IP Library Granted Patent US 11,625,139
Granted Patent B2
US 11,625,139 · App. 18/058,029 · Granted Apr 11, 2023

Ancestry painting

Inventors: John Michael Macpherson (Santa Ana, CA); Brian Thomas Naughton (Mountain View, CA); Joanna Louise Mountain (Menlo Park, CA)
Assignee: 23andMe, Inc.
G06F3/04812G06F3/0484G16B20/40
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 11,625,139
App. No.
18/058,029
Granted
Apr 11, 2023
Kind
B2
Abstract

Displaying an indication of ancestral data is disclosed. An indication that a genetic interval corresponds to a reference interval that has a likelihood of having one or more ancestral origins is received. One or more graphic display parameters are determined based at least in part on the indication. An indication of the one or more ancestral origins is visually displayed using the one or more graphic display parameters.

Claims (38)

1. A computer-implemented method comprising:

obtaining genetic data of an individual;

determining that a genetic interval of the genetic data for a particular chromosome matches a reference genetic interval for the particular chromosome, wherein the reference genetic interval has a likelihood of having one or more ancestral origins;

determining graphic display parameters corresponding to each of the one or more ancestral origins;

generating, for display on a graphical user interface, a representation of the particular chromosome with the genetic interval indicating the one or more ancestral origins in accordance with the graphic display parameters; and

providing, to the graphical user interface, the representation of the particular chromosome.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein the particular chromosome is an autosomal chromosome, and wherein the graphical user interface also includes representations of one or more additional autosomal chromosomes with additional genetic intervals thereof indicating the one or more ancestral origins in accordance with the graphic display parameters.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 2 , wherein the graphical user interface also includes representations of X or Y chromosomes with further genetic intervals thereof indicating the one or more ancestral origins in accordance with the graphic display parameters.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 2 , wherein the particular chromosome and the one or more additional autosomal chromosomes are presented in numeric order on the graphical user interface.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein the particular chromosome is an X or Y chromosome.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein the representation of the particular chromosome includes an additional genetic interval that has not been genotyped, and wherein the representation of the particular chromosome indicates the additional genetic interval that has not been genotyped in accordance with the graphic display parameters.

7. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein the representation of the particular chromosome is linear.

8. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein the representation of the particular chromosome includes: a first portion of the genetic interval indicating ancestral origins of the individual's mother in accordance with the graphic display parameters, and a second portion of the genetic interval indicating ancestral origins of the individual's father in accordance with the graphic display parameters.

9. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein the graphic display parameters comprise colors representing the one or more ancestral origins.

10. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein the one or more ancestral origins each correspond to a different geographic area.

11. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein the reference genetic interval is assigned the likelihood of having the one or more ancestral origins based on the reference genetic interval being in a database of genetic interval frequencies for a population of individuals of known ancestral origins.

12. The computer-implemented method of claim 11 , wherein the likelihood of having the one or more ancestral origins is based on a ratio of a largest of the genetic interval frequencies for the reference genetic interval to a second largest of the genetic interval frequencies for the reference genetic interval.

13. The computer-implemented method of claim 11 , wherein the likelihood of having the one or more ancestral origins is above a threshold value.

14. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein the graphical user interface also represents the one or more ancestral origins in a hierarchical form.

15. A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing program instructions that, when executed by one or more processors of a computing system, cause the computing system to perform operations comprising:

obtaining genetic data of an individual;

determining that a genetic interval of the genetic data for a particular chromosome matches a reference genetic interval for the particular chromosome, wherein the reference genetic interval has a likelihood of having one or more ancestral origins;

determining graphic display parameters corresponding to each of the one or more ancestral origins;

generating, for display on a graphical user interface, a representation of the particular chromosome with the genetic interval indicating the one or more ancestral origins in accordance with the graphic display parameters; and

providing, to the graphical user interface, the representation of the particular chromosome.

16. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15 , wherein the particular chromosome is an autosomal chromosome, and wherein the graphical user interface also includes representations of one or more additional autosomal chromosomes with additional genetic intervals thereof indicating the one or more ancestral origins in accordance with the graphic display parameters.

17. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 16 , wherein the graphical user interface also includes representations of X or Y chromosomes with further genetic intervals thereof indicating the one or more ancestral origins in accordance with the graphic display parameters.

18. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15 , wherein the representation of the particular chromosome includes: a first portion of the genetic interval indicating ancestral origins of the individual's mother in accordance with the graphic display parameters, and a second portion of the genetic interval indicating ancestral origins of the individual's father in accordance with the graphic display parameters.

19. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15 , wherein the reference genetic interval is assigned the likelihood of having the one or more ancestral origins based on the reference genetic interval being in a database of genetic interval frequencies for a population of individuals of known ancestral origins.

20. A computing system comprising:

a processor;

memory; and

program instructions, stored in the memory, that upon execution by the processor cause the computing system to perform operations comprising:

obtaining genetic data of an individual;

determining that a genetic interval of the genetic data for a particular chromosome matches a reference genetic interval for the particular chromosome, wherein the reference genetic interval has a likelihood of having one or more ancestral origins;

determining graphic display parameters corresponding to each of the one or more ancestral origins;

generating, for display on a graphical user interface, a representation of the particular chromosome with the genetic interval indicating the one or more ancestral origins in accordance with the graphic display parameters; and

providing, to the graphical user interface, the representation of the particular chromosome.

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 Nov 22, 2022
From: MACPHERSON, JOHN MICHAEL; NAUGHTON, BRIAN THOMAS; MOUNTAIN, JOANNA LOUISE
To: 23ANDME, INC.
Reel/Frame 061858/0687 →
Continuity (6)
Continuation 17682761 · Feb 28, 2022
Continuation 16226116 · Dec 19, 2018
Continuation 15267053 · Sep 15, 2016
Continuation 12381992 · Mar 18, 2009
Provisional Application 61070310 · Mar 19, 2008
Related Publication 20230081010A1 · Mar 16, 2023