Method and system for providing user control over receipt of cookies from e-commerce applications

• US 20050015429A1
• Filed: 07/17/2003
• Published: 01/20/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 07/17/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Ashley, Paul Anthony, Muppidi, Sridhar R., Vandenwauver, Mark
• Granted Patent: US 7,921,152 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/200
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/6263 during internet communication, e.g. revealing personal data from cookies
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising

Abstract

A method, system, apparatus, and computer program product are presented for processing cookies that are transmitted from a server through a proxy server to a client that is operated by a user. The proxy server detects that a response message from the server for the client has an associated cookie. The proxy server extracts a domain identifier associated with the server from the response message, and the proxy server retrieves a set of parameters that contain domain identifiers that are associated with indications of whether to block transmission of cookies from servers associated with the domain identifiers. The proxy server then processes the cookie in the response message in accordance with the retrieved set of parameters and the extracted domain identifier, either blocking or not blocking cookies from the identified domain. Blocked cookies are cached for subsequent use. Multiple sets of parameters may be configured by the user.

Claims

1. A method for processing at a proxy server data transmitted between a server and a client that is operated by a user, wherein the proxy server communicates with the client and the server through a network, the method comprising:

receiving at the proxy server a response message from the server for the client;

detecting at the proxy server a cookie associated with the response message;

extracting from the response message a domain identifier associated with the server;

retrieving a set of parameters, wherein the parameters comprise domain identifiers associated with indications of whether to block transmission of cookies from servers associated with the domain identifiers; and

processing the cookie at the proxy server in accordance with the retrieved set of parameters and the extracted domain identifier.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

in response to a determination that the set of parameters contains the extracted domain identifier, blocking the cookie from transmission from the proxy server to the client;

caching the cookie at the proxy server; and

sending a modified response message to the client.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

in response to a determination that the set of parameters contains the extracted domain identifier, sending the response message along with its associated cookie to the client.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

configuring the set of parameters at the proxy server from the client by the user.

5. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

determining, prior to processing the cookie at the proxy server in accordance with the retrieved set of parameters and the extracted domain identifier, if the set of parameters contains an indication that the user has enabled cookie processing by the proxy server.

6. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

managing multiple sets of parameters for the user at the proxy server, wherein each set of parameters is associated with an identifier; and

selecting by the user a first identifier that is associated with the set of parameters prior to retrieving the set of parameters, wherein the set of parameters is retrieved in accordance with the selected first identifier.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein the first identifier is selecting during an authentication operation.

8. The method of claim 6 further comprising:

selecting a second identifier; and

processing the cookie at the proxy server in accordance with a set of parameters that is associated with the second identifier.

9. The method of claim 6 wherein identifiers that are associated with sets of parameters are chosen from a group comprising a type of client device or a client location.

10. An apparatus for processing at a proxy server data transmitted between a server and a client that is operated by a user, wherein the proxy server communicates with the client and the server through a network, the apparatus comprising:

means for receiving at the proxy server a response message from the server for the client;

means for detecting at the proxy server a cookie associated with the response message;

means for extracting from the response message a domain identifier associated with the server;

means for retrieving a set of parameters, wherein the parameters comprise domain identifiers associated with indications of whether to block transmission of cookies from servers associated with the domain identifiers; and

means for processing the cookie at the proxy server in accordance with the retrieved set of parameters and the extracted domain identifier.

11. The apparatus of claim 10 further comprising:

means for blocking the cookie from transmission from the proxy server to the client in response to a determination that the set of parameters contains the extracted domain identifier;

means for caching the cookie at the proxy server; and

means for sending a modified response message to the client.

12. The apparatus of claim 10 further comprising:

means for sending the response message along with its associated cookie to the client in response to a determination that the set of parameters contains the extracted domain identifier.

13. The apparatus of claim 10 further comprising:

means for configuring the set of parameters at the proxy server from the client by the user.

14. The apparatus of claim 10 further comprising:

means for determining, prior to processing the cookie at the proxy server in accordance with the retrieved set of parameters and the extracted domain identifier, if the set of parameters contains an indication that the user has enabled cookie processing by the proxy server.

15. The apparatus of claim 10 further comprising:

means for managing multiple sets of parameters for the user at the proxy server, wherein each set of parameters is associated with an identifier; and

means for selecting by the user a first identifier that is associated with the set of parameters prior to retrieving the set of parameters, wherein the set of parameters is retrieved in accordance with the selected first identifier.

16. The apparatus of claim 15 wherein the first identifier is selecting during an authentication operation.

17. The apparatus of claim 15 further comprising:

means for selecting a second identifier; and

means for processing the cookie at the proxy server in accordance with a set of parameters that is associated with the second identifier.

18. The apparatus of claim 15 wherein identifiers that are associated with sets of parameters are chosen from a group comprising a type of client device or a client location.

19. A computer program product in a computer readable medium for use at a proxy server for processing data transmitted between a server and a client that is operated by a user, wherein the proxy server communicates with the client and the server through a network, the computer program product comprising:

means for receiving at the proxy server a response message from the server for the client;

means for detecting at the proxy server a cookie associated with the response message;

means for extracting from the response message a domain identifier associated with the server;

means for retrieving a set of parameters, wherein the parameters comprise domain identifiers associated with indications of whether to block transmission of cookies from servers associated with the domain identifiers; and

means for processing the cookie at the proxy server in accordance with the retrieved set of parameters and the extracted domain identifier.

20. The computer program product of claim 19 further comprising:

means for blocking the cookie from transmission from the proxy server to the client in response to a determination that the set of parameters contains the extracted domain identifier;

means for caching the cookie at the proxy server; and

means for sending a modified response message to the client.

21. The computer program product of claim 19 further comprising:

means for sending the response message along with its associated cookie to the client in response to a determination that the set of parameters contains the extracted domain identifier.

22. The computer program product of claim 19 further comprising:

means for configuring the set of parameters at the proxy server from the client by the user.

23. The computer program product of claim 19 further comprising:

means for determining, prior to processing the cookie at the proxy server in accordance with the retrieved set of parameters and the extracted domain identifier, if the set of parameters contains an indication that the user has enabled cookie processing by the proxy server.

24. The computer program product of claim 19 further comprising:

means for managing multiple sets of parameters for the user at the proxy server, wherein each set of parameters is associated with an identifier; and

means for selecting by the user a first identifier that is associated with the set of parameters prior to retrieving the set of parameters, wherein the set of parameters is retrieved in accordance with the selected first identifier.

25. The computer program product of claim 24 wherein the first identifier is selecting during an authentication operation.

26. The computer program product of claim 24 further comprising:

means for selecting a second identifier; and

means for processing the cookie at the proxy server in accordance with a set of parameters that is associated with the second identifier.

27. The computer program product of claim 24 wherein identifiers that are associated with sets of parameters are chosen from a group comprising a type of client device or a client location.