Computer system and method for bulk auditing, archiving, and selling personal property of a customer

• US 8,239,293 B2
• Filed: 12/19/2007
• Issued: 08/07/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 12/20/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Gounares, Alexander, Chickering, David M., Horvitz, Eric J., Connolly, Michael, Cheng, Lili, Jain, Kamal
• Primary Examiner(s): ZARE, SCOTT A
• Application Number:
  US11/960,105
• Publication Number:
  US 20080154917A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,693 Days
• Field of Search: 705/28, 707/949
• US Class Current: 705/28
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management

Abstract

The claimed subject matter relates to an architecture that can facilitate auditing of a customer'"'"'s possessions in a comprehensive manner. The architecture can facilitate the creation of a media archive of a customer'"'"'s property, as well as an associated property list extracted based upon, e.g., examination of the archive. The property list can include an entry associated with an item of property and can be transmitted to subsidizing entities to offset the expenses associated with the creation of the archive and the property list.

Claims

1. A computer system that facilitates comprehensive auditing of a customer'"'"'s possessions, the computer system comprising:

a processor coupled to a computer storage medium;

the computer storage medium that stores thereon a plurality of computer software components executable by the processor;

a media component that receives and stores a media archive, the archive depicts an environment of a customer from multiple views and includes video or images of a set of personal property items belonging to the customer;

a media analysis software component that employs machine learning techniques to construct a property list;

an inventory software component that receives the property list, the property list including an entry for an item from the set of personal property items; and

a communication software component that automatically tags and transmits the entry to a sale software component for display based upon a particular location of the item within the environment of the customer and permissions set by the customer.

2. The computer system of claim 1, wherein the archive includes one or more images or a video, and the environment is at least one of a residence, a garage, an attic, a storages shed, or a warehouse.

3. The computer system of claim 1, wherein the entry includes at least one of a description of the item, one or more images of the item, or a video of the item.

4. The computer system of claim 1, wherein the entry includes a location of the item within the environment.

5. The computer system of claim 1, wherein the entry includes at least one price for the item.

6. The computer system of claim 1, wherein the property list includes real property.

7. The computer system of claim 1, wherein the communication component transmits the entry to a sale or auction component of the computer system.

8. The computer system of claim 1, wherein the communication component transmits the entry to a sale or auction component of the computer system based upon a location of the item within the environment.

9. The computer system of claim 1, wherein the approval component further authorizes an agent to generate the archive, or that authorizes a cataloger to generate the property list.

10. The computer system of claim 9, wherein the approval component determines a compensation to be paid to the agent in exchange for the archive, or determines a compensation to be paid to the cataloger in exchange for the property list.

11. The computer system of claim 10, wherein the communication component transmits the entry to an insurance firm in exchange for the subsidy.

12. The computer system of claim 10, wherein the approval component determines a subsidy for the compensation, and the communication component transmits the entry to a real estate firm in exchange for the subsidy.

13. The computer system of claim 1, further comprising a targeting component that examines at least one of the archive or the property list to determine a suitable advertiser, wherein the communication component transmits the entry to the suitable advertiser.

14. The computer system of claim 13, wherein the targeting component determines the suitable advertiser based upon a determination of a beneficial product that is beneficial to the customer, and wherein the beneficial product is determined based upon an absence of the beneficial product from the set of personal property items or a condition of the item.

15. The computer system of claim 1, further comprising a media analysis component that examines the archive and constructs the property list.

16. The computer system of claim 15, wherein the media analysis component employs machine learning techniques to construct the property list, and wherein the learning techniques include receiving input from a cataloger or observing a cataloger.

17. The computer system of claim 15, wherein the media analysis component employs a human intelligence network to construct the property list.

18. A method for facilitating auditing of customer possessions in a comprehensive manner, comprising:

acquiring, utilizing a computing device, a media archive that depicts an environment of a customer from multiple views, the archive including video or images of a set of personal property items belonging to the customer;

storing, in association with the computing device, the archive to a data store;

constructing, utilizing machine learning techniques, a property list including an entry for an item from the set of personal property items, the entry having a description of the item, location of the item, media of the item, permissions set by the customer, and profile information;

receiving, utilizing the computing device, the property list including the entry for an item of the set of personal property items; and

automatically tagging and propagating the entry, utilizing the computing device, to a sale software component for display based upon a particular location of the item within the environment of the customer and permissions set by the customer.

19. The method of claim 18, further comprising at least one of the following acts:

propagating the entry to a sale, trade, charity, or auction outlet;

propagating the entry further based upon a location of the item within the environment;

providing compensation to an agent for producing the archive;

providing compensation to a cataloger for producing the property list from the archive;

subsidizing the compensation by allowing at least one of an insurance firm, a real estate firm, or an advertiser access to the archive or the property list;

or

constructing the property list by examining the archive and employing at least one of product recognition techniques, a product data store, a human intelligence network, or direct or observed input from the cataloger.

20. One or more computer-readable storage media not being a signal per se having computer executable instructions embodied thereon that, when executed, perform a method for facilitating archival of customer possessions in a comprehensive manner, the method comprising:

receiving from a customer a request for archival of property of the customer;

receiving and storing a media archive that depicts an environment of a customer from multiple views, the archive including video or images of a set of personal property items belonging to the customer;

creating, utilizing machine learning techniques, a property list having an entry for an item from the set of personal property items, the entry including a description of the item, location of the item, media of the item, permissions set by the customer, and profile information; and

automatically tagging and transmitting the entry, to a sale software component for presenting the entry based upon a particular location of the item within the environment of the customer and permissions set by the customer.