Computer system and method for networked interchange of data and information for members of the real estate financial and related transactional services industry

• US 8,145,563 B2
• Filed: 04/22/2010
• Issued: 03/27/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 05/08/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Industry Access Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Industry Access Incorporated
• Inventors: Dickman, Glenn Alex, Misraje, Jack
• Primary Examiner(s): Khattar, Rajesh
• Assistant Examiner(s): Chakravarti, Arunava
• Application Number:
  US12/765,597
• Publication Number:
  US 20100205084A1
• Time in Patent Office: 705 Days
• Field of Search: 705/38
• US Class Current: 705/38
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/101 Collaborative creation, e.g. joint development of products or services
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/103 Workflow collaboration or project management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/00 Finance; Insurance; Tax strategies; Processing of corporate or income taxes
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/02 Banking, e.g. interest calculation or account maintenance credit or loans G06Q40/03
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/03 Credit; Loans; Processing thereof
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/04 Trading; Exchange, e.g. stocks, commodities, derivatives or currency exchange
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/167 Closing

Abstract

An Interchange Party Computer System (“IPCS”) comprising: a plurality of units of allocated resources, configured for a lender party, broker party, transaction party and/or investor party, each unit of allocated resources including one or more administrator user interfaces that allow a participating party to manage its allocated resources and define which of its users and which other participating parties may access its allocated resources and use elements thereof, wherein at least one of the allocated resources include database allocated resources that are managed by the participating party assigned the resources, the allocated resources for the database being accessible and usable by a participating party on terms defined by the participating party responsible for managing the database allocated resources wherein at least one of the allocated resources include at one or more modules selected from the group of: a Rate and Loan Program Module that includes means to define loan programs or search defined loan programs in a database, an Automated Underwriting Module, a Mortgage Pools Module; a File Status and Transaction Party Module, which includes means to do two or more of: assign tasks, present task status, control viewing of task status, assign viewing privileges, monitor satisfaction of lender conditions, and upload loan documentation that are managed by the participating party assigned the resources; the allocated resources for the selected modules being accessible and usable by a participating party on terms defined by the participating party responsible for managing the selected modules allocated resources.

Claims

1. A computer system comprising:

an interchange party computer system configured with a plurality of different units of resources for interchange of data and information between a plurality of categories of participating parties, each participating party having a selected role or service in a real estate transaction that comprises a real estate purchase or finance transaction, and the data and information being related to a transaction, the interchange party computer system being couplable over a computer network with a plurality of computer systems, each corresponding to a different category of the participating parties, the interchange party computer system being configured with executable code to control the interchange of the data and information via the networked computer systems;

a plurality of resource units stored on the computer system and comprising computer code and/or data in the nature of forms or templates related to the roles or services of a participating party; and

executable code stored on the computer system for selectively allocating units of the resources to participating parties, who are then authorized by the interchange party computer system to control their respective allocated forms or templates and modify them according to built-in parameters according to the roles or services of a participating party.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the computer executable instructions are stored on the interchange party computer system.

3. The system of claim 1 wherein the units of resources further comprise interfaces for data exchanged between a first unit of resource configured to be selectively allocable to a first category of participating party and a second unit of resource configured to be selectively allocable to a second category of participating party.

4. The system of claim 3 wherein the interchange party computer system further comprises a data capture server and the data is exchangeable by the first and second categories of participating parties via the data capture server.

5. The system of claim 3 wherein the units of resources comprise units of resources modified by a participating party and the interchange party computer system stores the modified resources.

6. The system of claim 5 wherein the interfaces include graphical user interfaces configured for presenting information about the real estate transaction derived from data uploaded to the data capture server by a participating party.

7. The system of claim 1 wherein at least some resources comprise one or more predetermined forms for use in a real estate purchase and/or finance transaction.

8. The system of claim 7 wherein the forms include one or more of loan application forms, broker submission forms, broker lock forms, broker registration forms, title report forms, property appraisal forms, credit report forms, verification of deposits forms, verification of employment forms, escrow instruction forms, tax return forms, property disclosure forms.

9. The system of claim 1 wherein the at least some resources comprise one or more predetermined templates for use in a real estate purchase and/or finance transaction.

10. The system of claim 9 wherein the templates comprise websites customizable by participating parties.

11. The system of claim 10 wherein the interchange party computer system stores and presents websites customized from the templates.

12. The system of claim 10 wherein there are a plurality of templates, each preconfigured according to the role or services of a particular category of participating party.

13. The system of claim 10 wherein the computer system further comprises an administrators module configured to provide an administrator for a participating party a step-by-step set-up feature whereby the administrator can customize the layout and features of a website.

14. The system of claim 1 wherein the resources stored on the computer system further comprise user interfaces that allow a participating party, under conditions according to executable code stored on the interchange party computer system, to post content to the interchange party computer system that is presentable to other participating parties, to determine which participating parties have access to a selected participating party'"'"'s resources, to define data channels between parties for interchange of the data and information, and/or to access program modules stored on the interchange party computer system.

15. The system of claim 1 further comprising executable code allowing for participating parties to fill-out forms and templates and to upload a digitally formatted form or template to a data capture server on the interchange party computer system, the interchange party computer system storing executable code selectively controlling how the form or template is usable by other participating parties.

16. The system of claim 15 wherein the computer code is based on instructions for use of the form or template uploaded to the interchange party computer system by the participating party uploading the form or template.

17. The system of claim 15 wherein the code includes controlling how the form or template may be ported to a resource allocated to another participating party.

18. The system of claim 15 wherein the code includes controlling how the form or template may be ported to, viewed, printed, or distributed to another participating party.

19. The system of claim 1 further comprising a directory of stored documents on the interchange party computer system, the directories being organized according to particular real estate purchase of finance transactions, at least some of documents in a directory for a particular transaction being derived from the forms or templates.

20. The system of claim 19 wherein the interchange party computer system includes executable code for controlling which participating parties can access a given directory.

21. The system of claim 19 wherein the interchange party computer system includes executable code for controlling the ordering of documents in a directory for presentation to a participating party.

22. The system of claim 19 wherein the interchange party computer system includes executable code for controlling tasks for participating parties based on and related to the status of a real estate purchase or finance transaction.

23. The system of claim 19 wherein the interchange party computer system includes executable code for automatically controlling and sending notifications, forms, templates and/or documents relating to the status of a particular real estate purchase or finance transaction.

24. The system of claim 1 wherein the interchange party computer system includes executable code for automatically controlling and sending notifications to selected participating parties related to the use of one of the forms or templates, the notification concerning a change in status or action needed related to a particular real estate purchase or finance transaction.

25. The system of claim 1 wherein the interchange party computer system includes executable code for controlling and sending the notifications, forms, templates and/or documents relating to the status of a particular transaction.

26. The system of claim 1 wherein the computer system includes executable code so that use of one of the forms or templates by a first category of participating party automatically ports the entered data or information to resources of one or more other categories of participating parties, thereby eliminating the double entry of the data or information by the one or more other participating parties in their roles or services related to a real estate.

27. The system of claim 1 further comprising executable code stored on the interchange party computer system enabling one or more selected participating parties to post fee schedules and receive payment for their services and for the data and information they provide.

28. The system of claim 1 further comprising executable code stored on the interchange party computer system enabling one or more selected participating parties to pay fees related to the data and information that it accesses or for services that it has requested.

29. The system of claim 1 further comprising executable code stored on the interchange party computer system enabling one or more selected participating parties to track or follow the movement of selected data and information between the parties related to tasks or documents that are part of a real estate purchase or finance transaction.

30. The system of claim 29 further comprising executable code for associating a fee with the movement of selected said data and information.

31. The system of claim 29 wherein the code enables generating reports renderable to a participating party related to the tracking or following of the selected data and information.

32. The system of claim 29 wherein the code enables the recording fees of earned and fees incurred by participating parties related to services provided by participating parties in a real estate purchase or finance transaction, said code automatically sending reports to selected participating parties related to the earned and incurred fees.

35. The method of claim 23 wherein the computer executable instructions are stored on the interchange party computer system, the system executing the instructions following a log-in or request to the interchange party computer system by a participating party.

33. A method for facilitating collaboration in real estate transactions, comprising:

providing an interchange party computer system configured with a plurality of different units of resources for interchange of data and information between a plurality of participating parties, each participating party having a selected role or service in a real estate transaction that comprises a real estate purchase or finance transaction, and the data and information being related to a transaction, the interchange party computer system being coupled over a computer network with a plurality of computer systems, each corresponding to a different category of the participating parties, the interchange party computer system being configured with executable code to control the interchange of the data and information via the networked computer systems;

the interchange party computer system, according to the executable code, selecting from a plurality of resource units stored on the computer system and comprising computer code and/or data in the nature of forms or templates related to the roles or services of a participating party; and

allocating the selected resources to selected participating parties, who are then authorized to control them.

34. The method of claim 33, wherein to enable control of allocated forms or templates, the resources include built-in control parameters according to the roles or services of a participating party.

36. The method of claim 33 wherein the units of resources further comprise interfaces for data exchanged between a first unit of resource configured to be selectively allocable to a first category of participating party and a second unit of resource configured to be selectively allocable to a second category of participating party, and the interchange party computer system receives data related to real estate purchase or finance transaction from a participating party computer system via one of said interfaces.

37. The method of claim 36 wherein the unit of resource for the interface from which the data is received is stored on the computer system of a participating party to which the interchange party computer system allocated the unit of resource.

38. The method of claim 37 wherein the forms include one or more of loan application forms, broker submission forms, broker lock forms, broker registration forms, title report forms, property appraisal forms, credit report forms, verification of deposits forms, verification of employment forms, escrow instruction forms, tax return forms, property disclosure forms.

39. The method of claim 37 wherein at least some resources comprise one or more predetermined templates for use in a real estate purchase and/or finance transaction.

40. The method of claim 33 wherein a unit of resources comprises a template in the nature of a website customizable by a participating party.

41. The method of claim 33 wherein the resources stored on the computer system further comprise user interfaces that allow a participating party, under conditions according to executable code stored on the interchange party computer system, to post content to the interchange party computer system that is presentable to other participating parties, to determine which participating parties have access to a selected participating party'"'"'s resources, to define data channels between parties for interchange of the data and information, and/or to access program modules stored on the interchange party computer system, and the interchange party executing one of said actions based on a network data communication made via a participating party'"'"'s computer system.

42. The method of claim 33 further comprising storing one of said forms or templates modified by a participating party on a data capture server on the interchange party computer system, the interchange party computer system controlling how the form or template is usable by other participating parties via the executable code.

43. The method of claim 33 further comprising controlling how a form or a template may be ported to, viewed, printed, or distributed to another participating party based on the executable code.

44. The method of claim 33 further comprising a directory of stored documents on the interchange party computer system, the interchange party computer system organizing the directories according to a particular real estate purchase of finance transactions, at least some of documents in a directory for a particular transaction being derived from the forms or templates.

45. The method of claim 33 further comprising controlling which participating parties can access a given directory according to executable computer code.

46. The method of claim 33 further comprising the interchange party computer system controlling the assignment of tasks to participating parties based on and related to the status of a real estate purchase or finance transaction.

47. The method of claim 33 further comprising the interchange party computer system automatically controlling and sending notifications, forms, templates and/or documents relating to the status of a particular real estate purchase or finance transaction.

48. The method of claim 33 further comprising the interchange party computer system automatically controlling and sending notifications to selected participating parties related to the use of one of the forms or templates, the notification concerning a change in status or action needed related to a particular real estate purchase or finance transaction.

49. The method of claim 33 further comprising automatically porting data from a form or template of a first category of participating party automatically to resources of one or more other categories of participating parties, thereby eliminating the double entry of the data or information by the one or more other participating parties in their roles or services related to a real estate.

50. The method of claim 33 further comprising enabling one or more selected participating parties to post fee schedules and receive payment for their services and for the data and information they provide.

51. The method of claim 33 further comprising enabling one or more selected participating parties to pay fees related to the data and information that it accesses or for services that it has requested.

52. The method of claim 33 further comprising enabling one or more selected participating parties to track or follow the movement of selected data and information between the parties related to tasks or documents that are part of a real estate purchase or finance transaction.

53. The method of claim 52 further comprising storing on the interchange party computer system a fee associated with the movement of selected said data and information.

54. The method of claim 33 further comprising the interchange party computer system generating reports renderable to a participating party related to the tracking or following of the selected data and information.

55. The method of claim 33 further comprising the interchange party computer system recording fees earned and fees incurred by participating parties related to services provided by participating parties in a real estate purchase or finance transaction, the interchange party computer system automatically sending reports to selected participating parties related to the earned and incurred fees.

56. A method for facilitating collaboration in real estate transactions, comprising:

communicating data and information related to the status of a real estate purchase or finance transaction to an interchange party computer system configured with a plurality of different units of resources for interchange of data and information between a plurality of participating parties, each participating party having a selected role or service in a real estate transaction that comprises a real estate purchase or finance transaction, the interchange party computer system being coupled over a computer network with a plurality of computer systems, each corresponding to a different category of the participating parties, a first category of which controls the communication of the data and information, the interchange party computer system being configured with executable code to control the interchange of data and information via the networked computer systems;

the data or information enabling the interchange party computer system to control the interchange party computer system automatically controlling and communicating notifications, forms, templates and/or documents relating to the status of a particular real estate purchase or finance transaction, and the interchange party computer system automatically making said communication with a second category of participating party based on the data and communication; and

via the executable code selectively allocating units of the resources to participating parties, who are then authorized by the interchange party computer system to control their respective allocated forms or templates and modify them according to built-in parameters according to the roles or services of a participating party.