Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLC

Rajeev Dujari

Darren Mitchell

Ahsan Syed Kabir

Erik Jon Snapper

Yordan Ivanov Rouskov

Cem Paya

John M Hawkins

Aaron Ross Goldfeder

Stephen J Purpura

Frank M Schwieterman

Biao Wang

Samim Erdogan

Loren Kohnfelder

Ferhan Elvanoglu

Anand Ramakrishna

Danpo Zhang

Adriaan W Canter

Michael J Wallent

Josh R Cohen

E Castedo Ellerman

Lewis Geer

Beerud D Sheth

Systems and methods for switching from a first Internet context to a second Internet context without process shutdown are described. Internet context data, such as cookies, history and user-defined data, is stored in containers unique to each user on a system. Internet content is stored in a common location so redundant downloaded information is not stored. Content information is found or stored by hashing a URL and indexing the memory location according to the resulting hash value. If content data is specific to a particular user, a hash is performed on a combination of the URL and an ordinal associated with the user's unique identity to obtain a hash value unique to the user. The user-specific content is then stored and the memory location is indexed according to the unique hash value.

Systems and methods for switching internet contexts without process shutdown

A method and system for using an Internet client's local authentication mechanism in systems having updated browser code, so as to enable third party authentication according to an authentication scheme specified by a participating server on clients with updated browser code, while not breaking clients with legacy browser code. A redirect response from a server has authentication data added thereto such that updated browser code can detect the data's presence and enable the use of local security mechanisms for authentication purposes with the server-specified authentication scheme, including local credential entry for verification at a third party login server. At the same time, if such a redirect response is received by prior browser code, the added data is ignored while conventional redirection occurs, such that third party authentication may be performed via redirection to a third party's Internet page that provides a form for credential entry.

Method and system of integrating third party authentication into internet browser code

A system and method that evaluates privacy policies from web sites to determine whether each site is permitted to perform operations (e.g., store, retrieve or delete) directed to cookies on a user's computer. Various properties of each cookie and the context in which it is being used are evaluated against a user's privacy preference settings to make the determination. An evaluation engine accomplishes the evaluation and determination via a number of criteria and considerations, including the cookie properties, its current context, the site, the zone that contains the site, and any P3P data (compact policy) provided with the site's response. The user privacy preferences are evaluated against these criteria to determine whether a requested cookie operation is allowed, denied or modified. A formalized distinction between first-party cookies versus third-party cookies may be used in the determination, along with whether the cookie is a persistent cookie or a session cookie.

Method and system for protecting internet users' privacy by evaluating web site platform for privacy preferences policy

A system and method that allows a page (e.g., Internet content) author to associate a set of security settings on any desired element (e.g., tag) of the page. When the page is interpreted, each element is handled based on its associated security settings, allowing a page author to request that any element be considered differently with respect to security than other elements, and/or differently relative to the page that contains it. A negotiator determines the actual settings for elements to ensure that security cannot be compromised by tagging an element such that it has the ability to do more than desired. The negotiator also determines the settings for elements that do not have specifically associated security data, e.g., elements without specified security settings may inherit security settings from higher elements, or the top-level container. The settings may correspond to those of a security zone.

Security settings for markup language elements

A system and method for virtually eliminating a potential security risk inherent with the caching of network content. Random subdirectory names are generated for cache directories, while continuing to generate user-friendly file names. Security is achieved since malicious sites cannot guess the cache location, which if guessed along with the filename, could cause a user connected to the site to inadvertently execute malicious content downloaded by the site to the cache. In addition to generating random subdirectory names, the system and method provide enhanced performance by balancing the number of files among the cache directories, and by limiting the number of files in any cache directory by creating additional cache directories as needed.

Method and system for directory balancing

Two new cache control headers in the cache control header, &ldquo;post-check&rdquo; and &ldquo;pre-check&rdquo;, enable the display of content from the cache, with a later synchronization of the content performed in the background via a conditional request such as an IMS request. These headers enable the server to define a non-validate time period relative to the cached content's age in which the user will receive content from the cache, a background synchronization period in which the user will receive content from the cache and automatically queue a request for background synchronization thereof, and a validate period in which the cached content may or may not be used, depending on a response to a validation request sent to the server. The content is quickly rendered for the user in the non-validate and background synchronization periods, and the hit count is correct in the background synchronization and validate periods. In the background synchronization time period, the user has a fast experience with rapidly rendered content, while via the background synchronization, the server receives the proper number of hits.

Background cache synchronization

A computer based system and method of providing security when receiving digital data at a client computer from one or more Web sites is disclosed. The method includes receiving security configuration information that specifies multiple security zones, each zone corresponding to a set of Web sites. The security configuration information also includes information specifying a set of security settings corresponding to each security zone. A security setting is a specification indicating an action to perform when a Web page from one of the security zones requests a protected operation to be performed. During a Web browsing session, the mechanism of the invention determines the security zone corresponding to the Web site currently being browsed. Prior to performing the protected operation, the mechanism of the invention determines the action to perform, based on the current Web site's security zone, the requested operation, and the security setting corresponding to the requested operation and the Web site's zone. Depending upon the security setting, the Web browser may perform the requested operation, prevent the requested operation from being performed, or prompt the user of whether to perform the requested operation. During the browsing of a Web site, the Web browser visually indicates the security zone corresponding to the current Web site.

Network security zones

Dynamic network cache directories

A method and system for reducing the number of conditional requests for network content to a server by maintaining state for selected URIs in a local cache indicative of a confidence level that the files are unchanged. When a request for content is received that corresponds to such a URI in the cache, a synchronization time is determined based on a confidence level for that URI. If the synchronization time is achieved, a conditional request is sent to the server, otherwise the URI data is returned from the cache to respond to the request. Synchronization intervals for such files may be increased as the likelihood that the item is unmodified increases. URIs may need to be of a certain content type and required to pass a confidence test before being selected for automatic synchronization.

Automatic cache synchronization

A method and system for caching partial downloads of network content and using that cached partial content to satisfy requests for content from client applications, in a manner that is invisible to the application. A network interface receives a request for content corresponding to cached partial content, determines what portion is cached and what portion is missing, and requests from the server only the missing range of content. When the missing content is received in a partial range response, it is merged with the cached content to provide the full content requested. The interface further transforms the range response to a response that the application is expecting and is capable of handling. Benefits include reduced client latency, reduced server load and improved network utilization. In an alternate enhancement, the interface uses pointers to track client requests for content with the amount of content received and cached for that content, to give the application the illusion of having random access to the content.

Partial file caching and read range resume system and method

A method and system for increasing perceived Internet browser performance by using a relatively high-bandwidth data source such as a CD-ROM and/or a hard drive directory as a local cache of Internet content. The content is provided by content providers via some high-bandwidth data source such as a CD-ROM media for a CD-ROM drive. An install program provided with the content registers with the system one or more URL patterns such as prefixes corresponding to the content, in association with one or more file system patterns (e.g., prefixes) corresponding to a cache container (file system directory). When subsequently browsing to a URL having a matching pattern, the URL pattern is resolved to the cache container, which is then used with the rest of the URL to construct a local file reference. The local file is accessed from the high-bandwidth data source. If the local file is not found, the original http URL is instead used, whereby the content is downloaded in the normal manner. The installable cache may reside on a CD-ROM or other removable media, whereby an autorun program or script that executes each time the media is inserted into a drive updates the registered drive letter.

Growing community of inventors

Kirkland, WA, United States of America

Rajeev Dujari