Substituting a favorite password value entered into a field of an online form with a specific password value

• US 8,402,362 B2
• Filed: 09/11/2007
• Issued: 03/19/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 09/16/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Kyndryl Incorporated
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Boss, Gregory Jenson, Chen, Yen-Fu, Hamilton, Rick Allen II, Waters, Timothy Moffett
• Primary Examiner(s): Hong, Stephen
• Assistant Examiner(s): Kells, Asher
• Application Number:
  US11/853,510
• Publication Number:
  US 20080066020A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,016 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 715/226
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/2457 with adaptation to user needs
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9535 Search customisation based on user profiles and personalisation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/46 by designing passwords or checking the strength of passwords
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/174 Form filling; Merging
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/083 using passwords cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication using a predetermined code H04L9/3226

Abstract

A system for automatically completing fields in online forms, such as login forms and new user registration forms, which employs a Master Cookie File containing sets of records associated with the user, his or her accounts or web sites, and registered values associated with form tags (e.g. username, password, address, email, telephone, etc.). When the user encounters another form, the MCF is automatically searched for matching values and form tags, primarily from the same account or web site, or alternatively from other accounts or sites. A flowing pop-up menu is displayed nearby the form fields from which the user can select values to automatically complete the form. Automatic account information updating, value expiration management, mapping of favorite values, and sharing of values are optional, enhanced functions of the invention.

Claims

1. A system for automatically completing passwords in online forms, comprising:

a tangible, computer-readable storage memory device;

a processor;

a Master File stored in the tangible, computer-readable storage memory device, in which are disposed at least two sets of records and one or more registered values, the record sets being associated with a user and at least one other identifier selected from the group consisting of an account identifier, a web site identifier, and a universal resource locator, wherein the one or more recorded registered values are associated with one or more field tags in one or more online forms;

a user-designated favorite password value disposed in a record in the Master File;

program instructions, stored on the tangible, computer-readable storage memory device for execution by the processor, responsive to a user entering the user-designated favorite password value into a specific field of an online form, to extract a corresponding specific password value from the Master File associated with an account, web site or universal resource locator as identified by the online form, and to input the specific value into the specific field of an online form, thereby substituting the user-entered favorite password value for the specific password value in the specific field of the online form; and

program instructions, stored on the tangible, computer-readable storage memory device for execution by the processor, responsive to failing to extract a specific password value from the Master File, to generate an alternate password value for proposition to the user for disposing in the Master File, and to automatically enter the alternate password value into the specific field of an online form.

2. The system as set forth in claim 1 further comprising program instructions, stored on the tangible, computer-readable storage memory device for execution by the processor, to utilize a pseudo-random value generator to create the alternate password value proposition.

3. The system as set forth in claim 1 further comprising program instructions, stored on the tangible, computer-readable storage memory device for execution by the processor, to append a pseudo-random value to a previously used password value.

4. The system as set forth in claim 1 further comprising program instructions, stored on the tangible, computer-readable storage memory device for execution by the processor, to utilize a predefined value sequence.

5. The system as set forth in claim 1 further comprising program instructions, stored on the tangible, computer-readable storage memory device for execution by the processor, to append an entry from a predefined value sequence to a previously used password value.

6. A method for automatically completing passwords in online forms, comprising:

providing by a computer a Master File stored in a tangible, computer-readable storage memory device, in which are disposed at least two sets of records and one or more registered values, the record sets being associated with a user and at least one other identifier selected from the group consisting of an account identifier, a web site identifier, and a universal resource locator, wherein the one or more recorded registered values are associated with one or more field tags in one or more online forms;

disposing by a computer a user-designated favorite password value in a record in the Master File;

responsive to a user entering the user-designated favorite password value into a specific field of an online form, extracting by a computer a corresponding specific password value from the Master File associated with an account, web site or universal resource locator as identified by the online form, and inputting by a computer the specific value into the specific field of the online form, thereby substituting the user-entered favorite password value for the specific password value in the specific field of the online form; and

responsive to failing to extract a specific password value from the Master File, generating by a computer an alternate password value for proposition to the user for disposing in the Master File and automatically entering the alternate password value into the specific field of an online form.

7. The method as set forth in claim 6 further comprising utilizing by a computer a pseudo-random value generator to create the alternate password value proposition.

8. The method as set forth in claim 7 further comprising appending by a computer a pseudo-random value to a previously used password value.

9. The method as set forth in claim 6 further comprising utilizing by a computer a value from a predefined value sequence.

10. The method as set forth in claim 9 wherein the predefined value sequence is appended to a previously used password value.

11. A computer program product for automatically completing password fields in online forms, comprising:

a tangible, computer-readable storage memory device;

a Master File stored in the tangible, computer-readable storage memory device;

at least two sets of records disposed and one or more registered values disposed in the Master File, the record sets being associated with a user, an account or a web site, the one or more recorded registered values associated with one or more online form tags;

a user-designated favorite password value disposed in a record in the Master File;

program instructions, stored on the tangible, computer-readable storage memory device for execution by a processor, responsive to a user entering the user-designated favorite password value into a specific field of an online form, to extract a corresponding specific password value from the Master File associated with an account, web site or universal resource locator as identified by the online form, and to input the specific value into the specific field of an online form, thereby substituting the user-entered favorite password value for the specific password value in the specific field of the online form; and

program instructions, stored on the tangible, computer-readable storage memory device for execution by a processor, responsive to failing to extract a specific password value from the Master File, to generate an alternate password value for proposition to the user for disposing in the Master File, and to automatically enter the alternate password value into the specific field of an online form.

12. The computer program product as set forth in claim 11 further comprising program instructions, stored on the tangible, computer-readable storage memory device to utilize a pseudo-random value generator to create the alternate password value proposition.

13. The computer program product as set forth in claim 11 further comprising program instructions, stored on the tangible, computer-readable storage memory device to append a pseudo-random value to a previously used password value.

14. The computer program product as set forth in claim 11 further comprising program instructions, stored on the tangible, computer-readable storage memory device to use a value from a predefined value sequence.

15. The computer program product as set forth in claim 14 wherein the predefined value sequence is appended to a previously used password value.