Browser Module Data Capture via Profile Extraction
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Solution Overview
Problem
Users face difficulties in importing information from web sites into external applications, such as financial software, due to the lack of a simple means to transfer data from web pages, requiring manual entry of information.
Innovation Solution
A browser module that accesses web sites, retrieves profiles defining data extraction methods, captures information from web pages, and sends it to destination applications in a compatible format, using techniques like regular expressions and XSLT, enabling seamless data transfer.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If manual entry of information is used, then data can be accurately transferred to external applications, but user time and effort increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The browser module automatically captures information from web pages and transfers it to destination applications without requiring user intervention. The system self-performs the data extraction and transfer operations that would otherwise require manual user entry, thereby eliminating time loss while maintaining data accuracy.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the mechanical manual data entry process with an automated computer-based system. The browser module uses programming logic to automatically extract data from web pages and transfer it to external applications, substituting the manual mechanical action of typing and copying with automated digital processing.
2Reliability
If proprietary authentication systems are used by each web site entity, then security is maintained, but user convenience deteriorates due to requiring separate account information for each service
Solution Approach 1:
The browser module serves multiple functions: it acts as a web browser for accessing web sites, an authentication handler for managing credentials, and a data capture system for extracting information. This multi-functionality consolidates what would otherwise require separate systems, improving ease of operation while maintaining security through centralized credential management.
3Productivity
If information is captured automatically from web pages, then data transfer efficiency improves, but system complexity increases due to need for format conversion and profile management
Solution Approach 1:
The browser module is segmented into distinct functional components: a web browsing component, an authentication component, a data capture component, and a format conversion component. This segmentation allows each component to handle specific tasks independently, making the overall complex system more manageable and maintainable while enabling automatic data capture functionality.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces profiles as intermediary structures that define how data should be captured and converted between different formats. These profiles act as mediators between the web page formats and the destination application formats, simplifying the complexity of format conversion by providing predefined transformation rules rather than requiring complex real-time conversion logic.
Data Source
AI summary
In general, the invention relates to a method for capturing information from a web site. The method includes accessing the web site using a browser with a browser module, where the web site comprises a number of web pages having information in a first format, and obtaining a profile corresponding to the web site, where the profile defines a manner to capture information in a first format from the web site. The method further includes capturing information, by the browser module, from at least one of the number of web pages based on the profile and sending the information captured by the browser module to a destination application, where the destination application is external to the browser and where the destination application is configured to use the information in a second format.