(2) United States Patent Hitchock et al. (10) Patent No. (4s) Date of Patent US 7,376,891 B2 May 20, 2008 6 os) om o an @) ws) @) (60) ron} (2) (58) 66) UNIVERSAL FORMS ENGINE Inventors: Michael D. Hitchock, Portland, OR (US); James HL. Wolfston, Je, West Linn, OR (US): John W. Stedman, Beaverton, OR (US); Andre’ J. Hertz, Beaverton, OR (US); Raymond L. Pre, Tualatin, OR (US) Collegenet, Ine. Portland, OR (US) Subject to any dislaime, the term of this patent is extended or adjusted under 35 USC. 154(b) by 261 days 101673674 Sep. 29, 2003 Prior Publication Data US 2005/0080756 Al Apr. 14, 2005 Related U.S. Application Data Continuation of application No. 10°259,219, fled on Sep. 27, 2002, now abandonod, which isa continu ‘ation of application No, 09/991,434, filed on Now. 9, 2001, now Pat. No. 6,460,042, which is a continua tion Of application No, 09/325,533, fled on Jun. 3, 1999, now Pat, No. 6,345,278. Provisional application No. 60/088,123, filed on Jun 4, 1998, Assignee: Notice: Appl. No. Filed: Int. Cl, Cook 1700 (200601) US.cL S/221; 715/222; 715/223 TSI224; 715/236 Field of Classification Search 715/505, 715/506, 507, $08, 513) 7051; 707/100, 707/10; 7091208, See application file for complete search history. References Cited US. PATENT DOCUMENTS. A6AS873 A DIBST.Chomet (Continued) FOREIGN PATENT DOCUMENTS EP WooTMHTS 2198 iP DoIs424 AZ 5/1999 (OTHER PUBLICATIONS S, Bing Yao ca *Fomamger: An Ofice Forms Management Systm” ACM Transitions of Ofie Infomation Sytis,vl. 2. No.3 Jul 1984, pp. 235-202 (Continved) Primary Examiner—Dovg Hutton “Assistant Examiner—James H. Blackwell (74) Attornes gent or Firm--Scheinberg & Griner, LLP; Michael O. Scheinberg on ABSTRACT A forms engine allows data sharing between customizable ‘online forms, such as college admissions plications ‘Before applying, an applicant opens an secoumt with 2 third parly application servicer. Alter the applicant completes aa Application for one institution, the data is saved in-a data bate and automatically populates fel in subsequent sppli- cation forms. The form for each institution is efeated from ‘form description file, Each form is branded for is inst tution and forms for different institutions differ in appear tance and content $0 that the presence of the thin! party servicer is transparent to the applicant, The system is extensible without programming, allowing new applicant atibutes to be readily incorporated iato the system and allowing the content and appearance of the application to be readily changed by changing the deserip- tion file The use of aliases for applicant attributes permits data tobe readily shared between forms eventhough labeled fand arranged diferenly’ on different forms. Information Stored about each atte allows the specification of data validation rules and data sharing and grouping rules, as well as dependency rules that permit application page content 10 ‘depend on applicant's responses on a previous page. 22 Claims, 32 Drawing SheetsUS 7,376,891 B2 Page 2 USS. PATENT DOCUMENTS socaoas 70540 Socios. 4990156 A L108 Shit a A cer si deotsas A+ Sibe tock ery aed MeGiovem ea 78 4992940 A 2/1991 Dworkin 5987480 Donohue et a Srna A + 1190 no ns eae Dekael Sizvane A 2 Cay aa a om joss Sone A bos Strata Cains Sishost A 1993 Link Co Siproos A+ 31093 Soba eal ros ae Suse A loot Ringtre Nein Shas A eloog Shel el S367619 A * 11/1994 Dipaao et 718/506 Soas.ui9 ee 5404294 A 41995 Kumik 7071507 6.035.276 Newman eta S410646 A 4/1905. Tondevold ta. 6.055.541 Solecki eta Sains A “Vlgos she weal fostars Bim ea Sausor A Sis ronson ann Tames viscous A 10108 toate Diane Sioa A ‘ioe wun Sims Mots, a Sinan A+ Dios sisi na Sioeses A" loos Milne ets cate asa SER8201 A 71996 Moa se MS7 lmao Weber a 0379 Sito A 101090 Yakaoh ea Shoas Rene Sinan A Ilo Jaton moat ign etal oss ‘561,082 A 3/1997 Dyktra ot al 6,199,079 Gupta et a. 7071807 rn eae Seltiel 6,237,035 Himmel et al 709/224 : 997 eanam kelly wal segea 8 Sr Cr coma Orta eta Ae SooF te ta ne Tog SSRIS Dad wns 386 Senses A loos Toso at en TOS Barnes teed oso gaara Madan oa. 969 SA tt Roa me Miche et 708400 A Time foots vingss A Loos mous nono Shoe A Lioos so7i0 Bie th002 Homes sovrns SHsauG A loos Payee sos BI 102008 damm al sosite Stisass A Dios Sea Bis ‘300 Lecera "onto Sion A 31998 Deinek Bis Goo Weare "on Statcat A igo8 Cin zost9 BIS 1100s Tate st Station A loos Longld ove? At "32007 Nash ea aa Stoo A198 Kingman Statast A 31908 Ringe OTHER PUBLICATIONS Simon A oon Npyensl 7074 TNs, “Opeations and ManagementFort Mansae- peas a nee mone “ommunications of the ACM Jul, 1982, vol. 25, No. Sitar A C08 Hane 1 pp sS0478 Ro sos Ai 30, 2003 Telephonie Depuniton of Frank Tansy, Bereta eine ea CollegeNBT, Inc. v. Apply Yourself. Inc., US District Court Siero A loos Mon forthe Distt of Oregon, No. 02-CV- 0888.10 Sthaser A+ loos Walt a yor Sin. I, 2003 Deposition of ames T. Maraigi Co Statses A los Diese iegeNET, In. ply Yourself nc US Distt Cot for Solas A loos Rl the Distt of Ofegon, No. O2CV-O484HU, inluing 5802518 A 9/1998 Karaav et al exhibits not sealed by the court, ee Sep. 2, 2008 trial testimony of Frank Tansey, CollegeNet, Sanam A VLR Tle Ine ppl Yours Ie US Dsl Cou fore Dstt Sion A iblooe Chloe of Oregon, No-02-CV-04840, : Sioa ne are oe Aig, 28,3003 trl testimony of Allen inten, Cl- Siison A+ ‘logs Sabathia at. 10203 leet Tne. Apply Yoursel tn, US Disiret Cou fr Sema A 2 ioe Boone the Dini of Oregon, No. O2-CV-0484.0, Stnew A loo Cohen cal “A Proposal fot the Development and Operation of CSU Sermon Alo etna TeciNe' Online Adasion Application Proves. "Ost. 28, Seutane A Yop Noctan on TNO 588 CNAUIO-CNAISSO) Saseea A 31900 Hoctal Contact No, A960014 Ammendments 4-11, between Cal SEOUL ITS A 3/1909. Wong cal {omia State University and XAP Corporation dated between Sonsm A 41999 Blan Feb 3, 1999"t0 Tun, 28, 2002 (CNAOTOD1-CNAO7T10) SSIIAIL A + 1909 Angles ot a rosa (Onkinal Contact ASGOOL4 and sender 3 inladd in Sonat A+ loo ager ea Jeet SMM) Sbatol A + too bene 2) KAD Corponstion Pots Rew, XAP Corporation Avan Saa98 A” 11999 Kish 0826 Contract to Develop Sate ofthe A Sta! ProvesUS 7,376,891 B2 Page 3 Aug. 28, 2003 tral testimony of James L CollegeNet, Inc. v. Apply Yourself. Inc, US District Cour of the Disiiet of Oregon, No. 02-CV-0484-HU. Martin R. Frank and Ped Szckely, “Adaptive Forms: An Maraviti, Interaction Paradigm for ‘Entering Structured Data."University of Southern Califomia, IUL, 1998, pp. 153-160, Hossein Sajedian and Ka-Wing Wong, “An Operational Model for Intelligent Forms in Olfce Automation,” Univer- siiy of Nebraska and Bstern Kentucky University, ACM, 1995, pp. 415-419 ‘Ting-Jun Fan, Rona S. Machlin, Christopher P. Wang and gy F. Chang, “FormPhas: A Form Authoring Toolkit.” IBM TJ. Watson Researeh Center, IEEE, 1990, pp. 255-260 Anthony B. Dayao, Kamran Rafieyan, Pil 1. Lee, Richard F. ‘Graveman, Yacov Yacobi and Erie I. Addoo, “SuperForms! A Security-Enhanced Smart Hlectronie Form Management System,” Belleore, IEEE, 1990, pp, 1079-1083, C.S. Sankar, “A Method to Doctmeat Data Entry Forms,” Temple University, ACM, 1984, pp. 89-91, Lawrence A. Rowe and Kurt A. Shoens, “A Form Applic tion Development System,” University of California, ACM, 1982, pp. 28-38. V. ¥. Lum, D. M. Choy and N. C. Shu, “Opas: An Office Procedure Automation System,” IBM System Journal, vol. 21, No. 3, 1982, pp. 327-350, D. Tbiehritzs, “Form Management,” ACM, vol. 25, No. 7, 1982, pp. 453-478 “Custom Data Entry Form System for Software Applica- tions,” IBM Technical Disclosure Bulletin, Apr. 1992, pp. 12. “Pleetronies Forms for the Dynamic Enterprise” JetPon FormFlow, Version 2.15. BroadVision One-to-One (data unknown. (CyberCash Technology Providers (data unknown). Getting Started as a CyherCash Merchant: Part 1 (data unknown) Getting Started as a CyberCash Merchant: Part 2 (dats uunknow) Magdalena Yesl, Creating the Viewal Store Taking your ‘web site fom browsing to buying, published by John Willey & Sons, Inc, Nov. 8, 1996, Collegenet, Ine, Virginia Tech Describes Web Admissions Application Advantages to Standing Room only Crowd at AACRAO, published by CollegeNet, Ine, Ape. 20, 1997. Shishi Gundavaram, CGI Programming om te Werld Wide ‘Web, published by O'Reilly & Associates, Inc, Mar. 196. Jim Elis, Tackling Admission ith a PC, published by Business Week, Nov. 11, 1996. Collegenet, Inc, New World Speed Record Set for Applying 'w College, Aug. 28, 1996. Deb Riechmann, Now, you can surf the Net into college—Online access helps speed applications to the ‘School of your ehoice, published by Syracuse Herald-Jour- nal, Dec. 2, 1996. Capsolt Development Corporation, “Leaming Hot Docu rents", Copyright 1993, 1994, 1995 and 1996, Anyform Form Software, “AnyForm User's Mannal” 2008. EZX' Corporation, “E7-Forms (for Miersoft Windows 9/08/NT4/2000), 1985-1909 by EZX Corporation "The Z-Forms Automation Compas Ape XAP Company, Software Product User's Guide 1995, Pro- {duction Department, Produee Manual. ‘Web Pages from CastleShop Buyers (Surfer! Web Surfer), dates unknowe, Web Pages from CastleShop Buyers (POsurfer 857521380), dates unknown, ‘Web Pages fiom Snap Technologies, Inc. Collegeldge.com. “Technical Suppor,” O”Really, OReilly & Associates, Ine “Website Factsheet,” Website 1.1, O'Really, O'Reilly & Astociates, Ine, www.ora com, “Choose Quality. Choose Website,"O'Reilly & Associates, Inc, wowra.com, “How to Recognize the Rest Value in Web Server Technol- ogy,” Website, OReilly & Associates, Inc. www.ora.com, “Before you Stari,” O'Reilly & Associates, Ine. www 1996, ww “installing WebSite,” WebSite, O'Reilly & Associates, Ine “Why Publish with Website?” WebSite, O'Reilly & Asso- ciates, Ine. ww wora.com, Robert B. Denny, “WebSite Performance Analysis,” ‘Website, O'Reilly & Associates, Inc, www.ora.com, Ape 17, 1998. “Useful Specifications,” WebSite, O'Reilly & Associates, Inc, wwrwsra.com, "WebSite API.1 SDK Introduction and Overview, “WebSite Professional, O'Reilly & Associates, Inc. wor fora.com, revised Ape. 13, 1996. “Website API" LI SDK—Server Function Descriptions (bind-wsapi).” Website Professional, O'Reilly & Asso ates, Ine. www.ora.com, revised Apr. 13, 1996 “Website API Il SDK Server’ Function Descriptions (later-than)" WebSite Professional, O'Reilly & Associates, Ine, wwwora.com, revised Apt. 13, 1996, “WebSite API 1.1 SDK—Server Punction Descriptions (end. -hnipsheader),” WebSite Professional, O'Reilly & Astociates, Ine. wwrw.ota.com, revised Apr 13, 1996, “Website APL LT SDK General Information,” Website Professional, O'Reilly & Associates, Inc. www.oracom, revised Apr 13, 1996, Robert B. Dennis, “Windows CGI 1 3a Inverface,"Website Professional O'Reilly & Associates, Tne, wwworacom, version of Feb, 18, 1996, “OReilly Softwar,” O'Reilly & Associates, Ine, www ora “Poly Form,” O'Reilly & Associates, Ine. wswora.com, Features Requirement,” PolyForm, O'Reilly & Associ- aes, Ine. www.ora.com. “Here are some forms you can ereate easily wth PolyFomm, ‘O'Reilly & Associates, Ine, www.ra.com, ™ WebSite, O’Relly & Asspeiates, Ine. www0r John Robert Boynton, “Building Interactive Web Forms with PolyForm.” PoiyForm, O'Reilly & Associates, Ine. www. Product & Services, “Entrata, “hip iwwwnes.com. Available Software FromZ~The Form Processor (23). CollegeScape 1996 Jet Form Comporation (72 p.). Advanee Information Management. Stratezies-—Jet Form Corporation, 1995 294 p) ante Internet Solutions, Ine. (32 p) Steven L. Vanechanos, "Order Entry System for Internet, Dynamic Web Transaction Systems, In., 1995 (78 p.)