Housing space-related commodity sale assisting system, housing space-related commodity sale assisting method, program for assisting housing space-related commodity sale, and computer-readable recorded medium on which program for assisting housing space-related commodity sale is recorded

• US 7,080,096 B1
• Filed: 11/02/2000
• Issued: 07/18/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 11/02/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Panasonic Corporation (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Asahi Matsushita Electric Works Ltd. (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Imamura, Kayo
• Primary Examiner(s): CHANNAVAJJALA, SRIRAMA T
• Application Number:
  US09/868,640
• Time in Patent Office: 2,084 Days
• Field of Search: 707 1- 10, 707100-1041, 707200-205, 705 1- 30, 705/64, 705/38, 345/870, 345/778, 345/853, 345/764, 345/738, 345/744, 345/689, 345/418, 345/6, 345/419, 345/588, 345/902, 709203-218, 340/990, 340/995.2, 455/457, 348/36, 348/565, 715/730, 715/738, 715/848, 715/964, 703/1, 703/21, 700/98, 700/118, 706/919
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 345/902 Menu display
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99933 Query processing, i.e. searching
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99945 Object-oriented database structure processing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99948 Application of database or data structure, e.g. distributed, multimedia, or image

Abstract

The inventive system includes a database for storing housing display data including layout information of a housing such as a real estate object, an interior display data including information regarding interior of the housing, and furniture display data including configuration information regarding furniture to be arranged in the housing. The inner space of the housing is displayable as a virtual space on the terminal of a computer of a prospective purchaser based on each of the data. The system provides a browser equipped with a manipulating menu with which a user manipulates the viewpoint or location of viewing in the virtual space. The system provides the user with each of the data via the Internet or its equivalent.

Claims

1. A housing-related commodity sales support system that provides information regarding a housing-related commodity to a computer of a prospective purchaser via a network system, comprising:

a database which stores housing display data for display of an image of a housing, including information regarding a layout of the housing;

a browser provider that provides the computer of the prospective purchaser with a browser that enables the prospective purchaser to see a three-dimensional image of the housing on the computer in accordance with the database,

the browser including at least a first display performing section that enables a three-dimensional display of an interior of the housing, and a second display performing section that enables the prospective purchaser to move, within the displayed housing, a viewpoint from which the interior of the housing is seen, and to have a view as if the prospective purchaser is moving in the interior of the housing, and

a data transmitter that transmits the housing display data stored in the database to the computer of the prospective purchaser via the network system in response to a request from the browser provided on the computer of the prospective purchaser, wherein

the database is configured to store furniture display data including information regarding a configuration of a furniture to be arranged in the housing;

the browser includes a fourth display section which displays a furniture manipulating menu with which a user selects the furniture to be displayed in the virtual space from the furniture display data; and

the data transmitter is configured to transmit the furniture display data stored in the database to the computer of the prospective purchaser via the network system upon request from the browser on the computer of the prospective purchaser.

2. The system according to claim 1, wherein the user is allowed to select a location of the furniture to be displayed in the virtual space.

3. The system according to claim 1, wherein the database is configured to store the furniture display data in conjunction with information regarding furniture.

4. The system according to claim 3, further comprising a data registration tool provider which, upon request from a computer of a furniture seller, provides via the network system the database with a data registration tool with which the furniture display data is registered via the network system.

5. The system according to claim 3, wherein the furniture display data stored in the database is publicized on the Internet at a web site virtually displaying furniture on sale, and the browser is configured to enable the prospective purchaser to obtain the furniture display data by accessing the web site.

6. A housing-related commodity sales support system capable of providing informing regarding housing-related commodity to a computer of a prospective purchaser via a network system, comprising:

a database which stores a plurality of furniture display data for displaying an image of a furniture and including information regarding a configuration of furniture to be arranged in an interior of a housing;

a housing data creating tool provider which, upon request from the computer of the prospective purchaser, provides via the network system a housing data creating tool with which housing display data for display of an image of the housing and including information regarding a layout of the housing is created via the network;

a browser provider which provides a browser to the computer of the prospective purchaser in response to a request from the computer, the browser enabling the prospective purchaser to view a three-dimensional display of the housing and including at least a first display performing section which displays an interior of the housing as a three-dimensional virtual space based on the housing display data, a second display performing section that enables the prospective purchaser to move, within the displayed housing, a viewpoint location from which the interior of the housing is seen and to change the view of the interior of the housing in accordance with a movement of the viewpoint location, thereby providing a view as if the prospective purchaser is looking around the interior of the housing, and a third display performing section that enables the user to select furniture to be displayed in the housing in the virtual space from the plurality of furniture display data; and

a data transmitter which, upon request from the browser on the computer of the prospective purchaser, transmits the furniture display data stored in the database to the computer of the prospective purchaser via the network system.