BULK AUDITING

• US 20080154917A1
• Filed: 12/19/2007
• Published: 06/26/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 12/20/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Cheng, Lili, Jain, Kamal, Chickering, David M., Horvitz, Eric J., Gounares, Alexander, Connolly, Michael
• Granted Patent: US 8,239,293 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 707/10
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management

Abstract

The claimed subject matter relates to an architecture that can facilitate auditing of a customer'"'"'s possessions in a comprehensive manner. The architecture can facilitate the creation of a media archive of a customer'"'"'s property, as well as an associated property list extracted based upon, e.g., examination of the archive. The property list can include an entry associated with an item of property and can be transmitted to subsidizing entities to offset the expenses associated with the creation of the archive and the property list.

Claims

1. A system that facilitates comprehensive auditing of a customer'"'"'s possessions, comprising:

a media component that receives and stores a media archive, the archive depicts an environment of a customer from multiple views and includes a set of personal property items;

an inventory component that receives a property list, the property list includes an entry for an item from the set of personal property items; and

a communication component that transmits the entry for display based upon permissions set by the customer.

2. The system of claim 1, the archive includes one or more images or a video, and the environment is at least one of a residence, a garage, an attic, a storages shed, or a warehouse.

3. The system of claim 1, the entry includes at least one of a description of the item, or includes one or more images or a video of the item.

4. The system of claim 1, the entry includes a location of the item within the environment.

5. The system of claim 1, the entry includes at least one price for the item.

6. The system of claim 1, the property list includes real property.

7. The system of claim 1, the communication component transmits the entry to a sale or auction component.

8. The system of claim 1, the communication component transmits the entry to a sale or auction component based upon a location of the item within the environment.

9. The system of claim 1, further comprising an approval component that authorizes an agent to generate the archive, or that authorizes a cataloger to generate the property list.

10. The system of claim 9, the approval component determines a compensation to be paid to the agent in exchange for the archive, or that determines a compensation to be paid to the cataloger in exchange for the property list.

11. The system of claim 10, the approval component determines a subsidy for the compensation, and the communication component transmits the entry to an insurance firm in exchange for the subsidy.

12. The system of claim 10, the approval component determines a subsidy for the compensation, and the communication component transmits the entry to a real estate firm in exchange for the subsidy.

13. The system of claim 1, further comprising a targeting component that examines at least one of the archive or the property list to determine a suitable advertiser, and the communication component transmits the entry to the suitable advertiser.

14. The system of claim 13, the targeting component determines the suitable advertiser based upon a determination a beneficial product that is beneficial to the customer, the beneficial product is determined based upon an absence of the beneficial product from the set of personal property items or a condition of the item.

15. The system of claim 1, further comprising a media analysis component that examines the archive and constructs the property list.

16. The system of claim 15, the media analysis component employs machine learning techniques to construct the property list, the learning techniques include receiving input from a cataloger or observing a cataloger.

17. The system of claim 15, the media analysis component that employs a human intelligence network to construct the property list.

18. A method for facilitating auditing of customer possessions in a comprehensive manner, comprising:

acquiring a media archive that depicts an environment of a customer from multiple views, the archive including a set of personal property items;

storing the archive to a data store;

receiving a property list including an entry for an item from the set of personal property items; and

propagating the entry for display based upon permissions set by the customer.

19. The method of claim 18, further comprising at least one of the following acts:

propagating the entry to a sale, trade, charity, or auction outlet;

propagating the entry further based upon a location of the item within the environment;

providing compensation to an agent for producing the archive;

providing compensation to a cataloger for producing the property list from the archive;

subsidizing the compensation by allowing at least one of an insurance firm, a real estate firm, or an advertiser access to the archive or the property list;

or

constructing the property list by examining the archive and employing at least one of product recognition techniques, a product data store, a human intelligence network, or direct or observed input from the cataloger.

20. A method for facilitating archival of customer possessions in a comprehensive manner, comprising:

receiving from a customer a request for archival of property of the customer;

providing compensation to an agent for producing a media archive of the property;

negotiating with a third party to obtain a subsidy for the compensation in return for access to at least one of the media archive or a property list derived from the media archive.