Mobile device that presents interactive media and processes user response

• US 8,532,713 B2
• Filed: 02/23/2012
• Issued: 09/10/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 11/22/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qualtrics LLC (SAP SE)
• Original Assignee: Mobile Tip LLC
• Inventors: Rao, Bindu Rama
• Primary Examiner(s): TRINH, TAN H
• Application Number:
  US13/402,880
• Publication Number:
  US 20120166312A1
• Time in Patent Office: 565 Days
• Field of Search: 455/550.1, 455/3.04, 455/3.05, 455/456.2, 455/566, 455/158.2, 455/406, 455/407, 455/2.01, 455/557, 455/411, 455/414.1, 705/14, 705/79, 705/44, 705/35, 705/205, 705/40, 705/42, 705/10, 705/27, 705/64, 705/23, 705/67, 705/71, 705/73, 705/76, 705/26.1, 705/1, 705/14.36, 705/37, 705/38, 705/75, 707/770, 707/E17.014
• US Class Current: 455/566
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0217 involving input on products or services in exchange for incentives or rewards
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0245 Surveys
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0623 Item investigation
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0641 Shopping interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/16 Real estate
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/33 Arrangements for monitoring the users' behaviour or opinions
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/04 specially adapted for terminals or networks with limited capabilities; specially adapted for terminal portability
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/06 specially adapted for file transfer, e.g. file transfer protocol [FTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/535 Tracking the activity of the user network monitoring arrangements H04L43/00; recording of computer activity G06F11/34
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/55 Push-based network services

Abstract

An electronic infrastructure comprising a plurality of client mobile devices, a distribution server and a media creator computer, wherein the client mobile devices present interactive media upon user request. The plurality of client mobile devices support dynamic screen display and, contain a plurality of soft keys. The distribution server supports delivery of interactive media to the client mobile devices. The media creator is a personal computer that generates interactive media and sends them to the distribution server for distribution. The electronic infrastructure is used to provide innovative group communication solutions for real-estate vendors and their customers. Vendors send real estate related information via the distribution server and the downloadable client components in the client mobile devices interactively send the user responses back to them via the distribution server.

Claims

1. A downloadable real estate service client component for displaying real estate information to a mobile user on a mobile device, the downloadable real estate service client component comprising:

an interactive media display module that displays interactive media received from a remote server, the interactive media comprising a real estate property listing, a plurality of real estate items, and interactive input elements, wherein the interactive input elements comprise one or more user selectable options;

a display screen control module that facilitates display of each of the plurality of real estate items, one real estate item at a time;

the display screen control module facilitating navigation from one real estate item to another and to specific ones of the plurality of real estate items;

the interactive media display module, that for each of the plurality of real estate items, displays an available digital image, an available video, textual content available and audio content available; and

the interactive media display module soliciting user inputs for each of the plurality of real estate items, accepting user responses to solicited inputs, and processing them.

2. The downloadable real estate service mobile client component of claim 1, wherein the solicited user inputs comprise one or more of a prompt to indicate interest in a displayed real estate item, a prompt to indicate interest in making an appointment to visit the real estate property associated with a displayed real estate item, a prompt to indicate interest on similar real estate properties, a prompt to indicate interest in that geographical region, a prompt to indicate interest in seeking pricing information and financial information, and a prompt that provides a user with an opportunity to interact with a seller of the associated house or an agent.

3. The downloadable real estate service mobile client component of claim 1, further comprising:

a user input collection module that collects user interest information provided by a user in response to solicitation for each of the plurality of real estate items;

wherein the user input collection module processes the user interest information to determine a need to provide supplementary information;

wherein the user input collection module communicates the user interest information to a server as needed; and

wherein the interactive media display module retrieves and displays any supplementary information as needed.

4. The downloadable real estate service mobile client component of claim 3, further comprising:

the user input collection module soliciting information on the style of house the user is interested in, a location that the user is interested in and features of a house that the user is interested in; and

the user input collection module communicating such user interest information to a remote server to receive or retrieve additional interactive media comprising properties for sale that correspond to the user interest information.

5. The downloadable real estate service mobile client component of claim 1, wherein

the interactive media display module displays a purchase price for each of the plurality of real estate items.

6. The downloadable real estate service mobile client component of claim 1, further comprising:

a forwarding module that collects, from a user, phone numbers or email addresses of one or more recipients and forwards the interactive media or a subset thereof to the one or more recipients.

7. A downloadable mobile client in a mobile device, the downloadable mobile client comprising:

an interactive media display module that displays interactive media received from a remote server, optionally in a scrollable window, wherein the interactive media comprises a plurality of items and interactive input elements, wherein the interactive input elements comprise one or more user selectable options;

a display control module that facilitates display of each of the plurality of items, one item at a time;

the display control module facilitating navigation from one item to another and to specific ones of the plurality of items;

the interactive media display module, that for each of the plurality of items, displays an available digital image, an available video, textual content available and audio content available; and

the interactive media display module accepting user data inputs to prompts, processing them and optionally communicating them to the server.

8. The downloadable mobile client of claim 7 that is customized to provide real estate services by receiving and displaying real estate related interactive media to a user.

9. The downloadable mobile client of claim 8, wherein the real estate related interactive media is retrieved based on a user profile associated with a user of the mobile device, wherein the user profile comprises, among other things, a minimum monthly household salary.

10. The downloadable mobile client of claim 8, further comprising:

the interactive media comprising a list of homes for sale and associated mortgage information, list of homes for rent and rental information, and other real estate related information; and

the interactive media display module automatically introducing interactive input elements to solicit user data inputs.

11. The downloadable mobile client of claim 8, wherein the one or more user selectable options comprise an option to one or more of:

indicate interest in a displayed real estate item, indicate interest to make an appointment to visit the property associated with a displayed real estate item, indicate interest on similar real estate properties, indicate interest in that geographical region, and/or indicate interest in seeking mortgage financing.

12. A method of operating a mobile device for displaying real estate information to a user, the method comprising:

displaying interactive media received from a remote server, the interactive media comprising a real estate property listing, a plurality of real estate items, and interactive input elements, wherein the interactive input elements comprise one or more user selectable options, wherein each of the plurality of real estate items is displayed one real estate item at a time;

facilitating navigation from one real estate item to another and to specific ones of the plurality of real estate items;

displaying, for each of the plurality of real estate items, an available digital image, an available video, textual content available and available audio content; and

soliciting user inputs for each of the plurality of real estate items, accepting user responses to solicited inputs, and processing the user responses.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the solicited user inputs comprise one or more of a prompt to indicate interest in a displayed real estate item, a prompt to indicate interest in making an appointment to visit the real estate property associated with a displayed real estate item, a prompt to indicate interest on similar real estate properties, a prompt to indicate interest in that geographical region, a prompt to indicate interest in seeking pricing information and financial information, and a prompt that provides a user with an opportunity to interact with a seller of the associated house or an agent.

14. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

collecting user interest information provided by a user in response to solicitation for each of the plurality of real estate items;

processing the user interest information to determine a need to provide supplementary information;

communicating the user interest information to a server as needed; and

retrieving and displaying any supplementary information as needed.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

soliciting information on the style of house the user is interested in, a location that the user is interested in, and features of a house that the user is interested in; and

communicating such user interest information to a remote server to receive or retrieve additional interactive media comprising properties for sale that correspond to the user interest information.

16. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

displaying a purchase price for each of the plurality of real estate items.

17. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

collecting, from a user, phone numbers or email addresses of one or more recipients and forwarding the interactive media or a subset thereof to the one or more recipients.

18. A method of operating a mobile client, the method comprising:

displaying interactive media received from a remote server, optionally in a scrollable window, wherein the interactive media comprises a plurality of items and interactive input elements, wherein the interactive input elements comprise one or more user selectable options;

facilitating display of each of the plurality of items, one item at a time;

facilitating navigation from one item to another and to specific ones of the plurality of items;

displaying, for each of the plurality of items, an available digital image, an available video, available textual content, and available audio content; and

accepting user data inputs to prompts, processing them, and optionally communicating them to the server.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the interactive media comprises real estate related interactive media.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the real estate related interactive media is retrieved based on a user profile associated with a user of the mobile device, wherein the user profile comprises, among other things, a minimum monthly household salary.

21. The method of claim 19, wherein the interactive media comprises a list of homes for sale and associated mortgage information, list of homes for rent and rental information, and other real estate related information, and wherein the mobile client automatically introduces interactive input elements to solicit user data inputs.

22. The method of claim 19, wherein the one or more user selectable options comprise an option to one or more of:

indicate interest in a displayed real estate item, indicate interest to make an appointment to visit the property associated with a displayed real estate item, indicate interest on similar real estate properties, indicate interest in that geographical region, and/or indicate interest in seeking mortgage financing.