Method and system for platinum database

• US 7,881,948 B2
• Filed: 01/22/2008
• Issued: 02/01/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 04/10/2001
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Bright IP Holder LLC
• Original Assignee: Metropolitan Regional Information Systems Incorporated (Bright MLS)
• Inventors: Delgaudio, Michael, Carr, Rick, Moon, Elizabeth, Davis, Elizabeth, Halladay, Patrick, Petch, Gregg, O'Sullivan, Margaret, McAvey, Heather
• Primary Examiner(s): Patel; Jagdish N
• Assistant Examiner(s): HAMILTON, SARA CHANDLER
• Application Number:
  US12/017,787
• Publication Number:
  US 20080183598A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,106 Days
• Field of Search: 705/1.1, 705/26
• US Class Current: 705/1.1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0601 Electronic shopping [e-shopping]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/16 Real estate

Abstract

A method and system for providing real estate information to users, tailored to requirements and fields relating to the location of the property. A single repository, such as a database or database farm, is used with middle tier software on servers on a network, such as the Internet, to provide information to users via user terminals coupled to the network, for particular properties, and to receive information for properties for addition to the database. Information and fields specific to locations are input to the system via a system operator. User terminals utilize either downloaded software to interact with the middle tier, or a network browser. In one variation, the middle tier software is based upon an open standard, such as an open Application Program Interface standard, so as to allow access for a variety of terminal types and software.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for receiving location specific information relating to real estate property via a network, comprising:

receiving property criteria related to a property listing, the property criteria comprising a core attribute field and a locale attribute field linked to the core attribute field, the core attribute field comprising attributes relating to a large number of locations, the locale attribute field comprising attributes specific to a certain location, and the locale attribute field being nested under the core attribute field as part of a hierarchy in a single database schema;

storing the core attribute field and the locale attribute field related to the property listing in the single database schema;

selecting, by a processor, location specific information relevant to one or more property listings having attributes matching the stored core attribute field and local attribute field in response to a request;

customizing, by the processor, the location specific information according to user-specific locale information;

generating, by the processor, an input form containing the customized location specific information; and

displaying the generated input form.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the property criteria further comprises a locale adjustable display name, the locale adjustable display name allowing the property listing to be labeled in more than one way depending on the locale attribute field.

3. A property management system for receiving location specific information relating to real estate property via a network, comprising:

one or more servers coupled to a network;

a single database schema accessible by the one or more servers;

one or more computing devices coupled to the network; and

one or more processors coupled to the one or more servers, the one or more processors configured to;

receive property criteria related to a property listing, the property criteria comprising a core attribute field and a locale attribute field linked to the core attribute field, the core attribute field comprising attributes relating to a large number of locations, the locale attribute field comprising attributes specific to a certain location, and the locale attribute field being nested under the core attribute field as part of a hierarchy in a single database schema;

store the core attribute field and the locale attribute field related to the property listing in the single database schema;

select location specific information relevant to one or more property listings having attributes matching the stored core attribute field and local attribute field in response to a request;

customize the location specific information according to user-specific locale information;

generate an input form containing the customized location specific information; and

display the generated input form.

4. The property management system of claim 3, wherein the property criteria further comprises a locale adjustable display name, the locale adjustable display name allowing the property listing to be labeled in more than one way depending on the locale attribute field.