PREDICTIVE CODING OF DOCUMENTS IN AN ELECTRONIC DISCOVERY SYSTEM

• US 20100250474A1
• Filed: 03/24/2010
• Published: 09/30/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 03/27/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Bank of America Corp.
• Original Assignee: Bank of America Corp.
• Inventors: Clark, Benjamin, Andersen, David M., Mayer, Michael J., Richards, Phillip L., Miller, Emerson D., Knox, Jeffrey V.
• Granted Patent: US 8,504,489 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 706/12
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management

Abstract

Embodiments of the invention relate to systems, methods, and computer program products for improved electronic discovery. More specifically, embodiments relate to computer program products for predictive and automated coding of identical or highly similar documents for the purpose of limiting the volume of documents requiring review and thereby increasing the overall efficiency of the document review process.

Claims

1. A method for predictive coding of electronic discovery documents, the method comprising:

receiving, at a computing device, a document coding input that assigns a review code to a first document associated with a case within an electronic discovery system;

determining, via a computing device processor, that one or more second documents associated with the case are at least similar to the first document; and

assigning, via a computing device processor, the review code to the one or more second documents based on the determination.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising removing, via a computing device processor, the one or more second documents from a plurality of pending review documents based on the assignment of the review code.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein removing further comprises removing, via the computing device processor, the one or more second documents from the plurality of pending review documents, wherein removing occurs in near real-time to receiving the document coding input.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein determining further comprises determining, via the computing device processor, that one or more second documents associated with the case are a same representation of the first document.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein determining further comprises determining, via the computing device processor, that the one or more second documents have a same hash mark as the first document.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein determining further comprises providing, via computing device processor, probability analysis to determine the one or more second documents associated with the case are at least similar to the first document.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein providing, further comprises providing, via the computing device processor, at least one of clustering technique analysis, machine learning or Bayesian technique analysis to determine the one or more second documents associated with the case are at least similar to the first document.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising providing a confidence indicator for the one or more second documents based on the determination, wherein the confidence indicator indicates a level of similarity between the one or more second documents and the first document.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein assigning further comprises assigning, via the computing device processor, the review code assigned to the first document to the one or more second documents based on the determination and the confidence indicator.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein determining further comprises determining, via the computing device, that the one or more second documents include a predetermined threshold of words or phrases included in the first document.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein determining further comprises determining, via the computing device, that the one or more second documents include a predetermined threshold of concepts included in the first document.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving further comprises receiving, at the computing device, the document coding input, wherein the input codes the document as privileged.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein determining further comprises determining, via the computing device processor, that one or more third documents associated with other cases in the electronic discovery system are at least similar to the first document and wherein assigning further comprises assigning, via the computing device processor, a privileged code to the one or more third documents based on the determination.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving further comprises receiving, at the computing device, the document coding input that assigns a review code, wherein the review code includes a mark.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving further comprises receiving, at the computing device, the document coding input that assigns a review code, wherein the review code includes a mark and at least one tag.

16. An apparatus for predictive coding of electronic discovery documents, the apparatus comprising:

a computing platform including at least one processor and a memory;

a document coding application stored in the memory, executable by the processor and configured to receive a document coding input that assigns a review code to a first document associated with a case; and

a predictive document coding application stored in the memory, executable by the processor and including,

a document similarity evaluator configured to determine that one or more second documents associated with the case are at least similar to the first document, and

a code assignor configured to assign the review code to the one or more second documents based on the determination.

17. The apparatus of claim 16, further wherein the predictive document coding application further includes a document remover configured to remove the one or more second documents from a plurality of pending review documents based on the assignment of the review code.

18. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the document remover is further configured to remove the one or more second documents from the plurality of pending review documents, wherein removing occurs in near real-time to the document coding application receiving the document coding input.

19. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the document similarity evaluator is further configured to determine that one or more second documents associated with the case are a same representation of the first document.

20. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein the document similarity evaluator is further configured to determine that the one or more second documents have a same hash mark as the first document.

21. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the document similarity evaluator is further configured to perform probability analysis to determine the one or more second documents associated with the case are at least similar to the first document.

22. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein the document similarity evaluator is further configured to perform at least one of clustering technique analysis, machine learning or Bayesian technique analysis to determine the one or more second documents associated with the case are at least similar to the first document.

23. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the document similarity evaluator is further configured to determine a confidence indicator for the one or more second documents based on the determination, wherein the confidence indicator indicates a level of similarity between the one or more second documents and the first document.

24. The apparatus of claim 23, wherein the code assignor is further configured to assign the review code to the first document to the one or more second documents based on the determination and the confidence indicator.

25. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the document similarity evaluator is further configured to determine that the one or more second documents include a predetermined threshold of words or phrases included in the first document.

26. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the document similarity evaluator is further configured to determine that the one or more second documents include a predetermined threshold of concepts included in the first document.

27. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the document coding application is further configured to receive the document coding input, wherein the input codes the document as privileged.

28. The apparatus of claim 27, wherein the document similarity evaluator is further configured to determine that one or more third documents associated with other cases in the electronic discovery system are at least similar to the first document and wherein the code assignor is further configured to assign a privileged code to the one or more third documents based on the determination.

29. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the document coding application is further configured to receive the document coding input that assigns a review code, wherein the review code includes a mark.

30. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the document coding application is further configured to receive the document coding input that assigns a review code, wherein the review code includes a mark and at least one tag.

31. A computer program product comprising:

a computer-readable medium comprising;

a first set of codes for causing a computer to receive a document coding input that assigns a review code to a first document associated with a case within an electronic discovery system;

a second set of codes for causing a computer to determine that one or more second documents associated with the case are at least similar to the first document; and

a third set of codes for causing a computer to assign the review code assigned to the first document to the one or more second documents based on the determination.

32. The computer program product of claim 31, further comprising a fourth set of codes for causing a computer to remove the one or more second documents from a plurality of pending review documents based on the assignment of the review code.

33. The computer program product of claim 32, wherein the fourth set of codes is further configured to cause the computer to remove, in near real-time to receiving the document coding input, the one or more second documents from the plurality of pending review documents, wherein removing occurs in near real-time to receiving the document coding input.

34. The computer program product of claim 31, wherein the second set of codes is further configured to cause the computer to determine that one or more second documents associated with the case are a same representation of the first document.

35. The computer program product of claim 34, wherein the second set of codes is further configured to cause the computer to determine that one or more second documents have a same hash mark as the first document.

36. The computer program product of claim 31, wherein the second set of codes is further configured to cause the computer to perform probability analysis to determine the one or more second documents associated with the case are at least similar to the first document.

37. The computer program product of claim 36, wherein the second set of codes is further configured to cause the computer to perform at least one of clustering technique analysis, machine learning or Bayesian technique analysis to determine that the one or more second documents associated with the case are at least similar to the first document.

38. The computer program product of claim 31, further comprising a fourth set of codes for causing a computer to provide a confidence indicator for the one or more second documents based on the determination, wherein the confidence indicator indicates a level of similarity between the one or more second documents and the first document.

39. The computer program product of claim 38, wherein the third set of codes is further configured to cause the computer to assign the review code assigned to the first document to the one or more second documents based on the determination and the confidence indicator.

40. The computer program product of claim 31, wherein the second set of codes is further configured to cause the computer to determine that the one or more second documents include a predetermined threshold of words or phrases included in the first document.

41. The computer program product of claim 31, wherein the second set of codes is further configured to cause the computer to determine that the one or more second documents include a predetermined threshold of concepts included in the first document.

42. The computer program product of claim 41, wherein the first set of codes is further configured to cause the computer to receive a document coding input, wherein the input codes the document as privileged.

43. The computer program product of claim 42, wherein the second set of codes is further configured to cause the computer to determine one or more third documents associated with other cases in the electronic discovery system are at least similar to the first document and wherein the third set of codes is further configured to cause the computer to assign a privileged code to the one or more third documents based on the determination.

44. The computer program product of claim 41, wherein the first set of codes is further configured to cause the computer to receive the document coding input that assigns a review code, wherein the review code includes a mark.

45. The computer program product of claim 41, wherein the first set of codes is further configured to cause the computer to receive the document coding input that assigns a review code, wherein the review code includes a mark and at least one tag.