Method and apparatus for preventing the interception of data being transmitted to a web site by a monitoring program

• US 7,394,900 B1
• Filed: 10/27/2003
• Issued: 07/01/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 06/24/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Southwest Airlines Company
• Original Assignee: Southwest Airlines Company
• Inventors: Taylor, Steve, Krone, Kevin, Shaffer, Robert, Gerber, Mark, Newcomb, Brad, Stromberger, Chris
• Primary Examiner(s): Moazzami; Nasser
• Assistant Examiner(s): Hoang; Daniel L
• Application Number:
  US10/694,102
• Time in Patent Office: 1,709 Days
• Field of Search: 380/259
• US Class Current: 380/259
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/6263 during internet communication, e.g. revealing personal data from cookies

Abstract

The present invention relates to a method and apparatus for preventing the use of data transmitted by a computer to a web site by a program operating on the computer. Initially, a first association between a set of labels and a first set of codes is created. The set of labels contains information to be displayed on the computer, while each code in the first set of codes is associated with a particular label. An encryption key is then linked with the first association. The set of labels, the first set of codes, and the first encryption key is then sent to the computer. Some time later, codes from the first set of codes and the first encryption key are received back from the computer. The codes returned from the computer are then matched to labels from the set of labels using the first encryption key. Afterwards, subsequent associations between the set of labels and other sets of codes are created. These associations are different than the association between the set of labels and the first set of codes. Additional encryption keys are also created to identify the subsequent associations. The present invention also relates to a method and a computer program product for determine the meaning of a code that describes a user'"'"'s selection of an item on a web page. In this mode of operation, the information that defines the web page is first analyzed. Then, an association between the codes and labels presented on the web page is created. Afterwards, the code describing an item selected by a user is captured. Finally, the label associated with the code is identified by referencing the association between the codes and labels.

Claims

1. A method for preventing a program on a computer from using data transmitted by the computer to a website, comprising:

identifying a first set of codes, each code in the first set of codes associated with a human-readable label for presentation to a user of the computer, the first set of codes including a first code associated with a first human-readable label;

generating a first set of encrypted codes corresponding to the first set of codes, the first set of encrypted codes including a first encrypted code corresponding to the first code, wherein generating the first set of encrypted codes comprises performing an encryption process utilizing a first encryption key identification code;

sending, to the computer, the first set of encrypted codes, the human-readable label associated with each code in the first set of codes, and the first encryption key identification code, wherein the first encryption key identification code is sent concurrently with sending the first set of encrypted codes;

receiving, from the computer, at least one encrypted code from the first set of encrypted codes and the first encryption key identification code, wherein the at least one encrypted code represents a selection by the user, the received at least one encrypted code includes the first encrypted code, and the first encryption key identification code is received concurrently with receiving the at least one encrypted code from the first set of encrypted codes;

identifying a second set of codes, each code in the second set of codes associated with a human-readable label for presentation to the user of the computer, the second set of codes including the first code;

generating a second set of encrypted codes corresponding to the second set of codes, the second set of encrypted codes including a second encrypted code corresponding to the first code, the second encrypted code different from the first encrypted code, wherein generating the second set of encrypted codes comprises performing the encryption process utilizing a second encryption key identification code different from the first encryption key identification code; and

sending, to the computer concurrently with sending the second set of encrypted codes, the second encryption key identification code.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the first encryption key identification code comprises a time stamp, the method further comprising:

evaluating the time stamp to determine whether the received at least one encrypted code from the first set of encrypted codes is valid.

3. An article comprising a computer-readable storage medium storing instructions for causing a computer system to perform operations to prevent a program on a computer from using data transmitted by the computer to a website, the operations comprising:

generating a first set of encrypted codes corresponding to a first set of codes, the first set of codes including a first code, the first set of encrypted codes including a first encrypted code corresponding to the first code, wherein the first set of encrypted codes is associated with a first encryption key identification code, the operations further comprising;

sending, to the computer, the first set of encrypted codes concurrently with the first encryption key identification code;

receiving, from the computer, at least one encrypted code from the first set of encrypted codes concurrently with the first encryption key identification code, the at least one encrypted code representing a selection by a user of the computer, the received at least one encrypted code including the first encrypted code; and

generating a second set of encrypted codes corresponding to a second set of codes, the second set of codes including the first code, the second set of encrypted codes including a second encrypted code corresponding to the first code, the second encrypted code different from the first encrypted code.

4. A system for preventing a program on a computer from using data transmitted by the computer to a website, comprising:

a computer system operable to;

identify a set of codes, each code in the set of codes associated with a human-readable label for presentation to a user of the computer, the set of codes including a first code associated with a first human-readable label;

generate a first set of encrypted codes corresponding to a first subset of the set of codes, the first subset including the first code, the first set of encrypted codes including a first encrypted code corresponding to the first code, the first set of encrypted codes associated with an encryption process and a first encryption key identification code, wherein the first encryption key identification code comprises a time stamp indicating when the first set of encrypted codes was created;

send, to the computer, the first set of encrypted codes and the human-readable label associated with each code in the first subset of codes;

receive, from the computer, at least one encrypted code representing a selection by the user, the received at least one encrypted code corresponding to the first code;

generate a first set of decrypted codes corresponding to the received at least one encrypted code, the first set of decrypted codes associated with a decryption process and the first encryption key identification code, the decryption process comprising the encryption process in reverse;

generate a second set of encrypted codes corresponding to a second subset of the set of codes, the second subset including the first code, the second set of encrypted codes including a second encrypted code corresponding to the first code, the second encrypted code different from the first encrypted code.

5. The system of claim 4, the computer system further operable to:

compare the time stamp to a predetermined time period; and

determine the validity of the received at least one encrypted code based on the comparison.