System and method to map favorite values for specific values during electronic form filling

• US 20060168509A1
• Filed: 01/27/2005
• Published: 07/27/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 01/27/2005
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Chen, Yen-Fu, Waters, Timothy Moffett, Hamilton, Rick Allen II, Boss, Gregory Jenson
• Application Number:
  US11/044,580
• Publication Number:
  US 20060168509A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/226
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/174 Form filling; Merging

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 (“MCF”) 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 provided to ease the task of remembering value for entry into electronic form fields.

Claims

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

at least one computer-readable form-entry favorite value record accessible by an electronic form completion system, each of said favorite value records including one or more favorite values associated one or more specific values;

a form trigger responsive to a fillable online form being displayed to a user by said electronic form completion system;

a value mapper and field completer, initiated by said form trigger, and configured to detect when a user has entered or selected a favorite value in a form field of said displayed form, and to retrieve a corresponding specific value from said favorite value record, and to input said retrieved specific value into said form field, thereby exchanging the user-entered favorite value for the retreived specific value.

2. The system as set forth in claim 1 further comprising a Master File in which at least one set of said favorite value records is disposed.

3. The system as set forth in claim 2 wherein said favorite value records are further associated one or more of the criteria selected from the group of a user, an online form tag, an electronic account, a web site, a network address, and a form file.

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

5. The system as set forth in claim 2 further comprising 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.

6. The system as set forth in claim 5 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.

7. The system as set forth in claim 6 wherein said flowing pop-up menu is displayed responsive to said user moving or placing a pointing indicator over said form field.

8. The system as set forth in claim 6 wherein said flowing pop-up menu is displayed responsive to said user moving or placing a cursor in said form field.

9. 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.

10. The system as set forth in claim 9 wherein said automatic value generator employs a pseudo-random value generator.

11. The system as set forth in claim 10 wherein said generator is configured to append a pseudo-random value to a previously used value.

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

13. The system as set forth in claim 12 wherein said generator is configured to append an entry from a predefined value sequence to a previously used value.

14. The system as set forth in claim 1 further comprising an automatic account information updater which is configured to log into at least one online account and to update at least one specific value as recorded in said favorite value records responsive to detection of a user input which does not match a corresponding value in said favorite value records.

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 when updating said unmatched values.

16. The system as set forth in claim 1 further comprising at least one value expiration indicator associated with a favorite value record.

17. The system as set forth in claim 16 further comprising an automatic account information updater which is configured to log into at least one online account and to update at least one specific value as recorded in said favorite value records responsive to a system time nearing an expiration time as provided by said expiration indicator.

18. The system as set forth in claim 16 further comprising an automatic value generator cooperative with said field completer and configured to automatically generate alternate values updating said expired value.

19. The system as set forth in claim 1 further comprising a favorite value record sharer configured to transfer one or more favorite value records from a first user to a second user.