Method and apparatus for detecting changes in websites and reporting results to web developers for navigation template repair purposes

Abstract

A software application for enabling automated notification of applied structural changes to electronic information pages hosted on a data packet network is provided. The software application comprises, a developer-interface module for enabling developers to build and modify navigation templates using functional logic blocks, a navigation system-interface module for integrating the software application to a proxy-navigation system for periodic execution of the templates, a change-notification module for indicating a point in process where a navigation routine has failed and for creating a data file containing parameters associated with the failed navigation routine and a database interface module for interfacing the software application to a data repository for storing the data file. The software application periodically submits test navigation and interaction routines to the navigation system for execution by virtue of the interface with the navigation system. Upon failure of a test routine, the software application creates the data file. The data file, comprises a point-of-failure indication within the failed navigation routine, an identifier of the associated electronic information page subjected to the navigation routine, and a brief description of the cause of failure. The software application stores the data file in the data repository sending notification of the action to the developer.

1 - 28 . (canceled)  
   
   
       29 . A method for collecting information, comprising the steps of: 
 (a) linking to a website    (b) extracting information from the web site using a navigation routine;    (c) summarizing the extracted information with information extracted from at least one other web site;    (d) noting any error in the extraction step;    (e) changing the navigation routine according to any error noted in step (d); and    (f) storing the summarized data in an information repository.    
   
   
       30 . The method of  claim 29  wherein the web site is a finance-related web site.  
   
   
       31 . The method of  claim 30  wherein the web site comprises account information for a specific person.  
   
   
       32 . The method of  claim 29  wherein the web site comprises a hypertext markup language (HTML)-scripted electronic page.  
   
   
       33 . The method of  claim 29  further comprising steps: 
 (a) linking to a second web site;    (b) extracting information from the second web site using the navigation routine;    (c) summarizing the information extracted from the second web site with the information extracted from the first web site;    (d) noting any error in operation of the navigation routine;    (e) changing the navigation routine according to any error noted in step (d); and    (f) storing the summarized information in the information repository.    
   
   
       34 . The method of  claim 29  wherein the error noted in the extraction step includes result information about a failed navigation routine.  
   
   
       35 . The method of  claim 29  further comprising step for storing a copy of a web page accessed in the extraction step (b).  
   
   
       36 . One or more computer-readable memories upon which is stored a computer program that is executable by a processor to perform the method recited in  claim 29 .  
   
   
       37 . A method for collecting financial information associated with a specific person, comprising the steps of: 
 (a) extracting financial information associated with the person from an information source;    (b) identifying information of interest from the information source;    (c) noting any error in the extraction step involving the information of interest, and using the context of the error to correct the extraction step;    (d) summarizing the information of interest; and    (e) storing the summarized information in an information repository.    
   
   
       38 . The method of  claim 37  further comprising steps: 
 (a) extracting financial information associated with the person from a second information source;    (b) summarizing the information of interest extracted from the second information source; and    (c) storing the summarized information in the information repository.    
   
   
       39 . One or more computer-readable memories upon which is stored a computer program that is executable by a processor to perform the method recited in  claim 37 .  
   
   
       40 . A method for collecting information, comprising the steps of: 
 (a) linking to a web site;    (b) trying to extract information from the web site using a navigation routine; and if information cannot be extracted:    (c) deleting or masking specific personal information;    (d) storing a copy of a web page from the web site, without the personal information;    (e) determining from the web page and the navigation routine why information cannot be extracted; and    (f) changing the navigation routine according to the determination made in step (e).    
   
   
       41 . The method of  claim 40  further comprising a step for changing the navigation routine according to information determined from the web page, and extracting information successfully from the web site using the changed navigation routine.  
   
   
       42 . The method of  claim 40  further comprising steps for: 
 changing the navigation routine according to information determined from the web page;    accessing a new version of the web page stored in step (d); and    extracting information successfully from the new version of the web page using the changed navigation routine.    
   
   
       43 . The method of  claim 42  further comprising: 
 summarizing the information extracted from the new version of the web page; and    storing the summarized information in an information repository.    
   
   
       44 . One or more computer readable memories upon which is stored a computer program that is executable by a processor to perform the method recited in  claim 40 .  
   
   
       45 . A method for collecting information, comprising the steps of: 
 (a) linking to a first web site associated with a first financial institution;    (b) linking to a second web site associated with a second financial institution;    (c) extracting information from the first web site using a first navigation routine;    (d) extracting information from the second web site using a second navigation routine;    (e) summarizing the information extracted from the first and the second web sites;    (f) noting any error in extraction step (c); and    (g) storing the summarized information in an information repository.    
   
   
       46 . The method of  claim 45  further comprising a step for noting any error in extraction step (c) or (d).  
   
   
       47 . One or more computer readable memories upon which is stored a computer program that is executable by a processor to perform the method recited in  claim 45 .  
   
   
       48 . The method of  claim 45  wherein linking to the first web site includes accessing a first set of web pages.  
   
   
       49 . The method of  claim 45  wherein linking to the second web site includes accessing a second set of web pages.  
   
   
       50 . An apparatus for collecting information, comprising: 
 a first module configured to link to a web site associated with a first financial institution and to link to a second web site associated with a second financial institution;    a second module configured to delete or mask personal information from one or more web pages at the web sites, and to note any error in extracting the personal information;    a third module configured to extract information from the first and the second web pages, to summarize information extracted, the third module being capable of change based on alterations to the web pages that occur over time; and    a fourth module configured to store the summarized information in an information repository.    
   
   
       51 . The apparatus of  claim 50 , wherein the first module is also configured to extract financial information associated with a specific person's account.  
   
   
       52 . The apparatus of  claim 50 , wherein the third module is also configured to note any error if information cannot be extracted.  
   
   
       53 . One or more computer readable media upon which is stored a computer program that is executable by one or more processors to perform a method, comprising the steps of: 
 (a) linking to a web site associated with a financial institution;    (b) trying to extract information from a web page of the web site using a navigation routine;    (c) deleting or masking specific personal information from the web page;    (d) storing a copy of a web page from the web site, without the personal information; and    (e) if information cannot be extracted from the web page, noting the error and determining from the web page why information could not be extracted.    
   
   
       54 . The one or more computer-readable media of  claim 53  wherein, if information cannot be extracted, the navigation routine is altered based on the error noted and the determination from the web page.  
   
   
       55 . The one or more computer readable media of  claim 53 , further comprising: 
 summarizing the information extracted from the web page; and    storing the summarized data in an information repository containing information extracted from other web pages.    
   
   
       56 . The method of  claim 40  wherein the personal information comprises at least one of a social security number, an account number, or an account holder's name.  
   
   
       57 . The method of  claim 50  wherein the personal information includes at least one of a social security number, an account number, or an account holder's name.