Apparatus and method for message-centric analysis and multi-aspect viewing using social networks

• US 20060173957A1
• Filed: 01/28/2005
• Published: 08/03/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 01/28/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nuix North America Inc. (Nuix Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: FTI Consulting Technology LLC (FTI Consulting Incorporated)
• Inventors: Walter, Edward L., Robinson, Eric M.
• Granted Patent: US 7,606,168 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/204
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/01 Social networking
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/234 for tracking messages
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/52 for supporting social networking services
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/104 Peer-to-peer [P2P] networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/535 Tracking the activity of the user network monitoring arrangements H04L43/00; recording of computer activity G06F11/34
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99943 Generating database or data structure, e.g. via user interface

Abstract

Electronic data files are broadly characterized as “messages” and a social network is constructed by analyzing one or more messages exchanged between various entities. Additionally, messages from structured and/or unstructured data stores are correlated using one or more common/related data elements from two or more messages. Further, the social network and the concepts contained in the exchanged messages (i.e. semantic network) can be visualized using a series of multi-aspect viewing tools. Finally, in conjunction with the social network and the semantic network, a message network based on the chronological relationship of the messages (event network) can be constructed to analyze and visualize how the messages relate to each other in a time-based reference model. Once visualized, the relationship of the concepts contained in the messages as well as the relationship between the entities and the timing involved in the exchange of messages can be analyzed for desired information.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising:

at least one processor;

a memory coupled to said at least one processor;

a data store coupled to said at least one processor, said data store containing a plurality of exchanged messages;

a social network database residing in said memory, said social network database containing information related to at least one exchanged message exchanged between at least two entities;

a concepts database residing in said memory, said concepts database containing a plurality of concepts extracted from said plurality of exchanged messages; and

an analysis mechanism residing in said memory, said analysis mechanism constructing a social network based on said social network database and said at least one exchanged message from said data store and said concepts database.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising a visualization mechanism residing in said memory, said visualization mechanism displaying a visual representation of said social network and said plurality of concepts, said plurality of concepts being related to said social network.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said plurality of exchanged messages comprises at least one email message.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said plurality of exchanged messages comprises at least one financial transaction.

5. The apparatus of claim 2 wherein said visual representation comprises at least one of:

a layered digraph representing said social network;

a force directed graph representing said social network;

a circular layout graph representing said social network;

a radial view graph representing said social network; and

a time based message graph.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said data store comprises:

a structured data store; and

an unstructured data store.

7. The apparatus of claim 6 further comprising a correlation mechanism residing in said memory, said correlation mechanism identifying a first exchanged message in said unstructured data store, said first exchanged message comprising at least a first data element;

said correlation mechanism identifying a second exchanged message in said structured data store, said second exchanged message comprising at least a second data element;

said correlation mechanism correlating said first exchanged message and said second exchanged message by identifying at least one commonality between said first data element and said second data element.

8. The apparatus of claim 7 wherein said first exchanged message comprises an email message.

9. The apparatus of claim 7 wherein said second exchanged message comprises a financial transaction.

10. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising a security mechanism residing in said memory, said security mechanism providing security and/or encryption functionality for at least one communication.

11. A method comprising the steps of:

analyzing a plurality of exchanged messages;

constructing a social network based on said plurality of exchanged messages;

extracting a plurality of concepts from said plurality of exchanged messages based on said social network;

creating a semantic network from said plurality of concepts;

displaying a visual representation of said social network on a monitor, thereby creating a social network visualization; and

displaying said plurality of concepts on said monitor in concert with said social network visualization.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein said step of displaying a visual representation of said social network comprises the step of displaying at least one of:

a layered digraph representing said social network;

a force directed graph representing said social network;

a circular layout graph representing said social network;

a radial view graph representing said social network; and

a time based message graph.

13. The method of claim 11 wherein said visual representation comprises a plurality of nodes and a plurality of links, with each of said plurality of links linking at least two of said plurality of nodes, thereby creating at least one pair of linked nodes wherein each of said pair of linked nodes represents at least one message exchange between two entities.

14. The method of claim 11 wherein said step of displaying a visual representation of said social network comprises the step of displaying at least two of:

a layered digraph representing said social network;

a force directed graph representing said social network;

a circular layout graph representing said social network;

a radial view graph representing said social network; and

a time based message graph.

15. The method of claim 14 wherein said time based message graph comprises a plurality of nodes, wherein each node represents a message exchanged between at least two entities.

16. The method of claim 15 wherein said plurality of nodes are visually positioned to convey a visual representation of date and/or time-related information for each of said plurality of nodes relative to each of the other said plurality of nodes.

17. The method of claim 15 wherein each of said plurality of links and said plurality of nodes is linked to a concepts database and further comprising the step of activating a link or node by clicking on said link or node, thereby extracting and displaying at least one concept from said concepts database.

18. The method of claim 16 wherein at least one pair of linked nodes is linked by at least one of said plurality of links, said at least one of said plurality of links further comprising at least one visual indicator, said at least one visual indicator providing a graphical representation characterizing the nature of at least one message exchanged between said entities represented by said linked nodes.

19. The method of claim 18 wherein said at least one visual indicator comprises a color.

20. The method of claim 18 wherein said at least one visual indicator represents the volume of messages exchanged between said entities represented by said linked nodes and/or the directional flow of the messages exchanged between said entities represented by said linked nodes..

21. The method of claim 11 further comprising the step of displaying additional information by positioning a cursor over an element of said visual representation of said social network.

22. A program product comprising:

an analysis mechanism, said analysis mechanism being configured to construct a social network based on a plurality of exchanged messages and a semantic network based on a plurality of concepts extracted from said plurality of messages; and

signal bearing media bearing said analysis mechanism.

23. The program product of claim 22 wherein said signal bearing media comprises recordable media.

24. The program product of claim 22 wherein said signal bearing media comprises transmission media.

25. The program product of claim 22 further comprising a correlation mechanism, said correlation mechanism being configured to identify a structured message in said plurality of messages, said structured message comprising at least a first data element;

said correlation mechanism being configured to identify an unstructured message in said plurality of messages, said unstructured message comprising at least a second data element;

said correlation mechanism being configured to correlate said structured message and said unstructured message by identifying at least one commonality between said first data element and said second data element.

26. The program product of claim 22 further comprising a visualization mechanism, said visualization mechanism being configured to simultaneously display a visual representation of said social network and a visual representation of said plurality of concepts.

27. The program product of claim 26 wherein said visual representation comprises at least one of:

a layered digraph representing said social network;

a force directed graph representing said social network;

a circular layout graph representing said social network;

a radial view graph representing said social network; and

a time based message graph representing a chronological relationship for said plurality of exchanged messages.