Real estate value map computer system

• US 6,323,885 B1
• Filed: 04/06/1999
• Issued: 11/27/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 09/18/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Kioba Processing, LLC (IP Investments Group LLC)
• Original Assignee: Steven Paul Wiese
• Inventors: Wiese, Steven Paul
• Primary Examiner(s): Bayerl, Raymond J.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Vu, Kieu D.
• Application Number:
  US09/286,922
• Time in Patent Office: 966 Days
• Field of Search: 345/764, 345/962, 345/961, 345/835, 345/839, 345/846, 345/810, 345/771, 345/826, 345/825, 340/990, 340/995, 705/1, 705/27, 701/200, 701/206, 701/208, 701/202, 701/25, 701/28
• US Class Current: 715/835
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 29/006 Representation of non-cartographic information on maps, e.g. population distribution, wind direction, radiation levels, air and sea routes
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 715/962 Operator interface for marketing or sales

Abstract

A computer system creates and displays a map image based upon a value database associating a plurality of values each with a geographic location in a geographic area and a map program associating each location with a map image location. The computer system assigns one of a plurality of symbols to each geographic location based upon its associated value. The symbol is then displayed on the map image at the map image location associated with the geographic location.

Claims

1. A method of displaying on a computer information regarding values associated with a plurality of geographic locations including the steps of:

a) receiving a request for information regarding a first geographic area including the plurality of geographic locations;

b) receiving a plurality of values each associated with one of the plurality of geographic locations;

c) associating each of a plurality of symbols with each of the plurality of geographic locations based upon the associated value of said each of the plurality of geographic locations;

d) displaying a map of the first geographic area in response to said step a) on a display;

e) displaying each of the plurality of symbols on the map at its associated geographic location in response to said step a) on the display;

f) associating each of a plurality of colors with one of a plurality of ranges of the values;

g) associating each of a plurality of shapes with one of a plurality of subranges within each of the plurality of ranges of the values, each symbol including one of the plurality of colors and one of the plurality of shapes; and

h) associating each of the plurality of symbols based upon said steps c), f) and g).

2. The method of claim 1 wherein said steps b) and c) are performed prior to said step a).

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the values are price values.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein the values are rental values.

5. The method of claim 1 further including the steps of:

prior to said step a), displaying a list of a plurality of geographic areas, including the first geographic area.

6. The method of claim 1 further including the step of:

displaying a legend indicating the values associated with each of the plurality of symbols.

7. The method of claim 1 further including the step of:

displaying an advertisement based upon said step a).

8. The method of claim 1 further including the steps of:

i) receiving a request for additional information for a selected one of the plurality of geographic locations;

j) displaying the additional information based upon said step i).

9. The method of claim 8 wherein the additional information includes an address for the selected one of the plurality of geographic locations.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein each of the plurality of values is associated with a street address, said method further including the step of associating each of the plurality of values with each of the plurality of geographic locations based upon said associated address.

11. The method of claim 1 wherein each of the plurality of values is associated with a street address, said method further including the steps of associating each of the plurality of values with a latitude and longitude and displaying each of the symbols on the map based upon the associated longitude and latitude.

12. A computer system for displaying information regarding values associated with a plurality of locations comprising:

a) an input device for selectively generating a request for information regarding a geographic area;

b) a database of a plurality of values each associated with one of the plurality of locations in the geographic area, each of a plurality of symbols associated with each of the plurality of locations based upon the values, wherein each of a plurality of colors is associated with one of a plurality of ranges of the values, each of a plurality of shapes is associated with one of a plurality of subranges within each of the plurality of ranges of the values, and each symbol includes one of the plurality of colors and one of the plurality of shapes, each of the plurality of symbols associated with the plurality of locations based upon the associated colors, shapes and values; and

c) a display displaying a map of the first geographic area and each of the plurality of values at the associated locations on the map in response to said request from said input device.

13. The computer system of claim 12 wherein the values are price values.

14. The computer system of claim 13 wherein the values are rental values.

15. The computer system of claim 12 wherein the display displays a list of a plurality of geographic areas, including the first geographic area, the input device selecting the first geographic area from the list.

16. A computer system for creating a map comprising:

a map program associating each of a plurality of geographic locations in a geographic area with a map location;

a value database of a plurality of values each associated with one of the plurality of geographic locations;

a plurality of symbols, each associated with at least one of the plurality of values;

a computer programmed to associate each of the plurality of symbols with each of the plurality of map locations in the map program based upon the associated value in the value database for the associated geographic location wherein each of a plurality of colors is associated with one of a plurality of ranges of the values, each of a plurality of shapes is associated with one of a plurality of subranges within each of the plurality of ranges of the values, and each symbol includes one of the plurality of colors and one of the plurality of shapes, each of the plurality of symbols associated with the plurality of locations based upon the associated colors, shapes and values; and

a display displaying a map image of the geographic area and each of the plurality of symbols at the associated map locations.

17. The computer system of claim 16 wherein the values are price values.

18. A method for creating a map image in a computer including the steps of:

a) receiving a plurality of values each associated with one of a plurality of geographic locations in a geographic area;

b) associating each of a plurality of symbols with at least one of the plurality of values;

c) associating each of the plurality of geographic locations with a map location on a street map image;

d) associating each of the plurality of symbols with each of the plurality of map locations based upon the associated values;

e) generating the map image of the geographic area including the plurality of symbols each at their associated map locations;

f) associating each of a plurality of colors with one of a plurality of ranges of the values;

g) associating each of a plurality of shapes with one of a plurality of subranges within each of the plurality of ranges of the values, each symbol including one of the plurality of colors and one of the plurality of shapes; and

h) associating each of the plurality of symbols based upon said steps f) and g).

19. The method of claim 18 further including the steps of:

i) receiving a request for information regarding the geographic area;

j) displaying a map of the first geographic area in response to said step a); and

k) displaying each of the plurality of symbols on the map at its associated location in response to said step a).

20. The method of claim 18 wherein said steps c) and d) are performed after said steps a) and b).

21. The method of claim 18 wherein the values are price values.

22. The method of claim 18 further including the step of:

displaying a legend indicating the values associated with each of the plurality of symbols.

23. The method of claim 18 wherein each of the plurality of values is associated with a street address, said method further including the step of associating each of the plurality of values with each of the plurality of locations based upon said associated street address.