Method and apparatus for securely displaying and communicating trusted and untrusted internet content

• US 20060010134A1
• Filed: 07/09/2004
• Published: 01/12/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 07/09/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: PayPal, Inc. (PayPal Holdings, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: eBay Inc.
• Inventors: Davis, Jeremy Alan, Spickler, Randall B., Gilbert, Evan
• Granted Patent: US 8,280,819 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/104 Grouping of entities
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/168 above the transport layer

Abstract

A method and apparatus for securely displaying and communicating trusted and untrusted internet content via a web browser is described. In a preferred embodiment, the invention is an electronic marketplace system in which auction-related content is displayed in one window of a customer'"'"'s web browser while item-related content is displayed in a second window of the customer'"'"'s web browser, such that the auction-related content and the item-related content are substantially prevented from substantially interacting. The invention further provides a method and apparatus for communicating predetermined information between multiple documents opened in multiple web browser windows, where the documents are served from multiple domains.

Claims

1. One or more computer readable media having stored thereon a plurality of instructions that, when executed by one or more processors of a computing device, causes the one or more processors to perform the steps comprising:

receiving a first set of content from a first source;

storing the first set of content on a first domain;

receiving a second set of content from a second source; and

storing the second set of content on a second domain different than the first domain;

such that if the first and second sets of content were transmitted to a web browser supporting a cross-frame security feature and displayed in two separate browser views, the web browser would prevent the first and second sets of content from substantially interacting.

2. One or more computer readable media as in claim 1, wherein the first set of content is trusted content, and wherein the second set of content is untrusted content.

3. One or more computer readable media as in claim 2, wherein the trusted content lists an item or service offered in an electronic marketplace.

4. One or more computer readable media as in claim 2, wherein the trusted content is content provided by an electronic marketplace service.

5. One or more computer readable media as in claim 2, wherein the trusted content is content provided in a format other than HTML by a seller participating in an electronic marketplace service.

6. One or more computer readable media as in claim 2, wherein the untrusted content is provided in HTML format by a seller participating in an electronic marketplace service.

7. One or more computer readable media as in claim 6, wherein the untrusted content is a description of an item or service offered via an electronic marketplace.

8. One or more computer readable media as in claim 1, wherein said plurality of instructions further causes the one or more processors to perform the steps of:

transmitting the first and second sets of content to a web browser.

9. One or more computer readable media as in claim 8, wherein said plurality of instructions further causes the one or more processors to perform the step of:

instructing the web browser to display the first set of content in a first browser view and the second set of content in a second browser view.

10. One or more computer readable media as in claim 8, wherein the web browser supports a cross-frame security feature.

11. One or more computer readable media having stored thereon a plurality of instructions that, when executed by one or more processors of a computing device, causes the one or more processors to perform the steps comprising:

receiving, from a first browser view of a web browser, a request to view a web page including a first set of content and a second set of content;

transmitting to the web browser, from a first domain, a first document containing the first set of content;

transmitting, from a second domain different than the first domain, a second document containing the second set of content; and

instructing the web browser to display the first document in a first browser view and the second document in a second browser view;

such that the web browser prevents the first and second sets of content from substantially interacting.

12. One or more computer readable media as in claim 11, wherein the web browser supports a cross-frame security feature.

13. One or more computer readable media as in claim 11, wherein the first set of content is trusted content and the second set of content is untrusted content.

14. One or more computer readable media as in claim 11, wherein the web page lists an item or service offered in an electronic marketplace.

15. One or more computer readable media as in claim 11, wherein the trusted content is content provided by an electronic marketplace service.

16. One or more computer readable media as in claim 11, wherein the trusted content is content provided in a format other than HTML by a seller participating in an electronic marketplace service.

17. One or more computer readable media as in claim 11, wherein the untrusted content is provided in HTML format by a seller participating in an electronic marketplace service.

18. One or more computer readable media as in claim 17, wherein the untrusted content is a description of an item or service offered in an electronic marketplace.

19. One or more computer readable media having stored thereon a plurality of instructions that, when executed by one or more processors of a computing device, causes the one or more processors to perform the steps comprising:

receiving, in a first browser view of a web browser, a first document from a first domain;

receiving, in a second browser view, a second document from a second domain different than the first domain, wherein the second document includes predetermined information that is to be passed to the first document;

creating a first communication that includes the information from the second document that is to be passed to the first document; and

sending the first communication to the first domain via a third browser view.

20. One or more computer readable media as in claim 19, wherein the web browser supports a cross-frame security feature.

21. One or more computer readable media as in claim 19, wherein the first communication comprises a URL.

22. One or more computer readable media as in claim 21, wherein the first communication further comprises one of a query string and a form data block.

23. One or more computer readable media as in claim 21, wherein the URL is the address of a third document on the first domain.

24. One or more computer readable media as in claim 19, wherein said plurality of instructions further causes the one or more processors to perform the step of:

receiving, in one of the first and third browser views, data from the first domain that is responsive to the information included in the first communication.

25. One or more computer readable media as in claim 24, wherein the data from the first domain is a document to be rendered in the third browser view.

26. One or more computer readable media as in claim 24, wherein the data from the first domain is a dynamic HTML update to the first browser view.

27. One or more computer readable media as in claim 24, wherein said plurality of instructions further causes the one or more processors to perform the step of:

adjusting the size of one of the first and second browser views based on the responsive data from the first domain.

28. One or more computer readable media as in claim 24, wherein said plurality of instructions further causes the one or more processors to perform the step of:

creating a second communication including information to be passed to the second document.

29. One or more computer readable media as in claim 28, wherein said plurality of instructions further causes the one or more processors to perform the step of:

sending the second communication to the second domain.

30. One or more computer readable media as in claim 29, wherein said plurality of instructions further causes the one or more processors to perform the step of:

receiving, via one of the second browser view and a fourth browser view, responsive data from the second domain that is responsive to the information included in the second communication.

31. One or more computer readable media having stored thereon a plurality of instructions that, when executed by one or more processors of a computing device, causes the one or more processors to perform the steps comprising:

transmitting a first document from a first domain to a first browser view in a web browser wherein the first document includes an instruction to the web browser to obtain, via a second browser view, a second document from a second domain different from the first domain; and

receiving, from a third browser view of the web browser, a first communication including information derived from the second document.

32. One or more computer readable media as in claim 31, wherein the web browser supports a cross-frame security feature,

33. One or more computer readable media as in claim 31, wherein the first communication comprises a URL.

34. One or more computer readable media as in claim 33, wherein the URL is the address of a third document on the first domain.

35. One or more computer readable media as in claim 31, wherein the first communication further comprises one of a query string and a form data block.

36. One or more computer readable media as in claim 31, wherein said plurality of instructions further causes the one or more processors to perform the step of:

parsing the first communication to extract the information derived from the second document.

37. One or more computer readable media as in claim 36, wherein said plurality of instructions further causes the one or more processors to perform the step of:

based on the information extracted from the first communication, transmitting additional content from the first domain to the web browser.

38. One or more computer readable media as in claim 37, wherein said additional content dynamically updates the content of the first document in the first browser view.

39. One or more computer readable media as in claim 37, wherein said additional content is a third document capable of exchanging data with the first document in the first browser view.

40. One or more computer readable media as in claim 37, wherein said additional content instructs the web browser (a) to create a second communication containing predetermined information from the first domain and (b) to send the second communication to the second domain.

41. One or more computer readable media as in claim 40, wherein said plurality of instructions further causes the one or more processors to perform the steps of:

receiving, from the web browser, a third communication having additional information derived from the second domain.

42. One or more computer readable media as in claim 41, wherein said plurality of instructions further causes the one or more processors to perform the steps of:

parsing the third communication to extract the additional information derived from the second domain.

43. A method for securely communicating internet content, comprising the steps of:

receiving a first set of content from a first source;

storing the first set of content on a first domain;

receiving a second set of content from a second source; and

storing the second set of content on a second domain different than the first domain;

such that if the first and second sets of content were transmitted to a web browser supporting a cross-frame security feature and displayed in two separate browser views, the web browser would prevent the first and second sets of content from substantially interacting.

44. A method for securely communicating internet content, comprising the steps of:

receiving, from a first browser view of a web browser, a request to view a web page including a first set of content and a second set of content;

transmitting to the web browser, from a first domain, a first document containing the first set of content;

transmitting, from a second domain different than the first domain, a second document containing the second set of content; and

instructing the web browser to display the first document in a first browser view and the second document in a second browser view;

such that the web browser prevents the first and second sets of content from substantially interacting.

45. A method for securely communicating internet content, comprising the steps of:

receiving, in a first browser view of a web browser, a first document from a first domain;

receiving, in a second browser view, a second document from a second domain different than the first domain, wherein the second document includes predetermined information that is to be passed to the first document;

creating a first communication that includes the information from the second document that is to be passed to the first document; and

sending the first communication to the first domain via a third browser view.

46. A method for securely communicating internet content, comprising the steps of:

transmitting a first document from a first domain to a first browser view in a web browser wherein the first document includes an instruction to the web browser to obtain, via a second browser view, a second document from a second domain different from the first domain; and

receiving, from a third browser view of the web browser, a first communication including information derived from the second document.

47. A system for securely communicating internet content, comprising:

a means for receiving a first set of content from a first source;

a means for storing the first set of content on a first domain;

a means for receiving a second set of content from a second source; and

a means for storing the second set of content on a second domain different than the first domain;

such that if the first and second sets of content were transmitted to a web browser supporting a cross-frame security feature and displayed in two separate browser views, the web browser would prevent the first and second sets of content from substantially interacting.

48. A system for securely communicating internet content, comprising:

a means for receiving, from a first browser view of a web browser, a request to view a web page including a first set of content and a second set of content;

a means for transmitting to the web browser, from a first domain, a first document containing the first set of content;

a means for transmitting, from a second domain different than the first domain, a second document containing the second set of content; and

a means for instructing the web browser to display the first document in a first browser view and the second document in a second browser view;

such that the web browser prevents the first and second sets of content from substantially interacting.

49. A system for securely communicating internet content, comprising:

a means for receiving, in a first browser view of a web browser, a first document from a first domain;

a means for receiving, in a second browser view, a second document from a second domain different than the first domain, wherein the second document includes predetermined information that is to be passed to the first document;

a means for creating a first communication that includes the information from the second document that is to be passed to the first document; and

a means for sending the first communication to the first domain via a third browser view.

50. A system for securely communicating internet content, comprising:

a means for transmitting a first document from a first domain to a first browser view in a web browser wherein the first document includes an instruction to the web browser to obtain, via a second browser view, a second document from a second domain different from the first domain; and

a means for receiving, from a third browser view of the web browser, a first communication including information derived from the second document.