Patent ID: 7149791

Claim:
In a server that provides cookies associated with web sites for a client, a method for updating cookies that are stored at the server and that are provided to a client based on updated user information, wherein the cookies are associated with a plurality of web sites that use the cookies to generate web documents that are customized for the client with the updated user information, the method comprising the following: storing a plurality of cookies at a server that has access to a database of user information associated with a user at the client, wherein each of the plurality of cookies corresponds to a different website and is generated by the server with user information and cookie requirement information specifying what data fields are expected in cookies submitted to a web site to enable customization of the web site for a client based on the user information, and wherein each of the plurality of cookies contains at least some of the user information; receiving updated user information that is different than the user information that was used to generate the plurality of stored cookies; and in response to the updated user information, collectively updating all of the plurality of stored cookies at the server with the updated user information, such that web sites that are subsequently requested by the client and that correspond to the stored and previously updated cookies will be automatically customized with the updated user information and without requiring the updated user information to be separately entered by the client for each subsequently requested web site.