Automatic log-in processing and password management system for multiple target web sites

• US 20040158746A1
• Filed: 02/07/2003
• Published: 08/12/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 02/07/2003
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Ellie Mae Incorporated (Intercontinental Exchange, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Ellie Mae Incorporated (Intercontinental Exchange, Inc.)
• Inventors: Wu, Ting-Hu, Hu, Limin
• Application Number:
  US10/359,973
• Publication Number:
  US 20040158746A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 713/202
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/41 where a single sign-on provides access to a plurality of computers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0815 providing single-sign-on or federations
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/083 using passwords cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication using a predetermined code H04L9/3226

Abstract

An automatic log-in and password management system for on-line, electronic commerce systems is described. An automatic log-in module receives relevant transaction information from a user and processes this information for transactions to one or more target computers. The log-in procedure for access to a secure area within the target computer is stored as a script executable by the password management system. The processing system monitors user accesses to a target computer of the one or more target computers. A password management system detects a password entry requirement to initiate the transaction. The password management system accesses the appropriate password from a pre-stored database to obtain the password corresponding to the user identifier for the specific target client computer. The password management system then executes the stored log-in script and automatically populates the password or other access code into the appropriate access program of the client computer based on the user identifier.

Claims

1. A password management system for providing secure access from a user computer to one or more target computers, the system comprising:

a web server module on a target computer of the one or more target computers providing access to a web page on the target computer, the web page accessible through an unique uniform resource locator defined by a network protocol;

a web browser application resident on the user computer providing access to the web page from the user computer;

a database coupled to the user computer and configured to store a user identifier and a password for access by a user to the web page, and a log-in procedure required to allow user access to the web page;

a password management module coupled to the user computer and configured to recognize an access to the web page as a password secured access requiring input of the user identifier and password for the user, obtain the log-in procedure information for the web page, execute the log-in procedure, and pass the user identifier and password to the target computer upon execution of the log-in procedure.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the password management module is resident on an intermediate server computer coupled between the user computer and the target computer.

3. The system of claim 2 wherein the database is stored on the intermediate computer.

4. The system of claim 3 further comprising an automatic form fill process coupled to the web browser, and configured to automatically input the user identifier and password data into appropriate data entry fields of the web page upon execution of the log-in procedure.

5. A method for processing and submitting password secured request to a web page served by a target computer from a user computer loan application data over a computer network, the method comprising the steps of:

storing in a first database, a user identifier and password for the user corresponding to an account established to allow access to the web page served by the target computer;

storing in a second database a log-in procedure for accessing a user account through the web page served by the target computer;

receiving an access to the target computer from the user by processing a uniform resource locator request from the user;

recognizing the uniform resource locator request as an access requiring password authorization;

identifying the user through a network protocol;

executing the log-in procedure;

retrieving the user identifier and password for the requested uniform resource locator for the user; and

automatically inputting the user identifier and password for the user in the web page displayed by the web browser.

6. A log-in management system for providing secure access from on a distributed client/server computer network in which a client computer is coupled to one or more target computers through a server computer, the system comprising:

an embedded web browser process resident on the client computer for accessing a web page hosted by a web server process resident on a target computer of the one or more target computers;

a first client-side log-in module executed by the client computer operable to monitor accesses by the client computer to the one or more target computers, and determine whether the network address of the target computer is within a list of network addresses for the one or more target computers;

a server-side log-in module executed by the server computer operable to retrieve log-in program script and user identifier information for a user of the client computer if the network address of the target computer is within the list of network addresses for the one or more target computers; and

a second client-side log-in module executed by the client computer operable to download the log-in program script and user identifier information from the server computer and execute the log-in script to affect user access to the web page hosted on the target computer.

7. The log-in management system of claim 6 wherein the user identifier information comprises a user log-in name established by the user for the target computer and a password uniquely identifying the user to the target computer.

8. The log-in management system of claim 7 further comprising:

a first database stored within a server memory storage coupled to the server computer; and

a second database stored within a client memory storage coupled to the client computer.

9. The log-in management systems of claim 8 wherein the user identifier information and log-in program script are stored in the first database.

10. The log-in management system of claim 8 wherein the user identifier information is stored in the second database and the log-in program script is stored in the first database.

11. The log-in management system of claim 8 wherein the list of network addresses for the one or more target computers comprises a list of Uniform Resource Locator identifiers stored in the first database.

12. The log-in management system of claim 11 wherein the web page on the target computer comprises a user account log-in page for the target computer, and wherein the server-side log-in module is operable to display the user account log-in page through the web browser on the client computer.

13. The log-in management system of claim 12 wherein the user account log-in page includes data entry fields for one or more data items identifying the user to the target computer, and wherein the second client-side log-in module inputs the user log-in name and password information into appropriate data entry fields of the user account log-in page.

14. The log-in management system of claim 12 wherein the user account log-in page includes data entry fields for one or more data items identifying the user to the target computer, and wherein the server-side log-in module causes a reminder window to be displayed on the user account log-in page, the reminder window displaying the user log-in name and password to facilitate direct user input of the user log-in name and password information into appropriate data entry fields of the user account log-in page.

15. The log-in management system of claim 8 further comprising a third database storing a client name identifying the user to the server computer, the third database being stored within the server memory storage.

16. A log-in management method for providing secure access from on a distributed client/server computer network in which a client computer is coupled to one or more target computers through a server computer, the method comprising:

storing a list of Uniform Resource Locators for target computers in a first database;

registering a user of the client computer with the server computer through a client name;

establishing an account for the user on the target computer through a user name and a password;

storing the user name and password in a second database;

storing log-in procedures for each target computers for which a Uniform Resource Locator is on the list of Uniform Resource Locators in a third database;

monitoring accesses by the user to the one or more target computers;

determining whether an access to a target computer of the one or more target computers is to a Uniform Resource Locator stored on the list of Uniform Resource Locators;

retrieving the log-in procedure corresponding to the target computer and the user name and password corresponding to the user if the target computer Uniform Resource Locator is on the list of Uniform Resource Locators, and downloading the log-in name, user name, and password to the client computer; and

executing, on the client computer, the log-in procedure to enable the user to access the target computer.

17. The method of claim 16 further comprising the step of automatically entering the user name and password data into corresponding data entry fields on a log-in web page of the target computer.