Patents by Inventor Steven Sprague

Steven Sprague has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Publication number: 20240020418
    Abstract: Systems and methods may be provided for masking data on public networks, such as social networking sites. At a publishing node, the system may monitor data input fields in a webpage that are processed by an internet browser. The system may intercept data, such as text, images, and video input at the data input fields, prior to the data being posted online on a public service provider's website. The publishing node may control which users are permitted access to the posted data by defining a policy associated with the data input field. The posted data may be transformed or tokenized to ensure that it is inaccessible to a user (or group of users) unless that user/group is granted access to the decoding key under the policy. In this way, data security and data control may be provided to a publishing user node. Data that has already been posted may be destroyed, for example, by deleting the decryption key or a token.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 14, 2023
    Publication date: January 18, 2024
    Applicant: ESW Holdings, Inc.
    Inventors: Steven Sprague, Michael Sprague
  • Publication number: 20230385452
    Abstract: Systems and methods may be provided for masking data on public networks, such as social networking sites. At a publishing node, the system may monitor data input fields in a webpage, and intercept and encode content, such as text, images, and video input at the data input fields, prior to the content being posted online on a public service provider's website. A privacy agent may process input field content to try to detect encoding markers in the input field content, which define portions of the content that are to be encoded. A third party key server may be used to store decoding keys. A URI reference to the decoding key may be used to access the decoding key by a node attempting to view the decoded version of the input field content.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 10, 2023
    Publication date: November 30, 2023
    Applicant: ESW Holdings, Inc.
    Inventors: Steven Sprague, Michael Sprague
  • Patent number: 11775686
    Abstract: Systems and methods may be provided for masking data on public networks, such as social networking sites. At a publishing node, the system may monitor data input fields in a webpage, and intercept and encode content, such as text, images, and video input at the data input fields, prior to the content being posted online on a public service provider's website. A privacy agent may process input field content to try to detect encoding markers in the input field content, which define portions of the content that are to be encoded. A third party key server may be used to store decoding keys. A URI reference to the decoding key may be used to access the decoding key by a node attempting to view the decoded version of the input field content.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 25, 2021
    Date of Patent: October 3, 2023
    Assignee: ESW Holdings, Inc.
    Inventors: Steven Sprague, Michael Sprague
  • Patent number: 11741264
    Abstract: Systems and methods may be provided for masking data on public networks, such as social networking sites. At a publishing node, the system may monitor data input fields in a webpage that are processed by an internet browser. The system may intercept data, such as text, images, and video input at the data input fields, prior to the data being posted online on a public service provider's website. The publishing node may control which users are permitted access to the posted data by defining a policy associated with the data input field. The posted data may be transformed or tokenized to ensure that it is inaccessible to a user (or group of users) unless that user/group is granted access to the decoding key under the policy. In this way, data security and data control may be provided to a publishing user node. Data that has already been posted may be destroyed, for example, by deleting the decryption key or a token.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 24, 2021
    Date of Patent: August 29, 2023
    Assignee: ESW Holdings, Inc.
    Inventors: Steven Sprague, Michael Sprague
  • Publication number: 20220121780
    Abstract: Systems and methods may be provided for masking data on public networks, such as social networking sites. At a publishing node, the system may monitor data input fields in a webpage that are processed by an internet browser. The system may intercept data, such as text, images, and video input at the data input fields, prior to the data being posted online on a public service provider's website. The publishing node may control which users are permitted access to the posted data by defining a policy associated with the data input field. The posted data may be transformed or tokenized to ensure that it is inaccessible to a user (or group of users) unless that user/group is granted access to the decoding key under the policy. In this way, data security and data control may be provided to a publishing user node. Data that has already been posted may be destroyed, for example, by deleting the decryption key or a token.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 24, 2021
    Publication date: April 21, 2022
    Applicant: ESW Holdings, Inc.
    Inventors: Steven Sprague, Michael Sprague
  • Patent number: 11244074
    Abstract: Systems and methods may be provided for masking data on public networks, such as social networking sites. At a publishing node, the system may monitor data input fields in a webpage that are processed by an internet browser. The system may intercept data, such as text, images, and video input at the data input fields, prior to the data being posted online on a public service provider's website. The publishing node may control which users are permitted access to the posted data by defining a policy associated with the data input field. The posted data may be transformed or tokenized to ensure that it is inaccessible to a user (or group of users) unless that user/group is granted access to the decoding key under the policy. In this way, data security and data control may be provided to a publishing user node. Data that has already been posted may be destroyed, for example, by deleting the decryption key or a token.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 12, 2019
    Date of Patent: February 8, 2022
    Assignee: ESW HOLDINGS, INC.
    Inventors: Steven Sprague, Michael Sprague
  • Publication number: 20220021664
    Abstract: Device identification scoring systems and methods may be provided that can increase the reliability and security of communications between devices and service providers. Users may select and configure additional identification factors that are unique and convenient for them. These factors, along with additional environmental variables, feed into a trust score computation that weights the trustworthiness of the device context requesting communication with a service provider. Service providers rely on the trust score rather than enforce a specific identification routine themselves. A combination of identification factors selected by the user can be aggregated together to produce a trust score high enough to gain access to a given online service provider. A threshold of identification risk may be required to access a service or account provided by the online service provider.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 30, 2021
    Publication date: January 20, 2022
    Applicant: ESW Holdings, Inc.
    Inventors: Michael Sprague, Steven Sprague, Robert Thibadeau
  • Publication number: 20210383025
    Abstract: Systems and methods may be provided for masking data on public networks, such as social networking sites. At a publishing node, the system may monitor data input fields in a webpage, and intercept and encode content, such as text, images, and video input at the data input fields, prior to the content being posted online on a public service provider's website. A privacy agent may process input field content to try to detect encoding markers in the input field content, which define portions of the content that are to be encoded. A third party key server may be used to store decoding keys. A URI reference to the decoding key may be used to access the decoding key by a node attempting to view the decoded version of the input field content.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 25, 2021
    Publication date: December 9, 2021
    Applicant: ESW Holdings, Inc.
    Inventors: Steven Sprague, Michael Sprague
  • Patent number: 11159501
    Abstract: Device identification scoring systems and methods may be provided that can increase the reliability and security of communications between devices and service providers. Users may select and configure additional identification factors that are unique and convenient for them. These factors, along with additional environmental variables, feed into a trust score computation that weights the trustworthiness of the device context requesting communication with a service provider. Service providers rely on the trust score rather than enforce a specific identification routine themselves. A combination of identification factors selected by the user can be aggregated together to produce a trust score high enough to gain access to a given online service provider. A threshold of identification risk may be required to access a service or account provided by the online service provider.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 14, 2020
    Date of Patent: October 26, 2021
    Assignee: ESW Holdings, Inc.
    Inventors: Michael Sprague, Steven Sprague, Robert Thibadeau
  • Patent number: 11132464
    Abstract: Systems and methods may be provided for masking data on public networks, such as social networking sites. At a publishing node, the system may monitor data input fields in a webpage, and intercept and encode content, such as text, images, and video input at the data input fields, prior to the content being posted online on a public service provider's website. A privacy agent may process input field content to try to detect encoding markers in the input field content, which define portions of the content that are to be encoded. A third party key server may be used to store decoding keys. A URI reference to the decoding key may be used to access the decoding key by a node attempting to view the decoded version of the input field content.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 2, 2020
    Date of Patent: September 28, 2021
    Assignee: ESW Holdings, Inc.
    Inventors: Steven Sprague, Michael Sprague
  • Patent number: 11132463
    Abstract: Systems and methods may be provided for masking data on public networks. At a publishing node, the system may monitor data input fields in a webpage, and intercept and encode content, such as text, images, and video input at the data input fields, prior to the content being posted online on a public service provider's website. A policy may be defined to control which users are permitted access to a key to decode the encoded content. The policy may defer to a third party policy node in determining key access. An account for a controlling entity, such as a guardian or employer, may be configured to control the encoding status of posts made by another. The controlling entity may control who has key access to decode posts made by the other account. The guardian account may be configured to have preemptive rights over posting decisions made by the minor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 18, 2019
    Date of Patent: September 28, 2021
    Assignee: ESW Holdings, Inc.
    Inventors: Steven Sprague, Michael Sprague
  • Publication number: 20200257826
    Abstract: Systems and methods may be provided for masking data on public networks, such as social networking sites. At a publishing node, the system may monitor data input fields in a webpage, and intercept and encode content, such as text, images, and video input at the data input fields, prior to the content being posted online on a public service provider's website. A privacy agent may process input field content to try to detect encoding markers in the input field content, which define portions of the content that are to be encoded. A third party key server may be used to store decoding keys. A URI reference to the decoding key may be used to access the decoding key by a node attempting to view the decoded version of the input field content.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 2, 2020
    Publication date: August 13, 2020
    Applicant: ESW Holdings, Inc.
    Inventors: Steven Sprague, Michael Sprague
  • Publication number: 20200244633
    Abstract: Device identification scoring systems and methods may be provided that can increase the reliability and security of communications between devices and service providers. Users may select and configure additional identification factors that are unique and convenient for them. These factors, along with additional environmental variables, feed into a trust score computation that weights the trustworthiness of the device context requesting communication with a service provider. Service providers rely on the trust score rather than enforce a specific identification routine themselves. A combination of identification factors selected by the user can be aggregated together to produce a trust score high enough to gain access to a given online service provider. A threshold of identification risk may be required to access a service or account provided by the online service provider.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 14, 2020
    Publication date: July 30, 2020
    Applicant: ESW Holdings, Inc.
    Inventors: Michael Sprague, Steven Sprague, Robert Thibadeau
  • Patent number: 10659439
    Abstract: Device identification scoring systems and methods may be provided that can increase the reliability and security of communications between devices and service providers. Users may select and configure additional identification factors that are unique and convenient for them. These factors, along with additional environmental variables, feed into a trust score computation that weights the trustworthiness of the device context requesting communication with a service provider. Service providers rely on the trust score rather than enforce a specific identification routine themselves. A combination of identification factors selected by the user can be aggregated together to produce a trust score high enough to gain access to a given online service provider. A threshold of identification risk may be required to access a service or account provided by the online service provider.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 8, 2016
    Date of Patent: May 19, 2020
    Assignee: ESW Holdings, Inc.
    Inventors: Michael Sprague, Steven Sprague, Robert Thibadeau
  • Publication number: 20200125764
    Abstract: Systems and methods may be provided for masking data on public networks. At a publishing node, the system may monitor data input fields in a webpage, and intercept and encode content, such as text, images, and video input at the data input fields, prior to the content being posted online on a public service provider's website. A policy may be defined to control which users are permitted access to a key to decode the encoded content. The policy may defer to a third party policy node in determining key access. An account for a controlling entity, such as a guardian or employer, may be configured to control the encoding status of posts made by another. The controlling entity may control who has key access to decode posts made by the other account. The guardian account may be configured to have preemptive rights over posting decisions made by the minor.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 18, 2019
    Publication date: April 23, 2020
    Applicant: ESW Holdings, Inc.
    Inventors: Steven Sprague, Michael Sprague
  • Patent number: 10607029
    Abstract: Systems and methods may be provided for masking data on public networks, such as social networking sites. At a publishing node, the system may monitor data input fields in a webpage, and intercept and encode content, such as text, images, and video input at the data input fields, prior to the content being posted online on a public service provider's website. A privacy agent may process input field content to try to detect encoding markers in the input field content, which define portions of the content that are to be encoded. A third party key server may be used to store decoding keys. A URI reference to the decoding key may be used to access the decoding key by a node attempting to view the decoded version of the input field content.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 16, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 31, 2020
    Assignee: ESW Holdings, Inc.
    Inventors: Steven Sprague, Michael Sprague
  • Patent number: 10552636
    Abstract: Systems and methods may be provided for masking data on public networks. At a publishing node, the system may monitor data input fields in a webpage, and intercept and encode content, such as text, images, and video input at the data input fields, prior to the content being posted online on a public service provider's website. A policy may be defined to control which users are permitted access to a key to decode the encoded content. The policy may defer to a third party policy node in determining key access. An account for a controlling entity, such as a guardian or employer, may be configured to control the encoding status of posts made by another. The controlling entity may control who has key access to decode posts made by the other account. The guardian account may be configured to have preemptive rights over posting decisions made by the minor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 21, 2018
    Date of Patent: February 4, 2020
    Assignee: ESW Holdings, Inc.
    Inventors: Steven Sprague, Michael Sprague
  • Publication number: 20190294823
    Abstract: Systems and methods may be provided for masking data on public networks, such as social networking sites. At a publishing node, the system may monitor data input fields in a webpage that are processed by an internet browser. The system may intercept data, such as text, images, and video input at the data input fields, prior to the data being posted online on a public service provider's website. The publishing node may control which users are permitted access to the posted data by defining a policy associated with the data input field. The posted data may be transformed or tokenized to ensure that it is inaccessible to a user (or group of users) unless that user/group is granted access to the decoding key under the policy. In this way, data security and data control may be provided to a publishing user node. Data that has already been posted may be destroyed, for example, by deleting the decryption key or a token.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 12, 2019
    Publication date: September 26, 2019
    Applicant: ESW Holdings, Inc.
    Inventors: Steven Sprague, Michael Sprague
  • Publication number: 20190251249
    Abstract: Embodiments are direct to an improved approach for securing a passphrase, which only allows the user to provide the passphrase as a single phrase outside the trusted user device environment. The embodiments are direct to systems and methods that register a device of a user with a recovery application, including: (i) providing a passphrase for a user account and (ii) selecting friended devices configured in a trusted network of the user device. The systems and methods generate phrases or keys from the provided passphrase and divide the generated phrases or keys into sections. For each divided section, the systems and methods distribute the section to a friended device in the trusted network, where the section is stored. During an account transaction, the systems and methods retrieve the stored sections from the friended devices, and combine the retrieved sections into the user passphrase for accessing the user account.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 3, 2018
    Publication date: August 15, 2019
    Inventors: Steven Sprague, Alexis Sprague
  • Patent number: 10331908
    Abstract: Systems and methods may be provided for masking data on public networks, such as social networking sites. At a publishing node, the system may monitor data input fields in a webpage that are processed by an internet browser. The system may intercept data, such as text, images, and video input at the data input fields, prior to the data being posted online on a public service provider's website. The publishing node may control which users are permitted access to the posted data by defining a policy associated with the data input field. The posted data may be transformed or tokenized to ensure that it is inaccessible to a user (or group of users) unless that user/group is granted access to the decoding key under the policy. In this way, data security and data control may be provided to a publishing user node. Data that has already been posted may be destroyed, for example, by deleting the decryption key or a token.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 30, 2018
    Date of Patent: June 25, 2019
    Assignee: ESW Holdings, Inc.
    Inventors: Steven Sprague, Michael Sprague