Method and apparatus for populating a form with data

• US 7,962,845 B2
• Filed: 04/28/2006
• Issued: 06/14/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 10/29/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: AOL Inc. (Apollo Global Management, Inc.)
• Inventors: Scott, Geoffrey D., von Reis, William, Maxwell, Duane
• Primary Examiner(s): Stork, Kyle R
• Application Number:
  US11/413,680
• Publication Number:
  US 20060206801A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,873 Days
• Field of Search: 715/221, 715/224, 715/225, 715/226, 715/769, 382/209
• US Class Current: 715/224
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/143 Markup, e.g. Standard Generalized Markup Language [SGML] or Document Type Definition [DTD]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/174 Form filling; Merging
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/186 Templates

Abstract

A method and apparatus for populating a form with data is described. In one embodiment of the invention, a form is displayed to the user via the target application. Each form has one or more data receptacles. The data receptacles of a form are filled with data when the user executes a data population command. The form completion program executes the data population command when a graphical representation of a particular data set is placed over the form. Each data set is stored in an encrypted manner and is accessible to users who enter the appropriate information into an authentication mechanism. To populate a form with data the form completion program obtains an image of the form and then searches for a template file that resembles the form image to within a certain threshold. The template files are typically stored on the computer hosting the target application in a template directory that is arranged according to a predefined structure. The form completion program is configured to search for templates that resemble the form image in the template directory to within a certain threshold.

Claims

1. A method for populating an electronic form with data, comprising:

obtaining at least one data set from a user;

associating said at least one data set with a graphical representation;

obtaining a request to populate an electronic form having a plurality of data receptacles by executing a data population command for populating the form with the data set obtained from the user, in response to said user dragging the graphical representation onto the form;

generating an image of the form in response to the execution of the data population command;

identifying one or more data values from said at least one data set for one or more of said plurality of data receptacles, in response to the execution of the data population command, by identifying the type of the form based on a comparison between the generated image of the form and a corresponding template file; and

populating said form by respectively inserting said one or more data values into one or more fields corresponding to one or more of said plurality of receptacles.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein obtaining said at least one data set from a user comprises displaying a graphical user interface to said user.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein obtaining said at least one data set further comprises obtaining at least one set of personal information.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein obtaining said at least one data set from said user further comprises obtaining at least one set of credit card information.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein said at least one data set is encrypted and stored.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein encrypting said at least one data set comprises encrypting said at least one data set using authentication information of said user.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein identifying said one or more data values comprises obtaining a source code of said form.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein obtaining said source code of said form comprises obtaining a Hypertext Markup Language source code.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein identifying said one or more data values further comprises parsing said form to obtain a set of fields corresponding to a set of data receptacles from said form.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein identifying said one or more data values comprises obtaining an identification of a source of said form.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein identifying said one or more data values further comprises traversing a directory tree to obtain a stored template.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein traversing said directory tree comprises obtaining a plurality of field identifications from said stored template.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein obtaining said plurality of field identifications comprises matching said field identifications with a plurality of fields in said form.

14. The method of claim 1, further comprising obtaining a plurality of field identifications from a plurality of fields input by said user.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein obtaining said plurality of field identifications comprises obtaining one or more matches between said plurality of fields in said form and said plurality of fields input by said user.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein obtaining said plurality of field identifications further comprises satisfying a matching threshold between said plurality of fields in said form and said corresponding plurality of fields input by said user.

17. The method of claim 1, wherein populating said form comprises invoking at least one command specific to a browser application.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein invoking said at least one command comprises passing said one or more data values to said browser application.

19. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium storing instructions which, when executed by at least one processor, cause the processor to:

obtain at least one data set from a user;

associate said at least one data set with a graphical representation;

obtain a request to populate an electronic form having a plurality of data receptacles by executing a data population command for populating the form with the data set obtained from the user, in response to said user dragging the graphical representation onto the form;

generate an image of the form in response to the execution of data population command;

identify one or more data values from said at least one data set for one or more of said plurality of data receptacles, in response to the execution of the data population command, by identifying the type of the form based on a comparison between the generated image of the form and a corresponding template file; and

populate said form by respectively inserting said one or more data values in one or more fields corresponding to one or more of said plurality of data receptacles.

20. The computer readable storage medium of claim 19, wherein said computer readable program code configured to cause a computer to obtain said at least one data set from a user comprises computer readable program code configured to cause a computer to display a graphical user interface to said user.

21. The computer readable storage medium of claim 20, wherein said at least one data set comprises at least one set of personal information.

22. The computer readable storage medium of claim 21, wherein said at least one data set comprises at least one set of credit card information.

23. The computer readable storage medium of claim 19, wherein said at least one data set is encrypted and stored.

24. The computer readable storage medium of claim 23, wherein said computer readable program code configured to cause a computer to encrypt said at least one data set comprises computer readable program code configured to cause a computer to encrypt said at least one data set using authentication information of said user.

25. The computer readable storage medium of claim 19, wherein said computer readable program code configured to cause a computer to identify said one or more data values comprises computer readable program code configured to cause a computer to obtain a source code of said form.

26. The computer readable storage medium of claim 25, wherein said source code of said form comprises a Hypertext Markup Language source code.

27. The computer readable storage medium of claim 25, wherein said computer readable program code configured to cause a computer to identify said one or more data values further comprises computer readable program code configured to cause a computer to parse said form to obtain one or more fields corresponding to one or more of said plurality of data receptacles.

28. The computer readable storage medium of claim 19, wherein said computer readable program code configured to cause a computer to identify said one or more data values comprises computer readable program code configured to cause a computer to obtain an identification of a source of said form.

29. The computer readable storage medium of claim 28, wherein said computer readable program code configured to cause a computer to identify said one or more data values further comprises computer readable program code configured to cause a computer to traverse a directory tree to obtain a stored template.

30. The computer readable storage medium of claim 29, wherein said computer readable program code configured to cause a computer to traverse said directory tree comprises computer readable program code configured to cause a computer to obtain one or more field identifications from said stored template.

31. The computer readable storage medium of claim 30, wherein said computer readable program code configured to cause a computer to obtain said one or more field identifications comprises computer readable program code configured to cause a computer to match said one or more field identifications with one or more fields in said form.

32. The computer readable storage medium of claim 19, further comprising computer readable program code configured to cause a computer to obtain one or more field identifications from one or more corresponding fields input by said user.

33. The computer readable storage medium of claim 32, wherein said computer readable program code configured to cause a computer to obtain one or more field identifications comprises computer readable program code configured to cause a computer to obtain one or more matches between said one or more fields in said form and said one or more corresponding fields input by said user.

34. The computer readable storage medium of claim 33, wherein said computer readable program code configured to cause a computer to obtain said one or more field identifications further comprises computer readable program code configured to cause a computer to monitor satisfaction of a matching threshold between said one or more fields in said form and said one or more corresponding fields input by said user.

35. The computer readable storage medium of claim 19, wherein said computer readable program code configured to cause a computer to populate said form comprises computer readable program code configured to cause a computer to invoke at least one command specific to a browser application.

36. The computer readable storage medium of claim 35, wherein said computer readable program code configured to cause a computer to invoke said at least one command comprises computer readable program code configured to cause a computer to pass said one or more data values to said browser application.

37. A method for populating an electronic form with a data set, comprising:

associating a data set with a graphical icon, the data set comprising information corresponding to a user;

generating an image of a form after the graphical icon is positioned over the form, the form having a plurality of data receptacles;

identifying whether a first template file or second template file resembles the image of the form to within a matching threshold; and

populating the form with the data set associated with the graphical icon when the first template file matches the image of the form to within a matching threshold, or when the second template file matches the image of the form to within a matching threshold.

38. The method of claim 37, further comprising:

obtaining said at least one data set from a user by displaying a graphical user interface to said user.

39. The method of claim 38, wherein obtaining said at least one data set further comprises obtaining at least one set of personal information.

40. The method of claim 39, wherein obtaining said at least one data set from said user further comprises obtaining at least one set of payment information.

41. The method of claim 37, wherein said at least one data set is encrypted and stored.

42. The method of claim 41, wherein encrypting said at least one data set comprises encrypting said at least one data set using authentication information of said user.

43. The method of claim 37, wherein said first template file and said second template file are obtained by traversing a directory tree of stored template files.

44. The method of claim 43, wherein traversing said directory tree comprises obtaining a plurality of field identifications from said first template file and said second template file.

45. The method of claim 44, wherein obtaining said plurality of field identifications comprises matching said plurality of field identifications with the plurality of data receptacles in said form.

46. The method of claim 37, wherein populating said form comprises invoking at least one command specific to a browser application.

47. The method of claim 46, wherein invoking said at least one command comprises passing said one or more data values to said browser application.

48. A method for populating an electronic form with a data set, comprising:

obtaining at least one data set from a user;

associating said at least one data set with a graphical representation;

obtaining a request to populate an electronic form having a plurality of data receptacles by executing a data population command for populating the form with the data set obtained from the user, in response to said user dragging the graphical representation onto the form;

identifying one or more data values from said at least one data set for one or more of said plurality of data receptacles, in response to the execution of the data population command, by generating an image of a form after the graphical icon is positioned over the form;

identifying whether a template file resembles the image of the form to within a matching threshold; and

populating said form by respectively inserting said one or more data values into one or more fields corresponding to one or more of said plurality of receptacles when the template file matches the image of the form to within a matching threshold.