Data processing: database and file management or data structures – Database design – Data structure types
Reexamination Certificate
1999-03-31
2003-03-25
Shah, Sanjiv (Department: 2763)
Data processing: database and file management or data structures
Database design
Data structure types
C707S793000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06539401
ABSTRACT:
TECHNICAL FIELD
This invention relates to a system for facilitating home construction and sales and more particularly relates to a computer implemented system for assisting new home purchasers, sales associates, and home construction companies to efficiently manage the information flow which is present before, during, and after new home construction and sales.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
It is customary for prospective new home purchasers to meet with a salesperson (usually an agent of a construction company) and to review various home designs that the construction company offers. During this process, financial information may be obtained from the prospective buyer in order to determine “how much home” they can afford. If the prospective buyer is interested in a particular subdivision, the sales persons must access various records to determine the status of the various lots in the subdivision to determine which lots are available, what their cost is and other information which may be relevant to the decision making process of the potential purchaser.
It can be easily seen that the information which the sales associate must access in answering some basic questions that a single potential purchaser may have can become cumbersome—even at the initial stages of a potential purchaser's inquiries. It can also be easily seen that once a purchaser enters into a purchase agreement with the home construction company, much information must be tracked such as the status of the home construction, mortgage approval status, selected options to the home, and various change orders, etc. In view of the above, it is easy to see how the management of information associated with the construction and sale of a single home can be daunting. However, when a construction company must deal with multiple subdivision projects which are disbursed across multiple, geographically remote sites, the management of information associated with each of the construction projects is a monumental undertaking if done using conventional, manual techniques.
In view of the above, it is an object of this invention to provide a computer based system for managing the information flow associated with new home construction and new home sales. This object is accomplished by providing the salesperson with various software modules which facilitate information flow between the purchaser/potential purchaser and the sales associate. Also, the present invention sets forth a software system for coordinating information flow between sales sites and a more centralized site where information can be collected and acted upon. Thus, the present invention not only facilitates information flow at the sales office level, but facilitates information flow between various sales offices and various remote locations.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In a first aspect, the present invention discloses a system for displaying plat status information to a viewer including the steps of displaying, on a video display terminal, a plurality of polygons, each polygon representing a respectively associated plat; selecting a status associated with each plat; and coding each polygon with a visible indicia indicative of the status assigned to each polygon.
In a second aspect, the present invention discloses a system for displaying plat status information comprising; computer means including a video display terminal for displaying a plurality of polygons, each polygon representing a plat; means for coding each of the polygons with an invisible indicia indicative of the status assigned to each of the polygon's respectively associated plat.
Still in another aspect, the present invention discloses a method of communicating between first and second geographically remote data bases, comprising the steps of: receiving information relating to the construction or sale of homes into the first data base; separating the information into a plurality of first data base records; determining which of the plurality of first data base records have been altered from a previous state; sending the altered records of the first data base to the second data base; matching each altered data base record sent from the first data base with a respectively associated record of the second data base; and amending each match record of said second data base to reflect the information present in the respectively associated altered record send from the first data base.
Yet in another aspect, the present invention discloses a system for facilitating tracking-information associated with selling and constructing homes including, computer means; means coupled with the computer means for displaying plat information relating to the homes; means coupled with the computer means for displaying information relating to the design of the homes; means coupled with the computer means for displaying information related to the options associated with the homes; means, coupled with the computer means, for displaying mortgage information relating to the purchase of the home; and means, coupled with the computer means for displaying information related to a contract associated with the sale of the home.
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