Facilitating entity resolution via secure entity resolution database

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10691825-B2
Application number	US-201916615744-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 12, 2019
Priority date	Feb 12, 2018
Publication date	Jun 23, 2020
Grant date	Jun 23, 2020

Abstract

In some aspects, an entity-resolution computing system for entity resolution is provided. The entity-resolution computing system includes an entity resolution computing device configured as an interface between a client computing device and an encrypted identity data repository that contain resolved entity dataset. The entity resolution computing device is configured for servicing a resolution request from the client computing device by matching encrypted indexes generated from identity data objects stored in a client identity database to encrypted data objects stored in the encrypted identity data repository. The resolution computing device retrieves and transmits a common entity identifier associated with the encrypted data objects so that the client computing device can link the identity data objects stored in a client identity database via the common entity identifier.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method that includes one or more processing devices performing operations comprising:
receiving, by an entity resolution computing device, a resolution request from a client computing device, the resolution request comprising a first encrypted index generated from a first identity data object and a second encrypted index generated from a second identity data object stored in a client identity database accessible by the client computing device;
identifying, by the entity resolution computing device and from an encrypted identity data repository, a first encrypted data object that matches the first encrypted index and a second encrypted data object that matches the second encrypted index, the encrypted identity data repository comprising encrypted data objects and associated common entity identifiers, each common entity identifier associated with two or more encrypted data objects that correspond to a common entity;
determining, by the entity resolution computing device, that the first encrypted data object and the second encrypted data object correspond to a common entity;
in response to determining that the first encrypted data object and the second encrypted data object correspond to the common entity,
retrieving, by the entity resolution computing device, a common entity identifier associated with the first encrypted data object and the second encrypted data object; and
transmitting, by the entity resolution computing device, the common entity identifier to the client computing device, the common entity identifier causing the client computing device to update the client identity database by linking the first identity data object and the second identity data object via the common entity identifier.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
identifying, by the entity resolution computing device and from the encrypted identity data repository, a third encrypted data object that matches a third encrypted index from the resolution request;
determining that the first encrypted data object and the third encrypted data object do not correspond to the common entity;
in response to determining that the first encrypted data object and the third encrypted data object do not correspond to the common entity, retrieving, by the entity resolution computing device, a first common entity identifier associated with the first encrypted data object and a second common entity identifier associated with the third encrypted data object; and
transmitting, by the entity resolution computing device, the first and second common entity identifiers to the client computing device, wherein the first and second common entity identifiers are usable by the client computing device, for linking, in the client identity database, the first identity data object with a third identity data object via the first common entity identifier and the third identity data object with a fourth identity data object via the second common entity identifier.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein identifying the first encrypted data object that matches the first encrypted index comprises:
generating a first similarity vector based on the first encrypted index contained in the resolution request, wherein the first encrypted index comprises a plurality of hash values, and wherein the first similarity vector comprises one or more of the plurality of hash values;
identifying a candidate encrypted data object from the encrypted identity data repository;
generating a second similarity vector based on the candidate encrypted data object;
determining an indicator of closeness between the first similarity vector and the second similarity vector; and
identifying the candidate encrypted data object as the first encrypted data object by determining, based on the indicator of closeness, that the first similarity vector matches the second similarity vector.

4. The method of claim 3 , wherein identifying the candidate encrypted data object from the encrypted identity data repository is performed by matching a subset of the plurality of hash values with corresponding hash values of the candidate encrypted data object.

5. The method of claim 3 , wherein determining that the first similarity vector matches the second similarity vector is performed based on a rule provided by the client computing device.

6. The method of claim 3 , further comprising transmitting, by the entity resolution computing device, the indicator of closeness along with the common entity identifier to the client computing device.

7. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
receiving, by the entity resolution computing device, a set of subsequent resolution requests from the client computing device;
identifying, by the entity resolution computing device from the set of subsequent resolution requests, a pattern of activity with respect to the encrypted identity data repository that is indicative of unauthorized use of the encrypted identity data repository; and
removing, by the entity resolution computing device, access to the encrypted identity data repository from the client computing device.

8. A system comprising:
one or more storage devices for storing an encrypted identity data repository, the encrypted identity data repository comprising encrypted data objects and associated common entity identifiers, each common entity identifier associated with two or more encrypted data objects that correspond to a common entity;
a processor; and
a non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising instructions that are executable by the processor to cause the system to perform operations comprising:
receiving a resolution request from a client computing device, the resolution request comprising a first encrypted index generated from a first identity data object and a second encrypted index generated from a second identity data object stored in a client identity database accessible by the client computing device;
identifying, from the encrypted identity data repository, a first encrypted data object that matches the first encrypted index and a second encrypted data object that matches the second encrypted index;
determining that the first encrypted data object and the second encrypted data object correspond to the common entity;
in response to determining that the first encrypted data object and the second encrypted data object correspond to a common entity, retrieving a common entity identifier associated with the first encrypted data object and the second encrypted data object; and
transmitting the common entity identifier to the client computing device, the common entity identifier causing the client computing device to update the client identity database by linking the first identity data object and the second identity data object via the common entity identifier.

9. The system of claim 8 , wherein the operations further comprise:
identifying a third encrypted data object that matches a third encrypted index from the resolution request;
determining that the first encrypted data object and the third encrypted data object do not correspond to the common entity;
in response to determining that the first encrypted data object and the third encrypted data object do not correspond to the common entity, retrieving a first common entity identifier associated with the first encrypted data object and a second common entity identifier associated with the third encrypted data object; and
transmitting the first and second common entity identifiers to the client computing device, wherein transmitting the first and second common entity identifiers causes the client computing device to link the first identity data object with a third identity data object via the first common entity identifier

Assignees

• Equifax Inc

Inventors

• Jones Gregory Dean
• Cyzio Marek Ludomir
• Worrell Amy Michelle

Classifications

• G06F21/6245 Primary

  Protecting personal data, e.g. for financial or medical purposes · CPC title

• G06F16/951

  Indexing; Web crawling techniques · CPC title

• G06F16/2379

  Updates performed during online database operations; commit processing · CPC title

• G06F2221/2117

  User registration · CPC title

• G06F21/60

  Protecting data · CPC title