Wireless intelligent real estate sign and electronic lock box

• US 6,624,742 B1
• Filed: 06/24/2000
• Issued: 09/23/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 06/24/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google Technology Holdings LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Motorola, Inc. (Motorola Solutions, Inc.)
• Inventors: Romano, Guy George, Austin, William Bryan, Muncaster, George William
• Primary Examiner(s): Horabik, Michael
• Assistant Examiner(s): Dalencourt, Yves
• Application Number:
  US09/602,340
• Time in Patent Office: 1,186 Days
• Field of Search: 340/5.73, 340/5.1, 340/5.8, 340/5.2, 340/5.61, 340/825.69, 340/571, 707/10, 406/06, 406/07, 405/84, 405/64, 705/1, 429/47
• US Class Current: 340/5.73
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/16 Real estate
• CPC Class Codes: G09F 9/00 Indicating arrangements for variable information in which the information is built-up on a support by selection or combination of individual elements in which the variable information is permanently attached to a movable support G09F11/00; abacus G06C1/00; slide-rules G06G1/00

Abstract

An intelligent real estate system including an intelligent real estate sign having embedded processing functionality and a wireless communication device capable of receiving wireless electronic queries and programming instructions and for communicating with local and remote information sources about a real estate property and with controlling agents for reporting status. Further included is an electronic lock box controlling access to the real estate property and having an embedded wireless communication device capable of receiving messages and control signals from the real estate sign and from a property owner/occupant and/or real estate agents for reporting status. An earth battery may also be included, at least partially contained within the real estate sign and supplying power to the real estate sign.

Claims

1. A real estate sign for a real estate property to interactively communicate with a portable transceiver, the real estate sign comprising a wireless communication system attached to the real estate sign wirelessly receiving a query relating to the real estate property from the portable transceiver and wirelessly transmitting property information relating to the real estate property to the portable transceiver.

2. The real estate sign according to claim 1, further comprising an earth battery powering the real estate sign and the wireless communication system.

3. The real estate sign according to claim 1, wherein the wireless communication system communicates via a short-range wireless electromagnetic signal.

4. The real estate sign according to claim 1, wherein the portable receiver may be a client configured device or a controlling agent configured device.

5. The real estate sign according to claim 4, wherein the real estate sign is networked with a remote real estate agent office and the client configured device or the controlling agent configured device is capable of interactively communicating with the remote real estate agent office via the real estate sign.

6. The real estate sign according to claim 5, wherein the wireless communication system transmits property information relating to the real estate property to the client configured device when the client configured device is within a predetermined proximity of the real estate sign and the real estate sign detects the presence of the client configured device.

7. The real estate sign according to claim 1, wherein the real estate sign can be shared by multiple properties.

8. The real estate sign according to claim 5, wherein the controlling agent configured device is capable of controlling access to the real estate property via the real estate sign.

9. An apparatus comprising:

a real estate sign corresponding to a real estate property having a wireless communication system embedded therein wirelessly communicating information about the piece of property; and

an electronic lock box receiving information from said real estate sign and controlling access to the real estate property.

10. The apparatus as claimed in claim 9, wherein said electronic lock box is hermetically sealed.

11. The apparatus as claimed in claim 9, wherein the electronic lock box is capable of receiving requests and transmitting information about the real estate property to a transmiting/receiving device located within a predetermined proximity of the electronic lock box.

12. The apparatus as claimed in claim 9, wherein the real estate sign includes a display displaying the information about the real estate property.

13. The apparatus as claimed in claim 9, wherein the information about the real estate property includes at least one of the group comprising a price of the real estate property, a square footage of the real estate property, a virtual tour of the real estate property, a number of bedrooms within the real estate property and an availability of the real estate property.

14. The apparatus as claimed in claim 9, wherein the electronic lock box is capable of holding at least one key therein.

15. The apparatus as claimed in claim 11, wherein the transmitting/receiving device is one of a client configured device and a controlling agent device, the client configured device capable of requesting information about the real estate property from the electronic lock box or the real estate sign, transmitting queries about the real estate property to either the electronic lock box or the real estate sign, transmitting client information to the electronic lock box or the real estate sign, transmitting client information to a remote real estate office via the electronic lock box or the real estate sign, viewing information received from either the electronic lock box or the real estate sign or recording voice or text messages in the electronic lock box or real estate sign.

16. The apparatus as claimed in claim 15, wherein the controlling agent device is capable of performing all client configured device functions and is further capable of at least enabling, programming and disabling the real estate sign and the electronic lock box, overriding access restrictions of the real estate sign and the electronic lock box, viewing information stored by the real estate sign and the electronic lock box, downloading information stored by the real estate sign and the electronic lock box, interacting with other premises electronic equipment, and maintaining the electronic lock box and the real estate sign.

17. The apparatus as claimed in claim 9, wherein the electronic lock box comprises at least one of the group consisting of a memory, a proximity device reader, a display, a clock and an alarm.

18. The apparatus as claimed in claim 17, wherein the electronic lock box is capable of storing at least one of a group comprising a time of a visit to the real estate property, a duration of the visit to the real estate property, an identity of a person who visited the real estate property and comments and/or suggestions from the person who visited the real estate property.

19. The apparatus as claimed in claim 17, wherein the electronic lock box can communicate via network to a controlling real estate office, the controlling real estate office transmitting a control signal to the electronic lock box to permit access to the real estate property.

20. The apparatus as claimed in claim 17, wherein the electronic lock box is capable of recording an attempt to gain access to the real estate property.

21. The apparatus as claimed in claim 17, wherein the electronic lock box can restrict access to the real estate property based upon communicated entry rules.

22. A real estate system comprising:

a real estate sign having a wireless communication system embedded therein located within a predetermined distance from a real estate property;

an electronic lock box having a wireless communication system wirelessly communicating with the real estate sign and controlling access to real estate property; and

a transmitting receiving device, wherein the transmitting receiving device can transmit information to/from the real estate sign or the electronic lock box about the real estate property.

23. The apparatus according to claim 22, further comprising an antenna attached to the real estate sign and connected to the wireless communication system.

24. A method of marketing a real estate property comprising:

providing a real estate sign within a predetermined proximity of the real estate property;

receiving, by the real estate sign, queries about the real estate property from a transmitting/receiving device; and

transmitting information about the real estate property from the real estate sign to the transmitting/receiving device.