USING INTERACTIVE SCRIPTS TO FACILITATE WEB-BASED AGGREGATION

• US 20090006985A1
• Filed: 06/29/2007
• Published: 01/01/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 06/29/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Intuit, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Intuit, Inc.
• Inventors: Fong, Spencer W., Ng, Richard M., Mah, Marvin, Dockman, Thomas E., Robinson, Rodney A.
• Granted Patent: US 9,563,718 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/760
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9577 Optimising the visualization of content, e.g. distillation of HTML documents
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/02 Banking, e.g. interest calculation or account maintenance credit or loans G06Q40/03
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/08 for authentication of entities cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication H04L9/32
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0823 using certificates cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication involving certificates H04L9/3263
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/083 using passwords cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication using a predetermined code H04L9/3226
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/068 using credential vaults, e.g. password manager applications or one time password [OTP] applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/08 Access security
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/04 adapted for relaying to or from another terminal or user

Abstract

Some embodiments of the present invention provide a system that facilitates interactivity during automated web-site accesses. During operation, the system executes a script which automatically accesses one or more websites. While executing the script, the system retrieves user-specific data associated with a user. The system then uses the user-specific data to access a target website. While accessing the target website, the system receives an interactivity request which the system presents to the user. The system then receives a response to the interactivity request from the user, and forwards the response to the website.

Claims

1. A method for facilitating interactivity during automated web-site accesses, comprising:

executing a script which automatically accesses one or more websites;

while executing the script,

retrieving user-specific data associated with a user,

using the user-specific data to access a target website,

receiving an interactivity request while accessing the target website,

presenting the interactivity request to the user,

receiving a response to the interactivity request from the user, and

forwarding the response to the website.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein accessing the target website involves performing navigation operations through web pages in the target website.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein accessing the target website involves performing parsing operations to extract data from web pages in the target website.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein accessing the target website involves aggregating account information for the user from the target website.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving the interactivity request involves receiving an interactivity object which can encapsulate different data types associated with different types of interactivity requests.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein presenting the interactivity request to the user involves presenting the interactivity object to the user.

7. The method of claim 5 wherein the interactivity object can include:

an image to be viewed by the user;

an audio file to be listened to by the user;

a question in text form to be presented to the user;

or

HTML or XML code to generate a presentation for the user.

8. The method of claim 1,

wherein prior to presenting the interactivity request to the user the method further comprises suspending execution of the script;

and

wherein after forwarding the response from the user to the website the method further comprises resuming execution of the script.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the user-specific data includes an identifier and a password for the user.

10. A computer-readable storage medium storing instructions that when executed by a computer cause the computer to perform a method for facilitating interactivity during automated web-site accesses, comprising:

executing a script which automatically accesses one or more websites;

while executing the script,

retrieving user-specific data associated with a user,

using the user-specific data to access a target website,

receiving an interactivity request while accessing the target website,

presenting the interactivity request to the user,

receiving a response to the interactivity request from the user, and

forwarding the response to the website.

11. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 10, wherein accessing the target website involves performing navigation operations through web pages in the target website.

12. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 10, wherein accessing the target website involves performing parsing operations to extract data from web pages in the target website.

13. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 10, wherein accessing the target website involves aggregating account information for the user from the target website.

14. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 10, wherein receiving the interactivity request involves receiving an interactivity object which can encapsulate different data types associated with different types of interactivity requests.

15. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 14, wherein presenting the interactivity request to the user involves presenting the interactivity object to the user.

16. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 14, wherein the interactivity object can include:

an image to be viewed by the user;

an audio file to be listened to by the user;

a question in text form to be presented to the user;

or

HTML or XML code to generate a presentation for the user.

17. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 10,

wherein prior to presenting the interactivity request to the user the method further comprises suspending execution of the script;

and

wherein after forwarding the response from the user to the website the method further comprises resuming execution of the script.

18. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 10, wherein the user-specific data includes an identifier and a password for the user.

19. An apparatus that facilitates interactivity during automated web-site accesses, comprising:

an execution engine configured to a script which automatically accesses one or more websites;

wherein while executing the script, the execution engine is configured to,

retrieve user-specific data associated with a user,

use the user-specific data to access a target website,

receive an interactivity request while accessing the target website,

present the interactivity request to the user,

receive a response to the interactivity request from the user, and

forward the response to the website.

20. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein while accessing the target website, the script performs navigation operations through web pages in the target website.

21. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein while accessing the target website, the script performs parsing operations to extract data from web pages in the target website.

22. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein while accessing the target website, the script aggregates account information for the user from the target website.

23. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein while receiving the interactivity request, the execution engine and the script are configured to receive an interactivity object which can encapsulate different data types associated with different types of interactivity requests.

24. The apparatus of claim 23, wherein while presenting the interactivity request to the user, the execution engine and the script are configured to present the interactivity object to the user.

25. The apparatus of claim 23, wherein the interactivity object can include:

an image to be viewed by the user;

an audio file to be listened to by the user;

a question in text form to be presented to the user;

or

HTML or XML code to generate a presentation for the user.

26. The apparatus of claim 19,

wherein the execution engine is configured to suspend execution of the script prior to presenting the interactivity request to the user;

and

wherein the execution engine is configured to resume execution of the script after forwarding the response from the user to the website.

27. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein the user-specific data includes an identifier and a password for the user.

28. A method for facilitating interactivity during automated web-site accesses, comprising:

receiving a request to access a website from an automated script which is executing at a client;

processing the request and in doing so sending an interactivity request to the client, wherein the interactivity request solicits an interaction from the user; and

receiving a response to the interactivity request from the client, the response having been obtained from the user by the system which is executing the automated script.