Learning and community-based web aggregation techniques

• US 8,010,674 B2
• Filed: 03/31/2008
• Issued: 08/30/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 03/31/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Intuit, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Intuit, Inc.
• Inventors: Fong, Spencer W.
• Primary Examiner(s): SHIN, KYUNG H
• Application Number:
  US12/059,696
• Publication Number:
  US 20090248789A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,247 Days
• Field of Search: 709/226, 709/202, 707/10, 706/12
• US Class Current: 709/226
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0807 using tickets, e.g. Kerberos cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication using tickets or tokens H04L9/3213
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0823 using certificates cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication involving certificates H04L9/3263
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/083 using passwords cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication using a predetermined code H04L9/3226
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0861 using biometrical features, e.g. fingerprint, retina-scan cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication using biological data H04L9/3231
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/102 Entity profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/105 Multiple levels of security

Abstract

Some embodiments of the present invention provide a system that facilitates access to a website from an application. During operation, the system obtains community data associated with interactions between a set of users and the website and examines the community data to identify an interactivity request made by the website to users of the website. Next, the system obtains user-specific data from a new user of the application, which includes a response to the interactivity request from the new user. Finally, the system uses the user-specific data to automate access to the website for the new user.

Claims

1. A method for automating access to a website, wherein the website is accessed by an application on behalf of a user of the application, comprising:

obtaining community data associated with interactions between a set of users and the website;

analyzing the community data to identify an interactivity request made by the website to a first user in the set of users of the website, wherein the interactivity request is a request from the website for user-specific data that is required to allow the first user to access the website;

storing, in a repository, the interactivity request made by the website;

acquiring user-specific data from a second user for accessing the website, based on the stored interactivity requests from the set of first users, wherein said acquiring occurs prior to the second user accessing the website; and

using the user-specific data to automate access to the website for the second user.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining a set of navigation patterns associated with the website from the community data; and

using the navigation patterns to further automate access to the website for the second user.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein access to the website involves at least one of:

performing navigation operations through webpages in the website;

performing parsing operations to extract data from webpages in the website;

aggregating content from the website;

executing a workflow on the website; and

entering information into the website.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the user-specific data further comprises an identifier and a password for the user.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the interactivity request is associated with at least one of an image, an audio file, a question, a biometric signature, a certificate, a file, a form field, and a token.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the interactivity request is used to verify an identity of the first user.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the response to the interactivity request is obtained using an interactivity object.

8. A method for automating access to a website, comprising:

accessing the website with user-specific data associated with a first user of the website;

obtaining, from the website, an interactivity request for the first user wherein the interactivity request is a request from the website for user-specific data that is required to allow the first user to access the website;

presenting the interactivity request to the first user;

obtaining a first response to the interactivity request from the first user;

using the first response to access the website for the first user;

adding the interactivity request obtained from the website for the first user to a set of interactivity request associated with user accesses to the website; and

using the interactivity request obtained from the website for the first user to facilitate access to the website for a second user of the website, which involves using the interactivity request to obtain user-specific data from the second user prior to the second user accessing the website.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein access to the website is facilitated for the second user by:

presenting the interactivity request to the second user;

obtaining a second response to the interactivity request from the second user; and

using the second response to the interactivity request to automate access to the website for the second user.

10. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

determining a set of navigation patterns associated with the website by analyzing the set of interactivity requests; and

using the navigation patterns to further facilitate access to the website for the second user.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein access to the website involves at least one of:

performing navigation operations through webpages in the website;

performing parsing operations to extract data from webpages in the website;

aggregating content from the website;

executing a workflow on the website; and

entering information into the website.

12. The method of claim 8, wherein the interactivity request is associated with at least one of an image, an audio file, a question, a biometric signature, a certificate, a file, a form field, and a token.

13. The method of claim 8, wherein the response to the interactivity request is obtained using an interactivity object.

14. A system that automates access to a website, wherein the website is accessed by an application on behalf of a user of the application, comprising:

a processor;

a memory associated with the processor;

a user data repository comprising community data associated with interactions between a set of users and the website;

a learning engine configured to analyze the community data to identify an interactivity request made by the website to the set of users of the website, wherein the interactivity request is a request from the website for user-specific data that is required to allow the first user to access the website;

a learning repository configured to store the identified interactivity request made by the website; and

an application configured to;

prior to the second user accessing the website, acquire user-specific data from the second user for accessing the website, based on the stored interactivity requests from the set of users; and

use the response to the interactivity request to automate access to the website for the second user.

15. The system of claim 14, further comprising:

the learning repository further configured to store a set of interactivity requests associated with user accesses to the website,

wherein the learning engine is further configured to;

add the interactivity request to the set of interactivity requests; and

use the set of interactivity requests to determine a set of navigation patterns associated with the website, and

wherein the application is further configured to use the navigation patterns to automate access to the website for the second user.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein access to the website involves at least one of:

performing navigation operations through webpages in the website;

performing parsing operations to extract data from webpages in the website;

aggregating content from the website;

executing a workflow on the website; and

entering information into the website.

17. The system of claim 14, wherein the user-specific data acquired from the second user comprises an identifier and a password for the second user.

18. The system of claim 14, wherein the interactivity request is associated with at least one of an image, an audio file, a question, a biometric signature, a certificate, a file, a form field, and a token.

19. The system of claim 14, wherein the interactivity request is used to verify an identity of the first user.

20. The system of claim 14, wherein the response to the interactivity request is obtained using an interactivity object.

21. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing instructions that when executed by a computer cause the computer to perform a method for automating access to a website, wherein the website is accessed by an application on behalf of a user of the application, comprising:

obtaining community data associated with interactions between a set of users and the website;

analyzing the community data to identify an interactivity request made by the website to a first user in the set of users of the website, wherein the interactivity request is a request from the website for user-specific data that is required to allow the first user to access the website;

storing, in a repository, the interactivity request made by the website;

acquiring user-specific data from a second user for accessing the website, based on the stored interactivity requests from the set of first users, wherein said acquiring occurs prior to the second user accessing the website; and

using the user-specific data to automate access to the website for the second user.

22. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 21, the method further comprising:

determining a set of navigation patterns associated with the website from the community data; and

using the navigation patterns to further automate access to the website for the second user.

23. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 22, wherein access to the website involves at least one of:

performing navigation operations through webpages in the website;

performing parsing operations to extract data from webpages in the website;

aggregating account information from the website;

executing a workflow on the website; and

entering information into the website.

24. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 21, wherein the user-specific data acquired from the second user comprises an identifier and a password for the second user.

25. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 21, wherein the interactivity request is associated with at least one of an image, an audio file, a question, a biometric signature, a certificate, a file, a form field, and a token.

26. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 21, wherein the interactivity request is used to verify an identity of the first user.

27. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 21, wherein the response to the interactivity request is obtained using an interactivity object.