Patent ID: 7016875

Claim:
A computer-implemented method for providing access to an information account stored in a central data repository that is accessible via a distributed network and is coupled to a database management system the information account containing consumer information elements that are changed by the consumer, the method comprising the steps of: receiving, over the distributed electronic network, a first request from a network device for access to the information account and consumer authentication information in response to the consumer inputting the consumer authentication information while interacting with a first web-site; in response to the request, authenticating the consumer with the database management system based on the consumer authentication information, thereby providing the consumer with access to the information account stored in the central data repository, a first consumer information element of the information account comprising one or more name fields to identify the consumer, a second consumer information element of the information account comprising one or more geographic address fields associated with the consumer; in response to authenticating the consumer, automatically managing subsequent authentications of the consumer with the database management system so that the consumer will not be required to again input the consumer authentication information upon initiating a second request for access to the information account while interacting with a subsequent web-site that is configured to provide access to the information account upon authentication of the consumer; in response to the first, second, and subsequent requests for access to the information account stored in the central data repository, retrieving one or more consumer information element from the information account by filtering data from the information account with the database management system based on an identification of a web-site being accessed by the consumer; sending the retrieved consumer information elements over the distributed electronic network; parsing the retrieved consumer information elements; and auto-populating input fields of a displayed web page file of the web-site being accessed by the consumer with the consumer information elements.