# US 2010/0250455 A1 · Suggesting potential custodians for cases in an enterprise-wide electronic discovery system > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2010/0250455 A1 - Document ID: US20100250455A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 12/730,792 - Filed: 2010-03-24 - Published: 2010-09-30 - Earliest claimed: 2009-03-27 - Assignees: Bank of America Corporation - Inventors: Phillip L. Richards; David M. Andersen; Eric B. Hobart; Emerson D. Miller; Michael J. Mayer; Brian L. Toomey - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20100250455A1 ## CPC - G06Q 99/00: Subject matter not provided for in other groups of this subclass - G06Q 10/10: Office automation; Time management - G06Q 50/18: Legal services - G06Q: INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY [ICT] SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE, COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL OR SUPERVISORY PURPOSES; SYSTEMS OR METHODS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE, COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL OR SUPERVISORY PURPOSES, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR ## Abstract Embodiments of the invention relate to systems, methods, and computer program products determining suggestive potential custodians in an electronic discovery system. The determination is based on a comparison of data, such as personnel data or like, associated with individuals already added to the case and all other individuals in the enterprise, who form the group of potential custodians. In addition, the comparison of data occurs over the specified timeframe defined by the case to insure that the suggested potential custodians are within the confines to the timeframe of the case. Additional embodiments of the invention provide for determining preservation notice recipients based on a comparison of data, such as personnel data or the like, associated with individuals that have already been identified to receive the preservation notice and other custodians and/or potential custodians. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method for suggesting potential custodians for a case in an enterprise-wide electronic discovery system, the method comprising: receiving, at computing device, first inputs that define a case including a timeframe associated with the case; receiving, at a computing device, second inputs that add one or more potential custodians to the case; determining, via computing device processor, a plurality of suggested potential custodians, wherein the determination is based on association with the one or more previously added potential custodians and the timeframe associated with the case; and providing, at a computing device, an output of the determined plurality of suggested potential custodians. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving, at a computing device, third inputs that add one or more of the suggested potential custodians to the case. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein determining further comprises determining, via the computing device processor, at least one match between predetermined data associated with at least one added potential custodian and a suggested potential custodian. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The method of claim 3, wherein determining further comprises determining, via the computing device processor, that a predefined threshold of matches exist between the predetermined data associated with at least one added potential custodian and a suggested potential custodian. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The method of claim 4, wherein providing further comprises providing, at the computing device, an output of the determined plurality of suggested potential custodians that meet the predefined threshold of matches. ### Claim 6 (depends on 3) The method of claim 3, wherein determining further comprises accessing, via a computing device processor, one or more enterprise databases to determine the at least one match between the predetermined data associated with at least one added potential custodian and a suggested potential custodian. ### Claim 7 (depends on 3) The method of claim 3, wherein the predetermined data includes employment chain-of-command. ### Claim 8 (depends on 3) The method of claim 3, wherein the predetermined data includes employment locale. ### Claim 9 (depends on 3) The method of claim 3, wherein the predetermined data includes employment classification. ### Claim 10 (depends on 3) The method of claim 3, wherein the predetermined data includes data source accessibility. ### Claim 11 (depends on 3) The method of claim 3, wherein the predetermined data includes data content generated by potential custodians. ### Claim 12 (depends on 3) The method of claim 3, wherein determining, further comprises applying a predetermined relevancy weight value to each match of the predetermined data and summing the predetermined relevancy weight values to result in a suggested potential custodian score. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The method of claim 12, wherein providing an output of the determined plurality of suggested potential custodians further comprises providing a ranked listing of the suggested potential custodians, wherein the ranked listing is ranked based on the suggested potential custodian score. ### Claim 14 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising determining, at a computing device, one or more suggested recipients of a preservation notice from amongst potential custodians previously added to the case, wherein the determination is based on an association with the one or more previously identified recipients of the preservation notice and previous preservation notice history of the one or more suggested recipients. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The method of claim 14, wherein determining one or more suggested recipients further comprises determining, via the computing device processor, at least one match between predetermined data associated with at least one of the previous identified recipients and a suggested recipient. ### Claim 16 (depends on 14) The method of claim 14, wherein determining one or more suggested recipients further comprises determining, via the computing device processor, that a predefined threshold of matches exist between the predetermined data associated with the at least one of the previous identified recipients and the suggested recipient. ### Claim 17 (depends on 14) The method of claim 14, wherein the predetermined data associated with the at least one of the previous identified recipients and the suggested recipient includes one or more of employment chain-of-command, employment locale, employment classification, data source accessibility or generated data content. ### Claim 18 (depends on 14) The method of claim 14, wherein determining one or more suggested recipients, further comprises applying a predetermined relevancy weight value to each match of the predetermined data and summing the predetermined relevancy weight values to result in a suggested potential preservation notice recipient score. ### Claim 19 An apparatus for suggesting potential custodians for a case in an enterprise-wide electronic discovery system, the apparatus comprising: a computing platform including a memory and at least one processor; an electronic discovery manager application stored in the memory, executable by the at one processor and configured to receive first inputs that define a case and include a timeframe associated with the case and receive second inputs that add one or more potential custodians to the case; and a suggested potential custodian application stored in the memory, executable by the at least one processor and including a suggested potential custodian routine configured to determine a plurality of suggested potential custodians for the case, wherein the determination is based on an association with the one or more previously added potential custodians and the timeframe associated with the case and provide an output of the determined plurality of suggested potential custodians. ### Claim 20 (depends on 19) The apparatus of claim 19, further comprising wherein the electronic discovery manager is further configured to receive third inputs that add one or more of the suggested potential custodians to the case. ### Claim 21 (depends on 19) The apparatus of claim 19, further comprising: a case database located in the memory and configured to store case-related data including the timeframe associated with the case; and a custodian database located in the memory and configured to store potential custodian and actual custodian-related data, wherein the case database is linked to the custodian database such that adding one or more potential custodians to the case is reflected in respective case-related data in the custodian database and the potential custodian-related data in the custodian database. ### Claim 22 (depends on 19) The apparatus of claim 19, wherein the suggested potential custodian routine is further configured to determine at least one match between predetermined data associated with at least one added potential custodian and a suggested potential custodian. ### Claim 23 (depends on 22) The apparatus of claim 22, wherein the suggested potential custodian routine is further configured to determine that a predefined threshold of matches exist between the predetermined data associated with at least one added potential custodian and a suggested potential custodian. ### Claim 24 (depends on 23) The apparatus of claim 23, wherein the suggested potential custodian application is further configured to provide the output of the determined plurality of suggested potential custodians that meet the predefined threshold of matches. ### Claim 25 (depends on 22) The apparatus of claim 22, wherein the suggested potential custodian routine is further configured to access one or more enterprise databases to determine the at least one match between the predetermined data associated with at least one added potential custodian and a suggested potential custodian. ### Claim 26 (depends on 22) The apparatus of claim 22, wherein the predetermined data includes one or more of employment chain-of-command, employment locale, employment classification, data source accessibility or data content generated by potential custodians. ### Claim 27 (depends on 22) The apparatus of claim 22, wherein the suggested potential custodian routine is further configured to apply a predetermined relevancy weight value to each match of the predetermined data and sum the predetermined relevancy weight values to result in a suggested potential custodian score. ### Claim 28 (depends on 22) The apparatus of claim 22, wherein the suggested potential custodian application is further configured to provide the output of the determined plurality of suggested potential custodians, wherein the output comprises a ranked listing of the suggested potential custodians, and wherein the ranked listing is ranked based on the suggested potential custodian score. ### Claim 29 (depends on 19) The apparatus of claim 19, further comprising a suggested preservation notice recipient application stored in the memory, executable by the processor and including a suggested preservation notice recipient routine configured to determine one or more suggested recipients of a preservation notice from amongst potential custodians previously added to the case, wherein the determination is based on an association with the one or more previously identified recipients of the preservation notice and previous preservation notice history of the one or more suggested recipients. ### Claim 30 (depends on 29) The apparatus of claim 29, wherein the suggested preservation notice recipient routine is further configured to determine at least one match between predetermined data associated with at least one of the previous identified recipients and a suggested recipient. ### Claim 31 (depends on 29) The apparatus of claim 29, wherein the suggested preservation notice recipient routine is further configured to determine that a predefined threshold of matches exist between the predetermined data associated with the at least one of the previous identified recipients and the suggested recipient. ### Claim 32 (depends on 29) The apparatus of claim 29, wherein the predetermined data associated with the at least one of the previous identified recipients and the suggested recipient includes one or more of employment chain-of-command, employment locale, employment classification, data source accessibility or generated data content. ### Claim 33 (depends on 29) The apparatus of claim 29, wherein the suggested preservation notice recipient routine is further configured to apply a predetermined relevancy weight value to each match of the predetermined data and sum the predetermined relevancy weight values to result in a suggested potential preservation notice recipient score. ### Claim 34 A computer program product comprising: a computer-readable medium comprising: a first set of codes for causing a computer to receive first inputs that define a case including a timeframe associated with the case; a second set of codes for causing a computer to receive second inputs that add one or more potential custodians to the case; a third set of codes for causing a computer to determine a plurality of suggested potential custodians, wherein the determination is based on association with the one or more previously added potential custodians and the timeframe associated with the case; and a fourth set of codes for causing a computer to provide an output of the determined plurality of suggested potential custodians. ### Claim 35 (depends on 34) The computer program product of claim 34, further comprising a fifth set of codes for causing a computer to receive third inputs that add one or more of the suggested potential custodians to the case. ### Claim 36 (depends on 34) The computer program product of claim 34, wherein the third set of codes is further configured to cause the computer to determine at least one match between predetermined data associated with at least one added potential custodian and a suggested potential custodian. ### Claim 37 (depends on 36) The computer program product of claim 36, wherein the third set of codes is further configured to cause the computer to determine that a predefined threshold of matches exist between the predetermined data associated with at least one added potential custodian and a suggested potential custodian. ### Claim 38 (depends on 37) The computer program product of claim 37, wherein the fourth set of codes is further configured to provide the output of the determined plurality of suggested potential custodians that meet the predefined threshold of matches. ### Claim 39 (depends on 36) The computer program product of claim 36, wherein the third set of codes is further configured to cause the computer to access one or more enterprise databases to determine the at least one match between the predetermined data associated with at least one added potential custodian and a suggested potential custodian. ### Claim 40 (depends on 36) The computer program product of claim 36, wherein the predetermined data includes one or more of employment chain-of-command, employment locale, employment classification, data source accessibility, or data content generated by potential custodians. ### Claim 41 (depends on 36) The computer program product of claim 36, wherein the third set of codes is further configured to cause the computer to apply a predetermined relevancy weight value to each match of the predetermined data and sum the predetermined relevancy weight values to result in a suggested potential custodian score. ### Claim 42 (depends on 41) The computer program product of claim 41, wherein the fourth set of codes is further configured to cause the computer to provide the output of the determined plurality of suggested potential custodians, wherein the output is a ranked listing of the suggested potential custodians, and wherein the ranked listing is ranked based on the suggested potential custodian score. ### Claim 43 (depends on 34) The computer program product of claim 34, further comprising a fifth set of codes for causing a computer to determine one or more suggested recipients of a preservation notice from amongst potential custodians previously added to the case, wherein the determination is based on an association with the one or more previously identified recipients of the preservation notice and previous preservation notice history of the one or more suggested recipients. ### Claim 44 (depends on 43) The computer program product of claim 43, wherein the fifth set of codes is further configured to cause the computer to determine at least one match between predetermined data associated with at least one of the previous identified recipients and a suggested recipient. ### Claim 45 (depends on 43) The computer program product of claim 43, wherein the fifth set of codes is further configured to cause the computer to determine that a predefined threshold of matches exist between the predetermined data associated with the at least one of the previous identified recipients and the suggested recipient. ### Claim 46 (depends on 43) The computer program product of claim 43, wherein the predetermined data associated with the at least one of the previous identified recipients and the suggested recipient includes one or more of employment chain-of-command, employment locale, employment classification, data source accessibility or generated data content. ### Claim 47 (depends on 43) The computer program product of claim 43, wherein the fifth set of codes is further configured to cause the computer to apply a predetermined relevancy weight value to each match of the predetermined data and summing the predetermined relevancy weight values to result in a suggested potential preservation notice recipient score.