User interface for interacting with multiple databases

Abstract

A user interface for interacting with multiple databases allows a user to lock or unlock access to their data in multiple databases simultaneously, each database being controlled by a different entity. A user interface server communicates with servers of the multiple databases to request that the consumer's data be locked or unlocked. The user interface server may also report to the consumer the lock status of the consumer's data in each of the multiple databases. To authenticate the user, the user interface for interacting with multiple databases may provide one or more authentication prompts prior to allowing the user to lock or unlock access to their data. The authentication prompts may be provided by one or more of the multiple entities.

1 . A method comprising:
 causing, by a server computer, presentation of a user interface on a client device, the user interface providing a single lock option to lock data access functionality in at least two databases, each of the databases corresponding to a different entity of a plurality of entities, the user interface comprising:
 a first portion that indicates which of the plurality of entities has locked data access; and 
 a second portion that is operable to cause display of individual controls for at least two entities of the plurality of entities; 
   transmitting, in response to receiving an indication of activation of the single lock option, via an electronic communication network, a lock message to each of the at least two databases to lock the data access functionality of a corresponding entity; and   communicating, via the electronic communication network, an update message to cause the user interface to confirm that the data access functionality has been locked.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein:
 the method further comprises:
 causing, by the server computer, prior to the presentation of the user interface comprising the single lock option, a second user interface comprising an authentication prompt to be presented on the client device; 
 receiving, by the server computer, from the client device, an authentication response to the authentication prompt; 
 transmitting, by the server computer, to a server corresponding to a first entity of the plurality of entities, the authentication response to the authentication prompt; and 
 receiving, by the server computer, from the server corresponding to the first entity, an authorization to lock data access functionality; and 
   the causing of the presentation of the user interface comprising the single lock option occurs in response to the receiving of the authorization to lock data access functionality.   
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein:
 the transmitting of the lock message to a first entity of the plurality of entities comprises using a Web Services application programming interface (API).   
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 3 , wherein:
 the transmitting of the lock message to a second entity of the plurality of entities comprises using a hypertext transfer protocol (HTTP).   
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the transmitting of the lock message to a first entity of the plurality of entities comprises using a simple object access protocol (SOAP). 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 5 , wherein the transmitting of the lock message to a second entity of the plurality of entities comprises using a representational state transfer (REST) application programming interface (API). 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein:
 the update message comprises an indication that all of the entities have locked data access functionality.   
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 determining that a first entity of the plurality of entities has not locked data access functionality based on a reply from the database corresponding to the first entity, the reply received in response to a second request for the first entity to report a status.   
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 in response to determining that a first entity of the plurality of entities has not locked data access functionality, sending a message to an administrator.   
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 in response to detecting a first interaction with the second portion of the user interface, causing the display of the individual controls for the at least two entities; and   in response to detecting a second interaction with the individual control for a first entity of the at least two entities, transmitting via the electronic communication network a second lock message to the database corresponding to the first entity.   
     
     
         11 . A server computer comprising:
 a memory that stores instructions; and   one or more processors configured by the instructions to perform operations comprising:
 causing presentation of a user interface on a client device, the user interface providing a single lock option to lock data access functionality in at least two databases, each of the databases corresponding to a different entity of a plurality of entities, the user interface comprising:
 a first portion that indicates which of the plurality of entities has locked data access; and 
 a second portion that is operable to cause display of individual controls for at least two entities of the plurality of entities; 
 
 in response to receiving an indication of activation of the single lock option, transmitting via, an electronic communication network a lock message to each of the at least two databases to lock the data access functionality of a corresponding entity; and 
 communicating, via the electronic communication network, an update message to cause the user interface to confirm that the data access functionality has been locked. 
   
     
     
         12 . The server computer of  claim 11 , wherein:
 the operations further comprise:
 causing, prior to the presentation of the user interface comprising the single lock option, a second user interface comprising an authentication prompt to be presented on the client device; 
 receiving, from the client device, an authentication response to the authentication prompt; 
 transmitting, to a server corresponding to a first entity of the plurality of entities, the authentication response to the authentication prompt; and 
 receiving, from the server corresponding to the first entity, an authorization to lock data access functionality; and 
   the causing of the presentation of the user interface comprising the single lock option occurs in response to the receiving of the authorization to lock data access functionality.   
     
     
         13 . The server computer of  claim 11 , wherein:
 the transmitting of the lock message to a first entity of the plurality of entities comprises using a Web Services application programming interface (API).   
     
     
         14 . The server computer of  claim 13 , wherein:
 the transmitting of the lock message to a second entity of the plurality of entities comprises using a hypertext transfer protocol.   
     
     
         15 . The server computer of  claim 11 , wherein the operations further comprise:
 in response to detecting a first interaction with the second portion of the user interface, causing the display of the individual controls for the at least two entities; and   in response to detecting a second interaction with the individual control for a first entity of the at least two entities, transmitting via the electronic communication network a second lock message to the database corresponding to the first entity.   
     
     
         16 . A non-transitory computer-readable medium that stores instructions, which, when executed by one or more processors of a server computer, cause the server computer to perform operations comprising:
 causing presentation of a user interface on a client device, the user interface providing a single lock option to lock data access functionality in at least two databases, each of the databases corresponding to a different entity of a plurality of entities, the user interface comprising:
 a first portion that indicates which of the plurality of entities has locked data access; and 
 a second portion that is operable to cause display of individual controls for at least two entities of the plurality of entities; 
   in response to receiving an indication of activation of the single lock option, transmitting via an electronic communication network a lock message to each of the at least two databases to lock the data access functionality of a corresponding entity; and   communicating, via the electronic communication network, an update message to cause the user interface to confirm that the data access functionality has been locked.   
     
     
         17 . The computer-readable medium of  claim 16 , wherein:
 the operations further comprise:
 causing, prior to the presentation of the user interface comprising the single lock option, a second user interface comprising an authentication prompt to be presented on the client device; 
 receiving, from the client device, an authentication response to the authentication prompt; 
 transmitting, to a server corresponding to a first entity of the plurality of entities, the authentication response to the authentication prompt; and 
 receiving, from the server corresponding to the first entity, an authorization to lock data access functionality; and 
   the causing of the presentation of the user interface comprising the single lock option occurs in response to the receiving of the authorization to lock data access functionality.   
     
     
         18 . The computer-readable medium of  claim 16 , wherein:
 the transmitting of the lock message to a first entity of the plurality of entities comprises using a Web Services application programming interface (API).   
     
     
         19 - 20 . (canceled) 
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein:
 the at least two databases are at least three databases; and   the second portion of the user interface is operable to cause display of individual controls for at least three entities of the plurality of entities.   
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein each entity of the plurality of entities is a credit reporting agency.