Natural language parsers to normalize addresses for geocoding

摘要

The present invention provides a technique for building natural language parsers by implementing a country and/or jurisdiction specific set of training data that is automatically converted during a build phase to a respective predictive model, i.e., an automated country specific natural language parser. The predictive model can be used without the training data to quantify any input address. This model may be included as part of a larger Geographic Information System (GIS) data-set or as a stand alone quantifier. The build phase may also be run on demand and the resultant predictive model kept in temporary storage for immediate use.

主权项

1. A method for normalizing an input address, comprising:
under control of a computer system comprising computer hardware:
identifying an input address indicative of a physical address;selecting a predictive model corresponding to the input address from a plurality of predictive models, each of the plurality of predictive models being an automated country-specific natural language parser uniquely defined for a corresponding one of a plurality of countries and jurisdictions, the selected predictive model comprising a graph having address field nodes and edges connecting the address field nodes, each of at least some of the address field nodes comprising an address field and a corresponding set of one or more address field classifications each assigned a first probability value, each of at least some of the edges assigned a second probability value; andexecuting the selected predictive model to determine an address field classification for the input address from one of the address fields in the graph based at least on the first and second probability values of the address field nodes and the edges that correspond to the address field classification.