Patent ID: 7165092

Claim:
An information distribution system for use in a system in which a user device is in communication with a plurality of provider systems including at least first and second provider systems, each provider system being operable to process a transaction initiated by the user device, each transaction comprising a provision of information to a provider system by the user device, the information distribution system comprising: an interface which receives the information provided by the user device; a database, in communication with the interface, in which the received information is stored; and an information manager in communication with the database and the plurality of provider systems which is operable to: identify components of information usable by the first provider system or by the second provider system in performing a transaction, wherein said components of information comprise a list of checkout questions used by the first and second provider systems; determine which of the components of information are related; upon determining that certain of the components of information are related, group the related components of information into checkout objects; evaluate the checkout objects to determine a first set of checkout objects to be transmitted to only the first provider system, a second set of checkout objects to be transmitted to only the second provider system, and a third set of checkout objects to be transmitted to both the first provider system and the second provider system; and transmit the first set of checkout objects to the first provider system, the second set of checkout objects to the second provider system, and the third set of checkout objects to the first provider system and the second provider system.