US-12621371-B2 - Smart alerting of entity of online software platform (OSP) about their user profile and custom rules being impacted by underlying changes in data that the OSP uses to process the entity data

Abstract

An online software platform (OSP) may store custom digital rules used for producing resources for relationship instances of certain primary entities with other entities. A custom rule may be created based on input from the primary entity that is intended to override a corresponding one of other stored digital rules (i.e., resource digital rules). The OSP automatically alerts the primary entity within a user interface or via other communications in response to the determination that an underlying change in data used to process primary entity data would affect a result of application of the custom digital rule, thus enabling such changes to be efficiently addressed and prevent incorrect results being output.

Inventors

• Charles David Lingerfelt
• Nikki Nash
• Stefan Kim

Assignees

• AVALARA, INC.

Dates

Publication Date

20260505

Application Date

20210701

Claims (20)

1. 1 . A computer system including at least: one or more processors; and a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having stored thereon instructions which, when executed by the one or more processors, result in operations for performing a task, the operations including at least: storing a plurality of resource digital rules used for producing resources for respective relationship instances of primary entities with other entities; storing a custom digital rule used for producing resources for relationship instances of a certain primary entity with other entities, in which the resources include a computational result resulting from processing of datasets that include data representing the relationship instances of the certain primary entity with other entities, the custom rule created based on input from the certain primary entity that is intended to override a corresponding one of the stored resource digital rules; receiving a dataset on behalf of the certain primary entity, in which the dataset includes data representing a relationship instance between the certain primary entity and a secondary entity; in response to the received dataset, determining whether or not the custom digital rule applies to the dataset, in which: the custom digital rule applying to the dataset would cause the computer system to produce a first resource as a result of performing one or more tasks; the production of the first resource involves one or more of first computing processing, first storage, and first data transmission; the custom digital rule not applying to the dataset would cause the computer system to produce a second resource as a result of performing the one or more tasks; and the production of the second resource involves one or more of second computing processing, second storage, and second data transmission; receiving an indication of an underlying change in data used to process primary entity data; determining concurrently for each custom digital rule in a plurality of custom digital rules including the custom digital rule that the underlying change in data would affect a result of application of the custom digital rule to one or more relationship instances of the certain primary entity; transmitting an alert to the certain primary entity in response to the determination that the underlying change in data would affect a result of application of the custom digital rule, in which the alert includes instructions for removing the custom digital rule; receiving, from the certain primary entity, instructions to remove the custom digital rule in response to the certain primary entity receiving the alert; electronically removing the custom digital rule in response to the certain primary entity receiving the alert; and electronically producing the second resource as a result of performing the one or more tasks without applying the custom digital rule, in which the removal of the custom digital rule causes the custom digital rule not to apply to the dataset, enabling timely updates to digital rules to avoid unintended resources being produced and thereby reducing computer processing.
2. 2 . The system of claim 1 in which the underlying change in data is a change to one or more of the plurality of resource digital rules.
3. 3 . The system of claim 1 in which the underlying change in data is a new resource digital rule for producing resources for respective relationship instances of primary entities.
4. 4 . The system of claim 1 in which the underlying change in data is a change in how at least one resource digital rule uses attributes of the relationship instance represented by the dataset to produce a resource for the relationship instance.
5. 5 . The system of claim 1 in which the underlying change in data is a change in one or more of: a definition of a domain associated with the relationship instance; a rate used to produce a resource associated with the relationship instance; a definition of a category or type of item that is a subject of the relationship instance; a code used to categorize, identify or define an item that is a subject of the relationship instance; a code used to categorize or define the certain primary entity or the secondary entity; a code used to categorize or define the relationship instance.
6. 6 . The system of claim 1 in which the transmitting the alert is performed before or within a specified timeframe of a change effective date of the underlying change in data.
7. 7 . The system of claim 1 in which transmitting the alert is performed only if the custom digital rule has been applied for the certain primary entity within a specified timeframe before or after a change effective date of the underlying change in data.
8. 8 . The system of claim 1 in which the operations further include: transmitting an alert to the certain primary entity for each custom digital rule created by the primary entity for which the underlying change in data would affect a result of application of the custom digital rule.
9. 9 . The system of claim 1 in which transmitting the alert includes transmitting instructions for how to update, expire or remove the custom digital rule based on the determination that the underlying change in data would affect a result of application of the custom digital rule to one or more relationship instances of the certain primary entity.
10. 10 . The system of claim 1 in which transmitting the alert includes transmitting information indicating why the underlying change in data would affect a result of application of the custom digital rule.
11. 11 . The system of claim 1 in which transmitting the alert includes transmitting a hyperlink that allows the certain primary entity to access a citation supporting the underlying change in data.
12. 12 . The system of claim 1 in which the determining that the underlying change in data would affect a result of application of the custom digital rule includes: receiving datasets representing past relationship instances of the certain primary entity; and determining, based on the datasets representing past relationship instances of the certain primary entity, that the underlying change in data would affect a result of application of the custom digital rule to one or more potential future relationship instances of the certain primary entity.
13. 13 . A method, including at least: storing a plurality of resource digital rules used for producing resources for respective relationship instances of primary entities with other entities; storing a custom digital rule used for producing resources for relationship instances of a certain primary entity with other entities, in which the resources include a computational result resulting from processing of datasets that include data representing the relationship instances of the certain primary entity with other entities, the custom rule created based on input from the certain primary entity that is intended to override a corresponding one of the stored resource digital rules; receiving a dataset on behalf of the certain primary entity, in which the dataset includes data representing a relationship instance between the certain primary entity and a secondary entity; in response to the received dataset, determining whether or not the custom digital rule applies to the dataset, in which: the custom digital rule applying to the dataset would cause the computer system to produce a first resource as a result of performing one or more tasks; the production of the first resource involves one or more of first computing processing, first storage, and first data transmission; the custom digital rule not applying to the dataset would cause the computer system to produce a second resource as a result of performing the one or more tasks; and the production of the second resource involves one or more of second computing processing, second storage, and second data transmission, and the one or more of second computing processing, second storage, and second data transmission represents a reduction in computing processing, storage, or data transmission compared to the one or more of first computing processing, first storage, and first data transmission; receiving an indication of an underlying change in data used to process primary entity data; determining that the underlying change in data would affect a result of application of the custom digital rule to one or more relationship instances of the certain primary entity; transmitting an alert to the certain primary entity in response to the determination that the underlying change in data would affect a result of application of the custom digital rule, in which the alert includes instructions for removing the custom digital rule; receiving, from the certain primary entity, instructions to remove the custom digital rule in response to the certain primary entity receiving the alert; electronically removing the custom digital rule in response to the certain primary entity receiving the alert; and electronically producing the second resource as a result of performing the one or more tasks without applying the custom digital rule, in which the removal of the custom digital rule causes the custom digital rule not to apply to the dataset, enabling timely updates to digital rules to avoid unintended resources being produced and thereby reducing computer processing.
14. 14 . The method of claim 13 in which the underlying change in data is a change to one or more of the plurality of resource digital rules.
15. 15 . The method of claim 13 in which the underlying change in data is a new resource digital rule for producing resources for respective relationship instances of primary entities.
16. 16 . The method of claim 13 in which the underlying change in data is a change in how at least one resource digital rule uses attributes of the relationship instance represented by the dataset to produce a resource for the relationship instance.
17. 17 . The method of claim 13 in which the underlying change in data is a change in one or more of: a definition of a domain associated with the relationship instance; a rate used to produce a resource associated with the relationship instance; a definition of a category or type of item that is a subject of the relationship instance; a code used to categorize, identify or define an item that is a subject of the relationship instance; a code used to categorize or define the certain primary entity or the secondary entity; a code used to categorize or define the relationship instance.
18. 18 . The method of claim 13 in which the transmitting the alert is performed before or within a specified timeframe of a change effective date of the underlying change in data.
19. 19 . The method of claim 13 in which transmitting the alert is performed only if the custom digital rule has been applied for the certain primary entity within a specified timeframe before or after a change effective date of the underlying change in data.
20. 20 . The method of claim 13 in which transmitting the alert is performed only if the custom digital rule has been applied for the certain primary entity within a specified timeframe before or after a change effective date of the underlying change in data.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD The technical field relates to computers in networks, and particularly to networked automated systems for smart alerting of an entity of an online software platform (OSP) about custom rules being impacted by underlying changes in data that the OSP uses to process the entity data. BRIEF SUMMARY The present description gives instances of computer systems, devices and storage media that may store programs and methods. An OSP can be configured to perform one or more predefined services. Such services may include producing respective resources by applying digital rules to respective datasets received from primary entities. The OSP may also store custom digital rules used for producing resources for relationship instances of certain primary entities with other entities. A custom rule may be created based on input from the primary entity that is intended to override a corresponding one of other stored digital rules (i.e., resource digital rules). The OSP may determine whether or not the custom digital rule applies to a received dataset and, if so, produce a resource based on the custom digital rule. If the custom digital rule does not apply to the dataset, then the OSP produces a resource by identifying and applying one of the of resource digital rules to the dataset. Thus, primary entities may provide their own custom digital rules that override other resource digital rules. However, when there is an underlying change in data used to process primary entity data that would affect a result of application of the custom digital rule to one or more relationship instances of the primary entity, this presents a technical challenge to properly and efficiently address these changes. In particular, such changes may make the custom digital rule (or the reason the custom rule was created) no longer needed, no longer relevant, or cause the custom digital rule to produce a resource that is incorrect or unintended. Thus, to solve the solve the above technical problems, embodiments of the present disclosure include functionality that enables the OSP to automatically alert the primary entity within a user interface or via other communications in response to the determination that the underlying change in data would affect a result of application of the custom digital rule, thus enabling such changes to be efficiently addressed and prevent incorrect results being output. Therefore, the systems and methods described herein for smart alerting of an entity of an OSP about custom rules being impacted by underlying changes in data that the OSP uses to process the entity data improve the functioning of computer or other hardware, such as by reducing the processing, storage, and/or data transmission resources needed to perform various tasks, thereby enabling the tasks to be performed by less capable, capacious, and/or expensive hardware devices, enabling the tasks to be performed with less latency and/or preserving more of the conserved resources for use in performing other tasks or additional instances of the same task. As shown above and in more detail throughout the present disclosure, the present disclosure provides technical improvements in computer networks and to existing computerized systems that facilitate estimation of resources. These and other features and advantages of the claimed invention will become more readily apparent in view of the embodiments described and illustrated in this specification, namely in this written specification and the associated drawings. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS The components in the drawings are not necessarily drawn to scale relative to each other. Like reference numerals designate corresponding parts throughout the several views. FIG. 1 is a diagram showing sample aspects of embodiments of the present disclosure involving producing an alert about certain digital rule changes, according to embodiments of the present disclosure, which is an improvement in automated computerized systems. FIG. 2 is a diagram that repeats some of the digital main rules of FIG. 1 in more detail, and juxtaposes them with a flowchart portion for a sample method of how it may be recognized that conditions of a certain digital main rule can be met for its consequent to be applied, all according to embodiments of the present disclosure, which is an improvement in automated computerized systems. FIG. 3 is a flowchart for illustrating a sample method for transmitting an alert to a certain primary entity in response to a determination that an underlying change in data would affect a result of application of a custom digital rule, according to embodiments of the present disclosure, which is an improvement in automated computerized systems. FIG. 4 is a flowchart for illustrating a sample method for transmitting an alert within a specified timeframe of a change effective date of the underlying change in data that is useful in the method of FIG. 3, according to embodiments of the prese