Applications and services supported by a client-server independent intermediary mechanism

• US 20030140312A1
• Filed: 11/26/2002
• Published: 07/24/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 05/14/1999
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: F5 Networks, Inc. (F5 Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Assisto Incorporated
• Inventors: Jordan, Daniel S., Mohan, Sudhir, Patil, Umesh R.
• Granted Patent: US 8,826,118 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/513
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9562 Bookmark management
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/957 Browsing optimisation, e.g. caching or content distillation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/958 Organisation or management of web site content, e.g. publishing, maintaining pages or automatic linking
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/01 Protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/06 specially adapted for file transfer, e.g. file transfer protocol [FTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/306 User profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/535 Tracking the activity of the user network monitoring arrangements H04L43/00; recording of computer activity G06F11/34
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/561 Adding application-functional data or data for application control, e.g. adding metadata
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99933 Query processing, i.e. searching
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/9994 Distributed or remote access

Abstract

A method and apparatus of accessing data through an independent intermediary mechanism (IIM) is described. The method includes displaying a frame including a user interface of the IIM, the frame framing a destination server display area (DSDA). The method further includes having one or more of the following functions provided by the IIM: a home page, a history list, bookmarks, a one-click account log-in function, a transaction record accessible to the user, a forms database permitting new forms to be added to the forms database, a user profile, and automatic form-fill function based on the forms database and the user profile.

Claims

1. A method of accessing data through an independent intermediary mechanism (IIM), the method comprising:

displaying a frame including a user interface of the IIM, the frame framing a destination server display area (DSDA);

retrieving destination server data (DS data) for display from a destination server;

maintaining a history list of past addresses of destination servers visited by the user.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

permitting access to the history list through the user interface.

3. A method of accessing data through an independent intermediary mechanism (IIM), the method comprising:

displaying a frame including a user interface of the IIM, the frame framing a destination server display area (DSDA);

displaying a homepage to the user, when the user initially connects to the IIM;

permitting the user to access a destination server from the IIM; and

retrieving destination server data (DS data) for display from a destination server.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising:

the user selecting a page as the homepage.

5. A method of accessing data through an independent intermediary mechanism (IIM), the method comprising:

displaying a frame including a user interface of the IIM, the frame framing a destination server display area (DSDA);

retrieving destination server data (DS data) for display from a destination server;

maintaining an account list for the user, the account list permitting one-key log-in into a plurality of accounts on the account list.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising:

displaying the account list in response to a display request; and

logging on to an account automatically when the account is selected.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

displaying an account edit screen in response to an account edit request; and

adding a new account, including an account location, an account log-in name, and an account password; and

displaying the new account on the account list.

34. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

registering information when the user logs on to a new account; and

adding the new account to the account list.

35. The method of claim 34, wherein the user can optionally enable or disable the registering of information.

36. The method of claim 34, further comprising:

requesting a user response whether to add the new account to the account list, and only adding the new account to the account list if the user responds affirmatively.

8. A method comprising:

accessing a destination server through an independent intermediary mechanism (IIM); and

accessing a destination server site including a form;

receiving a request to fill in the form; and

filling in the form from a database in the IIM.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the step of filling in the form comprises:

determining if the user has a transaction record including the form; and

if the user has a transaction record including the form, filling in the form from the transaction database.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

determining if the user has changed an item in a user profile that is used in the form; and

if the user has changed data, filling in the item from the user profile.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein said step of determining comprises:

comparing a date of the transaction record with a date of changes in the user profile; and

if the date of the transaction record is older, determining if the changes in the user profile are of a relevant record.

12. The method of claim 8, wherein said step of filling in the form comprises:

determining if the form is in the form database; and

if the form is in the form database, filling in the form based on information in the user profile.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the forms database includes a plurality of forms, such that locations in the form mapped into elements in the user profile.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein the forms database comprises multiple databases, at least one of the databases being centrally maintained.

15. The method of claim 12, further comprising the step of adding new forms to the form database, wherein the step of adding new form comprises:

opening a new form at a new address;

associating form control identifiers in the new form with labels from a user profile database; and

storing the new form, the new address, and the associated form control identifiers in the forms database.

16. The method of claim 12, wherein the form database is maintained in a central location, and administered by an authorized updater, such that an IIM updates an internal form database from the central location.

17. The method of claim 8, wherein the step of filling in the form comprises:

determining if the form is in a transaction database,

if the form is in the transaction database, filling in the form based on information in the transaction database;

if the form is not in the transaction database, determining if the form is in a form database,

if the form is in the form database, filling in the form based on information in the form database and in a user profile; and

if the form is not in the form database, matching entries in the user profile to form control identifiers in the form, and filling in the form based on the information from the user profile.

19. The method of claim 16, wherein the bookmark is located within a user database on the IIM.

18. A method comprising:

accessing a destination server through an independent intermediary mechanism (IIM); and

receiving an indication to add a universal resource indicator (URI) of the destination server as a bookmark;

adding the URI as a bookmark in the IIM.

20. A method comprising:

accessing a destination server through an independent intermediary mechanism (IIM); and

when a user submits a form to the destination server through the IIM, recording a transaction entry in a user'"'"'s transaction database; and

associating submitted information and form with the transaction;

wherein the transaction is available for review to the user through the IIM.

21. The method of claim 20, further comprising updating a form entry in a form database in the IIM, based on the form submitted by the user.

22. The method of claim 20, further comprising the step of updating a user profile based on the information submitted in the form.

23. The method of claim 20, further comprising:

determining if the destination server replied to the submission of the information; and

if the destination server replied,

recording the reply; and

associating the reply with the transaction.

24. The method of claim 20, further comprising the steps of:

adding one or more of the date, time, and other information to transaction record.

25. The method of claim 20, wherein the user can selectively turn on and off the transaction recording facility.

26. The method of claim 20, further comprising when a user accesses a destination server including a form,

determining if the user has a transaction record including the form;

and

if the user has the transaction record, optionally filling in the data into the form based on the submitted information in the transaction record.

27. The method of claim 26, wherein the user selects the option of filling in the data from a user interface of the IIM.

28. The method of claim 20, further comprising when a user accesses a destination server including a form,

determining if a form database includes the form;

and

if the form database includes the form, optionally filling in the data into the form based on a user profile.

29. The method of claim 28, wherein the user selects the option of filling in the data from a user interface of the IIM.

30. The method of claim 28, wherein the forms database includes a plurality of forms, such that locations in the form mapped into elements in the user profile.

31. The method of claim 21, further comprising:

adding new forms to the forms database by an authorized updater.

32. The method of claim 31, wherein the step of adding new form comprises:

opening a new form at a new address;

associating form control identifiers in the new form with labels from a user profile database; and

storing the new form, the new address, and the associated form control identifiers in the forms database.

33. The method of claim 31, wherein the form database is maintained in a central location, and administered by the authorized updater, such that an IIM updates an internal form database from the central location.