Methods, Mobile Terminals, Servers and Computer Program Products for Wirelessly Providing Real Property Information

• US 20080103787A1
• Filed: 10/31/2006
• Published: 05/01/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 10/31/2006
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Bellsouth Intellectual Property Corporation (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Bellsouth Intellectual Property Corporation (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Cavanaugh, Craig, Lowry, Sadie
• Application Number:
  US11/554,698
• Publication Number:
  US 20080103787A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9537 Spatial or temporal dependent retrieval, e.g. spatiotemporal queries
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0282 Rating or review of business operators or products
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions

Abstract

A method of providing real property information can include receiving, at a real property information server, geographic location information from a mobile terminal indicating a position of the mobile terminal and selectively transmitting real property information associated with real property included in a real property listing database from the server to the mobile terminal based on proximity of the real property to the position of the mobile terminal.

Claims

1. A method of providing real property information comprising:

receiving, at a real property information server, geographic location information from a mobile terminal indicating a position of the mobile terminal; and

selectively transmitting real property information associated with real property included in a real property listing database from the server to the mobile terminal based on proximity of the real property to the position of the mobile terminal.

2. A method according to claim 1 wherein selectively transmitting further comprises:

determining distances separating the mobile terminal from real properties included in the real property listing database; and

comparing the distances to a proximity threshold to select which real property information is to be transmitted to the mobile terminal.

3. A method according to claim 1 wherein receiving geographic location information from a mobile terminal indicating a position of the mobile terminal comprises receiving the geographic location information from the mobile terminal in real-time as the mobile terminal moves relative to the real property included in the real property listing database.

4. A method according to claim 1 further comprising:

receiving a request to show a real property included in the real property listing database;

forwarding the request to at least one recipient associated with the real property;

receiving a response to the request from the at least one recipient; and

forwarding the response to the mobile terminal.

5. A method according to claim 1 wherein the real property information associated with real property comprises MLS information.

6. A method according to claim 1 wherein the real property information associated with real property comprises showing availability information indicating whether a real property is available for showing.

7. A method according to claim 6 wherein the showing availability information indicates that the real property is currently being shown.

8. A method according to claim 1 wherein the real property information associated with real property comprises showing profile information, image data, audio data, advertising information, demographic information, and/or access information.

9. A method according to claim 8 wherein the access information comprises a location of a key, location of a lock box, and/or authorization for the lock box.

10. A method according to claim 1 further comprising:

receiving, at the real property information server, a request for access information associated with a real property included in a real property listing database;

transmitting, to the mobile terminal, a request for input of authorization to transmit the access information;

receiving, at the real property information server, the authorization from the mobile terminal responsive to the request; and

transmitting, to the mobile terminal, the access information if the authorization received from the mobile matches an authentic authorization associated with the real property to which the request for access information was directed.

11. A method according to claim 2 further comprising a plurality of proximity thresholds associated with the real property in the database.

12. A method according to claim 1 wherein the real property listing database comprises Global Positioning Satellite system location information.

13. A method according to claim 1 embodied in a computer program product comprising a computer readable medium having computer readable program code embodied therein.

14. A real property information server comprising:

a processor circuit configured to receive geographic location information from a mobile terminal indicating a position of the mobile terminal and configured to selectively transmit real property information associated with real property to the mobile terminal based on proximity of the real property to the position of the mobile terminal; and

a real property listing database, coupled to the processor circuit, configured to provide the processor circuit with access to the real property information.

15. A real property information server according to claim 14 wherein the real property listing database is configured to store:

availability information indicating whether a real property is available for showing and/or whether the real property is currently being shown; and

profile information, image data, audio data, advertising information, and/or access information including a key, location of a lock box, and/or authorization for the lock box.

16. A real property information server according to claim 14 wherein the processor circuit is further configured to receive a request to show a real property included in the real property listing database and configured to forward the request to at least one recipient associated with the real property and configured to receive a response to the request from the at least one recipient and is configured to forward the response to the mobile terminal.

17. A mobile terminal comprising:

a mobile terminal transceiver circuit configured to transmit/receive signals;

a geographic location determination circuit configured to determine geographic location information indicating a position of the mobile terminal;

a screen configured to display real property information thereon; and

a processor circuit, coupled to the mobile terminal transceiver circuit, the geographic location determination circuit and to the screen, the processor circuit configured to transmit the geographic location information from the mobile terminal to a real property information server via the mobile terminal transceiver circuit and configured to receive the real property information from the server for display on the screen.

18. A mobile terminal according to claim 17 wherein the real property information comprises:

availability information indicating whether a real property is available for showing and/or whether the real property is currently being shown; and

profile information, image data, audio data, advertising information, and/or access information including a key, location of a lock box, and/or authorization for the lock box.

19. A mobile terminal according to claim 17 wherein the processor circuit is configured to specify a proximity threshold associated with the geographic location information.

20. A mobile terminal according to claim 19 wherein the proximity threshold indicates a distance from the position of the mobile terminal beyond which the display of real property information associated with corresponding real property listings is suppressed.