Method of presenting leasing arrangements

• US 8,041,737 B2
• Filed: 03/29/2007
• Issued: 10/18/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 04/01/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Paul John Muessig
• Original Assignee: LEO Software, Inc.
• Inventors: Weber, James J., Muessig, Paul J., Silverman, Michael J.
• Primary Examiner(s): LIN, SHEW FEN
• Application Number:
  US11/693,463
• Publication Number:
  US 20070174083A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,664 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 707/784
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0645 Rental transactions; Leasing transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/16 Real estate

Abstract

A method and apparatus are provided for presenting leasing arrangements for a plurality of rental spaces. The method includes the steps of providing a graphical user interface that depicts the plurality of rental spaces within a two-dimensional layout on a display of the graphical user interface where a relative size and relative location of each rental space on the display is proportional to a relative physical size and relative location of the actual rental spaces and associating a menu with at least some of the rental spaces on the display where the menu provides additional information regarding the rental space, building, rental space user prospects and associated documents. The method and apparatus also allow user IDs to simultaneously have access to information in multiple database partitions within a management system.

Claims

1. A method for providing multiple levels of access within a management system to a partitioned database having a plurality of database partitions each storing a portion of the information of the database, wherein the management system has a plurality of users each having an associated user ID defined in the management system and providing the user with access to the management system, the method comprising:

for each database partition, associating the user ID for one of the users of the management system with the database partition, wherein the user ID includes the authority to read and update the information in the corresponding database partition and the authority to assign authority to other user IDs to read and update the information in the database partition, wherein the authority assigned to other user IDs is a subset of the authority assigned to an owner ID;

allowing the user having the user ID for the database partition to specify a user ID defined in the management system; and

allowing the user having the user ID for the database partition to assign to another user ID a subset of the authority to read and update the information in the database partition, and wherein other users with user IDs for multiple database partitions may assign authority in the corresponding database partitions to a single user ID so that the user having the single user ID may simultaneously have access to the information in the multiple database partitions

wherein a database partition includes data corresponding to a plurality of rental spaces within a building, the data allowing a user to graphically display at least one selected from the group consisting of;

a) a two-dimensional display of the stored information for the rental spaces of a selected building, wherein the stored information for each rental space includes a physical size of the rental space and a relative location of the rental space within the selected building, and wherein each rental space is represented on the two-dimensional display by a corresponding space identifier having a size proportional to the stored physical size of the rental space and a relative location within the two-dimensional display corresponding to the stored relative location of the rental space within the building, and

b) a display of the stored information for the rental spaces of the selected building, wherein the stored information includes lease information for the rental space, wherein a lease status for a rental space is determined based on the stored lease information for the rental space, and wherein each rental space having lease information is represented on the display by a corresponding space identifier having a graphical representation of the lease status of the rental space.

2. The method for providing multiple levels of access within a management system as in claim 1, wherein allowing the user having the user ID for the database partition to specify a user ID comprises:

allowing the user having the user ID for the database partition to request and have displayed a list of the other user IDs defined in the management system; and

allowing the user having the user ID for the database partition to select a user ID from the displayed list of other user IDs to be the single user ID.

3. The method for providing multiple levels of access within a management system as in claim 1, wherein allowing the user having the user ID for the database partition to assign a subset of the authority comprises allowing the user having the user ID to only assign the authority to read information in the database partition.

4. The method for providing multiple levels of access within a management system as in claim 1, wherein allowing the user having the user ID for the database partition to assign a subset of the authority comprises allowing the user having the user ID to assign the authority to read and update information in the database partition.

5. The method for providing multiple levels of access within a management system as in claim 1, wherein the authority to update information in a database partition includes the authority to add new information to the database partition.

6. The method for providing multiple levels of access within a management system as in claim 1, comprising

allowing a user having a user ID that is assigned a subset of the authority to read and update information in a corresponding database partition to specify a user ID for another user defined in the management system;

and

allowing the user having the user ID that is assigned the subset of an owner ID'"'"'s authority to assign a subset of the authority in the database partition assigned from the user ID to the single user ID.

7. The method for providing multiple levels of access within a management system as in claim 6, wherein allowing a user having a user ID that is assigned a subset of the authority to specify a user ID comprises:

allowing the user having a user ID that is assigned the subset of the authority to request and have displayed a list of the user IDs defined in the management system; and

allowing the user having the user ID that is assigned the subset of the owner ID'"'"'s authority to select a user ID from the displayed list of user IDs.

8. The method for providing multiple levels of access within a management system as in claim 1, wherein the database partitions include files comprising a plurality of records containing information, and wherein records comprise a plurality of fields containing the information for the records, the method comprising:

displaying a list of fields in the records of a file of the database partition to the user having the user ID for the database partition; and

allowing the user having the user ID for the database partition to specify a level of authority to be assigned to the selected user ID for each field in the record.

9. The method for providing multiple levels of access within a management system as in claim 1, comprising:

allowing the user having the user ID for the database partition to define a plurality of roles within the management system, wherein a definition for each role includes a level of access to be provided to the information in the database partition, and wherein the level of access comprises a subset of the authority to read and update the information in the database partition; and

assigning one of the defined roles to the single user ID, wherein the level of access for the role determines the level of access to the information in the database partition for the selected user ID.

10. A method for controlling access to information in a database of a real estate property management system, wherein the database is partitioned into a plurality of database partitions, wherein each database partition contains information for a plurality of buildings managed by the management system, and wherein the management system has a plurality of users each having an associated user ID defined in the management system and providing the user with access to the management system, the method comprising:

for each database partition, associating the user ID for one of the users of the system with the database partition, wherein the user ID includes the authority to read and update the information for the buildings in the corresponding database partition and the authority to assign authority to other user IDs to read and update the information for the buildings in the database partition, wherein the authority assigned to other user IDs is a subset of the authority assigned to an owner ID;

allowing the user having the user ID for the database partition to specify a user ID defined in the management system; and

allowing the user having the user ID for the database partition to assign to the another user ID a subset of the authority to read and update the information for the buildings in the database partition, and wherein other users with user IDs for multiple database partitions may assign authority in the corresponding database partitions to a single user ID so that the user having the single user ID may simultaneously have access to the information for the buildings in the multiple database partitions

wherein a database partition includes data corresponding to a plurality of rental spaces within a building, the data allowing a user to graphically display at least one selected from the group consisting of;

a) a two-dimensional display of the stored information for the rental spaces of a selected building, wherein the stored information for each rental space includes a physical size of the rental space and a relative location of the rental space within the selected building, and wherein each rental space is represented on the two-dimensional display by a corresponding space identifier having a size proportional to the stored physical size of the rental space and a relative location within the two-dimensional display corresponding to the stored relative location of the rental space within the building, and

b) a display of the stored information for the rental spaces of the selected building, wherein the stored information includes lease information for the rental space, wherein a lease status for a rental space is determined based on the stored lease information for the rental space, and wherein each rental space having lease information is represented on the display by a corresponding space identifier having a graphical representation of the lease status of the rental space.

11. The method for controlling access to information in a database of a real estate property management system as in claim 10, wherein allowing the user having the user ID for the database partition to specify a user ID comprises:

allowing the user having the user ID for the database partition to request and have displayed a list of the other user IDs defined in the management system; and

allowing the user having the user ID for the database partition to select a user ID from the displayed list of other user IDs to be the single user ID.

12. The method for controlling access to information in a database of a real estate property management system as in claim 10, wherein allowing the user having the user ID for the database partition to assign a subset of the authority comprises allowing the user having the user ID to only assign the authority to read information for the buildings in the database partition.

13. The method for controlling access to information in a database of a real estate property management system as in claim 10, wherein allowing the user having the user ID for the database partition to assign a subset of the authority comprises allowing the user having the user ID to assign the authority to read and update information for the buildings in the database partition.

14. The method for controlling access to information in a database of a real estate property management system as in claim 10, wherein the authority to update information for the buildings in a database partition includes the authority to add information for new buildings to the database partition.

15. The method for controlling access to information in a database of a real estate property management system as in claim 10, comprising

allowing a user having a user ID that is assigned a subset of the authority to read and update information for the buildings in a corresponding database partition to specify a user ID for another user defined in the management system;

and

allowing the user having the user ID that is assigned the subset of an user ID'"'"'s authority to assign a subset of the authority in the database partition assigned from the user ID to the single user ID.

16. The method for controlling access to information in a database of a real estate property management system as in claim 15, wherein allowing a user having a user ID that is assigned a subset of an user ID'"'"'s authority to specify a user ID comprises:

allowing the user having a user ID that is assigned the subset of the user ID'"'"'s authority to request and have displayed a list of the user IDs defined in the management system; and

allowing the user having the user ID that is assigned the subset of the user ID'"'"'s authority to select a user ID from the displayed list of user IDs.

17. The method for controlling access to information in a database of a real estate property management system as in claim 10, wherein the database partitions include a plurality of records each containing information for one of the buildings of the database partition, and wherein the records comprise a plurality of fields each containing data for the corresponding building, the method comprising:

displaying a list of fields in the records to the user having the user ID for the database partition; and

allowing the user having the user ID for the database partition to specify a level of authority to be assigned to the selected user ID for each field in the record.

18. The method for controlling access to information in a database of a real estate property management system as in claim 10, comprising:

allowing the user having the user ID for the database partition to define a plurality of roles within the management system, wherein a definition for each role includes a level of access to be provided to the information in the database partition, and wherein the level of access comprises a subset of the authority of the user ID to read and update the information for the buildings in the database partition; and

assigning one of the defined roles to the single user ID, wherein the level of access for the role determines the level of access to the information for the buildings in the database partition for the selected user ID.