System and method for disambiguating non-unique identifiers using information obtained from disparate communication channels

US8166168B2 · kind B2 · utility

Assignee

• YAHOO HOLDINGS, INC. · US

Inventors

• Nathaniel Joseph Hayashi · Piedmont, US
• Marco Boerries · Los Altos Hills, US
• Marc E. Davis · San Francisco, US
• Christopher William Higgins · Portland, US
• Ronald Martinez · San Francisco, US
• Joseph O'Sullivan · Oakland, US
• Robert Carter Trout · Burlingame, US

Key dates

• Filing date: Dec 17, 2007
• Grant date: Apr 24, 2012
• Expiry date: Apr 19, 2030

Classification

• Technology area (CPC G): Physics
• CPC primary: G06Q10/10
• WIPO field: IT methods for management
• WIPO sector: Electrical engineering

Abstract

The disclosure describes systems and methods for disambiguating a non-unique identifiers of real world entities (RWEs) detected by a computing network by dynamically identifying relationships between RWEs known to the network. The relationships are determined based on social, spatial, temporal and logical information known about the RWEs based on the RWEs previous interactions with the network. These relationships are then used to generate a probability for each RWE that the non-unique identifier identifies that RWE. Based on the probabilities an RWE is selected and the proper network identifier may be used in place of the non-unique identifier.