Credential Manager Cache Validation via Crowd-Sourced Field Detection

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing credential manager applications face challenges in determining the location of enrollment fields in credential-seeking web pages, as these fields often change location between old and new web pages, rendering stored user credentials unusable.

Innovation Solution

A system utilizing an analysis server that crawls web pages, employs crowd-sourced validation, and updates cache entries on client devices to accurately identify and validate enrollment fields, ensuring compatibility with evolving web page structures.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Productivity

If credential manager applications use stored cache entries to automatically log users into web accounts, then login efficiency is improved, but reliability deteriorates when web page structures change and enrollment fields move to new locations

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvelogin efficiencyVSAvoidcredential usage reliability

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The system implements feedback by sending screenshots of web pages with marked enrollment fields to crowd-sourced workers who validate whether the markings are correct. This feedback loop allows the system to verify cache accuracy and update it when changes are detected, resolving the contradiction between using stored cache for efficiency and verifying accuracy for reliability.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #23Feedback

Solution Approach 2:

The system performs preliminary actions by proactively crawling web pages and updating cache entries before credentials are needed. By detecting web page changes and revalidating enrollment field locations in advance, the system ensures cache accuracy is maintained without waiting for login failures, thus preserving both efficiency and reliability.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

2Measurement precision

If the system crawls and validates web pages using crowd-sourced services to ensure accurate field identification, then measurement precision is improved, but loss of time increases due to validation delays

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvefield location identification accuracyVSAvoidcache validation time

Core Design Contradiction:

Measurement precisionVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs cache validation in advance by crawling web pages and verifying enrollment field locations before they are needed for login. This preliminary action allows the time-consuming validation process to occur asynchronously, so when users need to log in, the cache is already validated and ready for immediate use.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The system implements periodic validation by scheduling regular crawling and verification of web pages at intervals. This periodic approach balances the need for accurate field identification with time constraints, validating cache entries proactively at set intervals rather than waiting for login attempts to trigger validation.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #19Periodic action

3Adaptability or versatility

If the system implements comprehensive web page crawling and crowd-sourced validation, then adaptability to changing web structures is improved, but device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveweb page structure adaptabilityVSAvoidsystem architecture complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The system uses crowd-sourced workers as intermediaries to validate enrollment field locations. Instead of implementing complex computer vision or automated analysis systems, the patent leverages human workers who review screenshots and confirm field positions, simplifying the overall system architecture while maintaining high adaptability to web page structure changes.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

The system enables web sites to effectively self-report their enrollment field locations through the crowd-sourced validation process. By having workers verify and confirm field positions, the system allows web pages to adapt to structure changes without requiring complex automated detection algorithms, thus reducing device complexity while improving adaptability.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #25Self-service

Data Source

PatentUS11055480B2Crowd-source as a backup to asynchronous identification of a type of form and relevant fields in a credential-seeking web page

Publication Date: 2021.07.06 MCAFEE LLC

AI summary

A technique allows a credential manager application on a client computer system to identify fields and forms on a web page. An analysis server may automatically crawl web pages and identify the fields and form, then push the information to the client computer system for use by the credential manager. If the credential manager discovers the information is not available, the credential manager may analyze the web form to discover the fields and form information, then provide the discovered information to the analysis server for providing to other client computers. The analysis server may use crowd-sourcing for asynchronous verification of field and form information discovered by the analysis server or provided by the client computer.