Real-estate information search and retrieval system

• US 6,636,803 B1
• Filed: 11/30/2001
• Issued: 10/21/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 11/30/2001
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Corus Realty Holdings, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Corus Home Realty Co.
• Inventors: Hartz, Daniel K. Jr., Gorman, Michael T., Barney, Richard, Rossum, Eric
• Primary Examiner(s): Cuchlinski, Jr., William A.
• Assistant Examiner(s): PIPALA, EDWARD J
• Application Number:
  US09/996,744
• Time in Patent Office: 690 Days
• Field of Search: 701/200, 701/208, 701/213, 701/300, 340/990, 340/995, 705/1, 705/10, 705/27
• US Class Current: 701/208
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/16 Real estate

Abstract

A search and retrieval system includes a data terminal which displays icons representing properties in a given real-estate market on a digital map. The icons are selectable so that, when selected, information derived from an MLS or other database are displayed in association with the map. In one embodiment, the data terminal is equipped with a GPS receiver and data-enabled mobile phone. The GPS receiver receives location data which is used by a processor to display an icon representing a current location of the terminal within the map. The data-enabled phone links the terminal to a remote server or database of property information, which may also be displayed when property icons are selected on the map. The property information may include media (e.g., bitmap) data that provide a visual depiction of the property icons selected. By integrating all of these digital sources of information on one terminal, the efficiency and accuracy of the property buying experience is significantly enhanced.

Claims

1. A method of displaying current market information to prospective buyers about real-estate property in a geographical area of interest on a mobile computing device, comprising:

generating and displaying a digital map for viewing by said prospective buyer on said mobile computing device for said area of interest;

obtaining current status property information for an item of property in the real-estate market for the area of interest, wherein said property information is obtained from a database stored on said mobile computing device and includes at least a location, market price and a market status of the item of property;

displaying a property icon on said digital map at the location of the item of property, wherein the property icon is associated with the item of property in the real-estate market; and

displaying, in response to the property icon being selected, at least the market price and the market status of the item of property associated with the selected property icon.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said digital map shows at least one street within said area of interest.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein said step of displaying a property icon includes:

displaying said property icon on or adjacent to said street.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving location data indicative of a current location of the mobile computing device in said area of interest;

wherein said step of generating and displaying said digital map generates and displays a digital map for said area of interest based on the location data received in said receiving step.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving location data indicative of a current location of the mobile computing device in said area of interest; and

displaying, on said digital map, information indicative of the current location of said mobile computing device in said area of interest.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the digital map is displayed in a first window on said mobile computing device, and wherein said property information includes a digital image of said item of property, and said digital image of said item of property is displayed in a second window in response to the property icon being selected.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein said database is derived from a database of MLS listings.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein said property information additionally includes at least one of demographics information related to said item of property, current owner information for said item of property, property specification information and real-estate broker information.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein said obtaining step includes obtaining property information which includes locations, market price and market status of a plurality of items of property in said area of interest, and wherein said displaying a property icon step includes displaying a property icon for each of said plurality of items of property with said digital map.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the digital map with the plurality of property icons displayed on the map is displayed in a first window, property information of an item of property is displayed in a second window in response to the property icon associated with the item of property being selected in the first window, and textual information relating to each of the plurality of items of property is displayed in a third window.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein said second window includes at least one user-modifiable field, and wherein if a user enters information in said second window, the database is searched for items of property that match the user-entered information, and items of property that match the user-entered information are displayed in the third window.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein a user-modifiable field in the second window is market price range, and wherein if a user enters a price range in the market price range field, the database is searched for items of property whose market price is in the entered range, and items of property whose market price is in the entered price range are displayed in the third window.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein said market status information is selected from the group consisting of sold, available or under contract.

14. A real-estate market information mobile computing device, comprising:

a map generation unit for generating a digital map covering an area of interest;

a storage unit for storing property information which includes at least a location, a market price and a market status of an item of property in said area of interest;

a processor for determining information needed to display a property icon for the item of property at the location of the item of property on said digital map, and for determining information needed to display property information about the item of property associated with the property icon, in response to the property icon being selected, and

a display unit for displaying said generated digital map and the property icon, and for displaying the associated property information for the item of property when the associated property icon is selected.

15. The real-estate market information mobile computing device of claim 14, wherein said property information about the item of property displayed in response to the property icon associated with the item of property being selected includes at least one of a digital image of said item of property, demographics information related to said item of property, current owner information for said item of property, property specification information, market price information, and market status information.

16. The real-estate market information mobile computing device of claim 14, wherein said digital map shows at least one street within said area of interest.

17. The real-estate market information mobile computing device of claim 16, wherein said property icon is displayed on or adjacent to said street.

18. The real-estate market information mobile computing device of claim 14, further comprising:

a location determining unit which determines a current location of said mobile computing device, said location determining unit inputting information indicative of said current location to said map generation unit, said map generation unit automatically generating said digital map covering said area of interest based on said current location information.

19. The real-estate market information mobile computing device of claim 18, wherein said location determining unit is a GPS receiver.

20. The real-estate market information mobile computing device of claim 14, wherein said property information additionally includes a digital image of said item of property.

21. The real-estate market information mobile computing device of claim 14, wherein said property information additionally includes at least one of demographics information related to said item of property, current owner information for said item of property, property specification information, and real-estate broker information.

22. The real-estate market information mobile computing device of claim 14, wherein said property information stored in the storage unit is comprised of a database of one or more MLS listings.

23. The real-estate market information mobile computing device of claim 14, wherein said storage unit stores MLS listing information, wherein the location of said item of property is included within said MLS listing information.

24. The real-estate market information mobile computing device of claim 14, wherein said market status information is selected from the group consisting of sold, available or under contract.

25. The real-estate market information mobile computing device of claim 14, wherein said display unit displays the generated digital map with the property icon in a first window, and wherein said property information includes a digital image of the item of property, and said digital image of said item of property is displayed in a second window in response to the property icon being selected.

26. The real-estate market information mobile computing device of claim 14, wherein stored property information includes locations of a plurality of items of property in said area of interest, and wherein said processor determines information needed to display a plurality of selectable icons corresponding to locations of each of the plurality of items of property, respectively, said locations included within said property information stored in said storage unit.

27. The real-estate market information mobile computing device of claim 26, wherein said display unit displays the digital map with the plurality of property icons displayed on the map in a first window, property information of an item of property in a second window in response to the property icon associated with the item of property being selected in the first window, and textual information relating to each of the plurality of items of property in a third window.

28. The real-estate market information mobile computing device of claim 27, wherein said second window includes at least one user-modifiable field, and wherein if a user enters information in said second window, the processor searches a database stored in the storage unit for items of property that match the user-entered information, and the display unit displays items of property that match the user-entered information in the third window.

29. The real-estate market information mobile computing device of claim 28, wherein a user-modifiable field in the second window is market price range, and wherein if a user enters a price range in the market price range field, the processor searches the database for items of property whose market price is in the entered range, and the display unit displays items of property whose market price is in the entered price range in the third window.

30. A computer-readable medium storing a program to be implemented in a processing unit of a mobile computing device, said computer-readable medium including:

a first code section for controlling a display of a digital map covering an area of interest on the mobile computing device;

a second code section for obtaining property information which includes at least a location, a market price and a market status of one an item of property in said area of interest, wherein said property information is stored in a database on the mobile computing device;

a third code section for displaying a property icon at the location of the item of property on said digital map, wherein the property icon is associated with the item of property; and

a fourth code section for displaying, in response to the property icon being selected, at least the market price and the market status of the item of property associated with the selected property icon.

31. The computer-readable medium of claim 30, said method computer-readable medium further comprising:

a fifth code section for additionally displaying, in response to said selection, at least one of a digital image of said item of property, demographics information related to said item of property, current owner information for said item of property, property specification information and real-estate broker information.

32. The computer-readable medium of claim 30, further comprising:

a sixth code section for receiving location data indicative of a current location of the mobile computing device in said area of interest; and

a seventh code section for automatically generating said digital map based on the current location data received in said sixth code section.

33. The computer-readable medium of claim 30, further comprising:

a sixth code section for receiving location data indicative of a current location of the mobile computing device in said area of interest; and

a eighth code section for displaying, on said digital map, information indicative of the current location of said mobile computing device in said area of interest.