNA

Inventors: Shiya Song (San Mateo, CA); Neal Craig Varner (Highland, UT); Ross E. Curtis (Cedar Hills, UT); Brian Jerel Kerr (Pleasant Grove, UT); Kelly McCloy Becker (Salt Lake City, UT); Brett Frederick Jorgensen (Draper, UT); Bryce Damon Ririe (Highland, UT); Michael Joseph Mulligan (Dublin, IE); Justin Matthew Robert Van Dyke (Dublin, IE); Michaela Black Bonkemeyer (Burlington, CT)
Assignee: Ancestry.com DNA, LLC
G16B45/00G16B40/20G16B40/30
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 11,887,697
App. No.
18/045,138
Filed
Oct 7, 2022
Granted
Jan 30, 2024
Kind
B2
Art Unit
2616
USPC
702/19
Abstract

A user may select one or more potential common ancestors with a DNA match to view the target individual's relationship with them. The process may include identifying, from a first genealogical profile of the target individual. A first individual has a first linkage that connects the target individual towards the selected potential common ancestor. The process may also include identifying, from a second genealogical profile of the DNA match, a second individual who has a second linkage that connects the DNA match towards the selected potential common ancestor. The process may further include connecting the first linkage and the second linkage with the selected potential common ancestor by adding one or more individuals whose profiles are retrieved from other searchable genealogical profiles stored in the online system. With the nodes and connections available, the process may generate a map of visual connections between the target individual and the DNA match.

Claims (78)

1. A computer-implemented method, comprising:

identifying a DNA match of a target individual;

identifying, in a network of individuals, a linkage between the DNA match and the target individual, wherein the network of individuals represents individuals as nodes in the network and is generated by concatenating a plurality of family trees of different individuals, wherein concatenating the plurality of family trees of different individuals to generate the network of individuals comprises:

retrieving a plurality of genealogical records corresponding to one or more individuals in the plurality of family trees,

identifying two or more genealogical records that are identified as potentially belonging to a particular individual,

generating a confidence score that the two or more genealogical records belong to the same particular individual, and

assigning a user identifier corresponding to the particular individual to the two or more genealogical records;

transmitting for display, at a graphical user interface, a predicted relationship between the DNA match and the target individual that is determined based at least on the linkage in the network identified between the DNA match and the target individual;

receiving, at the graphical user interface, a selection for the DNA match; and

generating a map of visual connections of the linkage to be displayed at the graphical user interface, the map comprising a first branch that connects the target individual with a potential common ancestor and a second branch that connects the DNA match with the potential common ancestor, wherein generating the map comprising concatenating a first family tree of the target individual that includes the first branch and a second family tree of the DNA match that includes the second branch.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the network of individuals is a large-scale network that include the family trees of over 1,000 individuals.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the individuals in the network of individuals comprises DNA testers, users who have not completed DNA tests, and historical individuals.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein concatenating the plurality of family trees of different individuals to generate the network of individuals further comprises:

detecting an inconsistency exists between two or more family trees;

reviewing genealogical records of the individuals in the two or more family trees that present the inconsistency; and

resolving the inconsistency to assign a unique user identifier to a common person present in the two or more family trees.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein concatenating the plurality of family trees of different individuals to generate the network of individuals further comprises:

determining that a first individual in a third family tree and a second individual in a fourth family tree are potentially the same individual;

converting data of the first individual to a first feature vector and data of the second individual to a second feature vector;

inputting the first feature vector and the second vector to a machine learning model; and

determining, by the machine learning model, whether the first individual and the second individual are in fact the same individual.

6. The method of claim 5 , wherein concatenating the plurality of family trees of different individuals to generate the network of individuals further comprises:

assigning, responsive to determining that the first individual and the second individual are in fact the same individual, a unique identifier to the individual;

merging a first node representing the first individual and a second node representing the second individual as the same node; and

concatenating the third family tree containing the first individual and the fourth family tree containing the second individual.

7. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

receiving a command to expand the map; and

expanding the map to an expanded map, which comprises the first branch, the second branch, and a third branch including one or more additional descendants of the potential common ancestor.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein, in the map of visual connections, individuals who are potentially related to the target individual are displayed using a first graphical element and individuals who are confirmed to be related with the target individual are displayed using a second graphical element different from the first graphical element.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein one or more of the individuals in the map are displayed as private without revealing personal information.

10. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

adding, to a concatenated family tree concatenated from the first family tree and the second family tree, one or more individuals whose profiles are retrieved from other searchable genealogical profiles stored in an online system.

11. A system, comprising:

a computing server comprising memory and one or more processors, the memory storing instructions, the instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform steps comprising:

identifying a DNA match of a target individual;

identifying, in a network of individuals, a linkage between the DNA match and the target individual, wherein the network of individuals represents individuals as nodes in the network and is generated by concatenating a plurality of family trees of different individuals, wherein concatenating the plurality of family trees of different individuals to generate the network of individuals comprises:

retrieving a plurality of genealogical records corresponding to one or more individuals in the plurality of family trees,

identifying two or more genealogical records that are identified as potentially belonging to a particular individual,

generating a confidence score that the two or more genealogical records belong to the same particular individual, and

assigning a user identifier corresponding to the particular individual to the two or more genealogical records; and

transmitting for display a predicted relationship between the DNA match and the target individual that is determined based at least on the linkage in the network identified between the DNA match and the target individual; and

a graphical user interface in communication with the computing server, the graphical user interface configured to:

receive a selection for the DNA match; and

display a map of visual connections of the linkage, the map comprising a first branch that connects the target individual with a potential common ancestor and a second branch that connects the DNA match with the potential common ancestor, wherein the map is generated by concatenating a first family tree of the target individual that includes the first branch and a second family tree of the DNA match that includes the second branch.

12. The system of claim 11 , wherein the network of individuals is a large-scale network that include the family trees of over 1,000 individuals.

13. The system of claim 11 , wherein the individuals in the network of individuals comprises DNA testers, users who have not completed DNA tests, and historical individuals.

14. The system of claim 11 , wherein concatenating the plurality of family trees of different individuals to generate the network of individuals further comprises:

detecting an inconsistency exists between two or more family trees;

reviewing genealogical records of the individuals in the two or more family trees that present the inconsistency; and

resolving the inconsistency to assign a unique user identifier to a common person present in the two or more family trees.

15. The system of claim 11 , wherein concatenating the plurality of family trees of different individuals to generate the network of individuals further comprises:

determining that a first individual in a third family tree and a second individual in a fourth family tree are potentially the same individual;

converting data of the first individual to a first feature vector and data of the second individual to a second feature vector;

inputting the first feature vector and the second vector to a machine learning model; and

determining, by the machine learning model, whether the first individual and the second individual are in fact the same individual.

16. The system of claim 15 , wherein concatenating the plurality of family trees of different individuals to generate the network of individuals further comprises:

assigning, responsive to determining that the first individual and the second individual are in fact the same individual, a unique identifier to the individual;

merging a first node representing the first individual and a second node representing the second individual as the same node; and

concatenating the third family tree containing the first individual and the fourth family tree containing the second individual.

17. The system of claim 11 , wherein the graphical user interface is further configured to:

receive a command to expand the map; and

expand the map to an expanded map, which comprises the first branch, the second branch, and a third branch including one or more additional descendants of the potential common ancestor.

18. The system of claim 11 , wherein, in the map of visual connections, individuals who are potentially related to the target individual are displayed using a first graphical element and individuals who are confirmed to be related with the target individual are displayed using a second graphical element different from the first graphical element.

19. A non-transitory computer readable medium configured to store code comprising instructions, wherein the instructions, when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform steps comprising:

identifying a DNA match of a target individual;

identifying, in a network of individuals, a linkage between the DNA match and the target individual, wherein the network of individuals represents individuals as nodes in the network and is generated by concatenating a plurality of family trees of different individuals, wherein concatenating the plurality of family trees of different individuals to generate the network of individuals comprises:

retrieving a plurality of genealogical records corresponding to one or more individuals in the plurality of family trees,

identifying two or more genealogical records that are identified as potentially belonging to a particular individual,

generating a confidence score that the two or more genealogical records belong to the same particular individual, and

assigning a user identifier corresponding to the particular individual to the two or more genealogical records;

transmitting for display, at a graphical user interface, a predicted relationship between the DNA match and the target individual that is determined based at least on the linkage in the network identified between the DNA match and the target individual;

receiving, at the graphical user interface, a selection for the DNA match; and

generating a map of visual connections of the linkage to be displayed at the graphical user interface, the map comprising a first branch that connects the target individual with a potential common ancestor and a second branch that connects the DNA match with the potential common ancestor, wherein generating the map comprising concatenating a first family tree of the target individual that includes the first branch and a second family tree of the DNA match that includes the second branch.

20. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 19 , wherein concatenating the plurality of family trees of different individuals to generate the network of individuals further comprises:

determining that a first individual in a third family tree and a second individual in a fourth family tree are potentially the same individual;

converting data of the first individual to a first feature vector and data of the second individual to a second feature vector;

inputting the first feature vector and the second vector to a machine learning model; and

determining, by the machine learning model, whether the first individual and the second individual are in fact the same individual.

Assignments (3)
PATENT SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded Aug 3, 2026
From: ANCESTRY.COM OPERATIONS INC.; ANCESTRY.COM DNA, LLC
To: WILMINGTON TRUST, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, AS NOTES COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 076116/0447 →
PATENT SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded Aug 3, 2026
From: ANCESTRY.COM OPERATIONS INC.; ANCESTRY.COM DNA, LLC
To: WILMINGTON TRUST, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, AS NOTES COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 076144/0726 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Feb 4, 2023
From: SONG, SHIYA; VARNER, NEAL CRAIG; CURTIS, ROSS E.; KERR, BRIAN JEREL; BECKER, KELLY MCCLOY; JORGENSEN, BRETT FREDERICK; RIRIE, BRYCE DAMON; MULLIGAN, MICHAEL JOSEPH; VAN DYKE, JUSTIN MATTHEW ROBERT; BONKEMEYER, MICHAELA BLACK
To: ANCESTRY.COM DNA, LLC
Reel/Frame 062592/0109 →
Continuity (4)
Continuation 16803219 · Feb 27, 2020
Provisional Application 62882438 · Aug 2, 2019
Provisional Application 62811505 · Feb 27, 2019
Related Publication 20230116793A1 · Apr 13, 2023