Systems and methods for resource planning using animation

• US 8,674,997 B2
• Filed: 09/14/2012
• Issued: 03/18/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 02/16/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cifico LLC
• Original Assignee: Janik, LLC
• Inventors: Indelicato, Enrico III, Careri, Christopher Frank
• Primary Examiner(s): Tung, Kee M
• Assistant Examiner(s): McCulley, Ryan D
• Application Number:
  US13/618,529
• Publication Number:
  US 20130027409A1
• Time in Patent Office: 550 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 345/473
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/06 Asset management; Financial planning or analysis
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 11/206 Drawing of charts or graphs
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 13/00 Animation

Abstract

A system and method of presenting resource information for an entity includes receiving input data associated with the resource information of the entity, generating, by a computer, an animated representation of the resource information along one or more determined timelines employing a plurality of graphical characters based on the input data and displaying the animated representation. The creation of one simple animated visual language may reduce the mass confusion typically associated with the relation of resources including financial and other concepts, saving time and money and better educating those seeking recommendations and advice regarding resource planning, including financial planning.

Claims

1. A method of presenting resource information for an entity, comprising:

receiving input data associated with the resource information of the entity;

generating, by a computer, an animated representation of the resource information along one or more determined timelines employing a plurality of graphical characters based on the input data; and

displaying the animated representation,

wherein the animated representation comprises a movie of interactions among the plurality of graphical characters to represent changes in attributes of the resource information caused by the interactions,

wherein the graphical characters represent the resource information, and the graphical characters changing comprises the graphical characters expanding, contracting, exploding, melting into one another, dividing, changing texture, changing permeability, or changing color, or combinations thereof, to represent changes in the resource information over time, and

wherein the graphical characters further comprise a visual membrane representing tax that the graphical characters that represent the resource information pass through at a specified time.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more timelines comprises a timeline that represents the entity'"'"'s lifespan.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more timelines further comprises a generational timeline representing a lifespan of earlier or later generation to the entity'"'"'s lifespan.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the graphical characters further comprise a meridian line that travels through the center of the graphical characters that represent the resource information, and wherein the meridian line together with the graphical characters that represent the resource information move along the timeline to represent passage of time.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the graphical characters further comprise a barrier membrane that represents how well protected the graphical characters that represent the resource information are from a wealth eroding factor attack, a level of protection represented graphically by a degree of thickness of the barrier membrane.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the graphical characters further comprise an income river and a feeder tube connecting the income river to the graphical characters that represent the resource information, to animate resource flow.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the graphical characters that represent the resource information further contain sub-characters to represent different types of the resource information.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the graphical characters that represent the resource information further contain a visual representation associated with secondary value of a corresponding resource.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the graphical characters further comprise visual tax bubble characters that represent taxes and visual money bubble characters that represent sums of money.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the graphical characters further comprise one or more pools that represent respective one or more sums of values.

11. The method of claim 1, further including:

providing a movie control panel to enable controlling the displaying of the animated representation, including pausing, rewinding, fast-forwarding, zooming-in and zooming-out.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the animated representation demonstrates an impact associated with asset accumulation, distribution, taxes, insurance, investments, or intergenerational transfers, or combinations thereof over a specified period of time.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the resource information is financial information and the graphical characters represent assets and liabilities associated with the financial information.

14. A method of presenting resource information for an entity, comprising:

receiving input data associated with the resource information of the entity;

generating, by a computer, an animated representation of the resource information along one or more determined timelines employing a plurality of graphical characters based on the input data; and

displaying the animated representation,

wherein the animated representation comprises a movie of interactions among the plurality of graphical characters to represent changes in attributes of the resource information caused by the interactions,

wherein the graphical characters represent the resource information, and the graphical characters changing comprises the graphical characters expanding, contracting, exploding, melting into one another, dividing, changing texture, changing permeability, or changing color, or combinations thereof, to represent changes in the resource information over time, and

wherein the graphical characters further comprise a traveling membrane that appears or disappears according to its defensive quality to a wealth eroding factor attack.

15. A method of presenting resource information for an entity, comprising:

receiving input data associated with the resource information of the entity;

generating, by a computer, an animated representation of the resource information along one or more determined timelines employing a plurality of graphical characters based on the input data; and

displaying the animated representation,

wherein the animated representation comprises a movie of interactions among the plurality of graphical characters to represent changes in attributes of the resource information caused by the interactions,

wherein the graphical characters represent the resource information, and the graphical characters changing comprises the graphical characters expanding, contracting, exploding, melting into one another, dividing, changing texture, changing permeability, or changing color, or combinations thereof, to represent changes in the resource information over time, and

wherein the graphical characters further comprise a character representing a wealth eroding factor, the character representing the wealth eroding factor animated to attack the graphical characters that represent the resource information.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the graphical characters further comprise a drain tube connecting the character representing the wealth eroding factor and one or more of the graphical characters that represent the resource information, to animate draining of a resource.

17. A computer storage medium comprising computer instructions for performing a method of presenting resource information for an entity, the method comprising:

receiving input data associated with the resource information of the entity;

generating, by a computer, an animated representation of the resource information along one or more determined timelines employing a plurality of graphical characters based on the input data; and

displaying the animated representation,

wherein the animated representation comprises a movie of interactions among the plurality of graphical characters to represent changes in attributes of the resource information caused by the interactions,

wherein the graphical characters represent the resource information, and the graphical characters changing comprises the graphical characters expanding, contracting, exploding, melting into one another, dividing, changing texture, changing permeability, or changing color, or combinations thereof, to represent changes in the resource information over time, and

wherein the graphical characters further comprise a traveling membrane that appears or disappears according to its defensive quality to a wealth eroding factor attack.

18. The computer storage medium of claim 17, wherein the generating comprises generating moving images of the plurality of graphical characters changing and interacting to represent changes in the resource information.

19. A system for presenting resource information of an entity, comprising:

a processor;

a module operable to execute on the processor and further operable to receive input data associated with the resource information of the entity, the module further operable to generate an animated representation of the resource information along one or more determined timelines employing a plurality of graphical characters based on the input data, the module further operable to display the animated representation,

wherein the animated representation comprises a movie of interactions among the plurality of graphical characters to represent changes in attributes of the resource information caused by the interactions,

wherein the graphical characters represent the resource information, and the graphical characters changing comprises the graphical characters expanding, contracting, exploding, melting into one another, dividing, changing texture, changing permeability, or changing color, or combinations thereof, to represent changes in the resource information over time, and

wherein the graphical characters further comprise a traveling membrane that appears or disappears according to its defensive quality to a wealth eroding factor attack.