Selective proxy approach to filling-in forms embedded in distributed electronic documents

A selective proxy server for automatically filling in online forms comprising:

• a request receiving component for receiving a request from a client computer to automatically fill in an online form;
• a location-data receiving component for receiving a location-identifier of a form-originating server and a form location corresponding to the online form;
• a location-data decoder for decoding the location-identifier and the form location;
• a form-data receiving component for receiving a form indicated by the form location;
• a personal data storage component for storing personal data corresponding to a plurality of users;
• a form-data parser for parsing the online form thereby identifying fields to be filled in with personal data from the personal data storage component;
• a data inserting component for inserting data into the fields in the online form;
• and
• a transmitting component for transmitting the filled in online form to the client computer in response to the request from the client computer.

A method for processing on a form-filling server an electronic form generated by a form-originating server, the method comprising:

• receiving a request from a client computer;
• obtaining an identification of the form-originating server;
• obtaining the electronic form generated by the form-originating server;
• identifying one or more fields to be completed on the electronic form;
• obtaining user data associated with an identified user from a user database corresponding to a plurality of users;
• inserting the user data into at least one field of the electronic form;
• and
• transmitting the electronic form with user data in at least one field to the client computer.

A system for processing electronic forms, the system comprising:

• a client computer with a document browser operable to request the automatic completion of at least one field of an electronic form;
• a form-generating server operable to provide the electronic form;
• and
• a form-completion server operable to obtain the request for an automatic completion from the client computer with a document browser and to obtain at least a portion of the electronic form from the form-generating server;
• wherein the client computer with a document browser is associated with an identified individual and wherein the form-completion server is further operable to insert user data associated with the identified individual into one or more fields of the electronic form.