Abstract:
A virtual system for seeing a house includes an output module; a storage module for storing an outdoor view model and indoor view models wherein each indoor view model includes a passage open onto the outdoor; an input module; and a processing module for reading data from both the outdoor and indoor view models, disposing the indoor view models in the outdoor view model to switch an outdoor view screen to an indoor view screen for displaying on the output module or vice versa, updating at least one of the outdoor view screen and the indoor view screen, and moving at least one of the outdoor view screen and the indoor view screen through the passage. The virtual system enables an interested buyer to clearly see a house and fully understand both indoor and outdoor details of the house by not visiting the house in person.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Technical Field 
       [0001]    The invention relates to systems for seeing a property and more particularly to a virtual system for enabling an interested buyer to see a house. 
       2. Related Art 
       [0002]    The need to buy a property and/or renting an apartment is great due to population explosion. Technologies for enabling people to find a suitable property by not visiting it have been developed. 
         [0003]    Early technology involves posting photographs of houses on a real estate website for viewing, i.e., the technology being a virtual system for enabling an interested buyer to see a house prior to buying. However, these photographs are two-dimensional (2D) plan views and unable to provide three-dimensional (3D) (i.e., perspective) views of houses for viewing. Thus, interested buyers cannot understand internal details of a house. A quick decision of buying the house by a potential buyer is not possible. 
         [0004]    Recently, real estate agents used digital camera to take photographs in a house and posted the 3D video clips on the website for viewing. While such method has above advantages, but the 3D video clips have its limitations when playing. For example, it is played in a predetermined format and sequence, it cannot be rotated, and details of the house cannot be seen. Therefore, an interested buyer still cannot understand internal details of the house. Further, it is difficult of understanding whether people may collide when walking in the house by viewing the video clips. Furthermore, environment surrounding a property is also a factor affecting an individual&#39;s decision of buying the property or not. Therefore, information of the surrounding environment and location of the house in a city should be available. However, the typical technology of enabling people to see a property by not visiting it does not have above desired functions. Thus, the need for improvement still exists. 
       BRIEF SUMMARY 
       [0005]    It is therefore one object of the invention to provide a virtual system for seeing a property comprising an output module for presentation of images, text, video, and audio transmitted electronically; a storage module for storing an outdoor view model and a plurality of indoor view models wherein each indoor view model includes a passage open onto the outdoor; an input module for providing data and control signals to a predetermined apparatus; and a processing module for reading data from both the outdoor view model and the indoor view model, disposing the indoor view models in the outdoor view model to switch an outdoor view screen to an indoor view screen for display on the output module or vice versa, updating at least one of the outdoor view screen and the indoor view screen, and moving at least one of the outdoor view screen and the indoor view screen through the passage. 
         [0006]    Preferably, the outdoor view model is an urban scene or a building. 
         [0007]    Preferably, the outdoor view model is a plan view drawing depicting surrounding environment of the indoor view model. 
         [0008]    Preferably, in the indoor view model a portion of the outdoor view model is shown through the passage. 
         [0009]    Preferably, the storage module is a cloud storage. 
         [0010]    Preferably, a virtual buyer is further stored in the storage module wherein the processing module is configured to read data from the storage module to access the virtual buyer, and the processing module is configured to move the virtual buyer to simulate a potential buyer who walks into a house to see interior of the house. 
         [0011]    Preferably, the indoor view model includes at least one piece of furniture. 
         [0012]    Preferably, a virtual light source is further provided for simulating sunlight or moonlight wherein the virtual light source is stored in the storage module, the processing module is configured to read data from the storage module to access the virtual light source, and the processing module is configured to move the virtual light source which is configured to emit light onto the outdoor view model, and the light is configured to illuminate the indoor view model through the passage. 
         [0013]    Preferably, an audio databases is further stored in the storage module wherein the indoor view model is stored in one of a plurality of records of the audio database, the processing module is configured to read data from the storage module to access the indoor view model in the audio database with the indoor view screen being shown, and the processing module is configured to read audio data from the audio database, convert the data into an electrical audio signal, and convert the electrical audio signal into a corresponding sound. 
         [0014]    Preferably, an audio databases is further stored in the storage module wherein the outdoor view model is stored in one of a plurality of records of the audio database, the processing module is configured to read data from the storage module to access the outdoor view model in the audio database with the outdoor view screen being shown, and the processing module is configured to read audio data from the audio database, convert the data into an electrical audio signal, and convert the electrical audio signal into a corresponding sound. 
         [0015]    Preferably, the input module is a touch screen, a keyboard, a computer mouse, or an audio and video input device. 
         [0016]    Preferably, the output module is a wearable device. 
         [0017]    Preferably, each of the output module and the input module is a touch screen. 
         [0018]    Preferably, a property database is further stored in the storage module wherein the processing module is configured to read data from the indoor view model and activate same, the processing module is configured to access the property database, and the accessed data is sent to the output module for display. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0019]    These and other features and advantages of the various embodiments disclosed herein will be better understood with respect to the following description and drawings, in which like numbers refer to like parts throughout, and in which: 
           [0020]      FIG. 1  is a block diagram of a virtual system for seeing a property according to a first preferred embodiment of the invention; 
           [0021]      FIG. 2  is a top view of an outdoor view screen; 
           [0022]      FIG. 3  is a detailed view of the area in a circle of  FIG. 2 ; 
           [0023]      FIG. 4  is a perspective view of an indoor view screen; 
           [0024]      FIG. 5  is a block diagram of a virtual system for seeing a property according to a second preferred embodiment of the invention; 
           [0025]      FIG. 6  is a top view of an outdoor view screen showing an operation thereof; and 
           [0026]      FIG. 7  is a perspective view of an indoor view screen showing an operation thereof. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0027]    Referring to  FIGS. 1 to 4 , a virtual system  100  for enabling an interested buyer to see a house prior to buying in accordance with a first preferred embodiment of the invention comprises the following components as discussed in detail below. 
         [0028]    An output module  10  is for presentation of images, text, video and audio transmitted electronically and it can be implemented as a liquid-crystal display (LCD) screen, a touch screen, or a wearable device such as an optical head-mount display. 
         [0029]    In the present embodiment, the compressed gas supplying device  30  is mainly used to provide the compressed gas which is needed by the seal detecting device of the present invention. The compressed gas supplying device  30  is linked to the gas supply side in the outer case  11  of the electronic device  10  inside the airtight container  20 . In the present embodiment, the gas supply side is the outer side  14  in the outer case  11 , and the inner side  13  of the outer case  11  is the detecting side. Since the gas supply side is full of compressed gas, and the detecting side is under normal atmosphere pressure, the gas pressure in the gas supply side is higher than that of the detecting side. In the present embodiment, a pipeline  73  is further provided to be connected to the compressed gas supplying device  30  and the gas supply side of the outer case  11  in the airtight container  20 , which is also known as the outer side  14  of the outer case  11 . A storage module  20  is used to store an outdoor view model  21  (see  FIG. 2 ) and an indoor view model  22  (see  FIG. 3 ). The outdoor view model  21  is capable of showing nature and architectures such as rivers, seas, mountains, trees, flowers, hills, buildings, roads, traffic facilities, governments, schools, malls and supermarkets. The outdoor view model  21  is a 3D model. Alternatively, the outdoor view model  21  is a 2D model surrounding the indoor view model  22 . The indoor view model  22  is a 3D model and comprises a plurality of objects each labeled as one of H 1  to Hn representing a house such as one of house  21 (H 1 ) to house  21 (Hn) as shown in  FIG. 3 . The houses  21 (H 1 ) to  21 (Hn) are stored in the storage module  20 . As shown in  FIG. 3 , each indoor view model  22  has a passage  222  open onto the outdoor. Details such as rooms of a house and shapes of a house are contained in each indoor view model  22 . Further, furniture items  221  and other household items are contained in each indoor view model  22 . These elements are shown in photographs. The passage  222  can be replaced by a window or a door. The storage module  20  is implemented as a memory of a file server or cloud storage. 
         [0030]    An input module  30  is an input device used to provide data and control signals to, for example, a computer. The input module  30  is implemented as a touch screen, a keyboard, a computer mouse, or an audio and video input device. The input module  30  can be incorporated into the output module  10  if the input module  30  is a touch screen. The control signals are used to, but not limited to, move a model or an object, move an individual, open a door, close a door, open a window, close a window, restrict conditions of a house, and select a desired house. 
         [0031]    A processing module  40  is used to carry out instructions by performing the basic arithmetic, logical, control and input/output specified by the instructions. For example, the processing module  40  can read data from both the outdoor view model  21  and the indoor view model  22  and activate same, dispose the indoor view model  22  in the outdoor view model  21  to switch an outdoor view screen  300  (see  FIG. 3 ) to an indoor view screen  500  (see  FIG. 4 ) for displaying on the output module  100  or vice versa, update the outdoor view screen  300  and/or the indoor view screen  500 , and move the outdoor view screen  300  and/or the indoor view screen  500  through the passage  222 . For example, the outdoor view screen  300  may switch to the indoor view screen  500  via a window or vice versa. 
         [0032]    As shown in  FIG. 4 , the indoor view model  22  is shown with an indoor view screen shown. A person in the house may see the sun  25  and outdoor scenes through the passage  222  which is implemented as a window. Each object in the indoor view model  22  can be rotated by executing computer instructions so that details of the desired object can be seen clearly. 
         [0033]    A potential buyer may operate the input module  30  to input query terms. The processing module  40  may process the terms with respect to a chosen property such as the indoor view model  22  labeled H 1  (i.e., house  22 (H 1 )). Further, the processing module  40  may read data and process both the outdoor view model  21  and the indoor view model  22  with respect to the house  22 (H 1 ). As a result, the purpose of enabling an interested buyer to see a house by using the virtual system of the invention is obtained. 
         [0034]    Referring to  FIG. 5 , a virtual system  200  for enabling an interested buyer to see a house prior to buying in accordance with a second preferred embodiment of the invention is shown. The characteristics of the second preferred embodiment are substantially the same as that of the first preferred embodiment except the following. 
         [0035]    The storage module  20  further comprises a property database  23 , a virtual buyer  24 , a virtual light source  25 , and an audio database  26 . In detail, the property database  23  contains data including years, area, and conditions of a house, and surrounding environment such as parks, schools, governments, public facilities, rivers, lakes, etc. The processing module  40  may read data from the indoor view model  22  and activate same and at the same time the processing module  40  may access the property database  23 . The accessed data is sent to the output module  10  for display. 
         [0036]    The virtual buyer  24  is stored in the storage module  20 . The processing module  40  may read data from the storage module  20  to access the virtual buyer  24 . And in turn, the processing module  40  may move the virtual buyer  24  to simulate a potential buyer who walks from a road into a house to see interior of the house as shown in  FIGS. 6 and 7 . In  FIG. 7 , the virtual buyer  24  may walk in the house to see interior thereof and the potential buyer may determine whether a piece of furniture  24  may interfere with a walking path or not by watching the movements of the virtual buyer  24 . In  FIG. 6 , the virtual buyer  24  may walk on the street to see surrounding environment of the house  22 (H 1 ) or the house  22 (Hn). The surrounding environment is constructed by the outdoor view model  21 . The implementations shown in  FIGS. 6 and 7  are very close to seeing a property by a potential buyer in person. 
         [0037]    The virtual light source  25  is used to simulate sunlight or moonlight. The virtual light source  25  is stored in the storage module  20 . The processing module  40  may read data from the storage module  20  to access the virtual light source  25 . And in turn, the processing module  40  may move the virtual light source  25  which in turn may emit light onto the outdoor view model  21  (see  FIG. 6 ). Alternatively, the light may illuminate the indoor view model  22  through the passage  222  (i.e., window) as shown in  FIG. 7 . It is envisaged by the invention that the virtual light source  25  may illuminate interior of a house 24 hours a day by simulating the sun or the moon. Therefore, a potential buyer may easily understand illumination within a house. 
         [0038]    The audio database  26  is stored in the storage module  20 . The indoor view model  22  is stored in one of records of the audio database  26  and the outdoor view model  21  is stored in another record of the audio database  26 . The processing module  40  may read data from the storage module  20  to access the indoor view model  22  in the audio database  26 . And in turn, the indoor view screen  500  is shown. Also, the processing module  40  reads audio data from the audio database  26  and converts the data into audio signals. The audio signals are presented in a form of audible introduction of years, area, and conditions of a house. 
         [0039]    Similarly, the processing module  40  may read data from the storage module  20  to access the outdoor view model  21  in the audio database  26 . And in turn, the outdoor view screen  300  is shown. Also, the processing module  40  reads audio data from the audio database  26  and converts the data into audio signals. The audio signals are presented in a form of audible introduction of surrounding environment such as roads, parks, schools, governments, public facilities, rivers, lakes, etc. 
         [0040]    It is envisaged by the invention that the virtual system enables an interested buyer to clearly see a house and fully understand both indoor and outdoor details of the house by not visiting the house in person prior to making a correct choice of buying a house. 
         [0041]    Although the present invention has been described with reference to the foregoing preferred embodiments, it will be understood that the invention is not limited to the details thereof. Various equivalent variations and modifications can still occur to those skilled in this art in view of the teachings of the present invention. Thus, all such variations and equivalent modifications are also embraced within the scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims.