System and method for preventing screen-scrapers from extracting user screen names
First Claim
Patent Images
1. An apparatus for preventing screen scrapers from extracting user screen names, comprising:
- an Internet based messaging system, with which a number of logged-in users communicate with each other by displaying messages on a communication screen from which any of the logged-in users'"'"'screen identifications and displayed messages can be read by the other users,a processor in communication with a memory, the processor executing code for;
preventing an automated process from extracting logged-in users'"'"'screen identification from said communication screen by automatically converting a logged in user'"'"'s text screen identification into a human readable graphic form that cannot be screen-scraped by an automated process and from which a person can recognize the user'"'"'s screen identification, said graphic form being displayed on said communication screen instead of said user'"'"'s text screen identification whenever and wherever the user'"'"'s screen identification is to be displayed.
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Abstract
Graphic screen names are used instead of using text screen names in a Web chat room or an instant messaging system so that screen scrapers cannot generate an e-mail list for spam by extracting the screen names from the Web chat room or instant messaging system.
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Citations
12 Claims
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1. An apparatus for preventing screen scrapers from extracting user screen names, comprising:
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an Internet based messaging system, with which a number of logged-in users communicate with each other by displaying messages on a communication screen from which any of the logged-in users'"'"'screen identifications and displayed messages can be read by the other users, a processor in communication with a memory, the processor executing code for; preventing an automated process from extracting logged-in users'"'"'screen identification from said communication screen by automatically converting a logged in user'"'"'s text screen identification into a human readable graphic form that cannot be screen-scraped by an automated process and from which a person can recognize the user'"'"'s screen identification, said graphic form being displayed on said communication screen instead of said user'"'"'s text screen identification whenever and wherever the user'"'"'s screen identification is to be displayed. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6)
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7. A method for preventing an automated process from extracting users'"'"'screen identifications from a communication screen, comprising:
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a number of users logged into an Internet based network communicating with each other by displaying message; preventing an automated process from extracting users'"'"' screen identifications from said communication screen by automatically converting a logged in user'"'"'s text screen identification into a human readable graphic form that cannot be screen-scraped by an automated process and from which a person can recognize the user'"'"'s screen identification; and displaying said graphic form on said communication screen instead of said user'"'"'s text screen identification whenever and wherever the user'"'"'s screen identification is to be displayed. - View Dependent Claims (8, 9, 10, 11, 12)
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Specification