SERVICE NOTIFICATION AND ALERT SYSTEM AND METHOD

• US 20140026094A1
• Filed: 03/15/2013
• Published: 01/23/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 07/18/2012
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: ShowingTime.com, Inc. (Zillow Group, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: ShowingTime.com, Inc. (Zillow Group, Inc.)
• Inventors: Zimmerman, Elizabeth A., Macoubrie, Jaimie A.
• Application Number:
  US13/839,773
• Publication Number:
  US 20140026094A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/781
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0481 based on specific properties of the displayed interaction object or a metaphor-based environment, e.g. interaction with desktop elements like windows or icons, or assisted by a cursor's changing behaviour or appearance
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/021 Services related to particular areas, e.g. point of interest [POI] services, venue services or geofences
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 Location-based management or tracking services

Abstract

A system and method of notifying a homeowner of a more precise timeframe for real estate showings, service visits, or deliveries to a home or office. The system employs a pre-established list which includes all of the locations that must be visited in a day. Instead of providing the homeowner with a multi-hour window of when their residence may be visited, the system will provide the homeowner with updates based upon the GPS location and a location servicing program of the real estate agent, service worker, or delivery person. The system determines which addresses have been visited based upon the GPS coordinates of the agent'"'"'s mobile computing device and proximity settings which in turn provides this information to homeowners.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method, comprising the steps:

receiving in a computing device location data input by a recipient;

providing a user with a first mobile device;

transferring from said computing device a mobile application to said first mobile device;

receiving in said computing device a request from said first mobile device, in response to the user selecting a user interface element within said mobile application executed separately from a browser application on the first mobile device, the user interface element being pre-associated with a service for locating an address based upon said location data;

in response to the request, generating a list of directions from a current location associated with said first mobile device to an address associated with said location data; and

simultaneously providing by the computing device a first alert notification to said recipient indicating a window of time during which said user will arrive at the address associated with said location data, wherein said window of time is computed by said computing device based upon the current location associated with said first mobile device and said address associated with said location data.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein said computing device includes a data storage medium and a processor.

3. The method according to claim 2, further comprising:

providing said recipient with a second mobile device; and

receiving said first alert notification with said second mobile device.

4. The method according to claim 3, wherein time data associated with the time at which said first notification is sent is stored within said computing device data storage medium.

5. The method according to claim 4, further comprising the steps:

monitoring with said computing device the location of said first mobile device; and

storing time data associated with the time at which said first mobile device arrives at the address associated with said location data within said computing device data storage medium.

6. The method according to claim 5, further comprising the steps:

storing time data associated with the time at which said first mobile device departs the address associated with said location data within said computing device data storage medium;

providing by the computing device a second alert notification to said recipient indicating that said user is no longer located at the address associated with said location data, based upon the current location associated with said first mobile device and said address associated with said location data; and

receiving said second alert notification with said second mobile device.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein a security code is required by said computing device prior to transferring said mobile application to said first mobile device.

8. The method according to claim 7, wherein:

said location data represents real estate data associated with a multiple listing service identification number;

said user is a real estate agent identified by a real estate agent identification number; and

wherein said security code is generated by said computing device based upon said real estate identification number.

9. The method according to claim 7, wherein:

said location data represents client information associated with a work order with a work order number;

said user is a service worker with access to said work order; and

said security code is generated based upon said work order number.

10. A computer-implemented method, comprising the steps:

receiving in a computing device location data input by a plurality of recipients, said computing device including a data storage medium and a processor;

providing each of said plurality of recipients with a recipient mobile device;

providing a user with a user mobile device and a user identification number;

providing from said computing device to said user mobile device a security code associated with said user identification number;

transferring from said computing device a mobile application to said user mobile device;

generating with said computing device a list of addresses based upon said location data;

receiving in said computing device a request from said user mobile device, in response to the user selecting a user interface element within said mobile application executed separately from a browser application on the first mobile device, the user interface element being pre-associated with a service for a locating said list of addresses;

in response to the request, providing by the computing device to the user mobile device a list of directions from a current location associated with said user mobile device to an address selected from said list of addresses;

computing with said computing device a window of time during which said user will arrive at the selected address, said window of time calculated based upon the current location associated with said first mobile device and said address associated with said location data;

providing by the computing device a first alert notification to the recipient associated with the address selected from said list of addresses, whereby said first notification identifies said window of time to said recipient; and

receiving said first alert notification with the recipient mobile device associated with the recipient associated with the address selected from said list of addresses.

11. The method according to claim 10, further comprising the steps:

monitoring with said computing device the location of said user mobile device; and

storing time data associated with the time at which said user mobile device arrives at the selected address within said computing device data storage medium.

12. The method according to claim 11, further comprising the steps:

storing time data associated with the time at which said first mobile device departs the selected address within said computing device data storage medium;

providing by the computing device a second alert notification to the recipient associated with the selected address, said second alert notification indicating that said user is no longer located at the selected address, based upon the current location associated with said first mobile device and said address associated with said location data; and

receiving said second alert notification with the recipient mobile device associated with the recipient associated with the address selected from said list of addresses.

13. The method according to claim 12, wherein:

said location data represents real estate data associated with a multiple listing service identification number;

said user identification number is a real estate agent identification number; and

wherein said security code is generated by said computing device based upon said real estate identification number.

14. The method according to claim 12, wherein:

said location data represents client information associated with a work order;

said identification number is a work order number associated with said work order;

said user is a service worker with access to said work order; and

said security code is generated based upon said work order number.

15. A system for notifying a recipient, the system comprising:

a computing device including a data storage medium and a processor;

a user having a first mobile device and a user identification number;

a recipient having a second mobile device;

a mobile application received by said first mobile device from said computing device;

location data associated with said recipient, said location data including an address;

wherein said mobile application is executed separately from a browser application on the first mobile device;

wherein said mobile application includes a user interface element being pre-associated with a service for a the address associated with said location data;

a list of directions from a current location associated with said user mobile device to an address selected from said list of addresses generated by said computing device and wirelessly communicated to said first mobile device;

a window of time calculated by said computing device, said window of time indicating when said user will arrive at the selected address, said window of time calculated based upon the current location associated with said first mobile device and said address associated with said location data; and

a first alert notification sent by said computing device to said second mobile device, whereby said first notification identifies said window of time to said recipient.

16. The system according to claim 15, wherein said computing device constantly monitors said the location of said first mobile device, the system further comprising:

time data associated with the time at which said first mobile device arrives at the address associated with said location data, said time data being stored within said computing device data storage medium.

17. The system according to claim 16, further comprising:

time data associated with the time at which said first mobile device departs the address associated with said location data within, said time data being stored within computing device data storage medium; and

a second alert notification sent by said computing device to said second mobile device, whereby said second alert notification indicates that said user is no longer located at the address associated with said location data, based upon the current location associated with said first mobile device and said address associated with said location data.

18. The method according to claim 15, wherein a security code is required by said computing device prior to transferring said mobile application to said first mobile device.

19. The method according to claim 18, wherein:

said location data represents real estate data associated with a multiple listing service identification number;

said user is a real estate agent identified by a real estate agent identification number; and

wherein said security code is generated by said computing device based upon said real estate identification number.

20. The method according to claim 18 wherein:

said location data represents client information associated with a work order with a work order number;

said user is a service worker with access to said work order; and

said security code is generated based upon said work order number.