Document processing system and method

Abstract

There is provided a method for processing electronic documents. The method includes: receiving a plurality of electronic documents stored in a file container created based on a file system; retrieving metadata from the file container, the metadata indicating forensic information about the plurality of electronic documents; applying an interactive filtering to the metadata according to user inputs; and selectively extracting one or more electronic documents from the file container according to results of the interactive filtering.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method for processing electronic documents, comprising:
 receiving a plurality of electronic documents stored in a storage medium;   retrieving metadata from the storage medium without extracting the plurality of electronic documents from the storage medium, the metadata indicating forensic information about the plurality of electronic documents;   presenting the metadata to a user for review;   setting an interactive filter according to user inputs that indicate a selection of forensic information of the electronic documents;   applying, by a computer without human intervention, the interactive filter to the electronic documents; and   selectively extracting, without human intervention, one or more electronic documents from the storage medium based on the application of the interactive filter.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising determining the forensic information about the plurality of electronic documents by analyzing the metadata. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the forensic information about the plurality of electronic documents includes a list of folders storing the electronic documents and structural relationships of the folders, the structural relationships of the folders corresponding to a file system in which the electronic documents were created. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 3 , wherein the forensic information about the plurality of electronic documents further includes a list of electronic documents stored within each folder. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 4 , wherein the forensic information about the plurality of electronic documents further includes at least one of a document name, a document type, a file extension, a creation date and time, a last modified date and time, an indication of whether the electronic documents have been deleted, a number of all of the electronic documents, a size of all of the electronic documents. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 4 , further comprising:
 presenting the forensic information about the plurality of electronic documents to a user through a user interface generated by a web-based application.   
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the applying of the interactive filter to electronic documents includes:
 receiving the user inputs from a user through a user interface, the user inputs including at least a filtering criterion;   filtering the electronic documents based on the filtering criterion; and   storing filtering results in a queue waiting to be processed, the filtering results identifying a selected set of the electronic documents.   
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein the filtering criterion includes at least one of a document name, a document type, a folder name, a custodian name, a file extension, a domain name, a date range, a time range, or a keyword. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 7 , further comprising presenting the filtering results to a user through a user interface. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 9 , further comprising presenting the filtering results in substantially real time. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 9 , further comprising:
 receiving an additional user input for adjusting the filtering result, the additional user input including an additional filtering criterion different from the filtering criterion; and   filtering the electronic documents according to the additional filtering criterion.   
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 presenting the selectively extracted electronic documents to a user for review.   
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 12 , further comprising:
 generating a graphical element representing a statistical characteristic of the selectively extracted electronic documents.   
     
     
         14 . A computer-readable medium including computer instructions, which, when executed by a processor, causes the processor to perform a method for processing electronic documents, the method comprising:
 receiving a plurality of electronic documents stored in a storage medium;   retrieving metadata from the storage medium without extracting the plurality of electronic documents from the storage medium, the metadata indicating forensic information about the plurality of electronic documents;   presenting the metadata to a user for review;   setting an interactive filter according to user inputs that indicate a selection of forensic information of the electronic documents;   applying, without human intervention, the interactive filter to the electronic documents; and   selectively extracting, without human intervention, one or more electronic documents from the storage medium based on the application of the interactive filter.   
     
     
         15 . The computer-readable medium of  claim 14 , wherein the method further comprises generating a user interface on a remote computer for presenting the forensic information about the plurality of electronic documents and the selectively extracted electronic documents to a user. 
     
     
         16 . The computer-readable medium of  claim 15 , wherein the applying of the interactive filter includes:
 receiving the user inputs from a user through a user interface, the user inputs including at least a filtering criterion;   filtering the electronic documents based on the filtering criterion; and   storing filtering results in a queue waiting to be processed, the filtering results identifying a selected set of the electronic documents.   
     
     
         17 . The computer-readable medium of  claim 16 , wherein the method further comprises presenting the filtering results to the user in substantially real time through the user interface. 
     
     
         18 . A computer system for processing electronic documents including:
 a storage medium for storing computer instructions for processing a plurality of electronic documents; and   a processor for executing the computer instructions, the computer instructions causing the processor to:
 receive a plurality of electronic documents stored in a storage medium; 
 retrieve metadata from the storage medium without extracting the plurality of electronic documents from the storage medium, the metadata indicating forensic information about the plurality of electronic documents; 
 present the metadata to a user for review; 
 set an interactive filter according to user inputs that indicate a selection of forensic information of the electronic documents; 
 apply, without human intervention, the interactive filter to the electronic documents; and 
 selectively extracting, without human intervention, one or more electronic documents from the storage medium based on the application of the interactive filter. 
   
     
     
         19 . The computer system of  claim 18 , wherein the computer instructions further cause the processor to:
 create a project and one or more tasks for processing the electronic documents according to user inputs;   assign at least one of the tasks to the project.   
     
     
         20 . The computer system of  claim 19 , wherein the computer instructions further cause the processor to:
 create one or more price profiles; and   associate the price profiles with the project.   
     
     
         21 . A method for processing electronic documents, comprising:
 executing an application for inventorying, without human intervention, a plurality of electronic documents stored on a storage medium;   generating a file set that is forensically sound and includes the plurality of electronic documents, the file set including forensic information about the plurality of electronic documents;   retrieving metadata from the file set without extracting the plurality of electronic documents from the storage medium;   making the electronic documents available, without human intervention, to a user for review;   applying, without human intervention, an interactive filter to the file set based on the metadata; and   selectively extracting, without human intervention, one or more electronic documents from the file set based on applying the interactive filter.   
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 21 , wherein the file set is an image file generated based on a file system associated with the storage medium. 
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 21 , wherein the making the electronic documents available to the user further includes presenting the metadata to the user through the web-based application. 
     
     
         24 . The method of  claim 21 , wherein the metadata includes at least one of a document name, a document type, a file extension, a creation date and time, a last modified date and time, an indication of whether the electronic documents have been deleted, a number of all of the electronic documents, a size of all of the electronic documents. 
     
     
         25 . A method for processing electronic documents, comprising;
 receiving a forensic copy of a plurality of electronic documents stored in as source medium;   retrieving metadata from the forensic copy without extracting the plurality of electronic documents from the source medium, the metadata indicating forensic information about the plurality of electronic documents;   presenting the metadata to a user for review;   setting an interactive filter according to user inputs that indicate a selection of forensic information of the electronic documents;   applying, by a computer without human intervention the interactive filter to the forensic copy; and   selectively extracting, without human intervention, one or more electronic documents from the source medium based on the application of the interactive filter.