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

• US 9,547,660 B2
• Filed: 02/24/2016
• Issued: 01/17/2017
• 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:
  US15/052,668
• Publication Number:
  US 20160171001A1
• Time in Patent Office: 328 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. An apparatus for electronic communication file conversion in an enterprise-wide electronic data discovery system, the apparatus comprising:

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

an electronic communication file conversion module stored in the memory, executable by the at least one processor and configured 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;

receive a data request to capture electronic data including electronic communication files for a plurality of enterprise-wide 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;

determine based on the one or more custodian profiles, one or more storage locations in which the one or more custodians stored the electronic data;

receive, from the one or more storage locations, a copy of electronic data captured from enterprise-wide custodians, wherein the electronic data includes electronic communication files and wherein the module includes,

a file type identification application configured to automatically identify at least one of the electronic communication files as a meeting request,

one or more file type-specific conversion applications configured to automatically determine that file conversion is necessary for one or more of the electronic communication files and 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, wherein converting the electronic communication files comprises re-formatting the electronic communication files, and wherein one or more of the meeting requests are converted into meeting appointments;

one or more file handling modules stored in the memory, executable by the at least one processor and configured to remove 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, and forwarding the compression scheme files that are not empty for quality control processing; and

one or more processing indices modules stored in the memory, executable by the at least one processor and configured to output indices related to file conversion of one or more electronic communication files, wherein the indices include one or more of number of file types, 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 apparatus of claim 1, wherein the one or more file type-specific conversion applications are further configured to automatically convert associated file type electronic communication files to the predetermined file format supported by a third-party electronic data presentation entry.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the one or more file type-specific conversion applications are further configured to automatically convert associated file type electronic communication files to Personal Storage Table (.PST) format.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising an electronic communication extraction application configured to extract electronic communication messages from electronic communication files.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the file type identification application is configured to identify the file type of the electronic communication files, wherein file type includes mobile communication back-up file type.

6. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the file type identification application is configured to identify the mobile communication back-up file type, wherein the mobile communication back-up file type includes an .IPD back-up file.

7. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the file type identification application is configured to identify the mobile communication back-up file type, wherein the mobile communication back-up file type includes an .IPD back-up file.

8. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein one of the file type-specific conversion applications is further defined as an .IPD conversion application configured to automatically convert the electronic communication messages extracted from the .IPD files to a predetermined file format.

9. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the file type identification application is configured to identify the file type of the electronic communication files, wherein file type includes Electronic Mail (.EML) file type and wherein one of the file type-specific conversion applications further comprises an .EML conversion application configured to automatically convert electronic communication files identified as .EML to a predetermined file format.

10. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the file type identification application is configured to identify the file type of the electronic communication files, wherein file type includes Message (.MSG) file type and wherein one of the file type-specific conversion applications further comprises an .MSG conversion application configured to automatically convert electronic communication files identified as .MSG to a predetermined file format.

11. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the file type identification application is configured to identify the file type of the electronic communication files, wherein file type includes compression scheme file type.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, further comprising an electronic communication file extraction application configured to extract one or more electronic communication files from electronic communication files identified as compression scheme file type.

13. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising an electronic communication decryption module stored in the memory, executable by the at least one processor and configured to identify one or more encrypted entries in an electronic communication file and to automatically decrypt the one or more encrypted entries.

14. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the electronic communication decryption module is further configured to identify one or more encrypted entries in an .NSF file type electronic communication file and to automatically decrypt the one or more encrypted entries.

15. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising one or more entry type-specific conversion applications configured to automatically convert file entry format to a predetermined format.

16. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein one of the one or more entry type-specific conversion applications is further configured to automatically convert .NSF file entry formats to a predetermined entry format.

17. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a hash verification module stored in the memory, executable by the at least one processor and configured to verify integrity of the copy of electronic data.

18. The apparatus 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.