System and method to capture and manage input values for automatic form fill

• US 20060059434A1
• Filed: 09/16/2004
• Published: 03/16/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 09/16/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kyndryl Incorporated
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Chen, Yen-Fu, Waters, Timothy Moffett, Hamilton, Rick Allen II, Boss, Gregory Jenson
• Granted Patent: US 8,839,090 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/780
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/2457 with adaptation to user needs
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9535 Search customisation based on user profiles and personalisation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/46 by designing passwords or checking the strength of passwords
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/174 Form filling; Merging
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/083 using passwords cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication using a predetermined code H04L9/3226

Abstract

A system for automatically completing fields in online forms, such as login forms and new user registration forms, which employs a Master Cookie File containing sets of records associated with the user, his or her accounts or web sites, and registered values associated with form tags (e.g. username, password, address, email, telephone, etc.). When the user encounters another form, the MCF is automatically searched for matching values and form tags, primarily from the same account or web site, or alternatively from other accounts or sites. A flowing pop-up menu is displayed nearby the form fields from which the user can select values to automatically complete the form. Automatic account information updating, value expiration management, mapping of favorite values, and sharing of values are optional, enhanced functions of the invention.

Claims

1. A system for automatically completing fields in online forms, comprising:

a Master File in which at least one set of records is disposed, said record set being associated with a user, an account or web site, and one or more recorded registered values associated with form tags;

a form trigger responsive to a fillable form being displayed to a user;

a form completion assistant which searches said Master File responsive to said form trigger, extracts any recorded values associated with any form tags existing in said displayed form, and provides said user a visual prompt for said extracted recorded values; and

a field completer which, responsive to user selection of one or more of said values in said visual prompt, inputs said selected values into one or more fields of said displayed form.

2. The system as set forth in claim 1 wherein said Master File contains one or more cookie files.

3. The system as set forth in claim 1 further comprising a flowing pop-up menu displayed adjacent to or with a visual link to a form field for which said associated recorded values in said Master File are found.

4. The system as set forth in claim 3 wherein said flowing pop-up menu is displayed responsive to said user moving or placing a pointing indicator over said form field.

5. The system as set forth in claim 3 wherein said flowing pop-up menu is displayed responsive to said user moving or placing a cursor in said form field.

6. The system as set forth in claim 1 further comprising an automatic value generator cooperative with said field completer and configured to automatically generate alternate values for proposition to said user and potential input into said form field.

7. The system as set forth in claim 6 wherein said automatic value generator employs a pseudo-random value generator.

8. The system as set forth in claim 7 wherein said generator is configured to append a pseudo-random value to a previously used value.

9. The system as set forth in claim 6 wherein said automatic value generator employs a predefined value sequence.

10. The system as set forth in claim 7 wherein said generator is configured to append an entry from a predefined value sequence to a previously used value.

11. The system as set forth in claim 6 further comprising:

a favorite value disposed in a record in said Master File; and

a favorite mapper configured to detect when a user has entered or selected a favorite value in a form field, to search and extract a corresponding account-specific value from said Master File, and to input said extracted account-specific value into said form field.

12. The system as set forth in claim 11 further comprising an automatic value generator cooperative with said field completer and configured to automatically generate alternate values for proposition to said user and potential input into said form field.

13. The system as set forth in claim 1 further comprising at least one value expiration indicator associated with a value in a record in said Master File.

14. The system as set forth in claim 13 further comprising an automatic account information updater which is configured to log into accounts and update values as recorded in said Master File responsive to detection of a user input which does not match a corresponding value in said Master File, and responsive to a system time nearing an expiration time as provided by said expiration indicator.

15. The system as set forth in claim 14 further comprising an automatic value generator cooperative with said field completer and configured to automatically generate alternate values updating said expired value.

16. The system as set forth in claim 1 further comprising an automatic account information updater which is configured to log into accounts and update values as recorded in said Master File.

17. The system as set forth in claim 16 wherein said updater is further configured to perform said updating of values upon detection of a system time being proximate to an expiration indicator set in said Master File.

18. The system as set forth in claim 17 wherein said updater is further configured to automatically generate alternate values for expired values.

19. The system as set forth in claim 1 further comprising an account records sharer configured to extract a set of records associated with an account and to transfer said extracted records into a Master File of a second user.

20. The system as set forth in claim 19 further comprising:

a favorite value disposed in a record in said second user'"'"'s Master File; and

a favorite mapper configured to detect when said second user has entered or selected a favorite value in a form field, to search and extract a corresponding account-specific value from said shared Master File records, and to input said extracted account-specific value into said form field.

21. A method for automatically completing fields in online forms, comprising the steps of:

disposing at least one set of records in a Master File, each record set being associated with a user, an account or web site, and one or more recorded registered values associated with form tags;

displaying to a user a fillable online form having one or more form tags associated with fillable fields in said form;

responsive to displaying said online form, extracting any recorded values associated with any form tags in said displayed form from said Master File;

providing said user a visual prompt for said extracted recorded values; and

responsive to user selection of one or more of said values in said visual prompt, automatically entering said selected values into one or more fields of said displayed form.

22. The method as set forth in claim 21 wherein said steps of disposing records in a Master File comprises disposing one or more cookie files in said Master File.

23. The method as set forth in claim 21 further comprising displaying a flowing pop-up menu adjacent to or with a visual link to a form field for which said associated recorded values in said Master File are found.

24. The method as set forth in claim 23 wherein said flowing pop-up menu is displayed responsive to said user moving or placing a pointing indicator over said form field.

25. The method as set forth in claim 23 wherein said flowing pop-up menu is displayed responsive to said user moving or placing a cursor in said form field.

26. The method as set forth in claim 21 further comprising automatically generating alternate values for proposition to said user and potential input into said form field.

27. The method as set forth in claim 26 wherein said step of generating alternate values employs a pseudo-random value generator.

28. The method as set forth in claim 27 further comprising appending a pseudo-random value to a previously used value to generate an alternate value.

29. The method as set forth in claim 26 wherein said step of generating alternate values employs a predefined value sequence.

30. The method as set forth in claim 27 wherein said step of generating alternate values comprises appending an entry from a predefined value sequence to a previously used value.

31. The method as set forth in claim 26 further comprising the steps of:

disposing a favorite value in a record in said Master File;

detecting when a user has entered or selected a favorite value in a form field; and

responsive to detection of said entry of a favorite value, extracting a corresponding specific value from said Master File for entry into said form field.

32. The method as set forth in claim 31 further comprising automatically generating alternate values for proposition to said user and potential input into said form field.

33. The method as set forth in claim 21 further comprising disposing at least one value expiration indicator associated with a value in a record in said Master File.

34. The method as set forth in claim 33 further comprising the steps of:

automatically logging into a user account, responsive to detection of a user input which does not match a corresponding value in said Master File; and

following said step of logging into a user account, updating values as recorded in said Master File in said user account.

35. The method as set forth in claim 34 further comprising automatically generating alternate values updating said expired value.

36. The method as set forth in claim 33 further comprising the steps of:

automatically logging into a user account, responsive to a system time nearing an expiration time as provided by said expiration indicator; and

following said step of logging into a user account, updating values as recorded in said Master File in said user account.

37. The method as set forth in claim 36 further comprising automatically generating alternate values updating said expired value.

38. The method as set forth in claim 21 further comprising the steps of:

extracting a set of records associated with an account; and

transferring said extracted records into a Master File of a second user.

39. The method as set forth in claim 38 further comprising the steps of:

disposing a favorite value in a record in said second user'"'"'s Master File;

detecting when said second user has entered or selected a favorite value in a form field; and

extracting a corresponding specific value from said shared Master File records for automatic input to said form field.

40. A computer-readable medium encoded with software for automatically completing fields in online forms, said software performing the steps of:

disposing at least one set of records in a Master File, each record set being associated with a user, an account or web site, and one or more recorded registered values associated with form tags;

displaying to a user a fillable online form having one or more form tags associated with fillable fields in said form;

responsive to displaying said online form, extracting any recorded values associated with any form tags in said displayed form from said Master File;

providing said user a visual prompt for said extracted recorded values; and

responsive to user selection of one or more of said values in said visual prompt, automatically entering said selected values into one or more fields of said displayed form.

41. The medium as set forth in claim 40 wherein said software for disposing records in a Master File comprises software for disposing one or more cookie files in said Master File.

42. The medium as set forth in claim 40 further comprising software for displaying a flowing pop-up menu adjacent to or with a visual link to a form field for which said associated recorded values in said Master File are found.

43. The medium as set forth in claim 42 wherein said flowing pop-up menu is displayed responsive to said user moving or placing a pointing indicator over said form field.

44. The medium as set forth in claim 42 wherein said flowing pop-up menu is displayed responsive to said user moving or placing a cursor in said form field.

45. The medium as set forth in claim 40 further comprising software for automatically generating alternate values for proposition to said user and potential input into said form field.

46. The medium as set forth in claim 45 wherein said software for generating alternate values employs a pseudo-random value generator.

47. The medium as set forth in claim 46 further comprising software for appending a pseudo-random value to a previously used value to generate an alternate value.

48. The medium as set forth in claim 47 wherein said software for generating alternate values employs a predefined value sequence.

49. The medium as set forth in claim 46 wherein said software for generating alternate values comprises software for appending an entry from a predefined value sequence to a previously used value.

50. The medium as set forth in claim 45 further comprising software for performing the steps of:

disposing a favorite value in a record in said Master File;

detecting when a user has entered or selected a favorite value in a form field; and

responsive to detection of said entry of a favorite value, extracting a corresponding specific value from said Master File for entry into said form field.

51. The medium as set forth in claim 50 further comprising software for automatically generating alternate values for proposition to said user and potential input into said form field.

52. The medium as set forth in claim 40 further comprising software for disposing at least one value expiration indicator associated with a value in a record in said Master File.

55. The medium as set forth in claim 52 further comprising software for performing the steps of:

automatically logging into a user account, responsive to a system time nearing an expiration time as provided by said expiration indicator; and

following said step of logging into a user account, updating values as recorded in said Master File in said user account.

56. The medium as set forth in claim 55 further comprising software for automatically generating alternate values updating said expired value.

57. The medium as set forth in claim 40 further comprising software for performing the steps of:

extracting a set of records associated with an account; and

transferring said extracted records into a Master File of a second user.

58. The medium as set forth in claim 57 further comprising software for performing the steps of:

disposing a favorite value in a record in said second user'"'"'s Master File;

detecting when said second user has entered or selected a favorite value in a form field; and

extracting a corresponding specific value from said shared Master File records for automatic input to said form field.

53. The medium as set forth in claim 53 further comprising software for performing the steps of:

automatically logging into a user account, responsive to detection of a user input which does not match a corresponding value in said Master File; and

following said step of logging into a user account, updating values as recorded in said Master File in said user account.

54. The medium as set forth in claim 53 further comprising software for automatically generating alternate values updating said expired value.