Social Graph Pathfinder for Hierarchical Entity Relationship Detection

The patent uses social graph connection paths as an intermediary mechanism to infer hierarchical relationships when direct firmographic information is unavailable. The pathfinder module analyzes connections between entities through intermediate nodes (people, organizations) to indirectly determine hierarchical structures, replacing the need for direct firmographic data with indirect social graph evidence

The patent replaces the traditional mechanical approach of directly querying firmographic databases with a computational social graph analysis system. Instead of relying on structured organizational data, the system uses algorithmic path analysis through unstructured social connections to derive hierarchical relationships, substituting data collection mechanics with computational inference

The patent segments the complex task of hierarchical relationship determination into distinct functional modules: the pathfinder module for path analysis, the relationship determination module for interpreting paths, and the communication prioritization module for applying results. This segmentation allows each component to handle a specific aspect of the problem, reducing overall system complexity while maintaining reliability

The patent introduces intermediate processing layers between raw social graph data and final hierarchical relationships. The pathfinder module serves as an intermediary that transforms complex graph data into connection paths, which are then further processed by relationship determination logic, creating a layered architecture that manages complexity