Browser Extension Field Detection With Adaptive Regex Feedback
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional browser extensions struggle to accurately identify and populate fields in web pages due to the diversity of web pages and changes in their structure, leading to inefficient communications and processor utilization.
Innovation Solution
A browser extension system that iteratively interacts with a server to generate and update regular expressions for detecting and populating fields, including unrecognized fields, through a process of field detection and automatic population.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If typical browser extension applications use fixed field detection methods, then they can work on standard web pages, but they fail to recognize changes, additions, and removals in web page fields
Solution Approach 1:
The system implements feedback by detecting unrecognized fields during web page interactions and using this information to generate updated regular expressions. The browser extension monitors when fields are manually populated, feeds this data back to the server, and receives updated detection patterns that improve future field identification accuracy.
Solution Approach 2:
The field detection system transitions from static regular expressions to dynamic, adaptive patterns. The regular expressions are continuously updated based on observed web page structures and user interactions, allowing the system to adapt to changing web page formats while maintaining reliable field identification.
2Measurement precision
If browser extension applications manually correct incorrectly identified fields, then accuracy improves, but communication efficiency and processor utilization decrease
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary actions by proactively detecting unrecognized fields and generating updated regular expressions before incorrect population occurs. The browser extension pre-loads updated detection patterns and automatically applies them, preventing the need for manual correction and maintaining high communication efficiency.
Solution Approach 2:
The browser extension implements self-service by automatically detecting field identification errors and correcting them through generated regular expressions. The system monitors its own performance, identifies detection failures, and autonomously updates its detection logic without requiring user intervention, thereby maintaining both accuracy and efficiency.
3Measurement precision
If browser extension applications use comprehensive field detection methods, then field identification accuracy improves, but the complexity of the extension increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system introduces a server as an intermediary that handles the complexity of regular expression generation and updating. The browser extension itself remains relatively simple, relying on the server to process detected patterns and return optimized detection rules, thereby distributing complexity across the system architecture.
Data Source
AI summary
Methods and systems for a browser extension application are disclosed. In some embodiments, a browser extension application is configured to receive from a browser extension server a regular expression configured to detect a plurality of fields in a web page and execute the regular expression to detect a transaction field in the web page and automatically populate the transaction field with stored data. The application is further configured to detect an unrecognized field in the web page, provide suggested transaction data, and detecting manual population of the unrecognized field with the suggested transaction data. The application is further configured to providing to the browser extension server an indication of the unrecognized field and receive from the browser extension server an updated regular expression configured to detect the unrecognized field in the web page.