Patent Issued for System for uploading information into a metadata repository (USPTO 11681685): Hartford Fire Insurance Company

2023 JUL 06 (NewsRx) -- By a News Reporter-Staff News Editor at Insurance Daily News -- According to news reporting originating from Alexandria, Virginia, by NewsRx journalists, a patent by the inventors Christie, Jennifer Babette (Agawam, MA, US), Sacchi, Erin N (East Hartford, CT, US), filed on January 10, 2023, was published online on June 20, 2023.

The assignee for this patent, patent number 11681685, is Hartford Fire Insurance Company (Hartford, Connecticut, United States).

Reporters obtained the following quote from the background information supplied by the inventors: “In some cases, an enterprise may want to maintain a repository of information to be used by members of the enterprise. For example, the repository might include definitions, rules, business logic, and/or other types of metadata that may be used throughout the enterprise (e.g., as documents and/or software applications are created by the enterprise). Moreover, the enterprise might be interested in maintaining a level of consistency for information within the metadata repository. For example, a particular name might always refer to a specific definition and also be associated with a pre-defined set of potential values (e.g., the phrase “employee status” might always mean the current work status of a person and might only be allowed to have values of “currently employed,” “new hire,” “former employee,” “temp worker,” and “on leave”). To help ensure such consistency, members of the enterprise may access the metadata repository, such as by accessing a “Wiki” like dictionary or database of technical definitions. Creating these types of definitions, however, in a reliable and consistent way, however, can be a difficult, time consuming, and error-prone process, especially when there is a significant amount of information in the metadata repository (e.g., tens of thousands of different definitions might be included) and/or when many different members may be uploading information into the repository.

“It would therefore be desirable to provide systems and methods to automatically facilitate a process of uploading information into a metadata repository in a way that results in an accurate and efficient collection of data and that allows flexibility and effectiveness when entering and/or reviewing the data.”

In addition to obtaining background information on this patent, NewsRx editors also obtained the inventors’ summary information for this patent: “According to some embodiments, systems, methods, apparatus, computer program code and means to automatically facilitate a process of uploading information into a metadata repository in a way that results in an accurate and efficient collection of data (and that allows flexibility and effectiveness when entering and/or reviewing the data) may be provided. In some embodiments, a back-end application computer server may access a potential metadata entries data store containing a set of potential metadata entries, each entry including at least a data element name and a data element definition. A metadata collection system may be executed to automatically populate a metadata template based on the set of potential metadata entries. The system may update entries in the metadata template using a translation tool and validate the updated entries in the metadata template to ensure that required data elements are present. The system may also certify the validated entries load the set of certified metadata entries, including the certified data element names and certified data element definitions, into an enterprise metadata repository data store. Electronic messages may be exchanged to support at least one interactive user interface display associated with certification of the metadata template.

“Some embodiments comprise: means for accessing a potential metadata entries data store containing a set of potential metadata entries, each entry including at least a data element name and a data element definition; means for executing, by a back-end application computer server, a metadata collection system to automatically populate a metadata template based on the set of potential metadata entries; means for updating, by the back-end application computer server, entries in the metadata template using a translation tool; means for validating, by the back-end application computer server, the updated entries in the metadata template to ensure that required data elements are present, means for certifying, by the back-end application computer server, the validated entries in the metadata template; means for loading, by the back-end application computer server, the set of certified metadata entries, including the certified data element names and certified data element definitions, into the enterprise metadata repository data store; and means for exchanging electronic messages, including messages exchanged via a distributed communication network, supporting at least one interactive user interface display associated with certification of the metadata template.

“In some embodiments, a communication device associated with a back-end application computer server exchanges information with remote devices. The information may be exchanged, for example, via public and/or proprietary communication networks.

“Technical effects of some embodiments of the invention are improved and computerized ways to facilitate a process of uploading information into a metadata repository in a way that results in an accurate and efficient collection of data and that allows flexibility and effectiveness when entering and/or reviewing the data. With these and other advantages and features that will become hereinafter apparent, a more complete understanding of the nature of the invention can be obtained by referring to the following detailed description and to the drawings appended hereto.”

The claims supplied by the inventors are:

“1. A system to load information into an enterprise metadata repository data store via an automated back-end application computer server, comprising: (a) the enterprise metadata repository data store, associated with an encrypted database management system, coupled to devices associated with members of the enterprise; (b) an available metadata entries data store containing a set of available metadata entries, entries including data element master names associated with data element definitions and data element component names representing a portion of a master name; © the back-end application computer server, coupled to the enterprise metadata repository and available metadata entries data stores, including: a computer processor, and a computer memory, coupled to the computer processor, storing instructions that, when executed by the computer processor, cause the back-end application computer server to: (i) access the set of available metadata entries from the available metadata entries data store, (ii) execute a metadata collection system to automatically populate, based on the set of available metadata entries, a metadata template associated with a project and including: a project identifier, a project name, a project description, and a steward identifier, (iii) update entries in the metadata template using a translation tool, (iv) validate the updated entries in the metadata template to ensure that required data elements are present, (v) certify the validated entries in the metadata template, and (vi) load the set of certified metadata entries, including certified data element master names, associated certified data element definitions, and certified data element component names into the enterprise metadata repository data store; and (d) a communication port coupled to the back-end application computer server to exchange electronic messages, including messages exchanged via security features and a distributed communication network, supporting at least one interactive user interface display associated with certification of the metadata template and a spreadsheet application having multiple tabs and macros, wherein said interactive user interface display provides macro transfer validation term counts for steward work area master names based on the data steward identifier, steward work area components based on the data steward identifier, individual tab master names, and individual tab components, and further wherein an interactive user interface data steward’s work area display includes a data stewardship certification level name selected via a drop down menu.

“2. The system of claim 1, wherein the metadata template further includes: (i) a steward name, (ii) a steward position title, and (iii) a project domain.

“3. The system of claim 1, wherein the metadata template includes at least one of: (i) an owner, (ii) a reference number, (iii) an action requested/certification notes, (iv) a definition source or origin, (v) a derivation, (vi) an action description, (vii) a term type name, (viii) a term name, (ix) an acronym, (x) an existing term definition, (xi) a proposed term definition, (xii) the data stewardship certification level name, (xiii) a data quality business requirements indicator, (xiv) a parent category name, (xv) a referencing category name, (xvi) a related master name, (xvii) a related master name parent category name, (xviii) an example or sample, and (xix) term usage text.

“4. The system of claim 1, wherein the certification of the validated entries in the metadata template includes a duplicate term name check process to check terms in the metadata template against existing terms in the enterprise metadata repository.

“5. The system of claim 1, wherein the metadata template includes at least one of: (i) certification notes, (ii) an entry date, (iii) a metadata collection system identifier, (iv) an action description, (v) a master name, (vi) a related class word, (vii) a master name definition, (viii) a parent category name, (ix) a referencing category name, (x) the data stewardship certification level name, (xi) a data quality business requirements indication, (xii) the abbreviated enterprise facing name, (xiii) the full enterprise facing name, (xiv) an example or sample, and (xv) term usage text.

“6. The system of claim 1, wherein the metadata template includes a scope overview and at least one content owner name, and, for that content owner name, content owner contact information, a role, applicable tab name, and applicable column headings.

“7. The system of claim 6, wherein the metadata template includes a date initiated and at least one authorization signature name and, for that authorization signature name, a role, applicable tab name, and signature date.

“8. A computerized method to load information into an enterprise metadata repository data store via an automated back-end application computer server, comprising: accessing an available metadata entries data store, associated with an encrypted database management system, containing a set of available metadata entries, each entry including at least a data element name and a data element definition; executing, by a computer processor of a back-end application computer server, a metadata collection system to automatically populate, based on the set of available metadata entries, a metadata template associated with a project and including: a project identifier, a project name, a project description, and a data steward identifier; updating, by the back-end application computer server, entries in the metadata template using a translation tool; validating, by the back-end application computer server, the updated entries in the metadata template to ensure that required data elements are present, certifying, by the back-end application computer server, the validated entries in the metadata template; loading, by the back-end application computer server, the set of certified metadata entries, including the certified data element names and certified data element definitions, into the enterprise metadata repository data store; and transmitting electronic messages, including messages transmitted via security features and a distributed communication network, supporting at least one interactive user interface display associated with certification of the metadata template and a spreadsheet application having multiple tabs and macros, wherein said interactive user interface display provides macro transfer validation term counts for steward work area master names based on the data steward identifier, steward work area components based on the data steward identifier, individual tab master names, and individual tab components, and further wherein an interactive user interface data steward’s work area display includes a data stewardship certification level name selected via a drop down menu.

“9. The method of claim 8, wherein the metadata template further includes: (i) a steward name, (ii) a steward position title, and (iii) a project domain.

“10. The method of claim 8, wherein the metadata template includes at least one of: (i) an owner, (ii) a reference number, (iii) an action requested/certification notes, (iv) a definition source or origin, (v) a derivation, (vi) an action description, (vii) a term type name, (viii) a term name, (ix) an acronym, (x) an existing term definition, (xi) a proposed term definition, (xii) the data stewardship certification level name, (xiii) a data quality business requirements indicator, (xiv) a parent category name, (xv) a referencing category name, (xvi) a related master name, (xvii) a related master name parent category name, (xviii) an example or sample, and (xix) term usage text.

“11. The method of claim 8, wherein the certification of the validated entries in the metadata template includes a duplicate term name check process to check terms in the metadata template against existing terms in the enterprise metadata repository.

“12. The method of claim 8, wherein the metadata template includes at least one of: (i) certification notes, (ii) an entry date, (iii) a metadata collection system identifier, (iv) an action description, (v) a master name, (vi) a related class word, (vii) a master name definition, (viii) a parent category name, (ix) a referencing category name, (x) the data stewardship certification level name, (xi) a data quality business requirements indication, (xii) the abbreviated enterprise facing name, (xiii) the full enterprise facing name, (xiv) an example or sample, and (xv) term usage text.

“13. The method of claim 8, wherein the metadata template includes a scope overview and at least one content owner name, and, for that content owner name, content owner contact information, a role, applicable tab name, and applicable column headings.

“14. The method of claim 13, wherein the metadata template includes a date initiated and at least one authorization signature name and, for that authorization signature name, a role, applicable tab name, and signature date.”

There are additional claims. Please visit full patent to read further.

For more information, see this patent: Christie, Jennifer Babette. System for uploading information into a metadata repository. U.S. Patent Number 11681685, filed January 10, 2023, and published online on June 20, 2023. Patent URL (for desktop use only): https://ppubs.uspto.gov/pubwebapp/external.html?q=(11681685)&db=USPAT&type=ids

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