SEARCH AND DISPLAY OF REAL ESTATE INFORMATION

Abstract: A computer program logic for the search and display of information on a screen, with the display screen being divided into several sectors, the first sector (11) containing the search criteria, which may be selected via a control element and at least one additional sector (12, 13) containing the information. The search criteria shown in the first sector (11) refer to the interior of a building, e.g. for residential purposes or use as office; these rooms are shown in a second sector (12) and written information is given in a third sector (13) which refers to the rooms displayed in the second sector (12).

Description: SEARCH AND DISPLAY OF REAL ESTATE INFORMATION The present invention relates to a method, which may be implemented on a computer, for the search and display of information on a display screen, with the display screen being divided into several sectors; the first sector contains the search criteria, which may be selected by a control element, and at least one additional sector contains the information. The present invention is based on a problem of creating a computer program which makes it possible to combine a number of different types of information and make them visible on a screen. The invention solves this problem in such a way that the search criteria shown in the first sector refer to the rooms of a building, e.g. for residential or office purposes, that such rooms are shown in the second sector and that the third sector contains written information referring to the rooms displayed in the second sector. According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a computer program for the search and display of information on a display screen wherein the computer program is capable, when executed on a computer, of causing the display screen to be divided into plural sectors, the first sector containing the search criteria, which may be selected by a control element and at least one additional sector containing the information, characterised in that the search criteria in the first sector refer to the interior of a building, a view of rooms in the interior of the building is displayed in a second sector and written information referring to the rooms displayed in the second sector is displayed in a third sector . According to a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method of controlling the search and display of information on a display screen comprising dividing the display screen into plural sectors, the first sector containing the search criteria, which may be selected by a control element and at least one additional sector containing the information, characterised in that the search criteria in the first sector refer to the interior of a building, these rooms are displayed in a second sector and a third sector, written information referring to the rooms displayed in the second sector is displayed. Preferably, the line of sight as well as the viewpoint of the viewer may be changed inside the rooms of the property by adjusting the control element. Preferably, a fourth sector on the display is provided for, which contains additional search criteria, and a fifth sector exists, which shows the ground plan of the respective property, with the point from where the interior is viewed being indicated. Preferably, the search criteria also include the exterior of the property, with the outside of the property upon selection, for example by a mouse-click, being displayed together with its neighbourhood in the second sector. Furthermore, the second sector may provide for markings around which the display may be rotated on a vertical or a horizontal axis, so that the property is displayed in such a way as if the viewer walked around it or from different levels, respectively. In addition, any point in the property displayed may be selected via mouse-click, with the room which is situated at the point being displayed in the second sector. Finally, the search criteria preferably also include buildings situated in some distance to the property, such as hospitals, schools, official buildings and police stations, which are displayed in the second sector, with the respective information being shown in the third sector. A computer program which implements the present invention is explained in more detail in the following by way of non-limitative example with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Figures 1 to 3 show the display screen which is divided into six sectors for different types of information; and Figure 4 shows a flowchart from which the transitions between the individual displays can be seen. The present invention may be implemented by a computer program which is executable on a computer having a display screen. Any suitable computer may be used such as an ordinary personal computer (PC). In this case, the display screen is the monitor of the PC and the control element is the keyboard and/or mouse of the PC. The computer program may be written in any suitable language. When executed on the computer, the computer program causes the computer to perform a process for the search and display of information on the display screen, as described in detail below. The computer executing the computer program therefore constitutes an apparatus for the search and display of information. The computer program may be stored on a computer program product, for example a disk or other computer usable medium, storing or embodying the code for a program in a form readable by the computer in a conventional manner. The present invention could be implemented in any computing system by appropriate hardware and/or software. As can be seen from Figure 1 , the computer program divides the screen surface into six sectors, 1 1 to 16, in a first setting. The first sector, 1 1 , shows the menu by which apartments available in a building may be selected via mouse-click, for example, according to their size. Then the second sector, 12, shows a three- dimensional display or other view of the apartment and the third sector, 13, provides information about this apartment. Moreover, a fourth sector, 14, is provided for, which makes it possible to change the point of view from where the room is shown in sector 12. The fifth sector, 15. shows the viewer's point of view. Finally, a sixth sector, 16, is provided for, from which additional information may be obtained, which is described below. Thus, this program logic makes it possible, by a first step, to show or obtain information, respectively, on apartments in a building which are available for sale or to let. Subsequently, a second display is shown as in Figure 2, where a first sector, 21, is provided for which will, again, contain the menu. If selected, a second sector, 22, shows the exterior of the building in its neighbourhood in three dimensions. A third sector, 23, again contains information which refers to the respective building. Furthermore, a fourth sector, 24, is provided for, which refers to the fact that the second sector contains several arrow-like markings by which, when selected by mouse-click, the display may be changed. If the first few arrow-like markings, 22a, are selected, the distance between the building and the viewer may be changed. If the second markings, 22b, are selected, the display in this sector may be rotated on a vertical axis, which makes it possible to change it in such a way as if the viewer walks around the property, so that it may be viewed from all sides together with its neighbourhood. By selecting the third markings, 22c, the altitude level of the viewer's viewpoint in relation to the building can be adjusted. If menu 21 is selected, a third display according to Figure 3 may be opened in addition, which likewise contains a first sector, 31, for a menu, a second one, 32, showing a bird's eye view of the property in its neighbourhood and, finally a third sector, 33, containing information about the neighbourhood shown in the second sector. 32. Figure 4 also shows the settings contained in Figures 1 to 3 including their links. As can be seen therefrom, one can pass from each setting to the next and from each setting to the menu of one of the previous settings in order to obtain further information.

Claims: C L A I M S 1. A computer program for the search and display of information on a display screen wherein the computer program is capable, when executed on a computer, of causing the display screen to be divided into plural sectors, the first sector containing the search criteria, which may be selected by a control element and at least one additional sector containing the information, characterised in that the search criteria in the first sector (1 1) refer to the interior of a building, a view of rooms in the interior of the building is displayed in a second sector (12) and written information referring to the rooms displayed in the second sector is displayed in a third sector (13). 2. A computer program according to claim 1, wherein the line of sight as well as the viewpoint of the viewer inside of the rooms of the property may be changed by adjusting the control element. 3. A computer program according to either one of claims 1 or 2, wherein a fourth sector (14) is provided which contains additional search criteria. 4. A computer program according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein a fifth sector (15) is displayed on the screen, which shows the ground plan of the respective property, with that point from where the rooms are viewed being indicated. 5. A computer program according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the search criteria also include the exterior of the property, with the exterior of the property being shown together with its neighbourhood in the second sector (22). 6. A computer program according to claim 5,wherein the second sector provides for at least one marking (22a, 22b, 22c) by the selection of which the distance between the property and the viewer may be changed or the display can be moved vertically or horizontally or rotated about a vertical or horizontal axis, to show the property in a way as if the viewer walks around it or moves to different height levels. 7. A computer program according to either one of claims 5 or 6, wherein any point in the display of the program may be selected, with the respective room situated at that point being displayed in the second sector. 8. A computer program according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the search criteria also include buildings located in some distance to the property, such as hospitals, schools, official buildings and police stations, which are displayed in the second sector, with the respective information being given in the third sector. 9. A computer program product comprising a computer readable medium storing a computer program according to any one of the preceding claims. 10. A method of controlling the search and display of information on a display screen comprising dividing the display screen into plural sectors, the first sector containing the search criteria, which may be selected by a control element and at least one additional sector containing the information, characterised in that the search criteria in the first sector (1 1) refer to the interior of a building, these rooms are displayed in a second sector (12) and a third sector (13), written information referring to the rooms displayed in the second sector is displayed. 1 1. An apparatus for controlling the search and display of information on a display screen comprising dividing the display screen into plural sectors, the first sector containing the search criteria, which may be selected by a control element and at least one additional sector containing the information, characterised in that the search criteria in the first sector (1 1) refer to the interior of a building, these rooms are displayed in a second sector (12) and a third sector (13). written information referring to the rooms displayed in the second sector is displayed. 12. A computer program product comprising a computer usable medium having computer readable program code means embodied therein for the search and display of information, the computer readable program code means comprising means for causing a computer to control the display on to the display screen to be divided into plural sectors, of which sectors a first sector contains search criteria relating to the interior of a building, the search criteria being selectable by a control element, a second sector displays a view of rooms in the interior of the building and a third area displays written information referring to the rooms displayed in the second sector.

Inventors: DOEGL CHRISTIAN, DOEGL, CHRISTIAN
Applicants: DOEGL CHRISTIAN, UMA HOLDING GMBH, DOEGL, CHRISTIAN
Application year: 2000
Main classification: G06F17
IPC codes: G06F17