Secure server-based indentification for simplified online transaction processing with palmtop computer

• US 6,950,857 B1
• Filed: 03/31/2000
• Issued: 09/27/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 03/31/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Access Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Palmsource Incorporated (Access Company Limited)
• Inventors: Arnold, Greg
• Primary Examiner(s): Etienne, Ario
• Assistant Examiner(s): NGUYEN, THU HA T
• Application Number:
  US09/541,378
• Time in Patent Office: 2,006 Days
• Field of Search: 709/217, 709/218, 709/219, 709/203, 340/531, 455/411, 455/422.1, 455/461, 455/419, 455/445, 705/26, 715/505, 715/506, 715/507, 715/508, 370/401
• US Class Current: 709/217
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/08 for authentication of entities cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication H04L9/32
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/04 specially adapted for terminals or networks with limited capabilities; specially adapted for terminal portability
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/306 User profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]

Abstract

A secure simplified transaction processing method and apparatus for a palmtop computer. Sensitive personal information is stored in a secure personal information database. A site map database contains information which maps the fields of the personal information database to frames of a Web page. On request of a palmtop computer, a robot program correlates the personal information fields with the frames of the Web page and sends the personal information back to the palmtop computer. The palmtop computer uses this information to automatically populate the frames of a Web clipping representing a Web page. This has the advantage that the user does not have to manually fill in the frames of the web clipping while providing security for sensitive information.

Claims

1. A method for providing transaction processing in a handheld computer, comprising:

using a file server to process wireless queries and interface between said handheld computer system and the Internet wherein the handheld computer accesses Internet resources using said file server as an intermediary without directly connecting to the Internet;

storing a personal information database, on the file server, that contains personal information data relating to a user of the handheld computer;

storing a site map database, on the file server, that contains data which maps fields of the personal information database to frames of known Web clippings;

receiving a wireless request from a handheld computer to populate frames of a selected Web clipping;

retrieving personal information data from the personal information database for fields mapped to the frame in the selected Web clipping in the site map database; and

populating said selected web clipping with the retrieved personal information without said handheld computer system downloading said selected web clipping.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising populating the frames of the selected Web clipping in the handheld computer.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising transmitting the populated frame from the handheld computer to a Web site.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein said storing the site map comprises scraping a Web site to harvest frames to be populated.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the personal information database is manually populated with data by the user.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the server comprises a secure server.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the Web clipping correlates to a Web page on the World Wide Web.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising mapping the handheld computer to a user in the personal information database.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the receiving and transmitting are carried out over a wireless data communication network.

10. A method for providing simplified transaction processing in a handheld computer, comprising:

sending a wireless request from the handheld computer to a file server configured to be an interface between the handheld computer and the Internet to obtain information to populate a plurality of frames of a selected Web clipping wherein the handheld computer utilizes Internet resources using said file server as an intermediary without directly connecting to the Internet and without said handheld computer downloading said selected web clipping;

receiving a wireless transmission from the file server containing personal information data extracted from a personal information database, the personal information database residing on the file server, and containing personal information data relating to a user of the handheld computer;

wherein, the personal information being retrieved from fields in the personal information database which have been mapped to frames in the selected Web clipping in the site map database.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising transmitting the retrieved personal information to the handheld computer.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising populating the frames of the selected Web clipping in the handheld computer.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising transmitting the populated frames of the selected Web clipping to a Web site for transaction processing.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the populated frames of the selected Web clipping are transferred to the Web site through a data center which translates between Web clippings and Web pages.

15. The method of claim 10, wherein the sending and receiving are carried out over a wireless data communication network.

16. A handheld computer, comprising:

a radio frequency transmitter for sending a wireless request from the handheld computer to a file server configured to be an interface between the handheld computer and the Internet to obtain information to populate a plurality of frames of a selected Web clipping wherein the handheld computer utilizes Internet resources using said file server as an intermediary without directly connecting to the Internet and without said handheld computer downloading said selected web clipping;

a radio receiver for receiving a transmission from the file server containing personal information data extracted from a personal information database, the personal information database residing on the file server, and containing personal information data relating to a user of the handheld computer; and

a processor which populates the frames of the selected Web clipping with the personal information data received.

17. The handheld computer of claim 16, wherein the request comprises a label for a Web clipping containing the frames to be populated.

18. The handheld computer of claim 16, wherein the file server comprises a secure file server.

19. The handheld computer of claim 16, further comprising means for transmitting the populated Web clipping to a Web site.

20. The handheld computer of claim 19, wherein the populated Web clipping is conveyed to the Web site through a data center containing the secure file server.