SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR MONITORING AND TRACKING USER ACTIVITIES

• US 20120130886A1
• Filed: 11/22/2010
• Published: 05/24/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 11/22/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Capital One Services LLC (Capital One Financial Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Bundle (Capital One Financial Corporation)
• Inventors: Shergill, Jaidev, Serro, Michele, Singh, Shiv Bir
• Granted Patent: US 11,321,727 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/39
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/10 specially adapted for electronic funds transfer [EFT] systems; specially adapted for home banking systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/384 using social networks
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0217 involving input on products or services in exchange for incentives or rewards

Abstract

The disclosed embodiments assist a user in monitoring one or more user-selected activities. In addition, a user may share the monitored information with one or more people, such as a particular group of friends (e.g., friends associated with a social networking website) or by e-mailing or text messaging the monitored information to a particular person or persons. In some embodiments, a user may participate in a competition with one or more people (e.g., designated friends or even random people) to either perform or not perform a particular activity. Still, in some embodiments, the disclosed embodiments may automatically receive financial data from a financial service provider and update/display one or more user-selected activities based on the received financial data.

Claims

1. A method implemented using a processor, a memory and a display of a computing device for tracking and reporting one or more user-selected activities, the method comprising:

receiving a first input from a first user relating to a first activity type performed by the first user;

processing the first input using the processor and data stored in the memory relating to the first activity type; and

displaying a first status output to the first user on the display based on the first input, the first activity type, and a predetermined goal, wherein the predetermined goal is set by at least one of the first user or automatically.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the first activity type relates to a specific user-selected activity performed by the user, the user selecting the specific user-selected activity using the computing device, and further comprising:

the processor processing the first input relating to the first activity type to determine a cumulative cost associated with the specific user-selected activity for a predetermined period; and

displaying the cumulative cost associated with the specific user selected activity for the predetermined period on the display of the computing device.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising displaying a difference value between the predetermined goal and the cumulative cost during the predetermined period.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising displaying a savings value at the end of the predetermined period indicating the difference value between the predetermined goal and the cumulative cost for the predetermined period.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising automatically transferring a dollar amount equaling the savings value to a financial account of the first user.

6. The method of claim 4, further comprising displaying a user interface designed to obtain instructions from the first user regarding transfer of all or a portion of the savings value to a financial account of the first user, and upon receipt of a transfer instruction, transferring an amount indicated by the first user to the financial account of the first user.

7. The method of claim 5, further comprising maintaining a cumulative amount of savings transferred to the financial account of the first user that is associated with the first activity type performed by the first user.

8. The method of claim 6, further comprising maintaining a cumulative amount of savings transferred to the financial account of the first user that is associated with the first activity type performed by the first user.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the first status output provides a result based on cumulative activities of the first user as compared to the predetermined goal.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving data relating to a second activity type performed by a second user; and

storing the data relating to the second activity type in the memory; and

wherein the first status output is further based on the data relating to the second activity type.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the first status output further provides a comparative result based on a status of the second user.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the predetermined goal is avoidance of the first activity type.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the predetermined goal is engaging in the first activity type.

14. The method of claim 10, wherein the first activity type and the second activity type are identical.

15. The method of claim 10, wherein the first activity type and the second activity type are different.

16. The method of claim 10, further comprising transmitting data relating to the first activity type performed by the first user to the second user.

17. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving financial data from a financial service provider relating to the first activity type performed by the first user;

processing the financial data using the processor and data stored in the memory relating to the first activity type; and

updating and displaying the first status output to the first user on the display based on the received financial data, the first activity type, and the predetermined goal.

18. A system for tracking and reporting one or more user-selected activities, the system comprising:

a processor;

a memory coupled to the processor;

an input device coupled to the processor, the input device used to obtain information from a first user relating to a first activity of a first activity type performed by the first user and wherein the processor processes the information using data stored in the memory relating to the first activity type to obtain a first status output based on the first activity, the first activity type, and a predetermined goal, wherein the predetermined goal is set by at least one of the first user or automatically; and

a display coupled to the processor, the display used to display the first status output.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein the first status output provides a result based on cumulative activities of the first user as compared to the predetermined goal.

20. The system of claim 18, further comprising a receiver, wherein the receiver receives data relating to a second activity type performed by a second user, wherein the data relating to the second activity type is stored in the memory, and wherein the first status output is further based on the data relating to the second activity type.

21. The system of claim 20, wherein the first status output further provides a comparative result based on a status of the second user.

22. The system of claim 18, wherein the predetermined goal is avoidance of the first activity type.

23. The system of claim 18, wherein the predetermined goal is engaging in the first activity type.

24. The system of claim 20, wherein the first activity type and the second activity type are identical.

25. The system of claim 20, wherein the first activity type and the second activity type are different.

26. The system of claim 20, further comprising a network communications interface, wherein the network communications interface transmits data relating to the first activity type performed by the first user to the second user.

27. The system of claim 18, further comprising:

a network communications interface, wherein the network communications interface receives financial data from a financial service provider relating to the first activity type performed by the first user; and

wherein the processor processes the financial data using the processor and data stored in the memory relating to the first activity type to update the first status output to the first user on the display based on the received financial data.

28. A computer program product to be used with a processor, the computer program product comprising:

a computer usable medium having computer readable program code embodied therein to be used when tracking and reporting one or more user-selected activities, the computer readable program code including;

computer readable program code to be used when receiving a first input from a first participant relating to an occurrence of a first activity type performed by the first participant;

computer readable program code to be used when processing the first input using the processor and data stored in the memory relating to the first activity type; and

computer readable program code to be used when displaying a first status output to the first participant on the display based on the first activity, the first activity type, and a predetermined goal, wherein the predetermined goal is set by at least one of the first participant or automatically.

29. The computer program product of claim 28, further comprising:

computer readable program code to be used when receiving data relating to a second activity type performed by a second participant; and

computer readable program code to be used when storing the data relating to the second activity type in the memory; and

wherein the first status output is further based on the data relating to the second activity type.

30. The computer program product of claim 28, further comprising:

computer readable program code to be used when receiving financial data from a financial service provider relating to the first activity type performed by the first participant; and

computer readable program code to be used when processing the financial data using the processor and data stored in the memory relating to the first activity type to update the first status output on the display based on the received financial data.