Background auto-submit of login credentials

• US 8,607,306 B1
• Filed: 09/26/2011
• Issued: 12/10/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 11/10/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google Inc. (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Goodger, Ben, Murphy, Glen, Bridge, Henry, Jitkoff, J. Nicholas
• Primary Examiner(s): Shaw, Peter
• Assistant Examiner(s): HO, DAO Q
• Application Number:
  US13/245,833
• Time in Patent Office: 806 Days
• Field of Search: 726/1
• US Class Current: 726/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/31 User authentication
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/068 using time-dependent keys, e.g. periodically changing keys cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for controlling usage of secret information H04L9/088
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/08 for authentication of entities cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication H04L9/32
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0823 using certificates cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication involving certificates H04L9/3263
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/083 using passwords cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication using a predetermined code H04L9/3226
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/146 Markers for unambiguous identification of a particular session, e.g. session cookie or URL-encoding

Abstract

A method and system for automatically submitting login credentials as a background process for a user of a web service are provided. Login information corresponding to a login form of the web service is stored, where the login information comprises a login endpoint of the web service and the login credentials are used to authenticate the user for a session of the web service. A login token, generated by the web service, and its expiration date are tracked. The login credentials are then automatically submitted, without user intervention, to the web service based on the login endpoint and the expiration date of the login token.

Claims

1. A system for submitting login credentials in the background for a user of a web service comprising:

a client device comprising;

at least one memory;

a login form manager to store, in the at least one memory at the client device, login information corresponding to a login form of the web service, the login information comprising a login endpoint of the web service and the login credentials, wherein the login credentials are used to authenticate the user for a session of the web service and wherein the login credentials includes first user account information;

a login token manager to;

track a login token at the client device, the login token being associated with the session of the web service and including an expiration date for the session of the web service, wherein the login token is separate from the login credentials,

determine an expiration date for the login token based at least on the expiration date for the session of the web service, wherein the expiration date for the session of the web service is determined using a special cases list, and

detect whether the login token has been deleted prior to the expiration date;

wherein, in response to the detection that the login token has been deleted, the login form manager is further configured to determine whether the login credentials include second user account information; and

an auto-submit module to submit the stored login credentials including the second user account information to the web service, wherein the second user account information is used to authenticate the user for the session of the web service.

2. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

a user interface module to enable the user to select a login option based on the determined second user account information, to receive the user selected login option, and to display the login form based on the received user selected login option, wherein the login option allows the user to specify the second user account information to authenticate the user for the session of the web service.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the web service generates the login token and sends the login token to the client device.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the login token manager is further configured to delete the login token from the client device when the login token expires.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein when the login token expires, the session of the web service expires.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein based on the auto-submit module automatically submitting, after expiration of the login token, the stored login credentials to the web service, the session of the web service is renewed and the user remains authenticated at the web service.

7. The system of claim 5, wherein based on the auto-submit module automatically submitting, after expiration of the login token, the stored login credentials to the web service, the client device receives a new login token, the new login token being associated with a renewed session of the web service and including a new expiration date for the renewed session of the web service.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the expiration date for the session of the web service is determined using heuristics.

9. A computer-implemented method for submitting login credentials in the background for a user of a web service comprising:

storing, in at least one memory at a client device, login information corresponding to a login form of the web service, the login information comprising a login endpoint of the web service and the login credentials, wherein the login credentials are used to authenticate the user for a session of the web service and wherein the login credentials includes first user account information;

tracking a login token at the client device, the login token being associated with the session of the web service and including the expiration date for the session of the web service, wherein the login token is separate from the login credentials;

determining an expiration date for the login token based at least on the expiration date for the session of the web service, wherein the expiration date for the session of the web service is determined using a special cases list;

detecting whether the login token has been deleted prior to the expiration date;

determining, in response to the detection that the login token has been deleted, whether the login credentials include second user account information; and

submitting the stored login credentials including the second user account information to the web service, wherein the second user account information is used to authenticate the user for the session of the web service.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

enabling the user to select a login option based on the determining;

receiving the user selected login option; and

displaying the login form at the computing device based on the received user selected login option,

wherein the login option allows the user to specify the second user account information to authenticate the user for the session of the web service.

11. The method of claim 9, further comprising deleting the login token from the client device when the login token expires.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein when the login token expires, the session of the web service expires.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein based on the automatically submitting, the session of the web service is renewed and the user remains authenticated at the web service.

14. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

receiving a new login token based on the automatically submitting, the new login token being associated with a renewed session of the web service and including a new expiration date for the renewed session of the web service.

15. A system for automatically submitting login credentials in the background for a user of a web service comprising:

a client device comprising;

at least one memory;

a login form manager to store, in the at least one memory, login information corresponding to a login form of the web service, the login information comprising a login endpoint of the web service and the login credentials, wherein the login credentials authenticate the user for a session of the web service using first user account information;

a login token manager to;

track a login token, the login token associated with the session of the web service and including an expiration date for the session, wherein the login token is separate from the login credentials,

determine an expiration date of the login token based at least on the expiration date for the session of the web service, wherein the expiration date for the session of the web service is determined using a special cases list, and

detect whether the login token has been deleted prior to the expiration date for the login token;

wherein the login form manager is configured to;

determine, if the login token has been deleted, whether the login credentials include second user account information, and

authenticate the user for the session of the web service using the second user account information; and

an auto-submit module to automatically submit, without user intervention, the stored login credentials to the web service based on the login endpoint and the expiration date of the login token.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the auto-submit module is configured to automatically submit the stored login credentials to the web service after expiration of the login token.

17. The system of claim 15, wherein when the login token expires, the session of the web service expires.