Source-to-processing file conversion in an electronic discovery enterprise system

• US 9,542,410 B2
• Filed: 02/24/2016
• Issued: 01/10/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 03/27/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Bank of America Corp.
• Original Assignee: Bank of America Corp.
• Inventors: Mayer, Michael J., Andersen, David M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Smith, Brannon W
• Application Number:
  US15/052,670
• Publication Number:
  US 20160196276A1
• Time in Patent Office: 321 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/116 Details of conversion of file system types or formats
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/1744 using compression, e.g. sparse files
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/2365 Ensuring data consistency and integrity
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/258 Data format conversion from or to a database
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/907 Retrieval characterised by using metadata, e.g. metadata not derived from the content or metadata generated manually
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/046 Interoperability with other network applications or 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 source-to-processing file conversion of electronic communications and, in some embodiments, decryption of encrypted electronic communication entries for the purpose of efficiently processing data and supplying the electronic data to third party data analysis providers.

Claims

1. A method for electronic communication file conversion in an enterprise-wide electronic data discovery system, the method comprising:

creating, in a computing device memory, one or more custodian profiles comprising a history of storage locations used by the one or more custodians, wherein the history is automatically generated in response to monitoring the computer usage of the one or more custodians, wherein the storage locations are locations in which one or more files are stored, and wherein creating the one or more custodian profiles further comprises;

associating each individual custodian profile with an identifier of the custodian associated with the individual custodian profile; and

updating each individual custodian profile at regularly scheduled intervals based at least partially in response to determining the update is related to the identifier of the custodian associated with the individual custodian profile;

receiving, by a computer processing device, a data request to capture electronic data including electronic communication files for one or more custodians, wherein at least one of the electronic communication files is a meeting request, and wherein the electronic data is one or more compression scheme files;

determining, by a computing processing device, based on the one or more custodian profiles, one or more storage locations in which the one or more custodians stored the electronic data;

capturing the electronic data including electronic communication files from the one or more custodians based on the data request, wherein at least a portion of the electronic data is captured from the one or more storage locations determined;

storing, in computing device memory, the captured electronic data;

extracting the electronic communication files from the one or more compression scheme files;

automatically identifying, by a computing device processor, at least one of the electronic communication files as a meeting request;

determining, for each of the meeting requests, one or more task requests associated with the electronic communication files;

automatically determining, by a computing device processor, that file conversion is necessary for one or more of the electronic communication files;

automatically determining, by a computing device processor, a predetermined file format to which the electronic communication files will be converted, wherein the predetermined file format is a meeting appointment where the electronic communication file is a meeting request;

automatically converting, by a computing device processor, one or more of the electronic communication files to the predetermined file format, wherein converting the electronic communication files comprises re-formatting the electronic communication files, and wherein one or more of the meeting requests are converted to meeting appointments, wherein converting further comprises converting the one or more task requests to a file format compatible to be associated with the meeting appointment;

storing, in the computing device memory, the converted one or more electronic communication files;

removing the electronic communication files from the one or more compression scheme files based on the electronic communication files being converted;

determining whether the one or more compression scheme files are empty based on removing the electronic communication files;

removing, from memory, the one or more compression scheme files that are empty;

forwarding the compression scheme files that are not empty for quality control processing; and

outputting, by a computing device processor, indices related to file conversion of the electronic communication files, wherein the indices include, a number of files undergoing format change, type of format change, number of email messages, number of other type entries, the number messages/entries undergoing form change, the type of form change, the number of email messages undergoing form change, and the number of appointments undergoing form change.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein converting one or more of the electronic communication files to the predetermined file format further comprises converting one or more of the electronic communication files to a predetermined file format supported by a third-party electronic data presentation entity.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein automatically converting one or more of the electronic communication files further comprises converting one or more electronic communication files to Personal Storage Table (.PST) format.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein converting one or more electronic communication files to .PST format further comprises converting one or more electronic communication files to .PST format based on identifying the file type as one other than .PST format.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein automatically identifying file type further comprises identifying a mobile communication back-up file type as one of the electronic communication file types.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein identifying the mobile communication back-up file type further comprises identifying an .IPD back-up file for one or more electronic communication files.

7. The method of claim 5, further comprising extracting, by a computing device processor, individual electronic communication messages from electronic communication files identified as mobile communication back-up file type.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein automatically converting one or more of the electronic communication files further comprises converting the electronic communication messages extracted from the mobile communication back-up file to a predetermined file format.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein automatically identifying file type further comprises identifying Electronic Mail (.EML) file type as one of the electronic communication file types and wherein automatically converting, further comprises converting electronic communication files identified as .EML file type to a predetermined file format.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein automatically identifying file type further comprises identifying Message (.MSG) file type as one of the electronic communication file types and wherein automatically converting further comprises converting electronic communication files identified as .MSG file type to a predetermined file format.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein automatically identifying file type further comprises identifying a compression scheme file type as one of the electronic communication file types.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising extracting, by a computing device processor, one or more electronic communication files from an identified compression scheme file.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein automatically converting one or more of the electronic communication files further comprises converting one or more of the extracted electronic communication files to a predetermined file format.

14. The method of claim 1, further comprising identifying, by a computing device processor, one or more encrypted entries in one or more electronic communication files.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising automatically decrypting, by a computing device processor, the one or more encrypted entries.

16. The method of claim 1, wherein automatically identifying file type further comprises identifying Notes Storage Facility (.NSF) file type for one or more of the electronic communication files.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising identifying, by a computing device processor, one or more encrypted entries in the one or more .NSF file type electronic communication files.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising automatically decrypting, by a computing device processor, the one or more encrypted entries.

19. The method of claim 18, further comprising converting, by a computing device processor, one or more entries in the .NSF file type electronic communication file to a third-party data presentation-supported entry format.

20. The method of claim 1, wherein the storage locations comprise at least one of a personal computing device, an email account, network storage area, and shared drive, and wherein capturing the electronic data comprises retrieving machine information associated with the at least one a personal computing device, an email account, network storage area, and shared drive such that the electronic data is capture from the storage locations based at least partially on the retrieved machine information.

21. A computer program product comprising:

a non-transitory computer-readable medium of a computing device, wherein the computing device comprises one or more processors for executing instruction code stored within the non-transitory computer-readable medium, and wherein the non-transitory computer readable medium comprises;

a first set of codes for causing a computer to create one or more custodian profiles comprising a history of storage locations used by the one or more custodians, wherein the history is automatically generated in response to monitoring the computer usage of the one or more custodians, wherein the storage locations are locations in which one or more files are stored, and wherein creating the one or more custodian profiles further comprises;

associating each individual custodian profile with an identifier of the custodian associated with the individual custodian profile; and

updating each individual custodian profile at regularly scheduled intervals based at least partially in response to determining the update is related to the identifier of the custodian associated with the individual custodian profile;

a second set of codes for causing a computer to receive a data request to capture electronic data including electronic communication files for a plurality of custodians, wherein at least one of the electronic communication files is a meeting request, and wherein the electronic data is one or more compression scheme files;

a third set of codes for causing a computer determine based at least partially on the one or more custodian profiles, one or more storage locations in which the one or more custodians stored the electronic data;

a fourth set of codes for causing a computer to capture the electronic data including electronic communication files from the plurality of custodians based on the data request, wherein at least a portion of the electronic data is captured from the one or more storage locations determined;

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

a sixth set of codes for extracting the electronic communication files from the one or more compression scheme files;

a seventh set of codes for causing a computer to automatically identify at least one of the electronic communication files as a meeting request;

an eighth of codes for determining, for each of the meeting requests, one or more task requests with the electronic communication files;

a ninth set of codes for causing a computer to automatically determine that file conversion is necessary for one or more of the electronic communication files;

a tenth set of codes for causing a computer to automatically determine a predetermined file format to which the electronic communication files will be converted, wherein the predetermined file format is a meeting appointment where the electronic communication file is a meeting request;

an eleventh set of codes for causing a computer to automatically convert one or more of the electronic communication files to the predetermined file format wherein converting the electronic communication files comprises re-formatting the electronic communication files, and wherein the eleventh set of codes is configured to cause the computer to automatically convert meeting requests to meeting appointments, wherein converting further comprises converting the one or more task requests to a file format compatible to be associated with the meeting appointment;

a twelfth set of codes for causing a computer to store the converted one or more electronic communication files;

a thirteenth set of codes for causing a computer to remove the electronic communication files from the one or more compression scheme files based on the electronic communication files being converted;

a fourteenth set of codes for causing a computer to determine whether the one or more compression scheme files are empty based on removing the electronic communication files;

a fifteenth set of codes for causing a computer to remove, from memory, the one or more compression scheme files that are empty;

a sixteenth set of codes for causing a computer to forward the compression scheme files that are not empty for quality control processing; and

a seventeenth set of codes for causing a computer to output indices related to file conversion of the electronic communication files, wherein the indices include, a number of files undergoing format change, type of format change, number of email messages, number of other type entries, the number messages/entries undergoing form change, the type of form change, the number of email messages undergoing form change, and the number of appointments undergoing form change.

22. The computer program product of claim 21, wherein the eleventh set of codes is further configured to cause the computer to automatically convert one or more of the electronic communication files to a predetermined file format supported by a third-party electronic data presentation entry.

23. The computer program product of claim 21, wherein the eleventh set of codes is further configured to cause the computer to automatically convert one or more electronic communication files to Personal Storage Table (.PST) format.

24. The computer program product of claim 21, wherein the seventh set of codes is further configured to cause the computer to identify a mobile communication back-up file type.

25. The computer program product of claim 24, wherein the seventh set of codes is further configured to cause the computer to identify an .IPD back-up file type.

26. The computer program product of claim 24, further comprising an eighteenth set of codes for causing a computer to extract individual electronic communication messages from electronic communication files identified as mobile communication back-up file type.

27. The computer program product of claim 26, wherein the eleventh set of codes is further configured to cause the computer to automatically convert the electronic communication messages extracted from the mobile communication back-up file to a predetermined file format.

28. The computer program product of claim 21, wherein the seventh set of codes is further configured to cause the computer to identify an Electronic Mail (.EML) file type for one or more of the electronic communication files and wherein the ninth set of codes is further configured to cause the computer to automatically convert electronic communication files identified as .EML file type to a predetermined file format.

29. The computer program product of claim 21, wherein the seventh set of codes is further configured to cause the computer to identify a Message (.MSG) file type for one or more of the electronic communication files and wherein the ninth set of codes is further configured to cause the computer to automatically convert electronic communication files identified as .MSG file type to a predetermined file format.

30. The computer program product of claim 21, wherein the seventh set of codes is further configured to cause the computer to identify a compression scheme file type for one or more of the electronic communication files.

31. The computer program product of claim 30, further comprising an eighteenth set of codes for causing a computer to extract one or more electronic communication files from electronic communication files identified as compression scheme file type.

32. The computer program product of claim 30, wherein the eleventh set of codes is further configured to cause the computer to automatically convert one or more of the extracted electronic communication files to a predetermined file format.

33. The computer program product of claim 21, further comprising an eighteenth set of codes for causing a computer to identify one or more encrypted entries in one or more electronic communication files.

34. The computer program product of claim 33, further comprising an eighteenth set of codes for causing a computer to automatically decrypt the one or more encrypted entries.

35. The computer program product of claim 21, wherein the seventh set of codes is further configured to cause the computer to identify Notes Storage Facility (.NSF) file type for one or more of the electronic communication files.

36. The computer program product of claim 35, further comprising an eighteenth set of codes for causing a computer to identify one or more encrypted entries in the one or more .NSF file type electronic communication files and a nineteenth set of codes for causing a computer to automatically decrypt the one or more encrypted entries.

37. The computer program product of claim 36, further comprising an eighteenth set of codes for causing a computer to convert one or more entries in the .NSF file type to a predetermined entry format.

38. The computer program product of claim 21, wherein the storage locations comprise at least one of a personal computing device, an email account, network storage area, and shared drive, and wherein the fifth set of codes is configured to cause the computer to retrieve machine information associated with the at least one a personal computing device, an email account, network storage area, and shared drive such that the electronic data is capture from the storage locations based at least partially on the retrieved machine information.