Selectively processing user input

• US 9,176,944 B1
• Filed: 08/23/2011
• Issued: 11/03/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 08/23/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google Inc. (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Coker, Doug
• Primary Examiner(s): JACKSON, JAKIEDA R
• Application Number:
  US13/215,851
• Time in Patent Office: 1,533 Days
• Field of Search: 704/9
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9535 Search customisation based on user profiles and personalisation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/117 Tagging; Marking up details of markup languages G06F40/143; Designating a block; Setting of attributes style sheets, e.g. eXtensible Stylesheet Language Transformation [XSLT], G06F40/154
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/174 Form filling; Merging
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/232 Orthographic correction, e.g. spell checking or vowelisation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/274 Converting codes to words; Guess-ahead of partial word inputs
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/289 Phrasal analysis, e.g. finite state techniques or chunking
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 15/26 Speech to text systems G10L15/08 takes precedence

Abstract

In general, the subject matter described in this specification can be embodied in methods, systems, and program products. A computing system receives text that represents content input by a user. A computing system determines a randomness level for a portion of the text. A computing system determines whether the randomness level for the portion of text exceeds a threshold level. A computing system, responsive to determining that the randomness level does not exceed the threshold level, provides the portion of text for processing by a text processing system.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method, comprising:

receiving, by a computing system, multiple portions of text that were input into different types of fields associated with a resource;

selecting (i) a first randomness threshold value for portions of text that are input into a text entry field of a first type, and (ii) a second randomness threshold value for portions of text that are input into a text entry field of a second type;

for each of the multiple portions of text;

determining, for the portion of text, a randomness value that reflects a level of entropy associated with a sequence of characters in the portion of text;

determining a type of text entry field into which the portion of text was input, from among the text entry field of the first type and the text entry field of the second type,

determining a randomness threshold value associated with the determined type of text entry field, from among the first randomness threshold value and the second randomness threshold value, where the randomness threshold value associated with the determined type of text entry field reflects a level of entropy permitted in a sequence of characters both input into a text entry field of the determined type and used to adapt a text processing system, and

determining whether the randomness value for the portion of text satisfies the determined randomness threshold value;

providing the one or more portions of text whose respective randomness values are determined to not satisfy the respective randomness threshold value determined for the portions of text, to adapt a text processing system; and

preventing the one or more portions of text whose respective randomness values are determined to satisfy the respective randomness threshold value determined for the portions of text, from being used to adapt the text processing system.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the text entry field of the first type is a password entry field and the text entry field of the second type is a document body entry field.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 2, wherein the first randomness threshold value is lower than the second randomness threshold value.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein selecting (i) a first randomness threshold value for particular portions of text that are input into a first text entry field of a first type, for credential data and (ii) a second randomness threshold value for particular portions of text that are input into a second text entry field of a second type for non-credential data comprises:

selecting the first and second randomness threshold values for respective particular portions based at least in part on restrictions of numbers of characters permitted in text entry fields in which the respective particular portions are input.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein selecting (i) a first randomness threshold value for particular portions of text that are input into a first text entry field of a first type, for credential data and (ii) a second randomness threshold value for particular portions of text that are input into a second text entry field of a second type for non-credential data comprises:

selecting the first and second randomness threshold values for respective particular portions based at least in part on whether or not user input is masked in text entry fields in which the respective particular portions are input.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the first text entry field of the first type is a credential text entry field and the second text entry field of the second type is a non-credential text entry field.

7. A system comprising:

one or more computers; and

one or more storage devices storing instructions that are operable, when executed by the one or more computers, to cause the one or more computers to perform operations comprising;

receiving, by a computing system, multiple portions of text that were input into different types of fields associated with a resource;

selecting (i) a first randomness threshold value for portions of text that are input into a text entry field of a first type, and (ii) a second randomness threshold value for portions of text that are input into a text entry field of a second type;

for each of the multiple portions of text;

determining, for the portion of text, a randomness value that reflects a level of entropy associated with a sequence of characters in the portion of text;

determining a type of text entry field into which the portion of text was input, from among the text entry field of the first type and the text entry field of the second type,

determining a randomness threshold value associated with the determined type of text entry field, from among the first randomness threshold value and the second randomness threshold value, where the randomness threshold value associated with the determined type of text entry field reflects a level of entropy permitted in a sequence of characters both input into a text entry field of the determined type and used to adapt a text processing system, and

determining whether the randomness value for the portion of text satisfies the determined randomness threshold value;

providing the one or more portions of text whose respective randomness values are determined to not satisfy the respective randomness threshold value determined for the portions of text, to adapt a text processing system; and

preventing the one or more portions of text whose respective randomness values are determined to satisfy the respective randomness threshold value determined for the portions of text, from being used to adapt the text processing system.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the text entry field of the first type is a password entry field and the text entry field of the second type is a document body entry field.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the first randomness threshold value is lower than the second randomness threshold value.

10. The system of claim 7, wherein selecting (i) a first randomness threshold value for particular portions of text that are input into a first text entry field of a first type, for credential data and (ii) a second randomness threshold value for particular portions of text that are input into a second text entry field of a second type for non-credential data comprises:

selecting the first and second randomness threshold values for respective particular portions based at least in part on restrictions of numbers of characters permitted in text entry fields in which the respective particular portions are input.

11. The system of claim 7, wherein selecting (i) a first randomness threshold value for particular portions of text that are input into a first text entry field of a first type, for credential data and (ii) a second randomness threshold value for particular portions of text that are input into a second text entry field of a second type for non-credential data comprises:

selecting the first and second randomness threshold values for respective particular portions based at least in part on whether or not user input is masked in text entry fields in which the respective particular portions are input.

12. The system of claim 7, wherein the first text entry field of the first type is a credential text entry field and the second text entry field of the second type is a non-credential text entry field.

13. A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing software comprising instructions executable by one or more computers which, upon such execution, cause the one or more computers to perform operations comprising:

receiving, by a computing system, multiple portions of text that were input into different types of fields associated with a resource;

selecting (i) a first randomness threshold value for portions of text that are input into a text entry field of a first type, and (ii) a second randomness threshold value for portions of text that are input into a text entry field of a second type;

for each of the multiple portions of text;

determining, for the portion of text, a randomness value that reflects a level of entropy associated with a sequence of characters in the portion of text;

determining a type of text entry field into which the portion of text was input, from among the text entry field of the first type and the text entry field of the second type,

determining a randomness threshold value associated with the determined type of text entry field, from among the first randomness threshold value and the second randomness threshold value, where the randomness threshold value associated with the determined type of text entry field reflects a level of entropy permitted in a sequence of characters both input into a text entry field of the determined type and used to adapt a text processing system, and

determining whether the randomness value for the portion of text satisfies the determined randomness threshold value;

providing the one or more portions of text whose respective randomness values are determined to not satisfy the respective randomness threshold value determined for the portions of text, to adapt a text processing system; and

preventing the one or more portions of text whose respective randomness values are determined to satisfy the respective randomness threshold value determined for the portions of text, from being used to adapt the text processing system.

14. The medium of claim 13, wherein the text entry field of the first type is a password entry field and the text entry field of the second type is a document body entry field.

15. The medium of claim 14, wherein the first randomness threshold value is lower than the second randomness threshold value.

16. The medium of claim 13, wherein selecting (i) a first randomness threshold value for portions of text that are input into a text entry field of a first type, and (ii) a second randomness threshold value for portions of text that are input into a text entry field of a second type comprises:

selecting the first and second randomness threshold values for respective particular portions based at least in part on restrictions of numbers of characters permitted in text entry fields in which the respective particular portions are input.

17. The medium of claim 13, wherein selecting the first and second randomness threshold values based at least in part on characteristics of the multiple portions of text comprises:

selecting the first and second randomness threshold values for respective particular portions based at least in part on whether or not user input is masked in text entry fields in which the respective particular portions are input.