Methods, apparatuses, and computer program products for preparing narratives relating to investigative matters

• US 9,081,848 B2
• Filed: 12/05/2012
• Issued: 07/14/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 12/12/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: William Christian Hoyer
• Original Assignee: William Christian Hoyer
• Inventors: Hoyer, William Christian
• Primary Examiner(s): Jalil, Neveen Abel
• Assistant Examiner(s): Tamaru, Michael K
• Application Number:
  US13/705,947
• Publication Number:
  US 20130151532A1
• Time in Patent Office: 951 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/285 Clustering or classification
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/345 Summarisation for human users
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/35 Clustering; Classification

Abstract

An apparatus categorizes knowledge elements that an investigator derives from source materials into issue categories. The issue categories may be predefined based on the type or nature of the investigative matter or user-defined as circumstances dictate. The apparatus also allows for preparation of a narrative based on the knowledge elements and source materials. A hopper allows a user to view and access the categorized knowledge elements during preparation of the narrative. Accordingly, through this collaboration process, investigators may produce a narrative more accurately and efficiently. Further, the apparatus links the text in the narrative back to the knowledge elements and the source materials which may be easily accessed via the links to enable them to be reviewed to determine whether the relevant text in the narrative is firmly based thereon. Thus, review of the work product created with the apparatus may be simplified.

Claims

1. A method for conducting one or more investigative matters, the method comprising:

providing for categorization of a plurality of knowledge elements into a plurality of issue categories to produce a plurality of categorized knowledge elements, the knowledge elements each comprising a text drafted by one or more users and derived by the one or more users from one or more source materials;

providing for association of the one or more source materials and the knowledge elements with one of the investigative matters;

providing an editor configured for drafting of an editable narrative by the one or more users relating to the one of the investigative matters based at least in part on the categorized knowledge elements;

providing access to the categorized knowledge elements associated with the one of the investigative matters during drafting of the editable narrative by the one or more users via a hopper in which the knowledge elements are organized by the issue categories, the hopper being positioned adjacent the editor such that the knowledge elements are simultaneously viewable with the editor and the editable narrative included therein;

providing for confirmation and questioning of the knowledge elements;

providing for selection of a plurality of incorporation buttons within the hopper, each of the incorporation buttons being respectively associated with one of the knowledge elements, each of the incorporation buttons being configured to insert the text of the one of the knowledge elements associated therewith into the editable narrative;

providing for adding a link to a portion of the editable narrative drafted by the one or more users, the link linking to one or more of the knowledge elements the portion is based upon; and

outputting the one or more knowledge elements upon selection of the portion of the editable narrative that is linked thereto via a processor.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising providing for selection of the issue categories from a predefined list.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising providing for linking the knowledge elements to the one or more source materials.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising providing for indicating whether the knowledge elements are referenced in the editable narrative.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein providing access to the categorized knowledge elements comprises providing for selection of the issue categories;

and

outputting the categorized knowledge elements included in a selected one of the issue categories.

6. The method of claim 1,

wherein the investigative matters are selected from a group consisting of one or more legal investigative matters, one or more corporate investigative matters, one or more academic investigative matters, one or more journalistic investigative matters, one or more forensic accounting investigative matters, and one or more auditing investigative matters, and

wherein the knowledge elements are selected from a group consisting of one or more facts, one or more conclusions, one or more hypotheses, one or more personal thoughts, one or more theories, and one or more conclusions.

7. An apparatus comprising at least one processor and at least one memory including computer program code, the at least one memory and the computer program code configured to, with the processor, cause the apparatus to:

provide for categorization of a plurality of knowledge elements into a plurality of issue categories to produce a plurality of categorized knowledge elements, the knowledge elements each comprising a text drafted by one or more users and derived by the one or more users from one or more source materials;

provide for association of the one or more source materials and the knowledge elements with one of one or more investigative matters;

provide an editor configured for drafting of an editable narrative by the one or more users relating to the one of the investigative matters based at least in part on the categorized knowledge elements;

provide access to the categorized knowledge elements associated with the one of the investigative matters during drafting of the editable narrative by the one or more users via a hopper in which the knowledge elements are organized by the issue categories, the hopper being positioned adjacent the editor such that the knowledge elements are simultaneously viewable with the editor and the editable narrative included therein;

provide for confirmation and questioning of the knowledge elements;

provide for selection of a plurality of incorporation buttons within the hopper, each of the incorporation buttons being respectively associated with one of the knowledge elements, each of the incorporation buttons being configured to insert the text of the one of the knowledge elements associated therewith into the editable narrative;

provide for adding a link to a portion of the editable narrative drafted by the one or more users, the link linking to one or more of the knowledge elements the portion is based upon; and

output the one or more knowledge elements upon selection of the portion of the editable narrative that is linked thereto.

8. The apparatus of claim 7, further configured to provide for selection of the issue categories from a predefined list.

9. The apparatus of claim 7, further configured to provide for linking the knowledge elements to the one or more source materials.

10. The apparatus of claim 7, further configured to provide for indicating whether the knowledge elements are referenced in the editable narrative.

11. The apparatus of claim 7, configured to provide access to the categorized knowledge elements by providing for selection of the issue categories;

and

outputting the categorized knowledge elements included in a selected one of the issue categories.

12. The apparatus of claim 7,

wherein the investigative matters are selected from a group consisting of one or more legal investigative matters, one or more corporate investigative matters, one or more academic investigative matters, one or more journalistic investigative matters, one or more forensic accounting investigative matters, and one or more auditing investigative matters, and

wherein the knowledge elements are selected from a group consisting of one or more facts, one or more conclusions, one or more hypotheses, one or more personal thoughts, one or more theories, and one or more conclusions.

13. A computer program product comprising at least one non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having computer-executable program code portions stored therein, the computer-executable program code portions comprising:

program code instructions providing for categorization of a plurality of knowledge elements into a plurality of issue categories to produce a plurality of categorized knowledge elements, the knowledge elements each comprising a text drafted by one or more users and derived by the one or more users from one or more source materials;

program code instructions providing for association of the one or more source materials and the knowledge elements with one of one or more investigative matters;

program code instructions providing an editor configured for drafting of an editable narrative by the one or more users relating to the one of the investigative matters based at least in part on the categorized knowledge elements;

program code instructions providing access to the categorized knowledge elements associated with the one of the investigative matters during drafting of the editable narrative by the one or more users via a hopper in which the knowledge elements are organized by the issue categories, the hopper being positioned adjacent the editor such that the knowledge elements are simultaneously viewable with the editor and the editable narrative included therein;

program code instructions providing for confirmation and questioning of the knowledge elements;

program code instructions providing for selection of a plurality of incorporation buttons within the hopper, each of the incorporation buttons being respectively associated with one of the knowledge elements, each of the incorporation buttons being configured to insert the text of the one of the knowledge elements associated therewith into the editable narrative;

program code instructions providing for adding a link to a portion of the editable narrative drafted by the one or more users, the link linking to one or more of the knowledge elements the portion is based upon; and

program code instructions for outputting the one or more knowledge elements upon selection of the portion of the editable narrative that is linked thereto.

14. The computer program product of claim 13, further comprising program code instructions for providing for selection of the issue categories from a predefined list.

15. The computer program product of claim 13, further comprising program code instructions providing for linking the knowledge elements to the source material.

16. The computer program product of claim 13, further comprising program code instructions providing for indicating whether the knowledge elements are referenced in the editable narrative.

17. The computer program product of claim 13, wherein the program code instructions for providing access to the categorized knowledge elements comprise program code instructions providing for selection of the issue categories;

and

program code instructions for outputting the categorized knowledge elements included in a selected one of the issue categories.

18. The computer program product of claim 13,

wherein the investigative matters are selected from a group consisting of one or more legal investigative matters, one or more corporate investigative matters, one or more academic investigative matters, one or more journalistic investigative matters, one or more forensic accounting investigative matters, and one or more auditing investigative matters, and

wherein the knowledge elements are selected from a group consisting of one or more facts, one or more conclusions, one or more hypotheses, one or more personal thoughts, one or more theories, and one or more conclusions.

19. An apparatus comprising:

means providing for categorization of a plurality of knowledge elements into a plurality of issue categories to produce a plurality of categorized knowledge elements, the knowledge elements each comprising a text drafted by one or more users and derived by the one or more users from one or more source materials;

means providing for association of the one or more source materials and the knowledge elements with one of one or more investigative matters;

means providing an editor configured for drafting of an editable narrative by the one or more users relating to the one of the investigative matters based at least in part on the categorized knowledge elements;

means providing access to the categorized knowledge elements associated with the one of the investigative matters during drafting of the editable narrative by the one or more users via a hopper in which the knowledge elements are organized by the issue categories, the hopper being positioned adjacent the editor such that the knowledge elements are simultaneously viewable with the editor and the editable narrative included therein;

means providing for confirmation and questioning of the knowledge elements;

means providing for selection of a plurality of incorporation buttons within the hopper, each of the incorporation buttons being respectively associated with one of the knowledge elements, each of the incorporation buttons being configured to insert the text of the one of the knowledge elements associated therewith into the editable narrative;

means providing for adding a link to a portion of the editable narrative drafted by the one or more users, the link linking to one or more of the knowledge elements the portion is based upon; and

means for outputting the one or more knowledge elements upon selection of the portion of the editable narrative that is linked thereto.

20. The apparatus of claim 19, further comprising means providing for selection of the issue categories from a predefined list.

21. The apparatus of claim 19, further comprising means providing for linking the knowledge elements to the source materials.

22. The apparatus of claim 19, further comprising means providing for indicating whether the knowledge elements are referenced in the editable narrative.

23. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein the means providing access to the categorized knowledge elements comprise means providing for selection of the issue categories;

and

means for outputting the categorized knowledge element included in a selected one of the issue categories.

24. The apparatus of claim 19,

wherein the investigative matters are selected from a group consisting of one or more legal investigative matters, one or more corporate investigative matters, one or more academic investigative matters, one or more journalistic investigative matters, one or more forensic accounting investigative matters, and one or more auditing investigative matters, and

wherein the knowledge elements are selected from a group consisting of one or more facts, one or more conclusions, one or more hypotheses, one or more personal thoughts, one or more theories, and one or more conclusions.