Unified E-Discovery Platform for Multi-Server Content Aggregation

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Solution Overview

Problem

The challenge lies in efficiently locating, preserving, and processing vast amounts of electronic content across multiple disparate content servers, which is time-consuming, costly, and lacks effective tools to limit relevant content disclosure in litigation, leading to increased litigation costs due to manual review.

Innovation Solution

A system and method for locating relevant content items across multiple content sources, utilizing a user interface to define queries, execute native searches, aggregate statistics, and preview results, allowing for targeted searches and export of relevant items from email servers, content sites, fileshares, and databases, thereby reducing manual review and costs.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Measurement precision

If manual review of all electronic content is performed to identify relevant items for litigation, then relevant content can be identified, but litigation costs and time consumption increase significantly

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveidentification accuracy of relevant contentVSAvoidtime for content review
Core Design Contradiction:
Measurement precisionVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The patent replaces manual mechanical review with automated electronic discovery systems that use software to search, identify, and retrieve relevant electronic content across multiple servers. The system automatically processes emails, documents, and other electronic files without requiring manual examination of each item.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent introduces an intermediary electronic discovery platform that acts as a mediator between the disparate content servers and the litigation team. This platform provides unified search capabilities, content aggregation, and review tools that streamline the identification process without requiring direct manual access to each server.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Reliability

If all electronic content from multiple disparate servers is collected for review, then complete coverage of potential evidence is achieved, but processing complexity and costs increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecompleteness of evidence collectionVSAvoidsystem complexity for managing multiple servers
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent implements a universal electronic discovery platform that can access and search multiple types of content servers (email servers, file servers, databases, web servers) through a single interface. The system performs multiple functions including searching, collecting, reviewing, and exporting content from diverse sources without requiring separate tools for each server type.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent segments the complex task of e-discovery into manageable components: content identification through search queries, collection of relevant items, review processes, and export capabilities. This segmentation allows the system to handle multiple servers systematically by processing content in organized batches rather than as a monolithic task.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

3Measurement precision

If extensive manual review of all content is conducted to limit relevant content disclosure, then accurate identification of relevant items is achieved, but litigation costs increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveaccuracy of relevant content identificationVSAvoidlitigation costs
Core Design Contradiction:
Measurement precisionVSLoss of energy

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies partial action by using automated search and filtering to identify a subset of potentially relevant content before full review. The system performs preliminary sorting and prioritization, allowing reviewers to focus only on the most promising items rather than examining every piece of content, thereby reducing costs while maintaining identification accuracy.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #16Partial or excessive action

Data Source

PatentEP2780838B1Locating relevant content items across multiple disparate content sources
Publication Date: 2019.08.07 MICROSOFT TECHNOLOGY LICENSING LLC
  • EP2780838B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP2780838B1 patent drawingFigure 2
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AI summary

Technologies are described herein for locating relevant content items across multiple disparate content sources. Query parameters are received from a user interface for defining a query for searching a number of content sources located on multiple, disparate content servers. A native search is executed on each of the content servers based on the received query parameters, and query statistics and other data regarding content items in the content sources matching the query parameters are received. The query statistics are aggregated across the content servers and presented in the user interface. The presentation of the query statistics may be broken out by each content source, by each query phrase segmented from the query, and the like. In addition, a preview of a number of content items matching the query parameters is presented based on the data received.