Developing an item data model for an item

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10936675-B2
Application number	US-201615379305-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 14, 2016
Priority date	Dec 17, 2015
Publication date	Mar 2, 2021
Grant date	Mar 2, 2021

Abstract

The present invention extends to methods, systems, and computer program products for developing an item data model for an item. Aspects of the invention can automate the process of data collection of “facts” for “items” that information is needed about. Facts can be organized and normalized to eliminate redundant facts, and interpret what is found. Data requirements extraction and automated modeling using a combination of data virtualization, data analytics, extract, transform, and load (ETL), web crawlers, and reverse engineering systems, can be used along with other technologies to develop an item model. A model owner feeds a curating module with the information for locating the facts to be used, and initiating the modeling process. Existing data structures, websites, vendor input, etc. can be described to the import process, and an item model is produced. The model can be imported into existing modeling tools for viewing, or viewed as XML.

First claim

What is claimed:

1. A method for use at a computer system, the computer system including a processor and system memory, a method for developing an item data model for an item, the method comprising the processor:
accessing item data for the item from a storage database, the item data containing information and attributes previously associated with the item;
based on the accessed item data, automatically curating additional multi-source data for the item to develop the item data model, including:
rationalizing a master data model using the accessed data item, the master data model defining a template for the item data model;
in response to receiving the accessed data item and based on at least one populated accessed data item attribute, automatically constructing a targeted additional item data search request, wherein the targeted additional item data search request comprises at least one populated attribute already associated with the accessed item and unassociated with any unpopulated attribute;
searching a plurality of data sources for additional item data associated with the item with the targeted search request;
receiving a plurality of additional portions of item data from the plurality of data sources responsive to the searching, at least one additional portion of item data received from a first data source and at least one other additional portion of item data received from a second data source, the first and second data sources included in the plurality of data sources; and
for each of the plurality of additional portions of item data:
assessing the benefit of the additional portion of item data relative to the accessed item data based on one or more of: the source of portion of item data and the content of the portion of item data,
automatically categorizing the additional portion of item data based on a content type of the content and automatically indexing the additional portion of item data for retrieval by the processor,
evaluating the plurality of additional portions of item data to identify one or more relevant portions of item data, from among the plurality of additional portions of item data, that are relevant to the item data model, and based on the master data model, and
updating the item data model by including the one or more relevant portions of item data in the item data model, the update based on categories for each of the one or more relevant portions of item data.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein searching a plurality of data sources for additional item data associated with the item comprises accessing additional items data from a 3 rd party vendor that participates in item data sharing.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein searching a plurality of data sources for additional item data associated with the item comprises using web search tools to search for additional item data.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein searching a plurality of data sources for additional item data associated with the item comprises searching the Internet for additional item data.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein searching a plurality of data sources for additional item data associated with the item comprises searching social media for user sentiment associated with the item.

6. The method of claim 1 , further comprising storing the plurality of additional portions of item data in a temporary holding database.

7. The method of claim 6 , further comprising automatically crediting and recording the sources of the additional received item data in the temporary holding database.

8. The method of claim 6 , further comprising automatically eliminating redundancies in the additional received item data from the temporary holding database for the item.

9. The method of claim 6 , wherein updating the item data model by including the one or more relevant portions of item data in the item data model, comprises aggregating the one or more relevant portions of item data from the temporary holding database into the storage database.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein, for each of the plurality of additional portions of item data, assessing the benefit of the additional portion of item data relative to the accessed item comprises calculating a weighting score for the additional portion of item data based on one or more of: the relativity of the additional portion of item data, the legitimacy of the additional portion of item data, the authority of the source of the additional portion of item data, the reputation of the source of the additional portion of item data, and the age of the additional portion of item data.

11. The method of claim 1 , wherein, for each of the plurality of additional portions of item data, categorizing the additional portion of item data comprises categorizing the additional portion of data as one of: an unstructured object, a description, a specification, a value, or a limitation.

12. The method of claim 1 , wherein evaluating the plurality of additional portions of item data comprises performing one or more of: a duplication assessment, a completion assessment, a misinformation assessment, and historical assessment on the plurality of additional portions of data.

13. A computer system, the computer system comprising:
one or more processors;
system memory;
a curation module, using the one or more processors, configured to:
access item data for the item from a storage database, the item data containing information and attributes previously associated with the item;
based on the accessed item data, automatically curate additional multisource data for the item to develop the item data model, including:
rationalize a master data model using the accessed data item, the master data model defining a template for the item data model;
receive a plurality of additional portions of item data from the plurality of data sources responsive to a targeted additional item data search request of the plurality of data sources constructed in response to receiving the accessed data item and based on at least one populated accessed data item attribute, wherein the targeted additional item data search request comprises at least one populated attribute already associated with the accessed item and unassociated with any unpopulated attribute, at least one additional portion of item data received from a first data source and at least one other additional portion of item data received from a second data source, the first and second data sources included in the plurality of data sources; and
for each of the plurality of additional portions of item data:
assess the benefit of the additional portion of item data relative to the accessed item data based on one or more of: the source of portion of item data and the content of the portion of item data,
automatically categorize the additional portion of item data based on a content type of the content and automatically indexing the additional portion of item data for retrieval by the one or more processors,
evaluate the plurality of additional portions of item data to identify one or more relevant portions of item data, from among the plurality of additional portions of item data, that are relevant to the item data model, and based on the master data model, and
update the item data model by including the one or more relevant portions of item data in the item data model, the update based on categories for each of the one or more relevant portions of item data.

14. The computer system of claim 13 , wherein a curation module, using the one or more processors, configured to assess the benefit of the additional portion of item data relative to the accessed item comprises a curation module,

Assignees

• Walmart Apollo Llc

Inventors

• High Donald
• Griggs Gary Dewayne
• Atchley Michael Dean

Classifications

• G06F16/951 Primary

  Indexing; Web crawling techniques · CPC title

• G06Q30/0623 Primary

  by investigating goods or services · CPC title

• G06F30/00 Primary

  Computer-aided design [CAD] · CPC title

• G06F2111/20

  Configuration CAD, e.g. designing by assembling or positioning modules selected from libraries of predesigned modules · CPC title

• G06Q30/06

  Buying, selling or leasing transactions · CPC title