Browser Plugin Private Data Mode Volatile Storage
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Current browser privacy modes do not effectively prevent the persistence of local shared objects and browsing history, compromising user privacy and security, especially when transitioning between private and public browsing sessions.
Innovation Solution
Implementing a method where browser plugins, such as multimedia players, operate in a private data mode that prevents reading and writing to persistent storage, storing all locally cached data in volatile memory and using global defaults for per-domain permissions, ensuring that no records of websites visited are persisted during private browsing.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If plugins are allowed to read and write to persistent storage during browsing, then data persistence and caching functionality is improved, but user privacy and security are compromised due to recording of browsing history
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the storage system into two distinct parts: volatile memory for private browsing data and persistent storage for public browsing data. This segmentation allows the plugin to maintain data persistence functionality while preventing privacy compromises by isolating private browsing activity from permanent records.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent extracts the data persistence functionality from the persistent storage system and relocates it to volatile memory for private browsing sessions. This extraction removes the harmful element (persistence of private browsing data) while preserving the useful element (data caching and availability during session).
2Productivity
If local shared objects are stored in persistent storage for plugin functionality, then plugin performance and data availability are improved, but browsing history tracking and privacy violations occur
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs volatile memory as a temporary, non-persistent storage medium for private browsing data. This allows the plugin to maintain fast data access and caching performance during the browsing session, while automatically discarding all data after the session ends, thus preventing browsing history tracking.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements a dynamic storage strategy where the plugin can switch between volatile memory and persistent storage based on browsing mode. In private browsing mode, only volatile memory is used; in public mode, persistent storage is activated. This dynamic adaptation maintains optimal performance while controlling information persistence.
3Object-affected harmful factors
If plugins operate in private data mode without persistent storage access, then privacy protection is improved, but data caching and retrieval capabilities deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates a copy of the data storage mechanism by using volatile memory as a temporary replica of persistent storage during private browsing sessions. This copy maintains all necessary data caching and retrieval capabilities for the duration of the session, then is automatically discarded, thus providing both privacy protection and functional performance.
Data Source
AI summary
Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on a computer storage medium, support a browser privacy mode in a plugin of the browser. In one aspect, a method includes applying a private browsing mode of a browser in a plugin program of the browser, the applying including: obtaining, in a process, an indication of the private browsing mode of the browser; specifying, in response to the indication, that an instance of the plugin program initiated within the process is set to run in a private data mode that cannot be exited; receiving, in the instance of the plugin program initiated within the process and set to run in the private data mode, information that results in locally cached data; and saving, in response to the receiving, the locally cached data entirely in volatile memory without saving to persistent storage.