System and method for managing property

• US 8,180,661 B2
• Filed: 08/23/2001
• Issued: 05/15/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 08/23/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Landport Systems, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Landport Systems, Inc.
• Inventors: Thielges, Bart C., George, David S., Siffermann, Thomas C. Jr.
• Primary Examiner(s): LOFTIS, JOHNNA RONEE
• Application Number:
  US09/938,265
• Publication Number:
  US 20020138289A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,918 Days
• Field of Search: 705/7.13, 705/313, 705/314, 705/305
• US Class Current: 705/7.13
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06311 Scheduling, planning or task assignment for a person or group
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/109 Time management, e.g. calendars, reminders, meetings or time accounting
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/20 Administration of product repair or maintenance
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/16 Real estate
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/163 Real estate management

Abstract

A system and method for managing property that in one embodiment provides a network-based system and method for creating, tracking and managing events, known herein as “incidents”, such as service requests, maintenance reminders and other events associated with managing property for supporting and enhancing the functions of tenant, property manager and vendor.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for a network-connected computer to relay at least part of a service request from a service requestor to a property manager, comprising the steps of:

receiving and storing a service request from a service requestor with the network-connected computer, the service request being transmitted electronically and being associated with a property having a management affiliation;

identifying, with a computer, a property manager by successively reviewing electronic data containing increasingly more general descriptions of the management affiliation of the property until a property manager is identified; and

electronically relaying at least part of the service request from the service requestor to a computing device associated with the property manager.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the identifying step is a hierarchical tree traversal search through successive hierarchical levels towards the root of a hierarchical tree.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the service requestor is a tenant of the property associated with the service request, the tenant having access to the property management system.

4. A computer-implemented method for a network-connected computer to relay at least part of a service request from a service requestor to a property manager, comprising the steps of:

receiving and storing a service request from a service requestor with the network-connected computer, the service request being transmitted electronically and being associated with a property having a management affiliation;

identifying, with a computer, a property manager or property owner by successively reviewing electronic data containing increasingly more general descriptions of the management affiliation of the property until a property manager or property owner is identified; and

electronically relaying at least part of the service request from the service requestor to a computing device associated with the property manager or property owner identified.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein the service requestor is a tenant of the property associated with the service request, the tenant having access to the property management system.

6. A computer-implemented method for a network-connected computer to relay at least part of a service request from a service requestor to a property manager, comprising the steps of:

receiving and storing a service request from a service requestor with the network-connected computer, the service request being transmitted electronically and being associated with a property having a management affiliation;

identifying, with a computer, a property manager or property owner by successively reviewing electronic data containing increasingly more general descriptions of the management affiliation of the property until a person other than the property manager is identified; and

electronically relaying at least part of the service request from the service requestor to a computing device associated with the person other than the property manager.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein the service requestor is a tenant of the property associated with the service request, the tenant having access to the property management system.