System and method for populating forms with previously used data values

• US 7,216,292 B1
• Filed: 09/01/1999
• Issued: 05/08/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 09/01/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Proteau, Stephen P., Jorgenson, Clint C., Snapper, Erik J., Jiggins, Julian P., Shyam, Bharat, Partovi, Hadi, Berman, Eric R., Freedman, Steven J., Allard, James E., Chang, Frank Z.
• Primary Examiner(s): BASHORE, WILLIAM L
• Application Number:
  US09/388,351
• Time in Patent Office: 2,806 Days
• Field of Search: 707/505, 707/506, 707/507, 707/508, 715505-508, 715/500, 715/780, 345811-812, 345/825
• US Class Current: 715/236
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/174 Form filling; Merging

Abstract

A system and method is provided for learning data values over time as they are entered by a user on a form such as a web page form. An Internet web browser can be modified to suggest previously used data values for any form field that is the same as or similar to a previously used form field. Application programs that use the web browser can gain access to previously used form field values even if they have no knowledge of the field names. Software in a web browser associates field names across different Universal Resource Locators (URLs), so that when a user enters a value into a field (e.g., username) at a first web site, that same value can be automatically suggested when the user displays a different form on a different web site that uses the same field name.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method of entering information, comprising the steps of:

(1) displaying on a computer screen a form comprising a plurality of fields, each field having a field identifier and a data entry region into which a data value can be written;

(2) determining that a user has selected one of the plurality of fields;

(3) comparing the field identifier of the selected field to previously stored field identifiers and, upon finding a match, displaying a list of suggested data values previously stored in response to one or more different forms previously filled in by the user;

(4) in response to the user selecting one of the suggested data values, copying the selected one data value into the data entry region of the selected field; and

(5) in response to the user entering a non-suggested data value, storing the non-suggested data value into a data storage area for future use,

further comprising the step of performing numerical processing on the field to determine whether the field represents a credit card number and, in response thereto, suppressing suggestions.

2. A computer-implemented method of entering information at a user'"'"'s computer, comprising the steps of:

(1) displaying on the user'"'"'s computer a first form comprising a first plurality of text fields each comprising a field identifier and a data entry region into which a data value can be written;

(2) entering a data value into one of the first plurality of text fields and storing the entered data value into a local storage area on the user'"'"'s computer;

(3) displaying on the user'"'"'s computer a second form comprising a second plurality of text fields each comprising a field identifier and a data entry region into which a data value can be written, wherein the second plurality of text fields comprise field identifiers that are different from those in the first form;

(4) detecting that one of the text fields on the second form is correlated with one of the text fields on the first form despite having a different field identifier, said detecting comprising the use of Bayesian inference techniques, and, in response thereto, retrieving a corresponding previously stored data value from the local storage area; and

(5) suggesting the data value retrieved in step (4) to the user as a possible value to be entered into the second form.

3. A computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions for performing steps comprising:

(1) displaying on a computer screen a form comprising a plurality of fields, each field having a field identifier and a data entry region into which a data value can be written;

(2) determining that a user has selected one of the plurality of fields;

(3) comparing the field identifier of the selected field to previously stored field identifiers and, upon finding a match, displaying a list of suggested data values previously stored in response to one or more different forms previously filled in by the user;

(4) in response to the user selecting one of the suggested data values, copying the selected one data value into the data entry region of the selected field; and

(5) in response to the user entering a non-suggested data value, storing the non-suggested data value into a data storage area for future use,

wherein the computer-executable instructions perform the step of performing numerical processing on the field to determine whether the field represents a valid credit card number and, in response thereto, inhibiting suggestions for the field.