Cross-domain communication in domain-restricted communication environments

• US 8,886,819 B1
• Filed: 07/18/2011
• Issued: 11/11/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 01/29/2009
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc. (Amazon.com, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc. (Amazon.com, Inc.)
• Inventors: Shalla, Zachary M., Korsky, Ross V., Giordano, Nicholas J. Jr.
• Primary Examiner(s): Luu, Le H
• Application Number:
  US13/185,261
• Time in Patent Office: 1,212 Days
• Field of Search: 709/225, 709/229, 709/217, 709/218, 709/227, 709/228, 709/206, 713/185, 370/389, 380/270
• US Class Current: 709/229
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/52 Program synchronisation; Mutual exclusion, e.g. by means of semaphores
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/54 Interprogram communication
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/543 User-generated data transfer, e.g. clipboards, dynamic data exchange [DDE], object linking and embedding [OLE]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/545 where tasks reside in different layers, e.g. user- and kernel-space
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/546 Message passing systems or structures, e.g. queues

Abstract

A messaging frame can be used to allow different domains to communicate in an electronic environment that are otherwise prevented from directly communicating. A messaging frame or other communication element can be configured to receive messages or communications from any frame, object, or element in the same domain as the messaging frame. The messaging frame then can switch to a target domain in order to provide the message or communication to a frame, object, or element in the target domain. The messaging frame can include an interface definition that allows only approved messages to be passed between domains, such that the risk of malicious attack is minimized.

Claims

1. A method for communicating between frames of a page having content from different domains, the method comprising:

under control of one or more computer systems configured with executable instructions,

specifying a set of messages that are able to be sent between a first domain and a second domain with a messaging frame of the page that is capable of transitioning between the first domain and the second domain, the page including a first frame associated with the first domain that is restricted from direct communication with a second frame associated with the second domain;

sending a message from the first frame to the messaging frame, the message including information about a change in a state of content for the first frame and a target destination for the message corresponding to the second frame; and

transitioning the messaging frame from the first domain to the second domain at least in part to make the message accessible by the second frame;

wherein messages outside the specified set are not able to be sent between the first and second domains with the messaging frame.

2. A method according to claim 1, wherein the first frame associated with the first domain is restricted from direct communication with the second frame associated with the second domain at least in part by a browser for the page.

3. A method according to claim 2, wherein the page is a web page and the browser is a web browser.

4. A method according to claim 1, wherein the sending of the message from the first frame occurs in response to a user action with respect to the first frame.

5. A method according to claim 1, wherein the messaging frame is a hidden frame of the page.

6. A method for cross-domain communication in a domain-restricted communication environment, the method comprising:

under control of one or more computer systems configured with executable instructions,

specifying a set of messages that are able to be sent between a first domain and a second domain with a messaging element of the domain-restricted communication environment that is capable of transitioning from the first domain to the second domain, the domain-restricted communication environment including a first element associated with the first domain that is restricted from direct communication with a second element associated with the second domain;

sending a message to the messaging element, the message including information about a change in a state of the first element and a target destination for the message corresponding to the second element; and

transitioning the messaging element to the second domain at least in part to make the message accessible by the second element;

wherein messages outside the specified set of messages are not able to be sent between the first and second domains with the messaging element.

7. A method in accordance with claim 6, wherein the first element associated with the first domain is restricted from direct communication with the second element associated with the second domain at least in part by an application that maintains the domain-restricted communication environment.

8. A method in accordance with claim 6, wherein sending the message to the messaging element comprises storing the message in a message queue until the messaging element transitions to the first domain.

9. A method in accordance with claim 6, wherein the messaging element transitions to the second domain in response to receiving the message.

10. A method in accordance with claim 6, wherein the messaging element transitions to the second domain based at least in part on the target destination.

11. A system for cross-domain communication in a domain-restricted communication environment, the system comprising:

a messaging element of the domain-restricted communication environment configured at least to transition from a first domain of the domain-restricted communication environment to a second domain of the domain-restricted communication environment;

a first element of the domain-restricted communication environment associated with the first domain and configured at least to send a message to the messaging element, the message including information about a change in a state of the first element and a target destination for the message corresponding to a second element of the domain-restricted communication environment that is associated with the second domain and restricted from direct communication with the first element; and

one or more processors collectively configured with computer-executable instructions to implement at least the messaging element and the first element;

wherein messages outside of a specified set of messages are not able to be sent between the first and second domains with the messaging element.

12. A system in accordance with claim 11, further comprising an application that maintains the domain-restricted communication environment.

13. A system in accordance with claim 12, wherein the application comprises a web browser.

14. A system in accordance with claim 13, wherein the messaging element, the first element and the second element are frames in a web page frameset.

15. A system in accordance with claim 14, wherein the first domain corresponds to a first internet domain and the second domain corresponds to a second internet domain different from the first internet domain.

16. A method for cross-domain communication in a domain-restricted communication environment, the method comprising:

under control of one or more computer systems configured with executable instructions,

specifying a set of messages that are able to be sent between a first domain and a second domain with a messaging element of the domain-restricted communication environment that is capable of transitioning from the first domain to the second domain, the domain-restricted communication environment including a first element associated with the first domain that is restricted from direct communication with a second element associated with the second domain;

transitioning the messaging element to the second domain at least in part to make a message accessible by the second element; and

receiving at least a portion of the message from the messaging element, the message including information about a change in a state of the first element and a target destination for the message corresponding to the second element;

wherein messages outside the specified set of messages are not able to be sent between the first and second domains with the messaging element.

17. A method in accordance with claim 16, wherein the receiving of the at least a portion of the message occurs in response to detecting that the messaging element has transitioned to the second domain.

18. A method in accordance with claim 16, wherein the messaging element transitions between at least the first and second domains according to a schedule.

19. A method in accordance with claim 18, wherein the messaging element resides in each domain for a duration based at least in part on a number of messages sent from the domain.

20. A method in accordance with claim 18, wherein the messaging element transitions to each domain with a frequency based at least in part on a number of messages sent from the domain.

21. A system for cross-domain communication in a domain-restricted communication environment, the system comprising:

a messaging element of the domain-restricted communication environment configured at least to transition to a first domain of the domain-restricted communication environment from a second domain of the domain-restricted communication environment;

a first element of the domain-restricted communication environment associated with the first domain and configured at least to receive at least a portion of a message from the messaging element, the message including a target destination for the message corresponding to the first element and information about a change in a state of a second element of the domain-restricted communication environment, the second element associated with the second domain and restricted from direct communication with the first element; and

one or more processors collectively configured with computer-executable instructions to implement at least the messaging element and the first element;

wherein messages outside of a specified set of messages are not able to be sent between the first and second domains with the messaging element.

22. A system in accordance with claim 21, wherein the first element is further configured to detect the transition of the messaging element to the first domain at least in part by periodically checking for the presence of the messaging element in the first domain.

23. A system in accordance with claim 21, wherein the specified set of messages corresponds to an application programming interface.

24. A system in accordance with claim 21, wherein the information about the change in the state of the second element comprises information about a user action with respect to the second element.

25. A system in accordance with claim 24, wherein a state of the first element is changed based at least in part on the information about the change in state of the second element.