Systems and methods for automatic submission of forms on a web page

• US 8,453,047 B2
• Filed: 05/27/2008
• Issued: 05/28/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 05/27/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AppFolio Incorporated
• Original Assignee: AppFolio Incorporated
• Inventors: Sattari, Comron, Walker, Jonathan, Holm, Eirik, Ranka, Tushar
• Primary Examiner(s): STRANGE, AARON N
• Application Number:
  US12/127,580
• Publication Number:
  US 20090300163A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,827 Days
• Field of Search: 709/224, 715/224, 715/708, 715/221, 715/234, 715/771, 705/50, 345/710, 345/861
• US Class Current: 715/224
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/174 Form filling; Merging
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]

Abstract

Systems and methods for automatically submitting data entered into a web page in the event the user shifts focus away from the form may include displaying a web page to a user, the web page containing a form; receiving, from the user, at least some input corresponding to the form; detecting that the form has lost user focus; and submitting, in response to the detection, the form.

Claims

1. A method for automatically submitting input entered into a form in a web page in the event a user shifts focus away from the form, the method comprising:

(a) transmitting, from a server, a web page containing a form to a user;

(b) receiving, from the user, first input requested by the form;

(c) detecting that the form has lost user focus while the web page remains open said detecting comprising one of;

detecting

when the user has clicked on an element of the web page outside of the form;

when the mouse cursor either leaves or is clicked outside the form;

when the user keystrokes or mouse input into areas outside the form;

when the user keystrokes or mouse input into other applications;

when the web browser window has lost focus, is minimized or hidden;

(d) submitting, in response to the detection, the first input to the server;

(e) detecting that the form in the open web page has regained user focus;

(f) transmitting, from the server, the web page containing the form and the first input; and

(g) receiving, from the user, second input requested by the form.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein step (c) comprises detecting keyboard input not corresponding to the form.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein step (c) comprises detecting mouse input not corresponding to the form.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein step (c) comprises detecting a position of a mouse cursor not corresponding to the form.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein step (c) comprises detecting a mouse click outside the form.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein

step (e) comprises detecting a user request for the web page;

and

step (f) further comprises

reloading, in response to the user request for the web page, the web page, and

displaying, in the form contained in the web page, the first input.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein step (c) comprises detecting user input in an area inside the web page but outside of the form.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein step (c) comprises detecting user input in an area outside of the web page.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein step (d) further comprises submitting an indication that a loss of user focus triggered the submitting of the form.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising

(h) submitting the second input to the server.

11. A computer system for automatically submitting input entered into a form in a web page in the event a user shifts focus away from the form, the system comprising:

a display which displays to a user a web page received from a server, the web page containing a form;

an input device which receives, from the user, first input requested by the form;

a processor, in communication with the display and the input device, detecting one of;

when the user has clicked on an element of the web page outside of the form;

when the mouse cursor either leaves or is clicked outside the form;

when the user keystrokes or mouse input into areas outside the form;

when the user keystrokes or mouse input into other applications;

when the web browser window has lost focus, is minimized or hidden;

a transmitter which submits the first input to the server in response to the detection that the form has lost user focus;

wherein,

the processor detects that the form in the open web page has regained user focus,

the display displays to the user the web page containing the form and the first input, and

the input device receives, from the user, second input requested by the form.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the processor detects the form has lost user focus by detecting keyboard input not corresponding to the form.

13. The system of claim 11, wherein the processor detects the form has lost user focus by detecting mouse input not corresponding to the form.

14. The system of claim 11, wherein the processor detects the form has lost user focus by detecting a mouse click outside the form.

15. The system of claim 11, wherein

the input device receives a user request for the web page,

the processor reloads, in response to the user request for the web page, the web page, and

the display displays, in the form contained in the web page, the at least some first input.

16. The system of claim 11, wherein the processor detects that the form has lost user focus via a script or an applet embedded in the web page.

17. The system of claim 11, wherein the web page submits the first input in response to the detection that the form has lost user focus via an embedded script or an embedded applet.

18. The system of claim 11, wherein the processor detects that the form has lost user focus by detecting user input in an area inside the web page but outside of the form.

19. The system of claim 11, wherein the processor detects that the form has lost user focus by detecting user input in an area outside of the web page.

20. The system of claim 11, wherein the transmitter submits the second input to the server.