Real estate value map computer system

• US 20020077936A1
• Filed: 11/09/2001
• Published: 06/20/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 09/18/1998
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kioba Processing, LLC (IP Investments Group LLC)
• Original Assignee: Vepse Technology Co LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Inventors: Wiese, Steven Paul
• Granted Patent: US 8,046,715 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/27
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0601 Electronic shopping [e-shopping]
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 29/006 Representation of non-cartographic information on maps, e.g. population distribution, wind direction, radiation levels, air and sea routes

Abstract

A computer system creates and displays a map image based upon a value database associating a plurality of values each with a geographic location in a geographic area and a map program associating each location with a map image location. The computer system assigns one of a plurality of symbols to each geographic location based upon its associated value. The symbol is then displayed on the map image at the map image location associated with the geographic location.

Claims

1. A method of displaying on a computer information regarding values associated with a plurality of geographic locations including the steps of:

a) receiving a request for information regarding a first geographic area including the plurality of geographic locations;

b) receiving a plurality of values each associated with one of the plurality of geographic locations;

c) associating each of a plurality of symbols with each of the plurality of geographic locations based upon the associated value of said each of the plurality of geographic locations;

d) displaying a map of the first geographic area in response to said step a) on a display; and

e) displaying each of the plurality of symbols on the map at its associated geographic location in response to said step a) on the display.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein said steps b) and c) are performed prior to said step a).

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the values are price values.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein the values are rental values.

5. The method of claim 1 further including the steps of:

prior to said step a), displaying a list of a plurality of geographic areas, including the first geographic area.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the plurality of symbols each include a different shape.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein the plurality of symbols each include a different color.

8. The method of claim 1 further including the steps of:

f) associating each of the plurality of symbols with a different range of values; and

g) associating each of the plurality of symbols based upon said steps c) and f).

9. The method of claim 8 wherein each of the symbols has an associated color and an associated shape.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein a magnitude of the ranges vary among the plurality of symbols.

11. The method of claim 1 further including the steps of:

f) associating each of a plurality of colors with one of a plurality of ranges of the values;

g) associating each of a plurality of shapes with one of a plurality of subranges within each of the plurality of ranges of the values, each symbol including one of the plurality of colors and one of the plurality of shapes, wherein a magnitude of the plurality of subranges varies among the symbols;

h) associating each of the plurality of symbols based upon said steps c), f) and g).

12. The method of claim 11 wherein the subranges for symbols associated with a higher-value color are larger in magnitude than symbols associated with a lower-value color.

13. The method of claim 1 further including the step of:

displaying a legend indicating the values associated with each of the plurality of symbols.

14. The method of claim 1 further including the step of:

displaying an advertisement based upon said step a).

15. The method of claim 1 further including the steps of:

f) receiving a request for additional information for a selected one of the plurality of geographic locations;

g) displaying the additional information based upon said step f).

16. The method of claim 11 wherein the additional information includes an address for the selected one of the plurality of geographic locations.

17. The method of claim 1 wherein each of the plurality of values is associated with a street address, said method further including the step of associating each of the plurality of values with each of the plurality of geographic locations based upon said associated address.

18. The method of claim 1 wherein each of the plurality of values is associated with a street address, said method further including the steps of associating each of the plurality of values with a latitude and longitude and displaying each of the symbols on the map based upon the associated longitude and latitude.

20. The computer system of claim 19 wherein the values are price values.

21. The computer system of claim 19 wherein the values are rental values.

22. The computer system of claim 19 wherein the display displays a list of a plurality of geographic areas, including the first geographic area, the input device selecting the first geographic area from the list.

23. The computer system of claim 19 wherein the plurality of symbols each include a different shape and a different color.

24. The computer system of claim 19 wherein each of a plurality of colors is associated with one of a plurality of ranges of the values, each of a plurality of shapes is associated with one of a plurality of subranges within each of the plurality of ranges of the values, and each symbol includes one of the plurality of colors and one of the plurality of shapes, each of the plurality of symbols associated with the plurality of locations based upon the associated colors, shapes and values.

26. The computer system of claim 25 wherein the values are price values.

27. The computer system of claim 25 wherein each of a plurality of colors is associated with one of a plurality of ranges of the values, each of a plurality of shapes is associated with one of a plurality of subranges within each of the plurality of ranges of the values, and each symbol includes one of the plurality of colors and one of the plurality of shapes, each of the plurality of symbols associated with the plurality of locations based upon the associated colors, shapes and values.

29. The method of claim 28 further including the steps of:

f) receiving a request for information regarding the geographic area;

g) displaying a map of the first geographic area in response to said step a); and

h) displaying each of the plurality of symbols on the map at its associated location in response to said step a).

30. The method of claim 28 wherein said steps c) and d) are performed after said steps a) and b).

31. The method of claim 28 wherein the values are price values.

32. The method of claim 28 further including the steps of:

f) associating each of a plurality of colors with one of a plurality of ranges of the values;

g) associating each of a plurality of shapes with one of a plurality of subranges within each of the plurality of ranges of the values, each symbol including one of the plurality of colors and one of the plurality of shapes;

h) associating each of the plurality of symbols based upon said steps f) and g).

33. The method of claim 32 further including the step of:

displaying a legend indicating the values associated with each of the plurality of symbols.

34. The method of claim 28 wherein each of the plurality of values is associated with a street address, said method further including the step of associating each of the plurality of values with each of the plurality of locations based upon said associated street address.

19. A computer system for displaying information regarding values associated with a plurality of locations comprising:

a) an input device for selectively generating a request for information regarding a geographic area;

b) a database of a plurality of values each associated with one of the plurality of locations in the geographic area, each of a plurality of symbols associated with each of the plurality of locations based upon the values; and

c) a display displaying a map of the first geographic area and each of the plurality of values at the associated locations on the map in response to said request from said input device.

25. A computer system for creating a map comprising:

a map program associating each of a plurality of geographic locations in a geographic area with a map location;

a value database of a plurality of values each associated with one of the plurality of geographic locations;

a plurality of symbols, each associated with at least one of the plurality of values;

a computer programmed to associate each of the plurality of symbols with each of the plurality of map locations in the map program based upon the associated value in the value database for the associated geographic location; and

a display displaying a map image of the geographic area and each of the plurality of symbols at the associated map locations.

28. A method for creating a map image in a computer including the steps of:

a) receiving a plurality of values each associated with one of a plurality of geographic locations in a geographic area;

b) associating each of a plurality of symbols with at least one of the plurality of values;

c) associating each of the plurality of geographic locations with a map location on a street map image;

d) associating each of the plurality of symbols with each of the plurality of map locations based upon the associated values;

e) generating the map image of the geographic area including the plurality of symbols each at their associated map locations.