Patent Application
20170093828
Embodiments described herein generally relate to client and server networks and, more particularly, to determining whether automatic login of user credentials into web page for an online account has succeeded.
Users typically maintain a number of web-based accounts to personalize a web experience. Examples of such web-based accounts include email accounts, online shopping accounts, online banking accounts, online brokerage accounts, and the like. Most accounts may be accessed in a web browser over a personal computer, mobile device, smart device or other personal device as users may find it convenient to access these accounts on their personal devices when they are away from a desk or home computer. Each web-based account (referred to herein as a web account) requires a user to provide a username, a password, and/or other user credentials in, for example, a web browser so as to provide access to the web account. Each web account may present, in a web page, a web form to the user during initial login and subsequent access to the web account. This web form is a structured document that includes “form fields” for entering user credential information, such as a user ID (a user identifier), a password or the like.
Typically, these different web accounts are created and managed with a username and a simple password. However, security policies of the web service may dictate that user passwords be changed frequently and/or require more complex passwords. Therefore, maintaining different user names and passwords that may be frequently be changed can become difficult and cumbersome for users with their several different web accounts. Further, some e-commerce or online banking web accounts may prompt a user to provide user credentials multiple times, which can be cumbersome and frustrating to the user.
Today, mobile applications are available such as, for example, password manager applications that that provide the ability to store user credentials and later be used for logging a user into the user's online accounts. These mobile applications can also facilitate automatically filling in the user credentials into a web page and logging the user into the account. However, over time, web forms in web pages may be changed and user credentials that are stored on a user device cannot be used. Additionally, these mobile applications that rely on “good” credentials may not able to determine if the user credentials have succeeded in logging the user into the user's web account. A way of automatically logging a user into a web account and determining whether the automatic login has succeeded would be desirable.
In the following description, for purposes of explanation, numerous specific details are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of the invention. It will be apparent, however, to one skilled in the art that the invention may be practiced without these specific details. In other instances, structure and devices are shown in block diagram form in order to avoid obscuring the invention. References to numbers without subscripts or suffixes are understood to reference all instance of subscripts and suffixes corresponding to the referenced number. Moreover, the language used in this disclosure has been principally selected for readability and instructional purposes, and may not have been selected to delineate or circumscribe the inventive subject matter, resort to the claims being necessary to determine such inventive subject matter. Reference in the specification to “one embodiment” or to “an embodiment” means that a particular feature, structure, or characteristic described in connection with the embodiments is included in at least one embodiment of the invention, and multiple references to “one embodiment” or “an embodiment” should not be understood as necessarily all referring to the same embodiment.
As used herein, the term “computer system” can refer to a single computer or a plurality of computers working together to perform the function described as being performed on or by a computer system.
As used herein, the term “headless browser” can refer to a web browser without a graphical user interface (GUI) that can access web pages over the internet but does not display them in the GUI on a client.
As used herein, the term “web crawler” can refer to an automated program, or script, that methodically scans or “crawls” through Internet pages to create an index of the data it's looking for. There are several uses for the program, perhaps the most popular being search engines using it to provide webs surfers with relevant websites. A web crawler can also be referred to as a web spider, a web robot, a bot, a crawler, and an automatic indexer.
As used herein, the term “web account” refers to a software application that is capable of being accessed over a network and provides access to user information. Examples of web accounts may include an email account, online shopping account, a corporate VPN account, a cloud service based account, an online financial services account including banking, brokerage account, an online social networking account, or the like.
A technique allows a client computing system with a browser to automatically transmit user credentials to a web account on a web site. The transmitted information may be entered into form fields in a standard browser or a headless browser. The client computing system may also determine whether automatic login of user credentials has succeeded in logging the user to the web account by determining, in some embodiment, “logout” buttons, or other information in web pages that may be received from the web site. Other embodiments include determining whether a landing or redirect web page is received in response to transmitting of the user credentials to the web site.
Referring to the figures,
Third-party server 116 may be in communication with client 106 via network 104. Third-party server 116 may include instructions that are executed by one or more processors for processing information from web server 102. In an embodiment, server 116 may be configured to receive information from client 106 for executing, in embodiment, a headless browser for transmitting user credentials to web server 102 and receiving information from web server 102 for determining whether user credentials are successful to log a user into an associated web account on web server 102. Third-party server 116 may be configured to identify login fields in web forms such as, for example, fields associated with login and logout buttons, password fields, or the like so as to determine if log-in into web server 102 was successful.
Client 106 may include a desktop computer, a laptop computer, a smart phone, a tablet device or any other type of electronic device having a processor and networking capabilities. Client 106 may include a web browser 108 and an application log-in module 114. In embodiments, web browser 108 may be a traditional web browser that is configured to communicate information in web pages to a user via a GUI or may be a headless browser that executes one or more processes in the background to transmit and receive information from web server 102. Web browser 108 may include a HTML execution engine 110 and a parser 112. HTML execution engine 110 interprets and executes the rewritten web pages that are received via network 104. Parser 112 may be in communication with HTML execution engine 110 and may be configured to translate the rewritten web pages from web server 102 into a tree structure of Document Object Model (DOM) element and attribute nodes.
Client 106 may also include an application log-in module 114. Application log-in module 114 (or application module 114) may store user credentials for one or more web accounts of a user. Application log-in module includes instructions that may be executed by a processor on client 106 to facilitate automatically logging a user into a web account on web server 102 and to determine whether login was successful, as described herein. In an embodiment, application module 114 may be configured to communicate user credentials to web server 102 for logging-in a user to one or more user associated web accounts and may be configured to determine whether login-of the user is successful by, in some embodiment, evaluating latency time after communicating user credentials and/or determining whether web pages that are received from web server 102 includes information or data that indicates that log was successful. In an embodiment, application module 114 may communicate information to third-party server 116 for determining whether login was successful. Application module 114 may also be configured to store and/or transmit information to a dashboard 120 via network 104 that measures server 116 that measures how often automatic login to server was successful, as login statistics information. Login statistics information may also be received by client 106 and or server 116 for presenting login information via a display. Network 104 is not limited to a network of interconnected computer networks that use an internet protocol (IP), and can also include the Internet and other high-speed data networks and/or telecommunications networks that are configured to pass information back and forth to client 106 via Network 104. Also, while two servers 102 and 116 are depicted in the example of system 100, any number of servers are contemplated to be in communication with client 106 for implementing embodiments of the invention described herein.
With continued reference to
In 215, web browser 108 may receive an HTML web page for a web domain from web server 102 in response to an HTTP request from web browser 108. The web page may include a credential entry section as a web form having “form fields” for entering user credential information such as, for example, a user ID (a user identifier), a password, and clickable “submit” buttons and additionally listening for an Enter or Return button “Keypress”. In an embodiment, application module 114 may parse the web page for identifying a clickable “submit” button and register or store the location of the clickable “submit” button for a specific URL or web domain in memory 118. Registering “submit” buttons may provide information on user clicks and/or other user activity on client 106 when monitoring user behavior during credential capture so as to ascertain that the user clicked on the correct buttons during logging into a web site.
In 220, user credentials that are entered by a user, in embodiments, can be captured as they are entered, after entering “Submit” button on Keypress but prior to transmission to web server 102, or after submitting the web form but prior to navigation to a new page as determined by a network request. In 225, user credentials may be transmitted to web server 102 via Network 104. In an embodiment, credential information may be entered into form fields in web browser 108 and data is transmitted to a web server 102, for example, in response to an HTTP request. Credential information that is transmitted may be used by web server 102 for creating a web account associated with a web site on web server 102 or may be used for accessing data or information from an existing web account for a user on web server 102. During credential entry, application module 114 may monitor, in the background, user credentials that are entered into form fields in web browser 108. For example, application module 114 may monitor credential entry section by monitoring user activity on client 106. For example, application module 114 may monitor “key clicks” in a virtual keyboard that may be used to determine credential information in a textual format, monitor audio for voice inputs or monitor key clicks from a physical keyboard during textual entry.
In 225, user credentials that are transmitted may be captured and stored in memory. In 230, web latency may be measured after transmission of credentials. For example, latency may be measured for a time period from the time user credentials are transmitted to a web site at a web server 102 to the time when a refreshed web page is received from web server 102. In 235, the refreshed web page is analyzed for attributes to determine whether login to a web site at web server 102 was successful by monitoring network 104 for a landing web page or a redirect webpage. For example, if “logout” buttons or other attributes are found in web pages such as, for example, a “landing webpage” with “logout” buttons that indicates successful log-in or if a “redirect” webpage is received that does not include “logout” buttons, which indicates unsuccessful log-in. In one embodiment, a redirect web page may also contain an error message that includes a web form for reentering user credentials (i.e., Step 235=“N”), then step 235 proceeds back to step 220, where a user may reenter user credentials via the redirect web page. Latency period for unsuccessful login may also be stored in memory. User credentials that were captured are deleted from memory for unsuccessful login. However, if login is successful where browser receives a landing page as a successive webpage (i.e., Step 235=“Y”), then step 235 proceeds to step 240 where, in an embodiment, login credentials for successful log-in are stored by application module 114 in memory 118 on client 106, and unsuccessful login credentials are deleted from memory. In another embodiment, web latency time period may also be stored by application module 114 in memory 118. Application module 114 may also associate user credentials with a specific web account and store the same in memory 118. The process ends in 245.
In 315, client 108 may receive a web page from web server 102 in response to initiating a log-in process. In an example, the received web page may be displayed in a web browser 108 or, alternatively, may be received in a headless browser on server 116. Also, the web page may include credential entry fields in a web form that may be used for transmitting user credentials to a web account for a web site at server 102.
In 320, user credentials may be transmitted to web server 102. For example, application module 114 may obtain user credentials from memory and e insert the user credentials into credential entry fields in a web form, which are transmitted to web server 102 for logging client 106 into the web account. In some examples, application module 114 may transmit user credentials via web browser 108 on client 106 or may transmit user credentials to server 116, which communicates user credentials to web server 102 via a headless browser.
In 325, application module 114 may receive information regarding a refreshed web page in response to transmitting user credentials to web server 102. In embodiments, application module 114 may receive information from headless browser on server 116 that may process information received from web server 102 so as to determine whether a refreshed web page is received from web server 102 or, alternatively, application module 114 may receive information from web server 102 so as to determine whether a refreshed web page is received. In one example, a refreshed web page may not be received because a page load may not have completed after transmitting user credentials or a refreshed web page is not available from web server 102. If a refreshed web page has not been received (i.e., step 325=“N”), then, in step 330, client 106 or server 116 may wait for a predetermined or calculated latency period for a refreshed web page. The latency period may be received from memory 118 or may be calculated. In 335, after expiration of the latency period and in step 335, when a refreshed page is not received (i.e., step 335=“N”), then, in step 340, web page may be reprocessed. For example, the web page may be inspected to determine if one or more variables are present such as, for example, “log-out” buttons, textual information referencing errors in user authentication, or other credential entry fields. In other embodiments, reprocessing may include transmitting information for unsuccessful log-in to dashboard 120 and displaying a redirected web page on a GUI in web browser 108 for retransmitting user credentials to web server 102 for logging the user into the web account. Information captured during reprocessing may be transmitted to dashboard 120.
However, if a refreshed web page is received (i.e., step 325=“Y” or step 335=“Y”), then in step 350, the web page may be inspected/analyzed to determine whether the web page include one or more attributes. Presence of one or more attributes in the web page may indicate a successful log-in or an unsuccessful log-in. In some non-limiting examples, the web page may be inspected via a headless browser at server 116 or by application module at client 106 to determine if attributes such as, for example, a “logout” button, one or more credential entry fields such as a “username” or a “user id” entry field, or attributes in textual information is available on the refreshed web page that may indicate that log-in was successful (such as for example, a landing page which includes a “logout” button) or unsuccessful such as, for example, a redirect page with textual information or presence of “username” credential entry field without a logout button). Information that is determined during inspection/analysis of the web page may be sent to dashboard 120 to capture log-in statistics associated with logging-in the user into one or more web accounts. In 350, if attributes are present indicating a successful log-in (i.e., step 350=“Y”), then, in 355, application module 114 may send information to dashboard 120 and display a GUI (or also called a “banner”) for the user's web account 108 that notifies the user of a successful log-in. However, in 350, if attributes are present indicating an unsuccessful log-in (i.e., step 350=“N”), then in step 360, application module 114 may send information to dashboard 120 and display an error redirect web page 108. Process ends in step 365
Referring now to
Programmable device 400 is illustrated as a point-to-point interconnect system, in which the first processing element 470 and second processing element 480 are coupled via a point-to-point interconnect 450. Any or all of the interconnects illustrated in
As illustrated in
Each processing element 470, 480 may include at least one shared cache 446. The shared cache 446a, 446b may store data (e.g., instructions) that are utilized by one or more components of the processing element, such as the cores 474a, 474b and 484a, 484b, respectively. For example, the shared cache may locally cache data stored in a memory 432, 434 for faster access by components of the processing elements 570, 580. In one or more embodiments, the shared cache 446a, 446b may include one or more mid-level caches, such as level 2 (L2), level 3 (L3), level 4 (L4), or other levels of cache, a last level cache (LLC), or combinations thereof.
While
First processing element 470 may further include memory controller logic (MC) 472 and point-to-point (P-P) interconnects 476 and 478. Similarly, second processing element 480 may include a MC 482 and P-P interconnects 486 and 488. As illustrated in
Processing element 470 and processing element 480 may be coupled to an I/O subsystem 490 via respective P-P interconnects 476 and 486 through links 452 and 454. As illustrated in
In turn, I/O subsystem 490 may be coupled to a first link 416 via an interface 496. In one embodiment, first link 416 may be a Peripheral Component Interconnect (PCI) bus, or a bus such as a PCI Express bus or another I/O interconnect bus, although the scope of the present invention is not so limited.
As illustrated in
Note that other embodiments are contemplated. For example, instead of the point-to-point architecture of
Referring now to
The programmable devices depicted in
Referring now to
The following examples pertain to further embodiments.
Example 1 is a machine readable medium, on which are stored instructions, comprising instructions that when executed cause a machine to: capture user credentials for a web account; transmit the user credentials for the web account to a web server, wherein the web account is associated with a web site; determine whether a refreshed web page is received from the web server responsive to transmitting the user credentials ; determine whether the refreshed web page includes one or more attributes indicative of a successful log-in into the web site responsive to receiving the refreshed web page; and display information related to a second web page responsive to determining whether the refreshed web page includes the one or more attributes.
In Example 2, the subject matter of Example 1 can optionally include wherein the instructions further comprise instructions that when executed cause the machine to transmit log-in information to a dashboard responsive to determining whether the refreshed web page includes the one or more attributes.
In Example 3, the subject matter of Example 1 to 2 can optionally include, wherein the instructions further comprise instructions that when executed cause the machine to: wait for a predetermined latency period responsive to determining that the refreshed web page is not received from the web server.
In Example 4, the subject matter of Example 3 can optionally include, wherein the instructions further comprise instructions that when executed cause the machine to reprocess the web page responsive to waiting the predetermined latency period.
In Example 5, the subject matter of Example 1 to 4 can optionally include, wherein the instructions to transmit user credentials further comprise instructions that when executed cause the machine to automatically retrieve and transmit a user identification and a user password from memory to the web server.
In Example 6, the subject matter of Example 1 to 5 can optionally include, wherein the instructions further comprise instructions that when executed cause the machine to receive information related to determining whether the refreshed web page include the one or more attributes from a remote third-party server.
In Example 7, the subject matter of Example 1 to 6 can optionally include, wherein the instructions to determine whether the refreshed web page includes the one or more attributes further comprise instructions that when executed cause the machine to display user content associated with the web account in a display responsive to determining that the refreshed web page includes the one or more attributes.
In Example 8, the subject matter of Example 1 to 7 can optionally include, wherein the instructions to determine whether the refreshed web page includes the one or more attributes further comprise instructions that when executed cause the machine to not display user content associated with the web account in a display responsive to determining that the refreshed web page does not include the one or more attributes.
Example 9 is a computer system for determining successful access to a web site, comprising: one or more processors; and a memory coupled to the one or more processors, on which are stored instructions, comprising instructions that when executed cause one or more of the processors to: transmit user credentials for a web account to a web server, wherein the web account is associated with the web site; determine whether a refreshed web page is received from the web server responsive to transmitting the user credentials; determine whether the refreshed web page includes one or more attributes indicative of a successful log-in into the web site responsive to receiving the refreshed web page; and display information related to a second web page responsive to determining whether the refreshed web page includes the one or more attributes.
In Example 10, the subject matter of Example 19 can optionally include, wherein the instructions further comprise instructions that when executed cause the one or more processors to transmit information related to the successful log-in to a dashboard responsive to determining whether the refreshed web page includes the one or more attributes.
In Example 11, the subject matter of Example 9 to 10 can optionally include, wherein the instructions further comprise instructions that when executed cause the one or more processors to wait for a predetermined latency period responsive to determining that the refreshed web page is not received from the web server.
In Example 12, the subject matter of Example 11 can optionally include, wherein the instructions further comprise instructions that when executed cause the one or more processors to reprocess the web page responsive to waiting the predetermined latency period.
In Example 13, the subject matter of Example 9 to 12 can optionally include, wherein the instructions further comprise instructions that when executed cause the one or more processors to automatically retrieve and transmit a user identification and a user password from memory to the web server.
In Example 14, the subject matter of Example 9 to 13 can optionally include, wherein the instructions further comprise instructions that when executed cause the one or more processors to receive information related to determining whether the refreshed web page include the one or more attributes from a remote third-party server.
In Example 15, the subject matter of Example 9 to 14 can optionally include, wherein the instructions further comprise instructions that when executed cause the one or more processors to display user content associated with the web account in a display responsive to determining that the refreshed web page includes the one or more attributes.
In Example 16, the subject matter of Example 9 to 15 can optionally include, wherein the instructions further comprise instructions that when executed cause the one or more processors to not display user content associated with the web account in a display responsive to determining that the refreshed web page does not include the one or more attributes.
Example 17 is a computer system for storing user information, comprising: one or more processors; and a memory coupled to the one or more processors, on which are stored instructions, comprising instructions that when executed cause one or more of the processors to: transmit a request for a web page; receive a second web page responsive to transmitting the request, wherein the second web page includes information related to a web account of a user; transmit user credentials within the second web page; capture user credentials as they are being transmitted; analyze a refreshed web page responsive to transmitting the user credentials; and determine whether the user credentials are successful to log-in into the web account.
In Example 18, the subject matter of Example 17 can optionally include, wherein the instructions further comprise instructions that when executed cause the one or more processors to monitor latency period responsive to transmitting the user credentials.
In Example 19, the subject matter of Example 17 to 18 can optionally include, wherein the instructions further comprise instructions that when executed cause the one or more processors to store one or more of the user credentials and the latency period responsive to determining that the user credentials are successful to log-in into the web account.
In Example 20, the subject matter of Example 17 to 19 can optionally include, wherein the instructions further comprise instructions that when executed cause the one or more processors to discard one or more of the user credentials and the latency period responsive to determining that the user credentials are not successful to log-in into the web account.
In Example 21 the subject matter of Example 17 to 2 can optionally include, wherein the instructions to determine whether the user credentials are successful to log-in into the web account further comprise instructions that when executed cause the one or more processors to determine whether the refreshed web page includes one or more attributes indicative of a successful log-in into the web account.
Example 22 is a method for storing user credentials, comprising: transmitting a request for a web page; receiving a second web page responsive to transmitting the request, wherein the second web page includes information related to a web account of a user; transmitting user credentials within the second web page; capturing user credentials as they are being transmitted; analyzing a refreshed web page responsive to transmitting the user credentials; and determining whether the user credentials are successful to log-in into the web account.
In Example 23, the subject matter of Example 22 can optionally include monitoring latency period responsive to transmitting the user credentials.
In Example 24, the subject matter of Example 23 can optionally include storing one or more of the user credentials and the latency period responsive to determining that the user credentials are successful to log-in into the web account.
In Example 25, the subject matter of Example 22 to 24 can optionally include determining whether the refreshed web page includes one or more attributes indicative of a successful log-in into the web account.
Example 26 is a method for determining successful access to a web site, comprising: capturing user credentials for a web account as they are being entered; transmitting the user credentials for the web account to a web server, wherein the web account is associated with a web site; determining whether a refreshed web page is received from the web server responsive to transmitting the user credentials; determining whether the refreshed web page includes one or more attributes indicative of a successful log-in into the web site responsive to receiving the refreshed web page; and displaying information related to a second web page responsive to determining whether the refreshed web page includes the one or more attributes.
In Example 27, the subject matter of Example 26 can optionally include, wherein the instructions further comprise instructions that when executed cause the machine to transmit log-in information to a dashboard responsive to determining whether the refreshed web page includes the one or more attributes.
In Example 28, the subject matter of Example 27 can optionally include waiting for a predetermined latency period responsive to determining that the refreshed web page is not received from the web server.
In Example 29, the subject matter of Example 26 to 28 can optionally include reprocessing the web page responsive to waiting the predetermined latency period.
In Example 30, the subject matter of Example 26 to 29 can optionally include automatically retrieving and transmitting a user identification and a user password from memory to the web server.
In Example 31, the subject matter of Example 26 to 30 can optionally include receiving information related to determining whether the refreshed web page include the one or more attributes from a remote third-party server.
In Example 32, the subject matter of Example 26 to 31 can optionally include displaying user content associated with the web account in a display responsive to determining that the refreshed web page includes the one or more attributes.
In Example 33, the subject matter of Example 26 to 32 can optionally include not displaying user content associated with the web account in a display responsive to determining that the refreshed web page does not include the one or more attributes.
