Abstract:
A loan origination system interface module for processing loan applications from a user through a lender web site is described. The loan originator accesses a lender web site to perform loan processing procedures. The module is included on the lender&#39;s web page through a standard object reference in HTML specification. The module contains information unique to that lender, and the lender&#39;s identification number as well as desired data format. Once the loan originator decides to transfer a loan application or supplemental data to the lender, the module examines the loan origination software pipeline and presents a selection of loan products to the user. Once the user makes a selection, the module extracts loan information stored in the loan origination software by conducting a search for each required data field, relates that data to the specific field in the vendor application format, and packages the data in a format acceptable to the lender. The module then finds the appropriate route to deliver the loan data to the lender, either directly through a standard Internet secure communication protocol, or indirectly through a separate server computer. The user can then continue the transaction on the lender&#39;s web site in an uninterrupted work flow. Loan processing occurs on the lender&#39;s web site, and the interaction of the web site and loan origination software is handled by the module.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS  
       [0001]    This application is related to U.S. application Ser. No. ______, entitled “Online System for Fulfilling Loan Applications From Loan Originators”, filed on Jun. 14, 2002, and which is assigned to the assignee of the present application. 
     
    
     
       FIELD OF THE INVENTION  
         [0002]    The present invention relates generally to computer networks, and more specifically, to a web-based interface between lenders and loan brokers using loan origination system software.  
         BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
         [0003]    The World Wide Web (“web”) has evolved from first generation web systems that simply provided information to client computers over the Internet through a web browser program, to second generation systems using application servers that provide dynamic, personalized information and powerful back-end transaction processing.  
           [0004]    A great number of commercial applications have become adapted to on-line systems, thus establishing a base of many different types of electronic commerce or “e-commerce” transactions. One traditional commercial transaction type that has become adapted to online implementations is that of financial loans. The loan application process is often a complicated and confusing process for average borrowers. There are a great many different types of loans available depending upon the type of loan required, such as personal loans, home mortgages, business lines of credit, and so on. There are also many different variables or negotiable terms associated with each loan, such as interest rate, loan period, and the like. In most cases, a detailed profile of the borrower is required because factors such as age, employment, financial history, credit rating and so on, can have a great deal of impact on the cost or even qualification for a loan. Moreover, loans are available from many different sources, such as traditional banks to private and commercial money lenders.  
           [0005]    Thus, the process of applying for and obtaining a loan can be complicated and time consuming because of the great number of variables regarding the loan, the lender, and the borrower, as well as the number of parties involved in the loan process. Because of the distributed information-intensive nature of the loan industry, a class of loan brokers, often referred to as “loan originators” or “loan origination services” has emerged to aid borrowers in finding and obtaining the proper loan. The advent of loan originators has served to provide an important interface between borrowers and the various lenders who might have an appropriate loan product.  
           [0006]    The widespread use of the Internet has generally led loan originators to recognize and accept the Internet and computerized processes as viable and promising vehicles with which to conduct business. Traditional loan processing involves a great deal of customer support, data input, and expedited mailing and delivery of physical documents. These factors present areas of great cost and potential problems in the loan application, processing, and delivery transaction. Although most present loan originators have implemented software systems to automate their processes, typical loan origination systems (LOS) do not provide a comprehensive interface between borrowers and lenders. Furthermore, most present loan origination systems do not provide comprehensive form and document completion process that truly automates the loan application process and minimizes the errors associated with individually completing all of the separate forms required in a typical loan transaction. A further disadvantage associated with present on-line implemented loan application systems is the typically complex loan file export and manual form population process that is required on the lender and loan origination vendor web sites.  
           [0007]    Although comprehensive software systems have been developed to integrate lender, broker, and third party vendors within Internet-based loan application and fulfillment networks, such systems often involve extensive interfacing or customization of each party&#39;s computer networks. For example, present systems typically require that each individual lenders or third parties install application interfaces or custom components that render their network portal computers compatible with certain specific broker computer systems or commercially available loan origination system program. Such a requirement is often burdensome to the lenders and third parties. These systems also present potential sources of problems, and can often require redundant storage or transmission of existing data.  
           [0008]    What is needed, therefore, is a loan processing system that provides an efficient interface between lender computers and broker computers that accesses data and resources already available on the broker computer system.  
           [0009]    What is further needed is a web-based interface that transfers data from a lender computer network to a broker network without requiring the lender to install extensive programs or program interfaces.  
         SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
         [0010]    A web-based loan origination system interface for on-line lenders and loan brokers is described. Data comprising borrower and loan product information is stored in data storage accessible to a loan origination system program. The loan origination system and a web browser process is executed by a loan broker computer. A lender computer coupled to the loan broker computer executes a web server process and a module that serves to access data from the loan origination system program. The loan originator accesses the lender web site to perform loan processing procedures. The module is included on the lender&#39;s web site as a reference link. The module contains information unique to the lender, such as the lender&#39;s identification number and the lender&#39;s desired data format. Once the loan originator decides to transfer a loan application or supplemental data to the lender, the module examines the loan origination software pipeline and presents it to the loan originator. When the loan originator selects an action to be performed, the module extracts loan information stored in the loan origination software by conducting a search for each required data field, relates that data to the specific field in the vendor application format, and packages the data in a format acceptable to the lender. The module then finds the appropriate route to deliver the loan data to the lender, either directly through a standard Internet secure communication protocol, or indirectly through a separate server computer. The loan originator can then continue the transaction on the lender&#39;s web site in an uninterrupted work flow. Loan processing occurs on the lender&#39;s web site, and the interaction of the web site and loan origination software is handled by the module.  
           [0011]    In one embodiment, the loan origination system interface is implemented in a computer network that comprises a processing and submission system that receives relevant loan information from a borrower and enters this information into file templates, which are utilized during loan origination. An automatic data flow process accessible through an origination screen populates the relevant fields in all of the other loan forms and word processing documents. Forms are supported for several different loan types, such as conventional mortgages, federal housing authority loans, veterans administration loans, and other similar types of personal and business loans. The automatic data flow eliminates the need to re-enter the same information in each form, and it also automatically calculates relevant field data, such as percentage rate, maximum loan, cash to or from borrower, amortization schedules, and the like. Once information is entered into each data field, e.g., name and address, of the file template during the loan origination process, the information is saved in a database wherein each data field is associated with the particular information entered. When a particular loan form is activated, the automatic data flow program conducts a search for each data field. Alternatively, each loan form can be modified to insert embedded codes, so that the computer program can more easily identify the location of a data field and enter the associated information.  
           [0012]    Other objects, features, and advantages of the present invention will be apparent from the accompanying drawings and from the detailed description that follows below.  
       
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0013]    The present invention is illustrated by way of example and not limitation in the figures of the accompanying drawings, in which like references indicate similar elements, and in which:  
         [0014]    [0014]FIG. 1A illustrates a network that implements a web-based loan origination system interface between a loan broker web client and a lender web server, according to one embodiment of the present invention;  
         [0015]    [0015]FIG. 1B illustrates the interface between the loan processing software system and one or more loan origination systems, according to one embodiment of the present invention;  
         [0016]    [0016]FIG. 2A is a flowchart that illustrates the general steps of processing a loan application through the system illustrated in FIG. 1A, according to a method of the present invention;  
         [0017]    [0017]FIG. 2B is a flowchart that illustrates the transaction steps between the web server process of the lender computer, and the web client process of the broker computer for the system illustrated in FIG. 1A, according to a method of the present invention;  
         [0018]    [0018]FIG. 3A is an exemplary web page for a lender web site displaying a loan pipeline, according to one embodiment of the present invention;  
         [0019]    [0019]FIG. 3B is an exemplary web page for a loan submission through a lender computer, according to one embodiment of the present invention;  
         [0020]    [0020]FIG. 4 is a flowchart illustrating the steps of providing an interface between loan origination servers and lender computers, according to a method of the present invention;  
         [0021]    [0021]FIG. 5 is a flowchart illustrating the steps of providing an interface between loan origination servers and lender computers according to the steps illustrated in FIG. 4; and  
         [0022]    [0022]FIG. 6 illustrates a network that implements a loan processing software system, and that includes both a web-based loan origination system interface and a server-implemented loan application system, according to one embodiment of the present invention.  
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT  
       [0023]    A web-based loan origination system interface for brokers and lenders computer networks is described. In the following description, for purposes of explanation, numerous specific details are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of the present invention. It will be evident, however, to one of ordinary skill in the art, that the present invention may be practiced without these specific details. In other instances, well-known structures and devices are shown in block diagram form to facilitate explanation. The description of preferred embodiments is not intended to limit the scope of the claims appended hereto.  
         [0024]    Aspects of the present invention may be implemented on one or more computers executing software instructions. According to one embodiment of the present invention, server and client computer systems transmit and receive data over a computer network or a fiber or copper-based telecommunications network. The steps of accessing, downloading, and manipulating the data, as well as other aspects of the present invention are implemented by central processing units (CPU) in the server and client computers executing sequences of instructions stored in a memory. The memory may be a random access memory (RAM), read-only memory (ROM), a persistent store, such as a mass storage device, or any combination of these devices. Execution of the sequences of instructions causes the CPU to perform steps according to embodiments of the present invention.  
         [0025]    The instructions may be loaded into the memory of the server or client computers from a storage device or from one or more other computer systems over a network connection. For example, a client computer may transmit a sequence of instructions to the server computer in response to a message transmitted to the client over a network by the server. As the server receives the instructions over the network connection, it stores the instructions in memory. The server may store the instructions for later execution, or it may execute the instructions as they arrive over the network connection. In some cases, the downloaded instructions may be directly supported by the CPU. In other cases, the instructions may not be directly executable by the CPU, and may instead be executed by an interpreter that interprets the instructions. In other embodiments, hardwired circuitry may be used in place of, or in combination with, software instructions to implement the present invention. Thus, the present invention is not limited to any specific combination of hardware circuitry and software, nor to any particular source for the instructions executed by the server or client computers. In some instances, the client and server functionality may be implemented on a single computer platform.  
         [0026]    Aspects of the present invention can be used in a distributed electronic commerce application that includes a client/server network system that links one or more server computers to one or more client computers, as well as server computers to other server computers and client computers to other client computers. The client and server computers may be implemented as desktop personal computers, workstation computers, mobile computers, portable computing devices, personal digital assistant (PDA) devices, or any other similar type of computing device.  
         [0027]    In the loan application process, a broker matches a borrower (customer) with the loan package that best suits their need. Unlike the retail loan market, in which the borrower directly inquires about loans available from a bank or commercial lender, the loan broker utilizes the wholesale loan market. In terms of a general process, the broker obtains data from the borrower and then shops for loans from the available sources in the wholesale loan market. Wholesale lenders typically work only with brokers, and take completed loan packages and underwrite them. The brokers are typically offered discounted pricing in return for the processing work performed by the broker.  
         [0028]    In a network embodiment of the present invention, a loan broker computer is configured to access computers operated by third parties (typically in the wholesale loan market), such as lenders, loan underwriters, settlement service vendors, and other similar loan fulfillment parties through a web based interface that is integrated with a loan origination software program. The loan broker provides an on-line interface between borrowers, and those companies that will ultimately perform the loan services and provide the requested funds. During the course of the loan application process, various items of information are transmitted among the parties, including borrower information and loan application data. This information is typically maintained in databases stored in the broker computer, or on the third party computers. Different entities may be responsible for different aspects of the transaction from the lender&#39;s side. For example, one company may be involved in the processing of a loan application, while another is involved with providing the loan itself, while yet another may be involved with the billing and collection of repayment from the borrower.  
         [0029]    The network implementation facilitates the delivery (transmission) and tracking of data and allows for the completion of electronic commerce transactions. Several different network topologies may be implemented through the use of a loan processing network system according to embodiments of the present invention. In general, the network system couples one or more lenders (banks, financial institutions, credit agencies and so on) to the loan brokers who act on behalf of potential borrowers. The loan brokers help borrowers to find and obtain loans by obtaining personal data from the borrower, searching for compatible loans from the various lenders, presenting loan selections to the borrower, and performing certain validation or screening tasks, such as pre-qualification of the borrower. The loan brokers also directly interface with the parties that will fulfill the loan or provide settlement services, such as lenders, loan underwriters, and settlement service vendors.  
         [0030]    A broker typically keeps track of pending loans and customers through one or more pipelines. A pipeline generally refers to a list of all loans or loan applications and/or borrowers that are committed and being processed by the broker. A separate pipeline, often referred to as a “pre-qualification pipeline” can be used to list prospective loans and/or borrowers who are not yet committed to a particular loan.  
         [0031]    For purposes of the present discussion, a lender can be any kind of wholesale lender, retail lender, correspondent lender, or other type of financial institution that lends money. A loan originator is any person or entity that helps to procure a loan from a lender on behalf of a borrower, and can include loan brokers, loan officers, loan processors, correspondent brokers, small banks that provide brokerage services, and any other similar type of loan procurement company or personnel. As used herein, the term “loan broker” is used to represent any such type of loan originator.  
         [0032]    Loan brokers typically execute Loan Origination Software (LOS) programs to manage the origination tasks in the loan application process for a borrower. In one embodiment of the present invention, a processing and submission system is embedded in the broker computer system and is closely coupled to or integrated within the loan origination system program on the broker desktop. This integration serves to streamline the loan submission process and provides seamless connectivity to lenders and settlement service vendors over the network. The processing and submission system provides a direct interface to the loan origination system programs and allows efficient management and transmission of file data present in the broker loan origination software to the lender and vendor computer systems. The processing and submission system thus provides a centralized and comprehensive system for compiling the loan and borrower information, populating the loan documents with the relevant data, and submitting the completed documents to the appropriate lender and other third parties for review. This allows the broker to capture the borrower data once and publish this data to multiple lenders without having to repeatedly enter the borrower data for each loan application.  
         [0033]    With the advent of the Internet, there has arisen a prevalence of web-based client/server networks involving the transmission of data through web pages served on server web sites accessed by client computers. Embodiments of the present invention include web-based interfaces and data transmission routines that facilitate the processing of loan applications between loan originators (brokers) and lenders over the Internet. FIG. 1A illustrates a network that implements a web-based loan origination system interface between a loan broker web client and a lender web server, according to one embodiment of the present invention. In system  100 , a loan broker computer  102  executes a web browser program (such as Microsoft Explorer™ or Netscape Navigator™)  106  that accesses a web page served by a web server process  112  executed on a lender computer  104 . The loan broker computer  102  also executes one or more loan origination system (LOS) programs  108 . The loan origination software program  108  utilized by the loan broker can be a proprietary system or a commercially available system. Examples of present commercially available loan origination system programs include Genesis™, Contour™, Calyx Point™, and Byte™, among other similar LOS programs.  
         [0034]    As shown in FIG. 1A, the lender  104  maintains a web site through web server process  112  that provides access for brokers and other loan originators to the various resources and products available from the lender. This allows loan originators and other users to access the lenders web site through a standard web browser interface. A loan origination system program interface, referred to herein as the “clickloan module”  114  is integrated into the lender web site through a web-based plug-in interface to web server process  112 . The clickloan module  114  interfaces with the loan origination system software that is executed by the loan broker computer  102 . The clickloan module  114  automatically identifies and transfers a loan application or its required information directly from the loan origination system program  108  to the lender web site with a minimum number of user operations, e.g., typewritten commands or mouse clicks. This process eliminates the need for the user (broker) to transfer the loan application and the relevant data directly to the lender computer. Data comprising borrower and/or loan information is stored in a data storage  110  that is closely or remotely coupled to the loan broker computer  102  through the loan origination system program  108 .  
         [0035]    The clickloan module  114  stores and processes information regarding the lender loan products, as well as account and network identification. Access to the clickloan module is typically provided by means of a hypertext link, or similar command mechanism, displayed on the lender&#39;s web page. Upon execution, the clickloan module provides the relevant lender information, and accesses the loan application and borrower data from the data source  110  through the loan origination system  108 . This information is then formatted and displayed to the broker through the lender web page and displayed using the web browser  106  on the broker computer  102 . In this manner, data that is resident on the broker computer is used to build the information requested by the user. This mechanism eliminates typical complex loan file export functions and form population operations involved in most present on-line loan application systems.  
         [0036]    Although not shown in FIG. 1A, either or both of the loan broker computer  102  and the lender computer  104  can be directly or indirectly coupled to computers operated by other relevant parties, such as loan underwriters, settlement service vendors, or other third parties that perform the function of fulfilling and settling the loan application. A separate server computer  116  may be used to download one or more program components to the loan broker computer  102  for use by the loan origination system program  108  and/or the clickloan module  114 .  
         [0037]    [0037]FIG. 1B illustrates the interface between the embedded clickloan module and one or more loan origination systems, according to one embodiment of the present invention. The clickloan module  123  is closely coupled to the lender web site  122 . The clickloan module  123  includes a loan selection sub-module  124  and a loan processing sub-module  126 . One or more loan origination system programs are coupled to the loan selection sub-module  124 . The loan selection sub-module accesses and displays a list of loan applications (borrower files) that the loan broker may want to submit to a specific function on the lender web site. Once the appropriate loan application file has been selected, the loan processing sub-module  126  performs the appropriate calculations and processing to extract, validate, format, and submit the loan application to the lender web site.  
         [0038]    The loan origination system programs illustrated in FIG. 1B include Genesis  125 , Contour  127 , and Calyx  129 , although other loan origination system programs are also possible. The clickloan module  123  interfaces to each LOS programs through direct data structure access, an application programming interface (API), or similar type of program adapter. Furthermore, each LOS program contains or is coupled to a respective data source  135 ,  137 , and  139 . Upon initiation by the broker, the clickloan API interfaces within the respective LOS programs operate to transfer data from the LOS program to the clickloan module  123  resident on the lender web site  122 . This prevents the need for the broker to enter this information directly into the lender web site  122 . In this manner, the relevant loan application is “pulled” from the LOS program to the lender web site. The integration within the lender&#39;s web site eliminates the need for the lender to implement or otherwise closely couple itself to the loan origination system server (e.g., loan broker computer  102 ). For the embodiment in which the clickloan module is configured to utilize an existing API, the pipeline information can be displayed in a format consistent with the LOS program. This allows the module to preserve the “look and feel” of the original LOS program.  
         [0039]    In one embodiment of the present invention, the loan origination system programs of system  150  can be included within the loan broker desktop environment of the loan originator computer, or they may comprise remotely executed programs executed on the broker computer or a separate networked computer, e.g., server  116  of system  100 . In general, the loan origination programs serve a loan origination screen to be accessed by borrowers over a network, and typically through a web browser interface. File templates, which serve as blank loan application forms, are then loaded and displayed to the borrower. These are loaded from a database of file templates that are stored either locally on the loan originator computer or on a remote storage device, such as data storage  110 . Various file templates can be defined for different loan types, such as conventional loans, FHA loans, VA loans, and so on. After the borrower enters the relevant personal and loan information required by the file template and initial loan application form, a processing client executes an automatic data flow process to populate the same information in all of the corresponding fields in all other documents and forms processed by the system that are related to the loan application. This includes other related bank and government forms, as well as word processing documents, spreadsheets, and any other documents with fields that are linked to the original form or other defined that same as the original fields. If necessary, the processing client also automatically calculates relevant field data in any of the fields of the forms that require derivation or calculation. These can include fields that calculate interest rates for given borrower profile and loan period and amount, as well as cash flow or amortization schedules, among other calculations. Once the entry field information has been populated for all of the forms and documents, and the relevant calculations have been performed, the loan application documents are submitted by the loan originator to the appropriate lenders either directly or indirectly through the processing and submission server. Depending upon the interface between the lenders to the network and/or the processing and submission server, the loan information is input into the lender computer systems as seamlessly as possible. For example, if the interface between a lender and the network is web-based, such as the Freddie Mac Loan Prospector system, the information is populated directly into the lender web forms. This automated input and distribution system eliminates the need to fill out individual disparate loan application forms, and transmit the forms to the various broker and lender sites.  
         [0040]    As illustrated in system  100  of FIG. 1A the interface system between the lender computer  104  and the broker computer  102 , referred to as the “clickloan” interface, serves to eliminate the complex loan file export function and manual form-filing process currently required on lending and vendor web sites. The clickloan interface is integrated into the lender&#39;s web site through clickloan module  114 . This interface allows a borrower accessing the lender&#39;s web site through a normal web browser to identify and transfer a loan application and associated data to the lender computer in an efficient manner. For example, through a web browser, such an operation can be typically accomplished by the user in two mouse clicks.  
         [0041]    [0041]FIG. 2A is a flowchart that illustrates the general steps of processing a loan application through the system illustrated in FIG. 1A, according to a method of the present invention. As a preliminary step, it is assumed that the borrower and loan application data is loaded into the loan origination system program  108  that is executed by the loan broker computer  102 , step  220 . The loan broker accesses the web site of the particular lender that he is interested in, step  222 . Typically, the lender website provides a list or menu of operations that the broker can perform, such as obtaining a loan quote, pre-qualifying a borrower, and so on. In step  224 , the broker selects the action to be performed. For operations that require loan and/or borrower data, the clickloan module  114  instantiates within the browser to access the LOS pipeline, step  226 . The clickloan module then creates an instantiation of the loan application object on the desktop of the loan broker computer  102  through the broker web browser  106 . In this step,  226 , the clickloan component checks the software configuration of the broker computer  102  and determines the location of the pipeline in the memory, typically the hard disk location, of the broker computer, and displays the pipeline through the web page displayed by web browser  106 . This process is referred to as an “instantiation” of the clickloan component.  
         [0042]    After the object is created, the clickloan module automatically creates an LOS pipeline listing the various borrowers and loan applications that are active within the loan origination system, step  228 . In general, the displayed pipeline lists all of the pending loan applications for all of the borrowers being processed by the LOS program  108  in the broker computer  102 . Alternatively, filters or pre-processing flags in which the LOS is actively running for only a particular borrower is being processed can allow the pipeline to display pending loan applications for only a particular borrower. Other filters can be defined to allow display of pipelines for specific applications, such as time-based, status-based, or similar criteria. From the pipeline, the broker may select a particular borrower file, step  230 . The clickloan module transmits the borrower data from the loan origination system to the broker desktop through the web interface, step  232 . Once the data is populated within the instantiation of the application object that is created on the broker desktop, the selected operation is executed, step  234 .  
         [0043]    As is illustrated in FIG. 2A, the clickloan module  114  essentially creates an executable instance of the application on the broker computer using data from the loan origination system program. The creation of the object instance on the broker computer is implemented, in one embodiment, through the web based client/server relationship between the broker computer  102  and the lender computer  104 . FIG. 2B is a flowchart that illustrates the transaction steps between the web server process of the lender computer, and the web client process of the broker computer for the system illustrated in FIG. 1A, according to a method of the present invention. Upon access of the lender web page by the broker, the lender web server  112  transmits the HTML data comprising the web page to the broker computer  102 , step  240 . The web browser process  106  on the broker computer  102  then displays the lender web page, step  242 . The broker web browser  106  creates an instantiation of the clickloan object for the loan application, step  244 . The data comprising the object can be either stored locally on the broker computer  102 , or can be remotely downloaded from a separate server computer  116 . Once the pipeline is created and displayed, the broker selects the borrower file, step  246 . The click loan object accesses the loan broker desktop to retrieve, format and submit the LOS data to the broker computer, step  248 .  
         [0044]    As discussed above, the lender web site is typically accessed by a loan broker or originator using a web browser program. FIG. 3B is an exemplary web page for a lender Indy Mac™ Bank, according to one embodiment of the present invention. The web page  300  includes a display area  302 , which allows the user to specify one or more actions to perform. These include submitting an application for a new loan, locking a rate for a new loan, viewing market conditions, and other such actions. Also provided is a display area  304  that provides access to loan origination system programs that allows for the import of data from various LOS programs that might be available. The lender web page  300  provides a simple and familiar interface for the user to the LOS programs linked to the lender. As loan applications are processed through the lender web site, information and relevant data are pulled from the LOS programs into the web site for processing and display to the user. The main display area  305  displays data entry points and information related to the action that is selected by the broker.  
         [0045]    Once in the lender website, the broker can select a particular action, create a new loan application, or access an existing loan application. For operations involving existing applications, the broker specifies data to be imported from the appropriate LOS program using option buttons  304 . Upon importation of the LOS data, the clickloan module automatically creates and displays a pipeline of present loan applications. Such a pipeline is illustrated in FIG. 3A in the main display area  310 . In one embodiment of the present invention, the pipeline is displayed in a spreadsheet format listing the borrower name, loan application status, loan officer/processor, and property (in the of mortgage). Each entry in the spreadsheet pipeline is a hypertext link that provides access to further loan application data pertaining to the borrower. Thus, if the broker clicks on a borrowers name, an object comprising the loan application is created and the relevant data is downloaded from the LOS program.  
         [0046]    [0046]FIG. 3B illustrates the loan application page  305  for a particular borrower. The display area  305  displays certain items of information, such as loan number, borrower data, loan information, and so on. The data for each of the fields is automatically transferred from the LOS program by the clickloan module. FIG. 3B illustrates an instance of the loan application object that allows the broker to submit the loan for the borrower. Once the data is imported, a simple click operation is all that is required to submit the loan for approval. In this case, the broker did not need to enter any additional data, as the clickloan module caused the data to be automatically transmitted from the LOS program.  
         [0047]    The clickloan interface is configured to be used for any function that requires data transfer including pre-qualification, submission, rate locking, settlement service ordering, or any similar type of operation. It can pass any data contained in the loan broker computer  102 , regardless of the type of document format (e.g., 1003, 1008, GFE or other type of form). In one embodiment, the clickloan module and interface is integrated into the lender&#39;s web site as a self-contained component and provides access to the loan application management program, e.g., Genesis, Contour and Calyx Point data being run on the loan originator computer.  
         [0048]    In one embodiment, the clickloan interface is hosted by a dedicated process within the processing and submission server. For this embodiment, the clickloan module  114  can be implemented as Microsoft Active X module that is downloaded one time to the lender web site hosting computer. There is a separate component for each LOS hosted on the loan broker computer  102 . The clickloan module  114  displays the loan originator pipeline (loan selection panel) by reading the internal index and borrower file or database structure of each loan originator, and packages them according to the lender&#39;s data and format requirements. A secure Internet protocol HTTPS is then used by the clickloan module to communicate with the lender&#39;s secure web server  112  as well as the broker computer  102 .  
         [0049]    The integration of the clickloan module on a lender site is accomplished through a basic three step process. First the module determines the data content and format utilized by the lender. References to the clickloan module components are then incorporated on the lender&#39;s HTML pages. Data is then received in a standard HTTPS Post request. Two-way communication between the lender web site and the loan originator is achieved via the web interface. Lender  104  can post data back to the broker computer  102 .  
         [0050]    In one embodiment of the present invention, the clickloan module  114  is configured to support various formats, including FNMA 3.0 and XML, or simply a list of name value pairs. On-demand installation and automatic update of the ActiveX components is also provided. The dynamic server processing architecture illustrated in FIG. 1A allows the client side (clickloan module) process to diversify traffic to the broker computer, with all data mapping to the supported loan origination system performed locally. The web page displayed to the broker can be configured to include a series of simple HTML links that provide access to the lender web pages.  
         [0051]    [0051]FIG. 4 is a flow diagram that illustrates an implementation of the clickloan interface, according to one embodiment of the present invention. In step  402  the loan originator (broker) accesses the lender web site  130  through a resident web browser program. The broker selects an action that requires loan originator data, step  404 . This is typically accomplished by the broker clicking on a loan application selection button on the loan origination system web site, or accessing his or her account information through the loan origination system site. If the action is an “on-demand” action, as determined in step  405 , an on-demand installation and auto-update of the clickloan component  132  on the lender site is performed, step  406 . The clickloan component  408  then presents a pipeline to the broker, step  410 . The loan product data comprising the pipeline is provided by the loan origination system programs  118 , as shown in step  418 .  
         [0052]    Data to be used in the loan application process, such as data relating to the borrower, is provided by the processing and submission server, step  416 . In step  412 , the data is prepared and transmitted by the loan originator to the lender web server. This data can either be sent directly to the lender web server, as shown in step  414 , or it can be transmitted indirectly through a clickloan server process within the processing and submission server  102 , as shown in step  416 .  
         [0053]    [0053]FIG. 5 represents a more detailed flowchart illustrating the steps of providing an interface between loan origination servers and lender computers according to the steps illustrated in FIG. 4. In step  502 , a lender web page is referenced to a clickloan object processed by the clickloan module  118 . This object is compiled to form a loan origination service import page  503 . In step  504 , the browser checks if the object is local and current. If not, the browser downloads the late version of the object from the clickloan server process within the processing and submission server  102 , and stores the object on the LOS client, step  505 . The process then proceeds from step  506  in which the web browser preserves a local pipeline and emulates the loan origination system to read the local configuration. In step  507 , the borrower selects the browser file corresponding to the loan application.  
         [0054]    In step  508  the clickloan module  118  locates the loan application file, extracts the user input and calculated data, and formats the data appropriately for upload to the lender. This step may be facilitated by the processing and submission server, such as for data entry, entry field calculations, formatting operations, and/or file transmission to the lender. Once the data is formatted, the destination address, typically a web page uniform resource locator (URL) address, of the lender web site is determined, step  510 . The transaction is then logged to the processing and submission server  102 , step  511 . Data from the same application and submission session is also transferred from the desktop to the processing and submission server, step  512 .  
         [0055]    As illustrated in FIG. 1B, the clickloan module is integrated within or otherwise closely coupled to the lender (or vendor) web site. A user accessing the lender web site is provided a gateway to the loan origination software program through the clickloan interface.  
         [0056]    The first time a user (typically a loan originator) visits the wholesale lender&#39;s or vendor&#39;s web site, he or she indicates the installed LOS, which loads the corresponding clickloan module onto the user&#39;s hard drive. The clickloan module detects all installments of the selected LOS and each installation director is added to an “LOS Path” combo box. Alternatively, the user can select the appropriate LOS. The user selects a path, and the file selection panel for the loans located at that path is then displayed. The control is designed to default to the most recently selected path, and the next time the module is loaded, it will activate that path. Every time another path, folder, or mode is selected, the clickloan module automatically updates the file selection panel to display the loans for the selected path.  
         [0057]    In some situations the LOS package has been installed on the network from one computer, but the computer on which the clickloan module is loaded has not done workstation installation. In this case the registry and initialization (INI) files will not contain any record of installation paths. As a result, the combo box with path list will be empty and the clickloan control will display a message stating that the particular LOS installation has not been detected. In this case, the user must type the path to the network installation into the Path field. The clickloan module will determine the existence of the directory and the LOS exact name of the installation path. A “browse” button can also be used to locate the installation directory. Once clickloan finds the LOS, it will immediately display the file selection panel.  
         [0058]    After the first visit to the wholesale lender&#39;s web site, the user will typically click the “Submit Loan from LOS” or a similarly labeled icon to submit a loan application. The system will create a pipeline report indicating all of the loans currently in process. To submit a loan, the user will highlight the loan and press the submit button at the bottom of the files selection panel, or simply double-click on the loan icon.  
         [0059]    In one embodiment, the loan is exported to DU version 3 format, and an XML envelope is created. The DU3 file is put into “CDATA” section under &lt;LoanData&gt; tag. All the assigned properties (mandatory and optional) plus Transaction ID are listed under &lt;property&gt; tag. The format for a sample XML file is as follows:  
                                                                                                     &lt;?xml version = “1.0”?&gt;             - &lt;ClickLoan_Envelope&gt;                  - &lt;Properties&gt;                &lt;VendorID&gt;234375/&lt;Vendor ID&gt;           &lt;ActionType&gt;1&lt;Action Type&gt;           &lt;UserID&gt;1234567&lt;/UserID&gt;           &lt;IncompleteDataAction&gt;2&lt;/Incomplete Data Action&gt;           &lt;FrameName&gt; SomeFrame&lt;/FrameName&gt;           &lt;TransactionID&gt; CL_{6567643E-AD19-4AEC-BACD-                 741E83A85576} &lt;/TransactionID&gt;           &lt;/Properties&gt;                  - &lt;LoanData Format = “FNMA30”&gt;             - &lt;!CDATA            DU3 data goes here            ]]&gt;            &lt;/LoanData&gt;                &lt;/ClickLoan_Envelope&gt;                      
 
         [0060]    Once the XML file is created, it is sent to the URL, mapped to the particular Vendor ID and Action Type. As a response, the user receives an HTML page displaying the status of the request or links directing them further.  
         [0061]    In order to integrate the clickloan module in the lender web site, the lender inserts the clickloan control into a web page using the &lt;OBJECT&gt; tag in the HTML page and referring to the ClassID of clickloan control.  
         [0062]    The codebase attribute indicates where the CAB file is located. It is important to note that the version number has to be specified in the CODEBASE attribute, and it should correspond to the version of the control. Every time the web browser (e.g., Microsoft Internet Explorer) navigates to the Web page, the version of the currently installed component is compared to the version specified in codebase attribute. If codebase version is higher, the new CAB file is downloaded and installed. Otherwise already installed clickloan control is loaded. It is therefore generally necessary to update the version in codebase with the current version number of the clickloan control.  
         [0063]    In one embodiment, the clickloan CAB files are hosted on the loan origination system server  102 . All the vendors are provided with URLs for these files, and the codebase attributes should point to those URLs.  
         [0064]    Once the clickloan module has been inserted into a web page, there are several properties that need to be set by the hosting web page. To set these properties, a set properties (SetProperties(BSTR PropName, BSTR PropValue)) function is made available to be used within the script tag of the web page. This function is called as a method of clickloan object using the name specified by ID attribute of object tag.  
         [0065]    The following mandatory properties are set by the user once the control has been inserted: vendor identifier, action type, user identifier, incomplete data action, and frame name. The vendor identifier (VendorID) is the unique ID assigned by the loan broker computer  102  to every vendor. The action type (ActionType) is an integer specifying what action is being taken by that web page. This integer will map to the URL to which the date is to be submitted. For example, a loan submission can be assigned action type  1 , and loan registration can be assigned type  2 . The vendor then specifies that for action type  1 , the data is to be posted to one URL and for action type  2  the data is submitted to a different URL. The user identifier (UserID) is the ID used to login to the lender web site.  
         [0066]    The incomplete data action (IncompleteDataAction) variable tells the clickloan module what to do if the loan file being uploaded has missing data according to DU file format requirements. If the property is set to 0, the user is allowed to continue uploading the file despite some missing data. This is the default, and in this mode the file would be checked, and if any missing data were found, a list would be displayed to the user to help them locate the missing fields. The user will have the option to continue the submission or cancel it. If this property is set to 1, the user will see a list of missing fields, however, there is no option for uploading incomplete files. If the property is set to 2, incomplete data warning and the list of missing fields will be ignored, and submission of the data will be allowed. Different loan origination system programs  118  may have different default settings for this parameter. The frame name (FrameName) parameter specifies the name of the frame to which the resulting page should be targeted.  
         [0067]    Besides the listed properties, other properties (XML nodes) can be added to the XML file. For example PropName and PropValue can be assigned any value that the user specifies. All these properties will be posted to the lender site. In the XML structure, all these properties will go under &lt;Properties&gt; node under the root element.  
         [0068]    A sample web page program code for hosting clickloan control within a lender web page is provided as follows.  
                                   &lt;html&gt;       &lt;head&gt;       &lt;meta http-equiv = “Content-Type”       content = “text/html; charset = iso-8859-1”&gt;       &lt;meta name = “GENERATOR” content = “Microsoft FrontPage Express       2.0”&gt;       &lt;title&gt;ActiveX Text Page&lt;/title&gt;       &lt;/head&gt;       &lt;body bgcolor = “#FFFFFF”&gt;       &lt;p&gt;       &lt;center&gt;       &lt;object id = “ClickLoan”       name =“Genesis ClickLoan Control”       classid + “clsid:05842B) C-271B-412F-958F-D1A8F6CAD937” border =       “0”       codebase =       http://www.clickloand.com/EMActiveX/GenClickLoan.cab#version =       1, 0, 0, 2       width = “705” height = “425”       &lt;/object&gt;       &lt;/center&gt;       &lt;script language = “VBScript”&gt;       ClickLoan.SetProperties “VendorID”, “00000001”       ClickLoan.SetProperties “ActionType”, “1”       ClickLoan.SetProperties “UserID”, “1234567”       ClickLoan.SetProperties “IncompleteDataAction”, “2”       ClickLoan.SetProperties “FrameName”, “SomeFrame”       &lt;/script&gt;       &lt;font size=“−2” face = “Arial,Helvetica,Verdana”&gt;       &lt;center&gt;&amp;copy; Copyright 2001       &lt;a href = “http://www.genesis2000.com”&gt;Ellie Mae, Inc.&lt;/a&gt;       All Rights Reserved.       &lt;/center&gt;       &lt;/font&gt;       &lt;/body&gt;       &lt;/html&gt;                  
 
         [0069]    The above example illustrated the integration of the clickloan module within the Genesis LOS program. In one embodiment, the different clickloan modules for each LOS is specified inside the OBJECT tag. For example, sample code for embedding the clickloan module into Calyx Point and Contour is as follows:  
                                   Contour       &lt;object id = “ClickLoan”       name = “Contour ClickLoan Control”       classid = clsid:56BCB794-783A-48F1-A4C2-110F32371830” border =       “0”       codebase =       “http://www.clickloan.com/EMActiveX/GenClockLoan.cab#version+1,0,       0,2”       width=“640” height=“425”&gt;       &lt;/object&gt;       Calyx Point       &lt;object id = “ClickLoan”       name = “Point ClickLoan Control”       classid + “clsid:DF05D910-DC8E-403A-93B0-5C866F3200D1” border =       “0”       codebase =       http://www.clickloan.com/EMActiveX/GenClickLoan.cab#version=1,0,0       ,2       width = “570” height = “400”&gt;       &lt;/object&gt;                  
 
         [0070]    In one embodiment of the present invention, the loan origination system interface module for interfacing a lender computer to LOS programs on a broker computer can be implemented in conjunction with a server based desktop based loan application processing and submission server. Such a system is described in co-pending U.S. application Ser. No. ______, entitled “Online System for Fulfilling Loan Applications From Loan Originators”. FIG. 6 illustrates an exemplary network system for processing loan applications, according to this alternative embodiment of the present invention. As illustrated in FIG. 6, the LOS program or programs resident on the broker computer  602  are also coupled to a loan origination system computer  622 . This computer executes several program modules that manage the loan origination process and comprise the processing and submission system. These can include a business center process  628 , one or more back-end processes  630 , and a data storage facility  632 . In one embodiment, the business center  628  contains a network interface that provides access between the loan origination system program and other entities. For the embodiment in which the network comprises the Internet, the interface may be a web-based interface. In this case, the business center  628  includes a web browser client process  606  executed on the loan broker computer. The back-end processes  630  comprise the processing and submission system servers that provide downloadable program modules to the loan origination program and/or perform calculations for the loan origination program. The data storage facility  632  stores various data related to the lenders and users within the system.  
         [0071]    The business center process  628  within the data center  626  includes the software module comprising a processing and submission system that implements business and processing logic modules for receiving loan application information from a borrower (such as 1003 data for mortgage loans), storing data related to the borrower, providing interfaces to processes utilized by lenders and other third parties that fulfill and settle the loan. In one embodiment, the data stored by the data center is used by the loan origination system programs  608  and provided to the broker through the lender web site  612  for processing and display.  
         [0072]    As illustrated in FIG. 6, the loan broker computer  602  is coupled through the business center process  628  to loan underwriters  648 , and one or more settlement service vendors  644 . These entities perform the function of fulfilling and settling the loan application. These entities generally access the loan origination system program of the broker computer through the web browser interface of the business center  628 . The business center also provides facilities to set up storefront type interfaces for lenders to customize their offerings, and provides an information portal for brokers. Such a portal and storefront interface may be utilized by the lenders and/or vendors to generate and maintain a web site presence on the Internet, such as through lender web site  612 .  
         [0073]    One or more of the loan underwriters  640  reviews the loan application and approves or denies the application. One example of a mortgage loan underwriter is the Fannie Mae company, which does not itself provide loan funds but works with lenders to assure that the funds are available. Lenders  604  are typically banks, savings and loans, or other financial institutions that provide the loan funds. The settlement service vendors provide services and information required to close the loan. Such vendors include appraisers, credit reporting agencies, document preparers, flood certification agencies, and the like. Other third party entities that may be interfaced to the broker computer may include loan servicers who collect monthly payments from the borrower, and other similar loan process companies. The lenders and vendors may maintain web sites as a point of contact for brokers over the Internet.  
         [0074]    The business center module  628  of the loan originator computer  622  accesses one or more loan origination system programs  608 . The loan origination software programs  608  utilized by the loan broker can be a proprietary system or a commercially available system. Examples of present commercially available loan origination system programs include Genesis™, Contour™, Calyx Point™, and Byte™, as described previously, among other similar LOS programs. Alternatively, the loan broker may utilize a standard Internet web site to interface with the borrower and provide some degree of loan origination software functionality.  
         [0075]    Operation of the loan origination system  622  for a loan application process initiated by broker  602  is described in the aforementioned co-pending U.S. application Ser. No. ______, entitled “Online System for Fulfilling Loan Applications From Loan Originators”, which is hereby incorporated in its entirety by reference.  
         [0076]    Although embodiments and examples of the present invention have been described with reference to specific programming languages (such as HTML) and structures, it should be noted that alternative embodiments may be implemented using different languages and structures. Furthermore, although embodiments of the present invention have been described with reference to a network implementation comprising the Internet and Internet-related web browsing and web serving technologies, it should be noted that alternative embodiments of the present invention can be implemented on many other types of networks and network protocols, such as proprietary protocols for local area networks, wide area networks, and any combination thereof.  
         [0077]    The present invention has been described primarily in relation to loan applications for personal home mortgage loans. It should be noted, however, that many other types of loans can be processed through the embodiments described herein, such as commercial loans, any type of personal loan, home equity loans, and the like.  
         [0078]    In the foregoing, a user interface system for processing and submitting loan applications through a network of loan originators and lender computer systems has been described. Although the present invention has been described with reference to specific exemplary embodiments, it will be evident that various modifications and changes may be made to these embodiments without departing from the broader spirit and scope of the invention as set forth in the claims. Accordingly, the specification and drawings are to be regarded in an illustrative rather than a restrictive sense.