Remote browsing session management

• US 9,313,100 B1
• Filed: 11/14/2011
• Issued: 04/12/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 11/14/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc. (Amazon.com, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc. (Amazon.com, Inc.)
• Inventors: Jenkins, Jonathan A., Hill, Peter F., Taylor, Brett R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Dustin
• Assistant Examiner(s): Nguyen, Hao
• Application Number:
  US13/296,134
• Time in Patent Office: 1,611 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0893 Assignment of logical groups to network elements
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0895 Configuration of virtualised networks or elements, e.g. virtualised network function or OpenFlow elements
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0421 Anonymous communication, i.e. the party's identifiers are hidden from the other party or parties, e.g. using an anonymizer
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]

Abstract

A browsing process is directed to the generation and management of a browse session at a network computing provider. A client computing device requests a remote browse session instance at a network computing provider. The browse session instance may correspond to requests for network content, and the requests may include information that can be used to identify the client computing device or its user. The network computing provider can remove identification information from the request before passing it to the content provider. The network computing provider retrieves the requested content and performs a first set of processing actions to generate a processing result. The processing actions can include removing identification information that was retrieved with the content. The processing result may be provided to the client computing device for display, including performing a second set of processing actions on the processing result at the client computing device.

Claims

1. A system for maintaining the privacy of a client computing device, the system comprising:

one or more computer processors;

a computer memory accessible by at least one of the one or more computer processors; and

a network computing component comprising an executable software module in the computer memory, the executable software module executed by the one or more computer processors, wherein the network computing component is operable to;

host a virtual machine instance including a network-based browsing application on the network computing component, the network-based browsing application in communication with a browsing application of a client computing device;

receive, from the browsing application of the client computing device, an original browse session request for a network resource, the original browse session request comprising a network address of the network resource and identification data associated with the client computing device;

in response to receiving the original browse session request for the network resource, generate an independent browse session request for the network resource, by the network-based browsing application, wherein the independent browse session request corresponds to a browse session request for the network resource identified in the original browse session request and wherein the independent browse session request does not include the identification data associated with the client computing device;

cause transmission of the independent browse session request for the network resource to a network resource provider;

receive a response from the network resource provider, wherein the response comprises the requested network resource and an identification token, the identification token associated with the network-based browsing application; and

in response to receiving the response;

determine a remote session browsing configuration associated with the network-based browsing application and the browsing application of the client computing device, wherein the remote session browsing configuration comprises a remote session communication protocol and comprises information designating respective processing actions performed on the requested network resource by either the network-based browsing application or by the browsing application of the client computing device;

process, with the network-based browsing application, at least a portion of the requested network resource; and

transmit a portion of the response to the browsing application of the client computing device from the network-based browsing application via the remote session communication protocol, wherein the transmitted portion of the response does not comprise the identification token.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the identification data comprises at least one of an IP address, a MAC address, a cookie, or an HTTP header.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the identification token comprises a cookie.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the identification token is retained by the network computing component after transmitting the portion of the response to the browsing application of the client computing device.

5. A computer-implemented method for maintaining the privacy of a client computing device, the computer-implemented method comprising:

receiving, by a network computing component configured to host a virtual machine instance including a network-based browsing application, an original browse session request for a network resource, wherein;

the original browse session request is received from a client computing device configured with a browsing application;

the browsing application of the client computing device is in communication with the network-based browsing application hosted by the network computing component; and

the original browse session request includes identification data associated with the client computing device;

in response to receiving the original browse session request for the network resource, generating an independent browse session request for the network resource, by the network-based browsing application, wherein;

the independent browse session request corresponds to a browse session request for the network resource identified in the original browse session request; and

the independent browse session request does not include at least a portion of the identification data included in the original browse session request received from the client computing device;

transmitting, to a network resource provider, the independent browse session request for the network resource;

receiving a response from the network resource provider; and

in response to receiving the response from the network resource provider;

determining a remote session browsing configuration associated with the network-based browsing application and the browsing application of the client computing device, wherein the remote session browsing configuration comprises a remote session communication protocol and comprises information designating respective processing actions performed on the response by either the network-based browsing application or by the browsing application of the client computing device; and

transmitting a portion of the response to the browsing application of the client computing device from the network-based browsing application via the remote session communication protocol,

wherein the method is implemented by a computer system comprising computer hardware configured with specific executable instructions.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 5, wherein the identification data comprises at least one of an IP address, a MAC address, a cookie, or an HTTP header.

7. The computer-implemented method of claim 5, wherein the response received from the network resource provider comprises the network resource and a first identification token, wherein the portion of the response transmitted to the browsing application of the client computing device does not comprise the first identification token.

8. The computer-implemented method of claim 7, wherein the first identification token comprises a cookie.

9. The computer-implemented method of claim 7, wherein:

the response comprises the network resource and a reference to an embedded resource;

the reference comprises a network address of the embedded resource; and

the computer-implemented method further comprises;

transmitting a browse session request for the embedded resource to a second network resource provider;

receiving a response from the second network resource provider, wherein the response from the second network resource provider comprises the embedded resource and a second identification token; and

transmitting a portion of the response from the second network resource provider, wherein the transmitted portion of the response from the second network resource provider does not comprise the second identification token.

10. The computer-implemented method of claim 7, the computer-implemented method further comprising retaining the first identification token after the response has been transmitted to the browsing application of the client computing device.

11. The computer-implemented method of claim 5, wherein the independent browse session request transmitted to the network resource provider comprises added identification data.

12. The computer-implemented method of claim 11, wherein the added identification data comprises an HTTP header.

13. A computer-implemented method for maintaining the privacy of a client computing device, the computer-implemented method comprising:

receiving, by a network computing component, a plurality of original browse session requests for one or more network resources, the plurality of original browse session requests received from a client computing device configured with a browsing application, wherein;

the browsing application of the client computing device is in communication with a network-based browsing application included in a virtual machine instance hosted by the network computing component; and

each of the plurality of original browse session requests includes identification data associated with the client computing device;

generating a plurality of independent browse session requests for the one or more network resources with the network-based browsing application based on the plurality of original browse session requests received from the client computing device, wherein the plurality of independent browse session requests are not generated with identification data associated with the client computing device included in the plurality of original browse session requests;

transmitting the plurality of independent browse session requests to one or more network resource providers, wherein the plurality of independent browse session requests are transmitted through one or more proxy devices, and wherein each of the plurality of independent browse session requests is transmitted once;

receiving at least one response from the one or more network resource providers; and

in response to receiving the at least one response;

determining a remote session browsing configuration associated with the network-based browsing application and the browsing application of the client computing device, wherein the remote session browsing configuration comprises a remote session communication protocol and comprises information designating respective processing actions performed on the at least one response by either the network-based browsing application or by the browsing application of the client computing device;

processing at least a portion of the at least one response, wherein the processing is performed by the network-based browsing application hosted by the network computing component; and

transmitting a portion of the at least one response to the browsing application of the client computing device from the network-based browsing application via the session communication protocol;

wherein said method is implemented by a computer system comprising computer hardware configured with specific executable instructions.

14. The computer-implemented method of claim 13, wherein each of the plurality of independent browse session requests does not include identification data associated with the client computing device.

15. The computer-implemented method of claim 14, wherein the identification data comprises at least one of an IP address, a MAC address, a cookie, or an HTTP header.

16. The computer-implemented method of claim 14, wherein the plurality of independent browse session requests are transmitted through one proxy device.

17. The computer-implemented method of claim 14, wherein the plurality of independent browse session requests are transmitted through a plurality of proxy devices.

18. The computer-implemented method of claim 17, further comprising randomly determining one of the plurality of proxy devices through which to transmit one of the plurality of independent browse session requests.

19. The computer-implemented method of claim 17, further comprising determining one of the plurality of proxy devices through which to transmit one of the plurality of independent browse session requests based on a geographical location of the one of the plurality of proxy devices.

20. The computer-implemented method of claim 13, further comprising establishing, by the network computing component, a secure connection with the client computing device, wherein the plurality of original browse session requests for one or more network resources is received by the network computing component over the secure connection.

21. A system for maintaining the privacy of a client computing device, the system comprising:

one or more computer processors;

a computer memory accessible by at least one of the one or more computer processors; and

a network computing component comprising an executable software module in the computer memory, the executable software module executed by the one or more computer processors, wherein the network computing component is operable to;

establish a secure connection with a client computing device;

host a virtual machine instance including a network-based browsing application, wherein the network-based browsing application is in communication with a browsing application of the client computing device;

receive, from the client computing device, an original browse session request for a network resource, the original browse session request comprising a network address of the network resource and identification data associated with the client computing device, the original browse session request received over the secure connection;

in response to receiving the original browse session request for the network resource, generate an independent browse session request for the network resource by the hosted network-based browsing application, wherein the independent browse session request corresponds to a browse session request for the network resource identified in the original browse session request and wherein the independent browse session request does not include the identification data included in the original browse session request;

cause transmission of the independent browse session request for the network resource to a network resource provider;

receive a response from the network resource provider, wherein the response comprises the requested network resource and an identification token;

in response to receiving the response;

determine a remote session browsing configuration associated with the network-based browsing application and the browsing application of the client computing device, wherein the remote session browsing configuration comprises a remote session communication protocol and comprises information designating respective processing actions performed on the response by either the network-based browsing application or by the browsing application of the client computing device; and

transmit a portion of the response to the browsing application of client computing device from the network-based browsing application via the remote session communication protocol, wherein the transmitted portion of the response does not comprise the identification token.

22. The system of claim 21, wherein the identification token is retained by the network computing component after transmitting the portion of the response to the client computing device.

23. The system of claim 22, wherein the retained identification token is a cookie.

24. The system of claim 22, wherein the network computing component is further operable to transmit to the network resource provider the original browse session request and the retained identification token.

25. The system of claim 21, wherein the independent browse session request does not include at least a part of the identification data.

26. The system of claim 25, wherein the identification data comprises at least one of an IP address, a MAC address, a cookie, or an HTTP header.

27. The system of claim 21, wherein the network computing component is further operable to:

process, at least in part, the response received from the network resource provider, wherein the processing is performed by the network-based browsing application of the virtual machine instance hosted by the network computing component.