Patent ID: 8566141

Claim:
A computer system comprising: computer storage comprising at least one collection of data comprising: vendor criteria data representing standard criteria that are provided by the computer system to substantially all vendors having access to the computer system to allow the vendors to define types of consumers about whom the vendors are to receive leads; vendor custom criteria data representing at least one set of custom criteria, wherein each set of custom criteria is based upon at least one calculation that is proprietary to a particular vendor such that the set of custom criteria is reserved for the exclusive use of the particular vendor and other vendors associated with the system do not have access to the custom criteria, and the set of custom criteria is used to define types of consumers about whom the particular vendor is to receive leads; and vendor plan data representing a plurality of vendor plans, wherein each vendor plan defines which standard criteria and custom criteria is to be used for a vendor associated with the vendor plan and information that the associated vendor is to receive in leads transmitted to the vendor; computer hardware comprising at least one computer processor configured to execute software components that each comprise computer-executable instructions; a first software component configured, upon execution, to cause the computer processor to receive consumer data about a consumer; a second software component configured, upon execution, to cause the computer processor to choose standard criteria, custom criteria, or both standard criteria and custom criteria that are to be applied to the consumer data to match the consumer with one or more vendors that are to receive a lead for the consumer, wherein the chosen standard criteria, custom criteria, or both standard criteria and custom criteria depend at least in part on the vendor plan data; a third software component configured, upon execution, to cause the computer processor to apply the chosen standard criteria, custom criteria, or both standard criteria and custom criteria to the consumer data and to match the consumer with one or more vendors that are to receive a lead for the consumer; a fourth software component configured, upon execution, to cause the computer processor to generate a lead comprising at least a portion of the consumer data; and a fifth software component configured, upon execution, to cause the computer processor to transmit the lead to the matched vendors.