Patent Publication Number: US-8983927-B2

Title: Mobile system for real-estate evaluation reports

Description:
CROSS REFERENCES TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     The present patent application is a continuation of, claims priority to, and makes reference to U.S. non-provisional patent Ser. No. 12/380,192, entitled “MOBILE SYSTEM FOR COLLECTING AND DISTRIBUTING REAL-ESTATE EVALUATION REPORTS”, filed on Feb. 25, 2009, issued as U.S. Pat. No. 8,630,991. The complete subject matter of the above-referenced United States Patent Application is hereby incorporated herein by reference, in its entirety. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND 
     1. Technical Field 
     The present invention relates generally to a mobile device and particularly to a solution wherein locations of branches of a user&#39;s preferred stores/businesses are displayed on a map presented to a user while the user is driving/navigating. 
     2. Related Art 
     Mobile devices are becoming ubiquitous. Children carry them and so do adults. Most people working in customer facing industries use mobile phones to stay in touch with their customers and take phone calls throughout the day. Unfortunately, different workflows for such people are barely supported on their mobile phones and thus their mobile phone is not used effectively to support their business needs. In particular, the techniques real estate agents currently use are antiquated and largely ineffective, especially as it relates to the creation and sharing of property evaluation information. A typical scenario involves assigning a property to an agent who makes himself familiar with the property. The agent visits the property, collects facts, and takes notes. Such notes are sometimes referred to as evaluation. Then that agent is assigned a buyer. The agent has at least a working knowledge of a particular area of the market. During an initial consultation, the buyer gives the agent an idea of property he or she would like to buy or rent and a general idea of where that property should be located. Based on this information, the agent searches the Multiple Listing Service (MLS) database to locate properties that are currently available. A second meeting is then set up with the buyer for the purpose of visiting those properties. 
     Sometimes, a given property has more than one agent assigned to it. Each agent visits the property and collects facts and takes notes. They each maintain their notes and are often incapable of sharing their notes. Thus there is a duplication of effort, and often one agent may have a certain perspective that another agent may not have, and may benefit from. However, with no capabilities to easily and effectively share such evaluations, agents seem to work within the confines of the information they are personally able to collect and process. 
     Various real-estate companies sometimes assign their own agents to sell or buy a property on sale. In this scenario, several different agents, from one or more real-estate companies, visit the same property, evaluate the property, take notes and try to use it for their sales efforts. They could benefit from sharing their evaluations but there is currently no easy, effective, structured way to share their evaluations. If there are inconsistencies in their evaluations, they are not able to discover such inconsistencies in time and resolve them easily. If there are some issues of ownership known to one agent, it cannot currently be shared in a timely manner with another agent, and quite often, such vital information is unavailable to others interested in that property. 
     Home buyers and real-estate agents often use paper maps and locate MLS listing entries on the map, and drive around with the maps to visit and evaluate properties that have come to the market. They take down notes in their notebooks and keep their notebooks handy to be able to refer to them. Such methods have proven to be time-consuming, cumbersome, and generally inefficient. In particular, information not currently known to a real-estate agent regarding a problem with the property or its ownership that is known to some other real-estate agent, is not only unavailable, but also likely to remain so. 
     Another drawback of current techniques relates to the need by a real-estate agent to physically visit properties within the market to evaluate them. Once the agent knows the general area of interest to the buyer, he usually visits the location to evaluate it, before escorting the buyer to each of the properties. Thus, such visits for evaluations delay the sales process, even when some other agent might already have evaluated it previously, due to the lack of mechanisms to share evaluations across agents and for other related reasons. 
     In view of the foregoing considerations, it is clear that there is a need for an improved system and method for creating and sharing property evaluation information that can be used by real-estate agents in assisting their customer needs. 
     BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention is directed to apparatus and methods of operation that are further described in the following Brief Description of the Drawings, the Detailed Description of the Invention, and the claims. Other features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description of the invention made with reference to the accompanying drawings. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective block diagram of a mobile system for collecting and distributing a plurality of real-estate evaluation reports. 
         FIG. 2  is system that makes it possible for a user to view a map on a communication device, with real-estate property shown on the map, wherein those properties with evaluations available are highlighted on the map. 
         FIG. 3  is a system for gathering evaluations of real-estate properties, the system comprising a database of real-estate information comprising details of a plurality of real-estate properties, and a plurality of devices. 
         FIG. 4  is a work flow diagram of an exemplary operation of the mobile system for collecting and distributing a plurality of real-estate evaluation reports. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     The present invention provides an elegant means of interaction between real-estate agents who employ mobile devices, wherein the property evaluation information created by any agent is shared with other agents, and wherein such property evaluations created from and collected from a plurality of mobile devices. In particular, property evaluations created by an agent are forwarded to a service provided by a server, in accordance with the present invention, to communicate with other agents who may also employ mobile devices to review them. 
       FIG. 1  is a perspective block diagram of a mobile system  105  for collecting and distributing a plurality of real-estate evaluation reports. A real-estate property&#39;s location and visual appeal are what motivates buyers, and they may believe it appears to be in excellent condition. They sometimes use additional services such as those provided by home inspectors, to evaluate properties and create evaluation reports. Real-estate agents are better able to discover unknown, costly deficiencies that often exist in properties, which the buyer should know about before purchasing the property. The real-estate agents detects most problems, and convey the true condition of the property in the form of an evaluation report, which may include audio portions, photographs, video portions, documents, written reports etc. Unlike typical home inspection reports provided by home inspectors, that are mostly a written document, these evaluation reports created by real-estate agents, in accordance with the present invention, facilitate inclusion of audio inputs, video inputs, textual inputs, photographic inputs, etc. Home inspections are typically conducted after a sales contract or agreement is signed between a buyer and a seller. The present invention facilitates creation and sharing of an evaluation report that is created by a real-estate agent before such a sale is contracted or agreed to, typically when a property first comes to the market for sale, when the real-estate agent is able to review the property and create an evaluation report that is sharable with other real-estate agents or with other users, such as a potential buyer. 
     The mobile system  105  facilitates collecting and distributing a plurality of real-estate evaluation reports. It comprises a first mobile device  107  that facilitates creation of real-estate evaluation reports, a server  111  that collects real-estate, evaluation reports and facilitates subsequent retrieval, and a second mobile device  109  that retrieves the plurality of real-estate evaluation reports for display to a user, who is typically a real-estate agent. The mobile system  105  manages the collection, storage and retrieval of real-estate evaluation reports and its distribution to users of the first mobile device  107  and the second mobile device  109 . In addition, it also facilitates access of evaluation reports by a user from a PC/computer/laptop  199 . 
     The first mobile device  107  comprises a client  123  capable of facilitating creation and display of evaluation reports, a communication management circuitry  119  capable of communicating with the server  111  and the second mobile device  109  employing the network  117 , a processing circuitry  131 , a storage  133 , a GPS circuitry  135  and a personal information manager (PIM)  137 . The second mobile device  109  comprises components that are similar to those found in the first mobile device  107 . 
     The server  111  comprises a database  115  that is used to store evaluation reports, property details, agent&#39;s search lists etc., a task manager module  191  that is used to execute predefined tasks periodically, a communication management component  183  that is used to communicate with the first mobile device  107 , the second mobile device  109  and other servers  185 , a web map service module  195  that is used to create map displays comprising locations of real-estate properties for sale in a given geographical region, and a security module  197  that is used for authentication, user authorization and for other security related activities. 
     The mobile system  105  facilitates collecting evaluation reports from one or more real-estate agents and selectively sharing it or and distributing it to other real-estate agents. Multiple agents can review different real estate properties and provide evaluations for those that they care to review or those that interest them. Other agents can retrieve and review these evaluations, enhance them, and update them as necessary. Evaluations can be retrieved from the server  111  using MLS numbers, property addresses, etc. Evaluations can be in the form of textual data, photographs, associated electronic documents, audio feedback provided, etc. They are stored in the evaluations  187  component of the database  115 . 
     Evaluations can expire, can be added to, and can be replaced. Evaluations can be created using evaluation forms provided by the server to the user using the mobile device  107 ,  109 . Such forms can bring up standard set of check boxes, data entry buttons, etc. as needed. For example, the server  111  can provide an appropriate form, of the required kind so that a real-estate agent can create evaluations on his mobile device  107 ,  109 . 
     In general, the first mobile device  107  is associated with and used by a first real-estate agent and the second mobile device  109  is associated with and used by a second real-estate agent. The first mobile device  107 , employed by the first real-estate agent, provides at least one of the plurality of real-estate evaluation reports for sharing with other real-estate agents while the second mobile device  109 , employed by the second real-estate agent, retrieves the real-estate evaluation reports for review. 
     The first mobile device  107  and the second mobile device  109  provide evaluation screens to corresponding users wherein the evaluation screens comprise prompts for soliciting evaluations for one or more real-estate properties. Each of the one or more real-estate properties are identified by a MLS identification, an address, etc. The server receives and stores evaluations provided for the one or more real-estate properties. 
     The mobile system  105  provides screens or evaluation forms to the first  107  and second mobile device  109  wherein the prompts solicit textual, audio, video and picture inputs that are stored as part of the evaluations provided for the one or more real-estate properties. The prompts are organized into standard forms that a user can respond to. Authorized users can retrieve, review, enhance or replace the evaluations, as necessary. 
     In general, evaluations can be retrieved using MLS numbers, property addresses, etc. Evaluations can be provided in the form of textual data, photographs, associated electronic documents, audio feedback provided, or a combination thereof, etc. Evaluations can be sent to a group of recipients, who are typically real-estate agents, who receive them for review on their mobile devices  107 ,  109 . The recipients can be part of a social group, and evaluations can be sent to the social group members for review. Every member of the social group receives the evaluations sent for review. It is possible to manage who receives the evaluations. For example, only specific members of a workgroup who are also part of the social group can be assigned rights to review the evaluations. 
     Evaluations can expire, can be added to, can be replaced. Evaluations can bring up a standard form with text entry fields, buttons, audio recording buttons, video recording buttons, photographic picture collection buttons, and set of check boxes as needed. 
     Evaluations can also be sent to a social group of real-estate agents and every member of that social group receives the evaluations posted for review. The recipients of the evaluations can be managed. In one related embodiment, only specific members of a social group, who may be colleagues working together, can be assigned rights to review the evaluations. In another related embodiment, only members of a friends list created by a real-estate agent for sharing evaluations are provided rights to review evaluations. In general, when social groups are used to share evaluation, some subset of a social group can be provided rights to review the evaluations. 
     In one embodiment, a social interaction system offered and managed by the server  185  manages communication between a real-estate agents and a plurality of colleagues who are also real-estate agents. The social interaction system interacts with the agent&#39;s sharing list  185  that a real-estate agent can employ to select other users (such as other real-estate agents) to share evaluations with. The sharing of evaluations can be restricted to identified colleagues or friends, based at least in part upon their membership in one or more agent&#39;s sharing lists  185  managed by the a real-estate agent who creates his evaluations. 
     The system  105  comprises a social interaction service employing the server  185  and the server  111  that enable presentation of the plurality of real-estate properties on a map based on their locations. Such a presentation is provided on a map displayed to the real-estate agent on the first  107  and second mobile device  109 . The system  105  also comprises a search/filter component  181  that facilitates retrieval and display of evaluations onto mobile devices  107 ,  109 , wherein the criterion for retrieval comprises at least one policy or preference and may, in addition, comprise of user selections of property using their MLS identifications and addresses. 
       FIG. 2  is system  201  that makes it possible for a user to view a map  205  on a communication device  203 , with real-estate property  207 ,  209 ,  213 , 295 ,  297  shown on the map, wherein those properties  209  with evaluations available are highlighted on the map. The system  201  supports a novel method of displaying property evaluation information to real-estate agents wherein the real-estate property is located in a geographical area of interest. The system  201  generates and displays a digital map for viewing by real-estate agents on their communication device  203 , such as the mobile computing devices that agents often carry. It enables the agents to view a map with highlighted properties, focusing on a geographical area of interest. 
     An agent can obtain property evaluation information for real-estate property for the geographical area of interest, wherein said property evaluation information is obtained from a remote database communicatively coupled to the agent&#39;s mobile computing device  203 . The property evaluation information includes at least a location information, comparative market price information, property defects information, problems fixed information, ownership information, quality of life information, school district profile information, number of days in the market information, legal status information and a market status of the item of the real-estate property. 
     The communication device  203  comprises a “properties with evaluation”  275  screen that displays the map  205  with properties with evaluations  209  highlighted on the map  205 . The map  205  shows real-estate properties, and when a user selects (by clicking on the displayed property on the map  205 ) one of the properties, its property details are displayed in the screen  275 . If the selected property is highlighted indicating availability of an evaluation (previously created by the user or a different user), the appropriate evaluation is retrieved and displayed, along with the property details. A property lists  251  lists available property. An agent list  261  provides lists of agents that a user can employ to share a newly created evaluation. A Go  277  button activates navigation on the communication device  203 , such as navigation to the selected property on the currently displayed map  205 . A make appointment  279  button facilitates making an appointment to show a selected property to a potential buyer, etc. 
     A social group for agents  285  communicatively coupled to the communication device  203  makes it possible for a user (such as a real-estate agent) to post new evaluations created on the communication device  203  with members of a social group of real-estate agents. Evaluations posted  287  by one or more users are shared with the entire social group of real-estate agents. 
     The evaluate  229  button activates the creation of a new evaluation. A user can employ the type message  273  data entry region to type in (using a keyboard, a soft key board or a pen interface) to enter text messages while creating a new evaluation. A talk button  235  activates recording of audio inputs provided by the user. When activated a second time, it stops recording. A video button  237  activates video recording and stores videos created locally until it is transferred to a database as part of an evaluation form. Similarly, a photo button  271  activates taking a photographic image and storing it locally until it is transferred to a database as part of an evaluation form. 
     In one embodiment, the user views a map  205  on the mobile device  203  displaying a property indicator on the digital map at the location of an item of property in the real-estate market. The property indicator (which is an icon, image, logo, etc.)  207 ,  209 ,  295 ,  213 ,  297  is associated with the item of property in the real-estate market, and is displayed at geographical coordinates associated with its location/address. In particular some of the property indicators are highlighted  209  (by a change of color, by a colored border, etc.) to draw attention to those that have an evaluation currently available, in response to the property indicator being selected, the property evaluation information of the item of properly associated with the selected property indicator is retrieved and displayed. After an evaluation is displayed for a property, the user, typically a real-estate agent, can provide additional audio inputs, video inputs, comments in textual form, etc. Thus, a database  115  used to store evaluations can collect additional property evaluation information provided by a real-estate agent from the mobile computing device  203  of that agent. The database  115  associates the collected additional property evaluation information with the item of property associated with the selected property indicator while storing it in the database  115 . 
     The real-estate properties that are available in a geographical region are highlighted in a map displayed on the mobile device of the real estate agents. The present invention makes it possible to show a plurality of points within the selectable map, each point of the plurality of points representing the appropriate geographic location of an available real estate property that comprises a corresponding evaluation. The present invention facilitates presenting the collected evaluations to the one or more real estate agents via a social network group  285  to which each of the one or more real estate agents can gain access using their associated one or more of the mobile devices. To facilitate creation of evaluations, in one embodiment the user is presented with an appropriate form, from a set of available forms, for input solicitation, based upon a type associated with each of the available real estate properties and the preferences of the corresponding one or more real estate agents. Also, the evaluations are associated with additional information regarding the features of the available real estate properties and these can be retrieved together by a real estate agent from their mobile devices. 
       FIG. 3  is a system  301  for gathering evaluations of real-estate properties, the system  301  comprising a database  389  of real-estate information comprising details of a plurality of real-estate properties, and a plurality of devices  321 ,  361 ,  399 . The database  189  is communicatively coupled to the plurality of devices that each facilitate creation of evaluation reports by users, who are primarily real-estate agents and their customers (buyers and sellers of properties). Each of the plurality of devices  321 ,  361 ,  399  is capable of presenting forms to the users for creation of the evaluation reports. Each of the plurality of devices  321 ,  361 ,  399  is capable of communicating evaluation reports created, to the database  389 . The database  389  is capable of facilitating selective retrieval of the evaluations from the plurality of devices  321 ,  361 ,  399 . 
     In one embodiment, the system  301  also comprises a server  385  communicatively coupled to the database  189  and to the plurality of devices  321 ,  361 ,  399 . The server  385  presents evaluation forms to the plurality of devices  321 ,  361 ,  399  soliciting inputs from their users. The server  385  receives evaluation reports from the plurality of devices  321 ,  361 ,  399  in response to the evaluation forms and stores them in the database  389 . 
     In general, at least one of the plurality of devices  321 ,  361 ,  399  is a mobile phone, others are PCs, laptops, computers etc. The forms provided by the server  385  include selective prompts for textual, audio, video and photographic inputs. In one related embodiment, the forms comprise selective prompts for textual, audio, video and photographic inputs and the evaluation reports comprise at least one of audio inputs, video inputs and photographic inputs. 
     In one embodiment, the plurality of devices  321 ,  361 ,  399  each comprise a GPS receiver circuitry. Each of the plurality of devices  321 ,  361 ,  399  read a geographic location information employing the GPS receiver circuitry and communicate it to the database  389  along with the evaluation reports created. 
       FIG. 4  is a work flow diagram of an exemplary operation of the mobile system  105  for collecting and distributing a plurality of real-estate evaluation reports. The exemplary operation provides a method of evaluating available real estate, properties and creating evaluation reports for sharing it with others. Processing starts at a start block  405  when the real-estate agent creates an account, makes a list of friends/agents to share evaluations with and determines properties of interest and one or more geographical regions of interest. At a next block  407 , the method comprises the steps of creating a database of the available real estate properties. At a next block  409 , the method addresses collecting evaluations from one or more of the mobile devices associated with one or more real estate agents. Then, at a next block the evaluations are associated with corresponding ones of the available real estate properties. 
     At a next block  413 , the operation comprises sharing, selectively, the evaluations with at least the one or more real estate agents and displaying the evaluations when retrieved from the mobile devices. At a next block  415 , it facilitates providing a selectable map with the available real estate properties identified on the map. The map is presented to the user and is used by the user for navigating to one or more properties, as needed. Then, at a next block  417 , those of the available real estate properties with associated evaluations are highlighted on the map presented to the user. When a user selects one of the available real estate properties with associated evaluations that are highlighted on the selectable map, the appropriate one of the evaluations available are presented to the user, optionally with other known details of the property. Processing finally terminates at a next block  421 . 
     In one embodiment, the method also includes the further step of verifying the authorization of a user to view the displayed evaluations when the evaluations are retrieved from the mobile devices. User authorizations ensure that only authorized real-estate agents can create evaluations, and share it with other authorized individuals, such as other real-estate agents. In addition, verifying the authorization of the one or more real estate agents before they are allowed to retrieve the evaluations that are available also ensures security of data. 
     Some prior art solutions allow a first user about to navigate using a map to a particular address, or to a historical landmark, famous restaurant, etc. However, these navigational devices, or related systems, do not help in creating property evaluations that can be stored and later shared with a user of a second device. Thus, the present invention provides features useful for the creation of property evaluations that are communicated from the first user&#39;s mobile device to a database for subsequent sharing with the second user&#39;s mobile device. 
     As one of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate, the terms “operably coupled” and “communicatively coupled,” as may be used herein, include direct coupling and indirect coupling via another component, element, circuit, or module where, for indirect coupling, the intervening component, element, circuit, or module does not modify the information of a signal but may adjust its current level, voltage level, and/or power level. As one of ordinary skill in the art will also appreciate, inferred coupling (i.e., where one element is coupled to another element by inference) includes direct and indirect coupling between two elements in the same manner as “operably coupled” and “communicatively coupled.” 
     Although the present invention has been described in terms of GPS coordinates/and navigational information communication involving mobile phones and computers, it must be clear that the present invention also applies to other types of devices including mobile devices, laptops with a browser, a hand held device such as a PDA, a television, a set-top-box, a media center at home, robots, robotic devices, vehicles capable of navigation, and a computer communicatively coupled to the network. 
     The present invention has also been described above with the aid of method steps illustrating the performance of specified functions and relationships thereof. The boundaries and sequence of these functional building blocks and method steps have been arbitrarily defined herein for convenience of description. Alternate boundaries and sequences can be defined so long as the specified functions and relationships are appropriately performed. Any such alternate boundaries or sequences are thus within the scope and spirit of the claimed invention. 
     The present invention has been described above with aid of functional building blocks illustrating the performance of certain significant functions. The boundaries of these functional building blocks have been arbitrarily defined for convenience of description. Alternate boundaries could be defined as long as the certain significant functions are appropriately performed. Similarly, flow diagram blocks may also have been arbitrarily defined herein to illustrate certain significant functionality. To the extent used, the flow diagram block boundaries and sequence could have been defined otherwise and still perform the certain significant functionality. Such alternate definitions of both functional building blocks and flow diagram blocks and sequences are thus within the scope and spirit of the claimed invention. 
     One of average skill in the art will also recognize that the functional building blocks, and other illustrative blocks, modules and components herein, can be implemented as illustrated or by discrete components, application specific integrated circuits, processors executing appropriate software and the like or any combination thereof. 
     Moreover, although described in detail for purposes of clarity and understanding by way of the aforementioned embodiments, the present invention is not limited to such embodiments. It will be obvious to one of average skill in the art that various changes and modifications may be practiced within the spirit and scope of the invention, as limited only by the scope of the appended claims.