Method & apparatus for dynamically creating and transmitting documents via facsimile equipment

• US 5,532,838 A
• Filed: 04/14/1995
• Issued: 07/02/1996
• Est. Priority Date: 12/27/1993
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Edward P. Barbari
• Original Assignee: Edward P. Barbari
• Inventors: Barbari, Edward P.
• Primary Examiner(s): Coles, Sr., Edward
• Assistant Examiner(s): Lee, Fan
• Application Number:
  US08/422,630
• Time in Patent Office: 445 Days
• Field of Search: 358/400, 358/403, 358/407, 358/442, 358/434, 358/440, 358/444, 358/402, 358/468, 358/404, 340/995, 340/990, 340/998, 364/449, 364/443, 364/444, 364/436
• US Class Current: 358/400
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00204 with a digital computer or a digital computer system, e.g. an internet server programmed control between transmitter and receiver or between image input and image output device H04N1/32561
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00206 Transmitting or receiving computer data via an image communication device, e.g. a facsimile transceiver H04N1/00236 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/32771 in response to a request, e.g. for a particular document
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/32782 using a tone- or pulse-coded request

Abstract

Computerized system for dynamically creating a document from a database responsive to telephonic input from a remote user, and transmitting the document to the user'"'"'s facsimile machine. When a user desires to access a remote database according to the present invention, that user calls the apparatus of the present invention and in response to a voice menu system creates queries to the database. After receipt of the user'"'"'s request, the system processes the request into a dynamically created document which meets the user'"'"'s specifications and automatically transmits the document to the user'"'"'s facsimile machine. A real estate sales support system constructed according to the principles of the present invention presents the user with a document comprising a listing of properties best meeting the user'"'"'s needs and series of maps of varying scale enabling the user to locate the properties for inspection. Supporting the real estate sales support embodiment of the present invention is a methodology for geocoding listed properties with their respective latitudes and longitudes.

Claims

1. Programmable computer-based apparatus for dynamically creating a map responsive to a remote user'"'"'s request received on a telephone receiving and transmitting means, said map including at least one map page, and for transmitting said map to said user via said telephone transmitting means, the apparatus comprising:

a programmed computer having memory;

data storage and retrieval means operatively associated with said computer;

format conversion means for converting document data presented in a page description format into a format suitable for facsimile transmission;

a mapping database, containing alphanumeric map data which define map features in terms of geographic coordinates, stored in said data storage and retrieval means;

a plurality of listings stored in said data storage and retrieval means, each of said listings being defined in terms of geographic coordinates;

display means operatively associated with said computer;

voice processing means operatively associated with said computer; and

a computer implemented process for receiving said user'"'"'s request as a first DTMF telephonic signal via said telephone receiving means, said request being formed in response to prerecorded voice message prompts from said voice processing means, comparing said request with said listings stored in said data storage and retrieval means, selecting ones of said listings which most closely approximate said user'"'"'s request, dynamically creating a map page in a page description format using alphanumeric map data from said mapping database, said map page containing map information specific to said selected ones of said listings, converting the dynamically created map page into a format suitable for facsimile transmission using said format conversion means, storing said converted map page in said data storage and retrieval means, and transmitting, as a second telephonic signal via said telephone transmitting means, said map page from said data storage and retrieval means to said user.

2. For a programmed computer having memory, data storage and retrieval means, a plurality of listings stored in said data storage and retrieval means, each of said listings being defined in terms of geographic coordinates, a mapping database containing alphanumeric map data which define map features in terms of geographic coordinates stored in said data storage and retrieval means, display means, telephone receiving and transmitting means, and voice processing means for playing back prerecorded voice message prompts in response to DTMF signal input, a computer implemented process for dynamically creating a locator map responsive to a remote user'"'"'s request received on said telephone receiving means, said locator map including at least one map page, and for transmitting said locator map to said user via said telephone transmitting means, the process comprising the steps of:

responsive to prerecorded voice message prompts from said voice processing means, receiving said user'"'"'s request as a first DTMF telephonic signal via said telephone receiving means;

comparing said request with said listings;

selecting ones of said listings which most closely approximate said user'"'"'s request;

dynamically creating a map page in a page description format using alphanumeric map data from said mapping database, said map page containing map information specific to said selected listings;

converting the dynamically created map page from said page description format into a format suitable for facsimile transmission;

storing converted map page in said data storage and retrieval means; and

transmitting to said user said converted map page from said data storage and retrieval means, as a second telephonic signal via said telephone transmitting means.

3. The computer implemented process of claim 2, wherein said map page further includes a map point corresponding to a selected one of said listings, said map point correlating to a unique latitude and longitude, wherein said step of creating said map page further comprises the steps of:

defining said map point as said selected one of said listings; and

centering said map page around said map point.

4. The computer implemented process of claim 3, wherein said step of centering said map page further comprises the steps of:

generating an internal window corresponding to, and smaller than, said map page;

calculating the positional boundaries of said map page, using said internal window, available for adding a subsequent map point to said map page;

deriving the centerpoint of said map page from said map point; and

defining the centerpoint of said map page as the said latitude and said longitude of said map point.

5. The computer implemented process of claim 4, wherein said map page further includes a plurality of said map pages, said step of centering said map page further comprising the steps, for each of said subsequent map points, of:

determining if said subsequent map point can be added to said map page;

responsive to the determination, by said step of determining if said map point can be added to said map page, that a subsequent map point can be added to said map page, including said subsequent map point on said map page and recalculating said internal window centered on the midpoint between the latitudinal and longitudinal extremes of all the map points associated with said map page;

responsive to the determination, by said step of determining if said map point can be added to said map page, that said subsequent map point cannot be added to said map page, determining if said subsequent map point can be added to any previously defined map pages of Said plurality of map pages;

responsive to the determination, by said step of determining if said subsequent map point can be added to any previously defined map pages, that said subsequent map point can be added to at least one of said previously defined map pages, including said subsequent map point on said one of said previously defined map pages and recalculating said internal window of said one of said previously defined map pages centered on the midpoint between the latitudinal and longitudinal extremes of all the map points associated with said map page; and

responsive to the determination, by said step of determining if said subsequent map point can be added to said map page, that said subsequent map point cannot be added to at least one of said previously defined map pages, creating a subsequent map page, defining the centerpoint of said subsequent map page as said latitude and said longitude of said subsequent map point, and calculating the internal window of said subsequent map page centered on said subsequent map point.

6. The computer implemented process of claim 5, wherein said plurality of map pages further comprises a series of maps of decreasing scale, said series of maps including at least one each of a general map of small scale, an area map of intermediate scale, and a detail map of large scale, wherein said step of centering said map page around said map point further comprises the steps of:

defining a first alternate map point for display on said area map, said first alternate map point comprising the outline of said detail map; and

defining a second alternate map point for display on said general map, said second alternate map point comprising the outline of said area map.

7. The computer implemented process of claim 6 wherein said plurality of map pages further comprises a cover page summarizing information represented on said map.

8. The computer implemented process of claim 4, wherein said step of generating an internal window further comprises the steps of:

defining said map page size; and

defining a border buffer for said map page, said border buffer for defining a portion of said map page which, while displayed, contains none of said map points.

9. The computer implemented process of claim 3, wherein said step of creating said map page further comprises the steps of:

calculating the scale of said map page;

drawing said map page, displaying thereon said map point; and

labeling said map page.

10. For a programmed computer having memory, data storage and retrieval means, a plurality of listings stored in said data storage and retrieval means, each of said listings being defined in terms of geographic coordinates, a mapping database containing alphanumeric map data which define map features in terms of geographic coordinates stored in said data storage and retrieval means, display means, telephone receiving and transmitting means, and voice processing means, a computer implemented process for dynamically creating a map comprising a plurality of map pages including a series of maps of decreasing scale and a cover page summarizing information represented on said map, said series of maps including at least one each of a general map of small scale, an area map of intermediate scale, and a detail map of large scale, said plurality of maps created responsive to a remote user'"'"'s request received on said telephone receiving means, and for transmitting said map to said user via said transmitting means, the process comprising the steps of:

responsive to prerecorded voice message prompts from said voice processing means, receiving said user'"'"'s requests as a first DTMF telephonic signal via said telephone receiving means;

comparing said request with said listings;

selecting ones of said listings which most closely approximate said user'"'"'s request;

dynamically creating said cover page as a graphical image using said selected ones of said listings;

storing said cover page as an image file in said data storage and retrieval means;

defining a map point for each selected one of said listings, said map point having a particular set of latitude and longitude coordinates, and correlating to one of said listings;

defining a first alternate map point for display on said area map, said first alternate map point comprising the outline of said detail map;

defining a second alternate map point for display on said general map, said second alternate map point comprising the outline of said area map;

for each said detail, area and general map pages;

a.) generating an internal window corresponding to, and smaller than, said map page, said internal window for calculating the positional boundaries of said map page available for adding a subsequent map point to said map page;

b.) generating a border buffer for said map page, said border buffer for defining a portion of said map page which, while displayed, contains none of said map points;

c.) generating the positional boundaries of said map page available for adding to said map page the appropriate one of said map point, said first alternate map point and said second alternate map point;

d.) deriving the centerpoint of each of said map pages from said map point, and;

e.) initially defining the centerpoint of each of said map pages as said latitude and said longitude of said map point;

f.) for each of said subsequent map points,

11. ) determining if said subsequent map point can be added to said map page,

2.) responsive to the determination, by said step of determining if said map point can be added to said map page, that a subsequent map point can be added to said map page, including said subsequent map point on said map page and recalculating said internal window centered on the midpoint between the latitudinal and longitudinal extremes of all the map points associated with said map page,

3.) responsive to the determination, by said step of determining if said map point can be added to said map page, that said subsequent map point cannot be added to said map page, determining if said subsequent map point can be added to any previously defined map pages of said plurality of map pages,

4.) responsive to the determination, by said step of determining if said subsequent map point can be added to any previously defined map pages, that said subsequent map point can be added to at least one of said previously defined map pages, including said subsequent map point on said one of said previously defined map pages and recalculating said internal window of said one of said previously defined map pages centered on the midpoint between the latitudinal and longitudinal extremes of all the map points associated with said map page, and

5.) responsive to the determination, by said step of determining if said subsequent map point can be added to said map page, that said subsequent map point cannot be added to at least one of said previously defined map pages, creating a subsequent map page, defining the centerpoint of said subsequent map page as said latitude and said longitude of said subsequent map point, and calculating the internal window of said subsequent map page centered on said subsequent map point;

g.) calculating the scale of each said map pages,

h.) dynamically creating each of said map pages as graphical images using alphanumeric data from said mapping database, said map pages containing map information specific to said selected ones of said listings,

i.) labeling each of said map pages with said selected ones of said map points;

storing each of said map pages in said data storage and retrieval means as an image file; and

transmitting, as a second telephonic signal via said telephone transmitting means, said cover page and said map pages from said data storage and retrieval means to said user, in a format suitable for facsimile reception.

12. A method for dynamically creating a document containing information on real estate listings in response to a remote user'"'"'s telephonic request and for transmitting the dynamically created document to the user via facsimile transmission, the method comprising the steps of:

a) electronically maintaining a listings database containing real estate listings, each of said listings being defined in terms of geographic coordinates;

b) electronically maintaining a mapping database containing alphanumeric map data which define map features in terms of geographic coordinates;

c) receiving via telephone a remote user'"'"'s request as a first DTMF telephonic signal;

d) comparing said request with said listings stored in said listings database;

e) selecting ones of said listings which most closely approximate said user'"'"'s request;

f) dynamically creating a document in a page description format which includes at least one map page using alphanumeric map data from the mapping database, said at least one map page providing map locator information specifically tailored to said selected ones of said listings;

g) converting the format of the dynamically created document from said page description format into a format suitable for facsimile transmission;

h) electronically storing said map page; and

i) transmitting, as a second telephonic signal, said converted document including said at least one map page via facsimile to the user.