System and method for communicating data from a client data processing system user to a remote data processing system

• US 6,615,213 B1
• Filed: 03/03/2000
• Issued: 09/02/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 03/03/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: William J. Johnson
• Inventors: Johnson, William J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Metjahic, Safet
• Assistant Examiner(s): PARDO, THUY N
• Application Number:
  US09/518,912
• Time in Patent Office: 1,278 Days
• Field of Search: 707/10, 707/9, 707/103, 707/104, 380/3, 709/201, 709/218, 709/220, 370/252
• US Class Current: 709/217
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9535 Search customisation based on user profiles and personalisation
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/306 User profiles
• 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 707/99939 Privileged access

Abstract

Provided is a system and method for facilitating the providing of client data to remote data processing systems. A user of a client data processing system can automatically communicate arbitrary amounts, and types, of application independent data to a remote data processing system through a minimal user action such as a single mouse selection, or a single keypad invocation. The application independent data comprises a set of data instances, each data instance including a data item, data type, and a user assigned label. A remote application is interfaced to through a minimal action solicitation prompt having associated application data rules. Application data rules comprise a set of sought data instances, each sought data instance including a label, acceptable data type(s), seek requirements, and validity criteria. Convenient user response to the prompt automatically communicates the predefined application independent data to the remote data processing system upon matching labels of application data rules with labels of the client'"'"'s application independent data. Acceptable data types, seek requirements, and validity criteria are also matched. The application independent data is reusable, of arbitrary syntax and/or semantics, and can be maintained safely. An optional reconciliation of the transmission can be accomplished before the actual transmission. Upon receipt of the application data, configured customizable actions are performed.

Claims

1. A client data processing system for automatically communicating data from a client data processing system user of said client data processing system to a remote data processing system, said client data processing system comprising:

means for maintaining at said client data processing system a set of data instances potentially accepted by said remote data processing system wherein a data instance of said set of data instances includes a user configured data item and a user configured label that is assigned to said data item, wherein said set of data instances are configured and saved for future use through a user interface outside the context of any user interface presented to said client data processing system by said remote data processing system;

means for activating said set of data instances to be associated to a future user action;

means for presenting to said client data processing system user a prompt within the context of user interface presented by said remote data processing system for soliciting user response by said client data processing system user;

means for automatically communicating a subset of said set of data instances to said remote data processing system upon invocation of said user action by said client data processing system user in response to said prompt; and

means for mapping information of said set of data instances to application data rules defined by said remote data processing system, said application data rules defining said subset that is acceptable to said remote data processing system, and wherein said application data rules includes a set of sought labels for data sought by said remote data processing system, wherein a sought label, of said set of sought labels, is used to match to user configured labels of said set of data instances.

2. The client data processing system of claim 1 wherein said data instance further includes a data type of said user configured data item.

3. The client data processing system of claim 1 wherein said application data rules includes a set of validity criteria for determining validity of user configured data items of said set of data instances that are acceptable by said remote data processing system.

4. The client data processing system of claim 1 further comprising means for managing a plurality of sets of data instances wherein said plurality of sets of data instances are associated to an authenticated user.

5. The client data processing system of claim 1 further comprising means for managing a plurality of sets of data instances wherein said plurality of sets of data instances are subordinate to groups defined by said client data processing system user.

6. The client data processing system of claim 1 further comprising means for prompting said user with a reconcilable indication of how said set of data instances map to said application data rules.

7. The client data processing system of claim 1 wherein said set of data instances has an expiration.

8. The client data processing system of claim 1 further comprising means for maintaining said set of data instances in a protected form from unauthorized access.

9. The client data processing system of claim 1 wherein said means for activating said set of data instances includes means for activating said set of data instances through user invocation of a hot-key.

10. The client data processing system of claim 1 further comprising means for supporting a user query of said prompt for providing information about said application data rules.

11. A method for automatically communicating data from a client data processing system user to a remote data processing system, said method comprising the steps of:

maintaining at said client data processing system a set of data instances potentially accepted by said remote data processing system wherein a data instance of said set of data instances includes a user configured data item and a user configured label that is assigned to said data item, wherein said set of data instances are configured and saved for future use through a user interface outside the context of any user interface presented to said client data processing system by said remote data processing system;

activating said set of data instances to be associated to a future user action;

presenting to said client data processing system user a prompt within the context of user interface presented by said remote data processing system for soliciting user response by said client data processing system user; and

automatically communicating a subset of said set of data instances to said remote data processing system upon invocation of said user action by said client data processing system user in response to said prompt; and

mapping information of said set of data instances to application data rules defined by said remote data processing system, said application data rules defining said subset that is acceptable to said remote data Processing system, and wherein said application data rules includes a set of sought labels for data sought by said remote data processing system, wherein a sought label, of said set of sought labels, is used to match to user configured labels of said set of data instances.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein said data instance further includes a data type of said user configured data item.

13. The method of claim 11 wherein said application data rules includes a set of validity criteria for determining validity of user configured data items of said set of data instances that are acceptable by said remote data processing system.

14. The method of claim 11 further including the step of performing customizable actions upon remote data processing system receipt of said subset, said customizable actions specified at said remote data processing system.

15. The method of claim 11 further including the step of enforcing protected usage of said prompt at said client data processing system, said protected usage defined by said remote data processing system.

16. The method of claim 11 wherein said prompt is defined in html of said user interface presented by said remote data processing system.