User interface for a financial modeling system

• US 7,818,233 B1
• Filed: 11/01/2000
• Issued: 10/19/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 11/01/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Accenture Global Services Limited (Accenture PLC)
• Original Assignee: Accenture LLP (Accenture PLC)
• Inventors: Sloan, Ronald E., Slutsky, Stephen B.
• Primary Examiner(s): APPLE, KIRSTEN SACHWITZ
• Application Number:
  US09/704,838
• Time in Patent Office: 3,639 Days
• Field of Search: 705/35, 705/37, 705/39, 705/36.R
• US Class Current: 705/36.00R
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/10 specially adapted for electronic funds transfer [EFT] systems; specially adapted for home banking systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/00 Finance; Insurance; Tax strategies; Processing of corporate or income taxes
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/03 Credit; Loans; Processing thereof
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/04 Trading; Exchange, e.g. stocks, commodities, derivatives or currency exchange
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/06 Asset management; Financial planning or analysis

Abstract

The present invention is a graphical user interface within the context of a financial planning and management system and method. The model consists of a user intention modeling module and an investment planning module. The graphical user interface displays a model and many of its related characteristics simultaneously and allows the user to interactively manipulate the model by selecting various function and mode icons. Furthermore, the user may accesses both a live advisor and an automated coach through the graphical user interface by selecting one of several communication icons.

Claims

1. A method for providing both live advice and automated coaching from a financial modeling system, comprising:

receiving a user selection of one of a plurality of service levels, the service levels specifying combinations of portfolio modeling and automated coaching available to the user, the service levels including a selected amount of dialogue and instructions between the user and a live advisor;

receiving a user selection of an icon specifying at least one of a plurality of methods for communication with a live advisor over a network, based on the selected service level;

receiving a user specification of goals, the goals including revenue and expense goals;

displaying, in a first window, an image of a live advisor providing live coaching determined by the selected service level and the specified goals;

displaying, in a second window, context-sensitive automated coaching determined by the selected service level and the specified goals, the automated coaching being generated by a financial coaching system that comprises one or more coaching engines;

receiving a user selection of a level of risk, by;

receiving a user selection of one or more risk events from a list of risk events;

based on actuarial data from at least one external database, displaying estimates of a probability and effect of an occurrence of the selected one or more risk events; and

for a risk event among the selected one or more risk events, receiving a user specification of acceptance or rejection of an estimate associated with the risk event, and, if the user rejects the displayed estimate, receiving a user specification of a different estimate; and

receiving user responses to the portfolio modeling, the automated coaching, and the live coaching of the selected service level,

wherein the automated coaching incorporates the selected risk events, and

wherein the received responses comprise modifications to the specified goals.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the plurality of methods for communication includes at least two of:

email, electronic chat, live streaming audio, voice over the network, telephone, still picture, streaming live video, or a collaborative interaction via a web page.

3. The method of claim 1 comprising displaying, in an interactive window, a financial model generated by the financial modeling system.

4. The method of claim 3 comprising displaying a plurality of function icons for receiving a user selection of operations on the generated financial model.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein the operations comprise at least one of:

transact, monitor, model, explore, or track.

6. The method of claim 3 further comprises displaying, in at least one dynamic window, characteristics related to the generated financial model.

7. The method of claim 1 comprising displaying, in at least one interactive window, help messages related to using the financial modeling system.

8. The method of claim 1 comprising displaying at least one profile icon for receiving a user selection of operations on a user profile based on user information.

9. A system for providing information from a financial modeling system, the information including both live advice and automated coaching, comprising:

a service level selector for receiving a user selection of one of a plurality of service levels, the service levels including

combinations of portfolio modeling and automated coaching available to the user;

an user interface generator, coupled to a network, for receiving a user selection of one of a plurality of communication icons specifying communication methods with a live advisor over the network based on the selected service level;

an user communication interface for receiving goals from the user, the goals including revenue and expense goals;

a display generator coupled to the network for displaying, in a first window, an image of the live advisor providing live coaching determined by the selected service level, and the goals;

a display generator coupled to the network for displaying, in a second window, context-sensitive automated coaching determined by the selected service level, and the goals, wherein the automated coaching is driven by a financial coaching system that comprises one or more coaching engines;

a risk modeling simulator for providing user control of a level of risk supplied to the financial modeling system, by;

receiving a user selection of one or more risk events from a list of risk events;

based on actuarial data from at least one external database, displaying estimates of a probability and effect of an occurrence of the selected one or more risk events; and

for a risk event among the selected one or more risk events, the receiving a user specification of acceptance or rejection of an estimate associated with the risk event, and, if the user rejects the displayed estimate, receiving a user specification of a different estimate;

an automated coaching engine coupled to a network for providing, in a second window context-sensitive automated coaching determined by the selected service level, and the goals;

a user communication-capturing component for receiving a user response to the portfolio modeling, the automated coaching, and the live coaching of the selected service level,

wherein the automated coaching incorporates the selected risk events, and

wherein the user response comprises modifications to the received goals.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein said network is the Internet.

11. The system of claim 9 wherein the communication methods include at least two of:

email, electronic chat, live streaming audio, voice over the network, telephone, still picture, streaming live video, or a collaborative interaction via a web page.

12. The system of claim 9 wherein the display generator further includes a second display generator generating at least one interactive window for displaying a financial model generated by the financial modeling system.

13. The system of claim 12 wherein the user interface generator further includes a function icon generator displaying a plurality of function icons for user selection of operations to be performed in the generated financial model.

14. The system of claim 13 wherein the operations include at least one of:

transact, monitor, model, explore, or track.

15. The system of claim 12 wherein the user interface generator further includes a third display generator for generating, at least one dynamic window for displaying characteristics related to the generated financial model.

16. The system of claim 9 wherein the user interface generator further includes a fourth display generator for generating at least one dynamic window for displaying help messages related to using the financial modeling system.

17. The system of claim 9 wherein the user interface generator further includes a second icon generator for receiving a user selection of operations on a user profile, based on user information.

18. A computer program embodied on a non-transitory computer-readable medium for providing information from a financial modeling system, the information including both live advice and automated coaching, the computer program comprising:

a code segment for receiving a user selection of one of a plurality of service levels, the service levels including combinations of portfolio modeling and automated coaching available to the user;

a code segment for receiving a user selection from a plurality of icons specifying methods for communicating with a live advisor over a network based on the selected service level;

a code segment for generating a user interface for receiving goals from the user, the goals including revenue and expense goals;

a code segment for displaying, in a first window, an image of the live advisor providing live coaching determined by the selected service level and the goals;

a code segment for displaying, in a second window, context-sensitive automated coaching determined by the selected service level and the goals, wherein the automated coaching is driven by a financial coaching system that comprises one or more coaching engines;

a code segment for providing a risk modeling component for receiving user control of the level of risk, by;

receiving a user selection of one or more risk events from a list of risk events;

based on actuarial data from at least one external database, displaying estimates of a probability and effect of an occurrence of the selected one or more risk events; and

for a risk event among the selected one or more risk events, the receiving a user specification of acceptance or rejection of an estimate associated with the risk event, and, if the user rejects the displayed estimate, receiving a user specification of a different estimate; and

a code segment for providing a communication component for receiving a user response to the portfolio modeling, the automated coaching, and the live coaching of the selected service level,

wherein the automated coaching incorporates the selected risk events, and

wherein the user response comprises modifications to the received goals.

19. The computer program of claim 18 wherein the plurality of methods for communication includes at least two of:

email, electronic chat, live streaming audio, voice over the network, telephone, still picture, streaming live video, or a collaborative interaction via a web page.

20. The computer program of claim 18 wherein the code segment for generating a user interface further includes:

a code segment for generating at least one interactive window for displaying a financial model generated by the financial modeling system.

21. The computer program of claim 20 wherein the code segment for generating a user interface further includes:

a code segment for displaying a plurality of function icons for user selection of operations to be performed in the generated financial model.

22. The computer program medium of claim 21 wherein the operations include at least one of:

transact, monitor, model, explore, or track.

23. The computer program of claim 20 wherein the code segment for generating a user interface further includes:

a code segment for generating at least one dynamic window for displaying characteristics related to the generated financial model.

24. The computer program of claim 18 wherein the code segment for generating a user interface further includes:

code segment for generating at least one dynamic window for displaying help messages related to using the financial modeling system.

25. The computer program of claim 18 wherein the code segment for generating a user interface further includes:

a code segment for providing at least one profile icon for receiving a user selection of operations on a user profile based on user information.

26. A method for providing both live advice and automated coaching from a financial modeling and counseling system, comprising:

receiving a profile of a user;

receiving a user selection of one of a plurality of service levels, the service levels specifying combinations of financial modeling and automated coaching available to the user, the service levels including a selected amount of dialogue and instructions between the user and a live advisor;

receiving a user selection of one or more risk events from a list of risk events;

displaying, in a first window, an image of the live advisor providing live coaching determined by the selected service level and the profile of the user;

displaying, in a second window, context-sensitive automated coaching determined by the selected service level and the profile of the user, the automated coaching including suggestions for changes to a current financial portfolio of the user;

receiving user responses to the financial modeling, the automated coaching, and the live coaching of the selected service level;

wherein the automated coaching incorporates the selected risk events, and

wherein the received responses comprise modifications to the profile of the user.

27. A method for providing both live advice and automated coaching from a financial modeling and counseling system, comprising:

receiving a user selection of one of a plurality of service levels, the service levels specifying combinations of financial modeling and automated coaching available to the user, the service levels including a selected amount of dialogue and instructions between the user and a live advisor;

negotiating fees to be charged to the user based upon estimated profitability associated with the service level selected by the user, the fees being negotiated prior to providing service to the user;

receiving a user selection of one or more risk events from a list of risk events;

displaying, in a first window, an image of the live advisor providing live coaching determined by the selected service level and the profile of the user;

displaying, in a second window, context-sensitive automated coaching determined by the selected service level and the profile of the user, the automated coaching including suggestions for changes to a current financial portfolio of the user;

receiving user responses to the financial modeling, the automated coaching, and the live coaching of the selected service level; and

wherein the automated coaching incorporates the selected risk events.