GB2341996A

GB2341996A - Vending inspection site

Info

Publication number: GB2341996A
Application number: GB9815564A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Marek Daneshfar
Original assignee: MONITRON INTERNATIONAL Ltd
Current assignee: MONITRON INTERNATIONAL Ltd
Priority date: 1998-07-18
Filing date: 1998-07-18
Publication date: 2000-03-29
Also published as: GB9815564D0

Abstract

A site 10 for inspection of an article to be sold, such as a motorcar 26, comprising camera(s) 14-22 and 33 positioned at said site, operable to record images of the article, input means 24 operable to record text, audible or other information, on the article, and transmitting means 23 enabling said images, text and/or audible information to be transmitted and placed on file on a computer accessible storage means, such as a database accessible through the Internet. The site enables a potential vendor of, for example, a motorcar, to place information on the motorcar on a computer database, which is accessible by potential purchasers. The site is provided with a keyboard 23 and display means 24 so that a pro-forma information sheet may be displayed to the potential vendor to facilitate input of the information within a few minutes. The site can allow the camera(s) to be remotely operated e.g. by a prospective vendor or the camera(s) can be automatically programmed. A guide price can be provided in the information.

Description

2341996

Title: Vending Inspection Site and Device Description of Invention

The present invention relates to an inspection site and devices to assist in the recording of information regarding an article which is to be sold.

0 At present it is known to advertise an article for sale by printing in a newspaper or other "oui-iial sorne information concerning the article and in j c sorne instances a photograph or other illustration of the article call also be included.

It is also known to provide such information on the internet. However obtaining the necessary information and inputting it through a computer C1 C> terminal particularly if illustrations of the ai-ticle are also wished to be included can be complicated and time consuming and it would be desirable if a more siniple systern could be utilised to enable anyone who wishes to sell an article to Input the information even though that person may not be skilled in computer techniques.

Accordin(y to one aspect of the present invention we provide a site for 0 inspection of an article to be sold, comprising, at least one camera positioned at said site and operable to record iniages of the article to be sold, input means C> enablin- recording of text, audible or other infonnation, and transmitting means C 0 0 enabling sald camera, text and/or audible information to be transmitted and placed on file on a computer accessible storage ineans.

0 Preferably said site includes more than one.camera and conveniently the caniera can be movable so as to record iniages of the article to be sold fi-oni C different positions. Conveniently the movenient of said caineras where the cameras are movable may be automatically programmed.

2 Tile article to be sold may be a vehicle, for example a motor car and the site will enable the driver to drive the car onto a pre-arranged position on the site and the camera or cameras will take pictures of the car from a predetermined position and either at the same time, before or afterwards, the person selling the car may input through a keyboard or possibly through an C audio recording device fuilher information concerning the rnotor car so that the C.

information that is displayed oil the computer accessible storage site, such as a database, will give a potential purchaser of the car as much useful information as possible.

It is further envisaged that a terininal may be connected to a database 0 concerning information oil all or most motor cars available in a pailicular country so that once the vendor indicates the type of car which he wishes to sell a pro-forina information sheet Is displayed oil display means to the vendor to facilitate the input of the required inforniation from the vendor.

It is farther envisaged that the stored information may indicate to the vendor oil completion of the input of information a realistic guide price that he should be requesting for the sale of the article which price will depend, at least in part, oil the information which the vendor lias supplied.

The transmitting rneans will then place the information, both visual, textual and possibly audible oil a coniputer accessible database such as the internet to enable purchasers for such an article to easily access the recorded Inforlilation.

The presence of the catneras at the site and the otlier facilities to input the Information sholild ellable a vendor to record full information concerning the article to be sold within a relatively sliort space of tinic for example, a few minutes, which information can ininiediately be transmitted to the computer,accessible data storage site thereby greatly facilitating the ease ill which a 0 In c vendor can promote his article for sale.

It is fili-ther envisaged that there may also be experienced personnel at the site to assist a vendor. However, it is believed that with automatically operated cailieras and pro-forma questions and information provided by the vendor the completion of the required information should be possible by a vendor liox,.,.evei. inexperienced.

It is a further obJect of the invention that the site facilitates the giving of further information to a possible purchaser of the ailicle.

According to a further aspect of the invention tile site may enable the existlii,,,,, caniera or if preferred further caniera means to be operable in accordance \,.jtli the insti-uctions of a potential purcliaser.

It is envisa-ed for exaniple that a potential purchaser, having seen the C C inforniation stored oil the coniputer accessible database such as the internet may contact the vendor and ask Iiiiii to take his car to his local vending site and 1 the poteiiti,,.,il purchaser may then from a computer keyboard manipulate the caniera at the site to view as inuch as lie wishes of the car, including the inside C.

if necessary, the vendor having left (lie doors open so that lie illay have as good g recording the niforniation of the ailicle which fie a view as i's possible iiiciticiiii,,, 1 0 illay wish to purchase.

It is envisaged that as far as a motor car is concenied the vendor may park the cai. oil the site, all the doors would be open, the bonnet would be open, the boot would be open and the potential purchaser by using, whatever means are available niay control the cailiera at will. Sucii a facility enables a potential purcliaser to liave a vei), good idea of the condition of the article to be sold even thott-li lie niay be a considerable distance a\\ay thus ensuring C) C 0 that if lie does wisli to come and vIew personally the article lie does not have a wastedjourney by being misled or otherwise misunderstanding the condition of j C) C> the article.

4 The potential purchaser may also have access to recorded information concerning a reasonable price for the article thereby being informed as to whether the price being asked was appropriate.

It will be appreciated from the above, that apparatus for the present invention considerably facilitates the input of information onto a computer accessible database and in addition can enable interaction between the vendor and potential purchaser so as to provide a purchaser with as much information as lie wishes without excessive and perhaps unnecessary time being spent by either the purchaser or vendor.

It is further envisaged that in some cases, where it is desirable to do so, the article to be sold nlay be brought to the site and ail independent person, I such as a nieclianic in the case of a motor vellicle, could inspect the article, answer questions from a potential purchaser and provide ail independent and confidential report to the purchaser, the pUrchaser paying a fee for his purposes.

0 WhIlst the example of the article to be sold has been described above with reference to a motor car it is envisaged that the apparatus of the present C) invention is equally SUltable for ail article such as a caravan, boat, motorcycle, y or industrial plant, providing such articles can be brought without difficulty to C.

tile inspection site.

One example of an inspection site will now be described by way of example only with reference to tile acconipanyin'(,,, drawings whe -e n FIGURE I illustrates ail inspection site in use to record information about the vehicle, and FIGURE 2 illustrates,in inspection site beino, accessed by a potential purchaser to recall further information about tile article.

Referring, first to FIGURE I ail inspection site is sliown at 10, the inspection site having walls I I and 12 and preferably also a roof, not shown, to protect the equipment at the site from the elements. Doors may also be Provided to close the openin,s shown at 13 and 14.

C, Four vertical posts 15, 16, 17 aiid 18 are positioned near the corners of the inspection site and each of the posts 15 to 18 carries a respective camera 19, 20, 21 and 22 which are capable of vertical movement and pivotal movement relative to their respective supporting post.

Each of the cameras 19 to 22 are connected to a COMPLIter 23) which also has a keypad 24 and screen 25.

In use of tile apparatus a veiidor of an article Such as a tinotor vehicle 26 drives into tile inspection site, stops the vehicle in a central position and instructs the apparatus, via the keyboard 24 to commence operation. The cameras 19 to 22 then take Pictures of the vehicle and at the same time the driver indicated at 27 May input IlIfOl- Illat]Oll or ailswer set questions concenillig the state, condition, age etc of tile vehicle, SLICII infon-nation being input oil the keyboard 24, the aiiswers beiiio giiveii by tile di-wer 27 dependino oil the inforniation being displayed oil tile screeii 25. %VIleii all the inforniation has been completed the COMPLIter 2"') will transnilt the inforniatioti to a data storage base so that it is readily available oil file for a potential pUrchaser to view the information.

FIGURE 2 illustrates the saine site as FIGURE I hoever all additional iliobile cainera is shown at 30, the caiiiera having, a niotor driiverl base paii ') I which is capable of moving around the floor of' the inspection site. The base C> I$ part 31. includes a boom 32 mounted thereon which booln carries a camera 33 at its outer end thereof If a potential purchaser of the inotor car shown at 26, having viewed tile C> inforniatioii oil tile database wislies for iuoi-e Mforinatioii lie call request the vendor to take the car 26 to the Hispection site 10 ai)d opeii tile doors of tile %,elilcle, the bonnet, the boot as is desired aiid caii theii Histruct the 111obile cainera 330 to view more carefully all or sonie parts of the vehicle. FIGURE 2 shows in dotted Outline the camera 333 viewiiio the ititerlor of the vehicle.

C 6 Rather than having an autoniatic caniera that has its movement controlled by a potential purchaser, as an alternative an operator may have an hand held camera and may listen to instructions given by the potential purchaser and record images of different parts of the vehicle which can then be automatically transmitted to a display screen so that the potential purchase]. may have further inforniation concerning the condition of tile vehicle.

It xvill be envisaged that the apparatus shown in FIGURES 1 and 2 is C merely an example of one configuration of the apparatus necessary to provide C the required information and rather than having, the four post mounted cameras C1 as shown in FIGURES 1 and 2 a single mobile carnera may suffice and in 0 addition to the keyboard 24, audible recording ineans may be provided whereby 0 the vendor can record information by speech.

The featUres disclosed in the foregoing description, oi- the accompanying l drawings, expressed in their specific forms or in the tenns or means for performIn- the desired function, or a metliod or process for attaining the 0 C> disclosed result, may, separately or in any conibuiation of such features, be utilised for realising the invention in diverse forms thereof.

7

Claims

CLAIMS:

1. A site for inspection for an article to be sold, comprising at least one camera positioned at said site and operable to record images of the article to be sold, input means operable to record text, audible or other information, and transmitting means enabling said images, text and/or audible information to be transmitted and placed on file on a computer accessible storage means,

2. A site according to claim I wherein said camera is movable so as to record images of the article to be sold from different positions.

3. A site according to claim 2 wherein movement of said camera is automatically programmed.

4. A site according to claim 1, claim 2 or claim 3) wherein the input means comprises a keyboard and/or a sound recording device.

41)

5. A site according to any one of the preceding claims wherein display means is provided which is operative to display to a potential vendor a proforma information sheet to facilitate the input by the potential vendor of mfon-nation on the article to be sold.

6. A site according to claim 5 wherein the display means is operative to indicate to the potential vendor, once the infori-nation has been input, a guide price for the article to be sold, and wherein the guide price is calculated using the information input by the potential vendor.

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7. A site according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the computer accessible storage means is accessible via the Internet.

8. A site according to any one of claims 2 to 7 wherein movement of said camera may be effected remotely, such as, for example, by a potential purchaser of the article who is located off-site.

9. A site according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the article to be sold is a vehicle, such as a motorcar.

10. A site for inspection of an article to be sold substantially as hereinbefore described and/or as shown in the accompanying drawings.

11. Any novel feature or novel combination of features described herein and/or in the accompanying drawings.

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