Electronic communication data validation in an electronic discovery enterprise system

• US 8,688,648 B2
• Filed: 01/29/2010
• Issued: 04/01/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 03/27/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Bank of America Corp.
• Original Assignee: Bank of America Corp.
• Inventors: Andersen, David M., Mayer, Michael J.
• Primary Examiner(s): FILIPCZYK, MARCIN R
• Application Number:
  US12/696,653
• Publication Number:
  US 20100250503A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,523 Days
• Field of Search: 707/687, 707/692, 707/690, 707/809, 705/50
• US Class Current: 707/690
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/325 Hash tables
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/35 Clustering; Classification
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/18 Legal services

Abstract

Embodiments of the invention relate to systems, methods, and computer program products for improved electronic discovery. Embodiments herein disclosed provide for an enterprise-wide e-discovery system that provides for validity verification of electronic communications prior to subsequent processing, such as decryption or standardized format conversion.

Claims

1. A method for verifying the validity of electronic communication files and electronic communication messages in an electronic discovery system, the method comprising:

capturing, by a computing device processor, electronic data including electronic communication files from a plurality of custodians based on a data request;

storing, in a memory, the captured electronic data;

copying, by a computing device processor, the electronic data to a conversion server;

in automatic response to copying the electronic data to the conversion server, identifying, by a computing device processor, file type for the electronic communication files;

determining, by a computing device processor, validity of electronic communication files based on file type by determining if the electronic communication files have an actual message body or text, including;

performing a header check on Message (.MSG) and .IPD formatted electronic communication files, and

performing a sanity check on Electronic Mail (.EML) formatted electronic communication files;

in automatic response to determining that electronic communication files are valid, processing, by a computing processor, the electronic communication files including (1) converting the electronic communication files to a standardized format and (2), in response to converting the communication files to a standardized format, converting meeting request and meeting request responses to meeting appointment entries and task request entries to task entries; and

in automatic response to determining that electronic communication are invalid, deleting, by a computing device processor, electronic communication files that have been determined to be invalid electronic communication files, wherein an electronic communication file is invalid if the electronic communication file lacks an actual message body or text.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein processing the electronic communication files further comprises automatically decrypting, by a computing device processor, electronic communication files determined to be encrypted.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein converting the electronic communication files further comprises converting the electronic communication files determined to be valid to a Personal Storage Table (.PST) format.

4. An apparatus for electronic communication file validity check in an enterprise-wide electronic data discovery system, the apparatus comprising:

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

one or more validity check applications stored in the memory, executable by the processors and configured to determine validity of electronic communication files by determining if the electronic communication files have an actual message body or text, the validity check applications comprising (i) a Message (.MSG) file validity check application configured to perform a header check on .MSG formatted electronic communication files, (ii) a (.IPD) file validity check application configured to perform a header check on .IPD formatted electronic communication files, and (iii) an Electronic Mail (.EML) file validity check application configured to perform a sanity check on .EML formatted electronic communication files, wherein an electronic communication file is valid if the electronic communication file has an actual message body or text, wherein the one or more validity check applications are further configured to delete electronic communication files determined to be invalid electronic communication files, wherein an electronic communication file is invalid if the electronic communication file lacks an actual message body or text;

one or more file conversion applications stored in the memory, executable by the processor and configured to automatically convert electronic communication files determined to be valid to a standardized format;

one or more meeting request conversion applications stored in the memory, executable by the processor and configured to, in response to converting the communication files to a standardized format, converting meeting request and meeting request responses to meeting appointment entries and task request entries to task entries.

5. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the one or more conversion applications are further configured to automatically convert electronic communication files to Personal Storage Table (.PST) format.

6. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the Electronic Mail (.EML) file validity check application further comprises a parser configured to parse .EML electronic communication files to perform the sanity check.

7. The apparatus of claim 4, further comprising an electronic communication decryption module stored in the memory, executable by the processor and configured to decrypt encrypted electronic communication files.

8. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the one or more validity check applications further comprise a comprehensive validity check application configured to perform validity checks on electronic communication files regardless of file format type.

9. A computer program product comprising:

a non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising;

a first set of codes for causing a computer to capture electronic data including electronic communication files from a plurality of custodians based on a data request;

a second set of codes for causing a computer to store the captured electronic data;

a third set of codes for causing a computer to copy the electronic data to a conversion server;

a fourth set of codes for causing a computer to, in automatic response to copying the electronic data to the conversion server, identify file type for the electronic communication files;

a fifth set of codes for causing a computer to determine validity of the electronic communication files based on filed type by determining if the electronic communication files have an actual message body or text, including performing (i) a header check on Message (.MSG) formatted electronic communication files, (ii) a header check on (.IPD) formatted electronic communication files, and (iii) a sanity check on Electronic Mail (.EML) formatted electronic communication files;

a sixth set of codes for causing a computer to, in automatic response to determining that electronic communication files are valid, process the electronic communication files including (1) converting the electronic communication files determined to be valid to a standardized format and (2) in response to converting the communication files to a standardized format, converting meeting request and meeting request responses to meeting appointment entries and task request entries to task entries; and

a seventh set of codes for causing a computer to, in automatic response determining that electronic communication files are invalid, deleting electronic communication files that have been determined to be invalid electronic communication files, wherein an electronic communication file is invalid if the electronic communication file lacks an actual message body or text.

10. The computer program product of claim 9, wherein the sixth set of codes is further configured to cause the computer to decrypt electronic communication files determined to be encrypted.

11. The computer program product of claim 9, wherein the sixth set of codes is further configured to cause the computer to convert the electronic communication files determined to be valid to a Personal Storage Table (.PST) format.