System and method for user contributed website scripts

• US 9,614,899 B1
• Filed: 05/30/2014
• Issued: 04/04/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 05/30/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Intuit, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Intuit, Inc.
• Inventors: Olson, Keith Anders, Haffey, Jessie Ann, Cox, Robert, Rukonic, Marko
• Primary Examiner(s): Gaffin, Jeffrey A
• Assistant Examiner(s): Brahmachari, Mandrita
• Application Number:
  US14/291,248
• Time in Patent Office: 1,040 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3664 Environments for testing or debugging software
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04842 Selection of displayed objects or displayed text elements G06F3/0482 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/36 Software reuse
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/101 Collaborative creation, e.g. joint development of products or services
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/02 involving a neutral party, e.g. certification authority, notary or trusted third party [TTP]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0201 Market modelling; Market analysis; Collecting market data
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/10 in which an application is distributed across nodes in the network software deployment G06F8/60; multiprogramming arrangements G06F9/46
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/34 involving the movement of software or configuration parameters network booting or remote initial program loading [RIPL] G06F9/4416

Abstract

A system and method for managing website scripts includes operations which provide for user contributed website scripts for use by consumer users and computing systems providing services on their behalf. User contributed website scripts are used to periodically gather user data. Following receipt of a user contributed website script, validation operations are performed in order to ensure that the user contributed website script operates properly. Once an initial determination is made that the website script operates properly, award points are awarded to the contributing user, and contribution points are assigned. If performance of the user contributed website script fails after initial acceptance, the number of contribution points associated with the user contributed website script is reduced. If the number of contribution points associated with a user contributed website script falls below a predetermined threshold, the user contributed website script is rendered unavailable for use.

Claims

1. A system for user contributed website scripts comprising:

at least one computing processor; and

at least one memory coupled to the at least one computing processor, the at least one memory having stored therein instructions which when executed by any set of the at least one computing processors, perform a process for user contributed website scripts comprising;

receiving user data identifying a user;

determining a list of one or more websites for which a new user contributed website script is desired by

determining one or more accounts of the user, resulting in user accounts;

determining one or more billers having websites for which a less than satisfactory number of user contributed website scripts are accessible to the process for user contributed website scripts, resulting in prospective websites; and

determining one or more prospective websites associated with one or more of the user accounts and preparing a determined list of the prospective websites associated with one or more of the user accounts;

receiving user input selecting, from the determined list, a website of the one or more websites for which a new user contributed website script is desired;

receiving, from the user, data of a user contributed website script of the selected website, resulting in the user becoming a contributing user, the data of the user contributed website script including one or more user contributed website script operations designed to be performed on the selected website to gather data of the user;

determining whether the user contributed website script performs successfully;

upon the user contributed website script being determined to have performed successfully, storing the user contributed website script and activating the user contributed website script for use on behalf of at least one user; and

upon the user contributed website script being determined to have performed unsuccessfully, storing the user contributed website script and providing feedback to the contributing user.

2. A system for user contributed website scripts of claim 1 wherein the user data identifying the user includes authentication data sufficient to validate the user as a user authorized to contribute website scripts.

3. A system for user contributed website scripts of claim 2 wherein user data identifying the user is one or more of a user name and password.

4. A system for user contributed website scripts of claim 1 wherein activating the user contributed website script for use by at least one user comprises activating the website for use by the contributing user.

5. A system for user contributed website scripts of claim 1 further comprising:

determining whether a script creation plug-in is active within a web browser of the user;

if a script creation plug-in is not active within a web browser of the user, downloading the script creation plug-in, and activating the script creation plug-in;

if a script creation plug-in was determined to be active within a web browser of the user, or has been downloaded and activated, receiving user input, through the plug-in, the user input comprising one or more script operations of a website script.

6. A system for user contributed website scripts of claim 1 wherein determining whether the user contributed website script performs successfully includes determining whether each of the operations of the data of the user contributed website script perform correctly without failure.

7. A system for user contributed website scripts of claim 1, wherein storing the user contributed website script and activating the user contributed website script for use on behalf of at least one user further comprises:

increasing a number of award points associated with the contributing user.

8. A system for user contributed website scripts of claim 1, wherein storing the user contributed website script and activating the user contributed website script for use on behalf of at least one user further comprises:

increasing a number of contribution points associated with the activated website script.

9. A system for user contributed website scripts of claim 8, wherein storing the user contributed website script and activating the user contributed website script for use on behalf of at least one user further comprises:

performing, during a script refresh period, the user contributed website script on data of the associated website;

determining that performance of one or more operations of the user contributed website script failed; and

reducing the number of contribution points associated with the user contributed website script.

10. A system for user contributed website scripts of claim 9, further comprising:

determining that the number of contribution points associated with the user contributed website script has fallen below a predetermined decommissioning threshold; and

adding or updating data reflecting a status of the user contributed website script to indicate that the user contributed website script is not available for use.

11. A system for user contributed website scripts of claim 10,

wherein determining that performance of one or more operations of the user contributed website script failed comprises:

determining that performance of one or more operations of the user contributed website script failed when used on behalf of a user other than the contributing user; and

adding or updating data reflecting a status of the user contributed website script to indicate that the user contributed website script is not available for use comprises;

adding or updating data reflecting a status of the user contributed website script to indicate that the user contributed website script is not available for use on behalf of users other than the contributing user.

12. A system for user contributed website scripts of claim 10,

wherein determining that performance of one or more operations of the user contributed website script failed comprises:

determining that performance of one or more operations of the user contributed website script failed when used on behalf of the contributing user; and

adding or updating data reflecting a status of the user contributed website script to indicate that the user contributed website script is not available for use comprises;

adding or updating data reflecting a status of the user contributed website script to indicate that the user contributed website script is not available for use by any user.

13. A system for user contributed website scripts of claim 1,

wherein after storing the user contributed website script and activating the user contributed website script for use on behalf of at least one user, the process for user contributed website scripts further comprises:

associating a number of contribution points with the user contributed website script.

14. A system for user contributed website scripts of claim 1, wherein storing the user contributed website script and activating the user contributed website script for use on behalf of at least one user comprises:

storing a representation of the user contributed website script in a location of a database associated with the contributing user.

15. A system for user contributed website scripts of claim 1,

wherein storing the user contributed website script and activating the user contributed website script for use on behalf of at least one user comprises:

storing a representation of the user contributed website script in a location of a database associated with a community of users.

16. A system for user contributed website scripts of claim 1, wherein determining whether the user contributed website script performs successfully comprises:

using the user data identifying the user to authenticate with the website;

performing each of the operations of the user contributed website script on data of the website; and

determining, as each operation of the user contributed website script completes, whether the performed operation completed correctly without failure.

17. A system for user contributed website scripts of claim 1, further comprising:

performing each operation of the user contributed website script on data of the website;

determining that each of the performed operations completed correctly without failure; and

increasing the number of contribution points associated with the user contributed website script.

18. A system for user contributed website scripts of claim 1, wherein the selected website is a website of a biller, the biller being a product or service provider that provides products or services on behalf of the user.

19. A system for user contributed website scripts comprising:

a first computing system under the control of a user;

a second computing system operatively coupled to the first computing system and configured to manage the collection and evaluation of website scripts from a community of users;

at least one computing processor; and

at least one memory coupled to the at least one computing processor, the at least one memory having stored therein instructions which when executed by any set of the at least one computing processors, perform a process for user contributed website scripts comprising;

receiving, at the second computing system from the first computing system, user data identifying a user;

determining, at the second computing system, a list of one or more websites for which a new user contributed website script is desired by

determining one or more accounts of the user, resulting in user accounts;

determining one or more billers having websites for which a less than satisfactory number of user contributed website scripts are accessible to the process for user contributed website scripts, resulting in prospective websites; and

determining one or more prospective websites associated with one or more of the user accounts and preparing a determined list of the prospective websites associated with one or more of the user accounts;

receiving, at the second computing system from the first computing system, user input selecting, from the determined list, a website of the one or more websites for which a user website script contribution is desired;

receiving, at the second computing system from the first computing system, data of website script of the selected website, resulting in a contributed website script contributed by a contributing user, the data of the user contributed website script including one or more website script operations designed to be performed on the selected website to gather data of the user;

determining, at the second computing system, whether the user contributed website script performs successfully;

upon the user contributed website script being determined to have performed successfully, storing, by the second computing system, the user contributed website script and activating, by the second computing system, the user contributed website script for use on behalf of at least one user; and

upon the user contributed website script being determined to have performed unsuccessfully, storing, by the second computing system, the user contributed website script and providing feedback, by the second computing system, to the contributing user.

20. A system for user contributed website scripts of claim 19, wherein the user data identifying the user includes authentication data sufficient to validate the user as a user authorized to contribute website scripts.

21. A system for user contributed website scripts of claim 20, wherein user data identifying the user is one or more of a user name and password.

22. A system for user contributed website scripts of claim 19, wherein activating the website for use by at least one user comprises activating the website for use by the contributing user.

23. A system for user contributed website scripts of claim 19, further comprising:

determining whether a script creation plug-in is active within a web browser of the user;

if a script creation plug-in is not active within a web browser of the user, downloading the script creation plug-in, and activating the script creation plug-in;

if a script creation plug-in was determined to be active within a web browser of the user, or has been downloaded and activated, receiving user input, through the plug-in, the user input comprising one or more script operations of a website script.

24. A system for user contributed website scripts of claim 19, wherein determining whether the user contributed website script performs successfully comprises:

determining whether each of the operations of the data of the user contributed website script perform correctly without failure.

25. A system for user contributed website scripts of claim 19, wherein storing the user contributed website script and activating the user contributed website script for use on behalf of at least one user further comprises:

increasing a number of award points associated with the contributing user.

26. A system for user contributed website scripts of claim 19, wherein storing the user contributed website script and activating the user contributed website script for use on behalf of at least one user further comprises:

increasing a number of contribution points associated with the activated website script.

27. A system for user contributed website scripts of claim 26, wherein storing the user contributed website script and activating the user contributed website script for use on behalf of at least one user further comprises:

performing, during a script refresh period, the user contributed website script on data of the associated website;

determining that performance of one or more operations of the user contributed website script failed; and

reducing the number of contribution points associated with the user contributed website script.

28. A system for user contributed website scripts of claim 27, further comprising:

determining that the number of contribution points associated with the user contributed website script has fallen below a predetermined decommissioning threshold; and

adding or updating data reflecting a status of the user contributed website script to indicate that the user contributed website script is not available for use.

29. A system for user contributed website scripts of claim 28

wherein determining that performance of one or more operations of the user contributed website script failed comprises:

determining that performance of one or more operations of the user contributed website script failed when used on behalf of a user other than the contributing user; and

adding or updating data reflecting a status of the user contributed website script to indicate that the user contributed website script is not available for use comprises;

adding or updating data reflecting a status of the user contributed website script to indicate that the user contributed website script is not available for use on behalf of users other than the contributing user.

30. A system for user contributed website scripts of claim 28

wherein determining that performance of one or more operations of the user contributed website script failed comprises:

determining that performance of one or more operations of the user contributed website script failed when used on behalf of the contributing user; and

adding or updating data reflecting a status of the user contributed website script to indicate that the user contributed website script is not available for use comprises;

adding or updating data reflecting a status of the user contributed website script to indicate that the user contributed website script is not available for use by any user.

31. A system for user contributed website scripts of claim 19, wherein after storing the user contributed website script and activating the user contributed website script for use on behalf of at least one user, the process for user contributed website scripts further comprises:

associating a number of contribution points with the user contributed website script.

32. A system for user contributed website scripts of claim 19, wherein storing the user contributed website script and activating the user contributed website script for use on behalf of at least one user comprises:

storing a representation of the user contributed website script in a location of a database associated with the contributing user.

33. A system for user contributed website scripts of claim 19, wherein storing the user contributed website script and activating the user contributed website script for use on behalf of at least one user comprises:

storing a representation of the user contributed website script in a location of a database associated with a community of users.

34. A system for user contributed website scripts of claim 19, wherein determining whether the user contributed website script performs successfully comprises:

using the user data identifying the user to authenticate with the website;

performing each of the operations of the user contributed website script on data of the website; and

determining, as each operation of the user contributed website script completes, whether the performed operation completed correctly without failure.

35. A system for user contributed website scripts of claim 19, further comprising:

performing each operation of the user contributed website script on data of the website;

determining that each of the performed operations completed correctly without failure; and

increasing the number of contribution points associated with the user contributed website script.

36. A system for user contributed website scripts of claim 19, wherein the selected website is a website of a biller, the biller being a product or service provider that provides products or services on behalf of the user.