ELECTRONIC DOCUMENT CLASSIFICATION

• US 20100332428A1
• Filed: 05/18/2010
• Published: 12/30/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 05/18/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Innovative Discovery, LLC
• Original Assignee: Integro, Inc.
• Inventors: Burt, Scott W., McHenry, Christopher A.
• Granted Patent: US 8,745,091 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 706/12
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/00 Information retrieval; Database structures therefor; File system structures therefor
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/285 Clustering or classification
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/355 Class or cluster creation or modification
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/93 Document management systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management

Abstract

An electronic document classification system disclosed herein classifies electronic documents. The classification of the documents may involve analyzing the document and the information attached to the document to generate a set of classification data and comparing the classification data with one or more classification rules to generate a set of classifying data. The system attaches the set of classifying data to the electronic document and displays the electronic document based on the set of classifying data. The classification data may also be used to prioritize the electronic documents and to assign a retention period to the electronic documents. The system is further adapted to receive user feedback regarding the classification of the electronic document and to update the classification rules.

Claims

1. In a computing system, a method for:

analyzing an electronic document to generate document identifying data;

classifying the electronic document in one or more categories by applying a classification rule to the document identifying data;

displaying the classified electronic document in the one or more categories; and

updating the classification rule based on input from a user.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the user input is received from a user and it relates to the classification of the electronic document.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the electronic document is an email.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein displaying the classified electronic document further comprises displaying the classified electronic document in an email inbox of the user.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the classification of the electronic document represents a prioritization of the electronic document.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the classification rule is developed based on an analysis of electronic documents by an expert group.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the classification rule is developed using suggestive file plan classification from an expert group.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising updating the classification rule based on analysis of electronic documents by an end user.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein classifying the electronic document further comprises using one of natural language processing and semantic analysis of a relationship modeling engine to provide suggestive classification for the electronic document.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein analyzing the electronic document includes analyzing at least one of (i) an electronic document recipient'"'"'s address, (ii) metadata attached to the electronic document, (iii) a title of the electronic document, (iv) content attached to the electronic document, and (v) content of the electronic document.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein analyzing the electronic document further comprises analyzing the document using statistical or semantical analysis of the document.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising prioritizing the electronic document based on the document identified data.

13. The method of claim 1, further comprising prioritizing the electronic document based on the category of the document.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the electronic document identifying data includes a confidence level representative of a priority level of the electronic document.

15. The method of claim 1, further comprising assigning a retention level to the electronic document based on the classification of the electronic document.

16. The method of claim 1, further comprising assigning an auto-deletion time to the electronic document based on the classification of the electronic document.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

determining, on a periodic basis, if the electronic document is to be deleted and providing a message to a user if the electronic document is to be deleted.

18. The method of claim 1, further comprising developing the classification rule based on a personal knowledge base of a recipient of the electronic document and a collective knowledge base of an organization, wherein the recipient is a member of the organization.

19. The method of claim 17, further comprising developing the classification rule based on a community knowledge base, wherein the organization is related to the community.

20. The method of claim 1, wherein classifying the electronic document further comprises classifying the electronic document one of (i) a potential corporate record category;

(ii) a classified document category; and

(iii) an optional reading category.

21. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

if the electronic document is classified in a first category;

storing the electronic document in an archive and assigning a first retention period to the electronic document; and

generating a convenience copy of the electronic document and assigning a second retention period to the convenience copy;

wherein the second retention period is smaller than the first retention period.

22. The method of claim 1, further comprising assigning workspace quota to each of the one or more categories.

23. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving an input from a user further comprises receiving a request to reclassify the electronic document.

24. The method of claim 23, wherein receiving an input from a user further comprises the user ignoring the electronic document.

25. A computer system comprising a computer program, said computer program stored in a memory and operable to cause a processor to:

analyze an electronic document to generate document identifying data;

classify the electronic document in one or more categories by applying one of natural language processing and semantic analysis to the document identifying data to provide suggestive classification;

display the classified electronic document in the one or more categories;

receive an input from a user regarding the classification of the electronic document; and

update the classification rule based on the user input.

26. The computer system of claim 25, wherein the electronic document is an email.

27. The computer system of claim 26, wherein said computer program is further operable to cause the processor to display the classified electronic document in an email inbox of the user.

28. The computer system of claim 25, wherein said computer program is further operable to assign a retention level or an auto-deletion time to the electronic document based on the classification of the electronic document.

29. The computer system of claim 28, wherein said computer program is further operable to determine whether the electronic document is to be deleted based on the retention level or the auto-deletion time assigned to the electronic document.

30. The computer system of claim 25, wherein the one or more categories comprises (i) a high importance document category;

(ii) a low importance document category; and

(iii) optional reading documents category.

31. The computer system of claim 25, wherein said computer program is further operable to assign a workplace quota to each of the one or more categories.

32. One or more computer-readable storage media encoding computer-executable instructions for executing on a computer system a computer process for classifying electronic documents, the computer process comprising:

analyzing an electronic document to generate document identifying data;

classifying the electronic document in one or more categories by applying a suggestive classification rule to the document identifying data;

receiving an input from a user regarding the classification of the electronic document; and

updating the classification rule based on input from a user.

33. The computer-readable storage media of claim 32, wherein said computer process further comprising displaying the classified electronic document in the one or more categories.

34. The computer-readable storage media of claim 32, wherein said analyzing the electronic document further comprises analyzing metadata attached to the electronic document.

35. The computer-readable storage media of claim 32, wherein said computer process further comprising:

assigning an auto-deletion period to the electronic document based on the document identifying data; and

deleting the electronic document if the auto-deletion period has expired.

36. The computer-readable storage media of claim 32, wherein classifying the electronic document further comprising:

associating a series of concepts to the electronic documents; and

pattern matching the concepts associated with the electronic documents with concepts identified in a knowledge base.

37. A user interface for a computer monitor, comprising:

a display of a first listing of electronic documents;

the first listing of electronic documents comprising the electronic documents grouped under a plurality of categories, wherein the electronic documents are assigned to the plurality of categories by (i) analyzing the electronic document to generate document identifying data for each of the electronic documents; and

(ii) classifying the electronic document in the one or more categories by applying a classification rule to the document identifying data.

38. The user interface of claim 37, wherein the one or more categories includes (i) a potential corporate record category;

(ii) a classified document category; and

(iii) an optional reading category.

40. The user interface of claim 37, further comprising:

a third listing of one or more options, wherein a user may select the one or more option to reclassify one of the electronic documents.

39. The user interface of clam 37, further comprising:

a second listing of a workspace usage summary identifying (i) workspace quotas assigned to one of the one or more categories; and

(ii) workspace utilized for the one of the one or more categories.

41. A method comprising:

providing computer software encoded on one or more computer-readable media, executable on a computer processor, and configured to suggestively classify an electronic document in one or more categories by applying a classification rule to a series of concepts associated with the electronic document.

42. The method of claim 41, wherein the computer software is further configured to reclassify the electronic document using a user input regarding the suggestive classification.