Providing financial account information to users

• US 10,169,812 B1
• Filed: 01/20/2012
• Issued: 01/01/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 01/20/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: The PNC Financial Services Group, Inc.
• Original Assignee: The PNC Financial Services Group, Inc.
• Inventors: Bajgier, Christopher Michael, Ley, Michael Scott, Mackrell, Bryan Lee
• Primary Examiner(s): Vyas, Abhishek
• Application Number:
  US13/355,056
• Time in Patent Office: 2,538 Days
• Field of Search: 705 42, 705 44
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/06 Private payment circuits, e.g. involving electronic currency used among participants of a common payment scheme
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/102 Bill distribution or payments
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/108 Remote banking, e.g. home banking
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3221 Access to banking information through M-devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3676 Balancing accounts
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/00 Finance; Insurance; Tax strategies; Processing of corporate or income taxes
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/02 Banking, e.g. interest calculation or account maintenance credit or loans G06Q40/03
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/06 Asset management; Financial planning or analysis
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/12 Accounting
• CPC Class Codes: G07G 1/01 Details for indicating displaying information in general G09F, G09G

Abstract

Various embodiments are directed to computer-implemented systems and methods for providing financial information to a user. A computing device may receive from a financial server system data indicative of a balance of a first financial account of the user; a balance of a second financial account of the user; and a balance of scheduled payments to be deducted from the first financial account. The computing device may provide a graphical interface to the user. The graphical user interface may comprise a balance indicator having a first segment having a first area proportional to the balance of the first financial account; a second segment having a second area proportional to the balance of the second financial account, wherein a sum of the first area and the second area is substantially constant independent of the balances of the first and second financial accounts; and a scheduled payments indicator.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for providing financial information to a user, the method comprising:

receiving, by a computing device and from a financial server system data indicative of;

a balance of a first financial account of the user;

a balance of a second financial account of the user; and

a balance of scheduled payments to be deducted from the first financial account,

wherein the computer device comprises at least one processor and operatively associated memory;

providing, by the computing device, a graphical user interface to the user;

displaying, via the graphical user interface provided by the computing device, a first segment having a first area proportional to the balance of the first financial account;

displaying, via the graphical user interface provided by the computing device, a second segment having a second area proportional to the balance of the second financial account, wherein a sum of the first area and the second area is substantially constant independent of the balances of the first and second financial accounts;

displaying, via the graphical user interface provided by the computing device, a scheduled payments indicator that comprises a bar element positioned behind the graphical user interface having a length determined by a portion of the balance of the first financial account necessary to meet the balance of scheduled payments, and wherein the graphical user interface has a default state where numerical values for the first balance and the second balance are not displayed, wherein the graphical user interface is configured to be transitioned from the default state to display the numerical values and transitioned back to the default state;

receiving, by the computing device, a selection of a balance indicator by the user;

after receiving the selection of the balance indicator by the user, transitioning the graphical user interface from the default state and displaying, by the computing device, a numerical indication of at least one of the balance of the first financial account, the balance of the second financial account and the balance of scheduled payments, wherein the selection of the balance indicator corresponds to at least one of;

the user placing a cursor of the computing device over the balance indicator; and

the user placing the cursor of the computing device over the balance indicator and selecting the balance indicator;

displaying, via the graphical user interface provided by the computing device, a divider positioned between the first segment and the second segment;

receiving an input associated with the divider from the user via the graphical interface provided by the computing device, the input associated with the divider comprising a prescribed amount for a transfer of funds from the first financial account to the second financial account or from the second financial account to the first financial account;

executing the transfer of funds in the prescribed amount from the first financial account to the second financial account or from the second financial account to the first financial account based on the input associated with the divider via the financial server system; and

displaying, via the graphical user interface provided by the computing device, a new balance of the first financial account or the second financial account according to the prescribed amount of the transfer of funds in response to the transfer of funds.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the balance indicator comprises a hyperlink that, when selected by the user, causes the computer device to launch a connection to the financial server system, and further comprising receiving, by the computing system via the connection, a second user interface for managing at least one of the first financial account and the second financial account.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the executing of the transfer of funds is carried out based on a confirmation received from the user.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the balance indicator is a bar, wherein the first area corresponds to a first side of the bar, wherein the second area corresponds to a second side of the bar, and wherein the scheduled payments indicator is positioned at least partially around the first area.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the balance indicator is positioned at a foreground location on the computing device.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving, by the computer device and from a user, authentication information identifying the user;

receiving, by the computer device and from the user, an indication to store the authentication information;

storing, by the computer device, the authentication information at the memory;

before receiving the balance of the first financial account, the balance of the second financial account and the balance of schedule payments, providing the authentication information to the financial server system.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining, by the computing device, whether a threshold time has passed since the most recent time that the computing device has provided the graphical user interface to the user;

when the threshold time has not passed;

retrieving from the memory stored authentication information for the user; and

providing the authentication information to the financial server system before receiving the balance of the first financial account.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the graphical user interface comprises a second balance indicator related to third and fourth financial accounts of the user, wherein the second balance indicator comprises:

a first segment having a first area proportional to a balance of the third financial account;

a second segment having a second area proportional to a balance of the fourth financial account; and

a scheduled payments indicator positioned relative to the first area and comprises information regarding a segment of the balance of the third financial account necessary to meet a balance of schedule payments to be deducted from the third financial account.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the third and fourth financial accounts are associated with a financial institution different than a financial institution associated with the first and second financial accounts.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving, by the computing device and from the financial server system, an indication of a transaction on at least one of the first financial account and the second financial account and an indication of a new balance of at least one of the first financial account and the second financial account; and

displaying, by the computing device, an alert indicative of the transaction.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the displaying comprises displaying the alert of the transaction in real time.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein displaying the alert comprises the computing device supplementing the graphical interface with an alert indicator proximate the balance indicator, wherein the alert indicator comprises an indication of the transaction.

13. The method of claim 10, wherein displaying the alert comprises the computing device providing an alert through an operating system of the computing device.

14. The method claim 1, further comprising:

prior to transitioning the graphical user interface from the default state and displaying, by the computing device, the numerical indication of at least one of the balance of the first financial account, the balance of the second financial account and the balance of scheduled payments, receiving from the user a code comprising a plurality of characters; and

conditioned upon the code corresponding to a predetermined code of the user, transitioning the graphical user interface from the default state and displaying, by the computing device, the numerical indication of at least one of the balance of the first financial account, the balance of the second financial account and the balance of scheduled payments.

15. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining whether an amount of near-term bill payments is present;

upon a determination that an amount of near-term bill payments is present, displaying, via the graphical user interface provided by the computing device, a flag element indicating the amount of near-term bill payments that is present.

18. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining whether a projected balance of at least one of the first financial account and second financial account will drop below a predetermined threshold amount, wherein the determining is based on scheduled deposits and withdrawals of the at least one of the first financial account and second financial account;

upon a determination that the projected balance of the at least one of the first financial account and second financial account will drop below the predetermined threshold amount, displaying a projection based account warning.

16. A computer-implemented system for providing financial information to a user, the system comprising:

a computing device comprising at least one processor and operatively associated memory, wherein the computing device is programmed to;

receive from a financial server system data indicative of;

a balance of a first financial account of the user

a balance of a second financial account of the user; and

a balance of scheduled payments to be deducted from the first financial account;

provide a graphical interface to the user, wherein the graphical interface comprises a balance indicator comprising;

a first segment having a first area proportional to the balance of the first financial account;

a second segment having a second area proportional to the balance of the second financial account, wherein a sum of the first area and the second area is substantially constant independent of the balances of the first and second financial accounts;

a scheduled payments indicator that comprises a bar element positioned behind the graphical user interface having a length determined by a portion of the balance of the first financial account necessary to meet the balance of scheduled payments, and wherein the graphical user interface has a default state where numerical values for the first balance and the second balance are not displayed, wherein the graphical user interface is configured to be transitioned from the default state to display the numerical values and transitioned back to the default state; and

a divider positioned between the first segment and the second segment;

receive, by the computing device, a selection of the balance indicator;

after receiving the selection of the balance indicator by the user, transitioning the graphical user interface from the default state and displaying, by the computing device, a numerical indication of at least one of the balance of the first financial account, the balance of the second financial account and the balance of scheduled payments, wherein the selection of the balance indicator corresponds to at least one of;

the user placing a cursor of the computing device over the balance indicator; and

the user placing the cursor of the computing device over the balance indicator and selecting the balance indicator;

receive an input associated with the divider to the graphical interface from the user, the input associated with the divider comprising a prescribed amount for a transfer of funds from the first financial account to the second financial account or from the second financial account to the first financial account;

execute the transfer of funds in the prescribed amount from the first financial account to the second financial account or from the second financial account to the first financial account based on the input associated with the divider; and

display a new balance of the first financial account or the second financial account according to the prescribed amount of the transfer of funds in response to the transfer of funds.

17. A computer-implemented system for providing financial information to a user, the system comprising:

a processor and non-transitory computer readable medium comprising instructions that when executed by the processor cause the processor to perform the following functions;

receive from a financial server system data indicative of;

a balance of a first financial account of the user;

a balance of a second financial account of the user; and

a balance of scheduled payments to be deducted from the first financial account;

provide a graphical interface to the user, wherein the graphical interface comprises a balance indicator comprising;

a first segment having a first area proportional to the balance of the first financial account;

a second segment having a second area proportional to the balance of the second financial account, wherein a sum of the first area and the second area is substantially constant independent of the balances of the first and second financial accounts;

a scheduled payments indicator that comprises a bar element positioned behind the graphical user interface having a length determined by a portion of the balance of the first financial account necessary to meet the balance of scheduled payments, and wherein the graphical user interface has a default state where numerical values for the first balance and the second balance are not displayed, wherein the graphical user interface is configured to be transitioned from the default state to display the numerical values and transitioned back to the default state; and

a divider positioned between the first segment and the second segment;

receive, by the computing device, a selection of the balance indicator;

after receiving the selection of the balance indicator by the user, transitioning the graphical user interface from the default state and displaying, by the computing device, a numerical indication of at least one of the balance of the first financial account, the balance of the second financial account and the balance of scheduled payments, wherein the selection of the balance indicator corresponds to at least one of;

the user placing a cursor of the computing device over the balance indicator; and

the user placing the cursor of the computing device over the balance indicator and selecting the balance indicator;

receive an input associated with the divider to the graphical interface from the user, the input associated with the divider comprising a prescribed amount for a transfer of funds from the first financial account to the second financial account or from the second financial account to the first financial account;

execute the transfer of funds in the prescribed amount from the first financial account to the second financial account or from the second financial account to the first financial account based on the input associated with the divider; and

display a new balance of the first financial account or the second financial account according to the prescribed amount of the transfer of funds in response to the transfer of funds.