Investment management marketing tool

• US 8,791,949 B1
• Filed: 04/06/2010
• Issued: 07/29/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 04/06/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: The PNC Financial Services Group, Inc.
• Original Assignee: The PNC Financial Services Group, Inc.
• Inventors: Mackrell, Bryan L., Ford, Isabel, Koch, Erin
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Kimbinh T
• Assistant Examiner(s): Isanians, Raffi
• Application Number:
  US12/754,967
• Time in Patent Office: 1,575 Days
• Field of Search: 345/156, 345/660
• US Class Current: 345/440
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0241 Advertisements
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/00 Finance; Insurance; Tax strategies; Processing of corporate or income taxes
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/06 Asset management; Financial planning or analysis

Abstract

Various embodiments are directed to methods for marketing investment services. The methods may comprise receiving at least one signal from a position detector indicating a position of a viewer relative to a display screen in a first axis and a perpendicular distance of the viewer from the display screen. The display screen may be aligned along the first axis and a second axis. The methods may also comprise displaying with the display screen a user interface. The user interface may comprise an age scale aligned with the first axis, an asset scale aligned with a second axis and a chart of assets versus age. Upon determining that the perpendicular distance of the viewer from the display screen is less than a predetermined value, the methods may comprise modifying the interface to display an element at a first position on the age scale corresponding to a position of the viewer relative to the display screen in the first axis. The element may comprise information describing at least one of an investment-related event occurring at the first position on the age scale and an investment-related service related to the first position on the age scale.

Claims

1. A method for marketing investment services, the method comprising:

receiving with a computer device at least one signal from a position detector indicating a position of a viewer relative to a display screen in a first axis and a perpendicular distance of the viewer from the display screen, wherein the computer device comprises at least one processor and operatively associated data storage, and wherein the display screen is aligned along the first axis and a second axis;

displaying with the display screen a user interface, wherein the user interface comprises an age scale aligned with the first axis, an asset scale aligned with a second axis and a chart of assets versus age; and

upon determining that the perpendicular distance of the viewer from the display screen is less than a predetermined value, modifying with the computer device the interface to display an element at a first position on the age scale corresponding to a position of the viewer relative to the display screen in the first axis, wherein the element comprises information describing at least one of an investment-related event occurring at the first position on the age scale and an investment-related service related to the first position on the age scale; and

determining whether the viewer is a customer of a financial institution; and

upon determining that the viewer is a customer of the financial institution, modifying with the computer device the interface to display the element in a configuration according to investment-related service information associated with the customer of the financial institution; and

wherein the investment-related service information is at least one of details about how the investment-related service could help the viewer open an investment account, details about how to select a contribution plan for the investment account, and details about how to choose funds for the investment account.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising adjusting the size of the element as a function of the perpendicular distance.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising increasing the size of the element as the perpendicular distance increases.

4. The method of claim 2, finther comprising decreasing the size of the element as the perpendicular distance decreases.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the position detector comprises a plurality of detector elements.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the plurality of detector elements are positioned at different locations proximate the display screen.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

deriving the position of the viewer relative to the display screen in the first axis with the computer device based on at least one signal from the position detector; and

deriving the perpendicular distance of the viewer from the display screen with the computer device based on the at least one signal from the position detector.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising modifying a resolution of the element based on the perpendicular distance of the viewer from the display screen.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising increasing the resolution of the element as the perpendicular distance increases.

10. The method of claim 8, further comprising decreasing the resolution of the element as the perpendicular distance decreases.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the predetermined value is a first predetermined value, and wherein upon determining that the perpendicular distance of the viewer from the display screen is less than a second predetermined value, modifying with the computer device the interface to display a more detailed version of the element.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein determining whether the viewer is a customer of the financial institution comprises using at least one of facial matching, radio frequency identification, and a card reader.

13. The method of claim 1, further comprising, upon determining that the perpendicular distance of a second viewer to the display screen is less than the predetermined value, displaying a second element at a second position on the age scale corresponding to a position of the second viewer relative to the display screen in the first axis;

and

wherein the second element comprises information describing at least one of a second investment-related event occurring at the second position on the age scale, and a second investment-related service related to the second position on the age scale.

14. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving at least a second signal from the position detector indicating a second position of the viewer relative to the display screen in the first axis and a perpendicular distance of the viewer from the display screen, wherein the second position of the viewer is different than the first position relative to the first axis, and wherein the perpendicular distance of the viewer from the display screen at the second position is less than the predetermined value;

displaying a second element at a second position on the age scale corresponding to the position of the viewer relative to the first axis at the second position; and

wherein the second element comprises information describing at least one of a second investment-related event occurring at the second position on the age scale, and a second investment-related service related to the second position on the age scale; and

wherein the second element is different from the first element.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein the first axis is horizontal and the second axis is vertical.

16. The method of claim 1, further comprising deriving the position of the viewer relative to the display screen in the first axis and the perpendicular distance of the viewer from the display screen based on the at least one signal from the position detector.

17. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving at least one signal from the position detector indicating a position of a second viewer relative to the display screen in the first axis and a perpendicular distance of the second viewer from the display screen; and

upon determining that the perpendicular distance of the second viewer from the display screen is less than a predetermined value, modifying the interface to display a second element at a second position on the age scale corresponding to a position of the second viewer relative to the display screen in the first axis, wherein the second element comprises information describing an investment-related event occurring at the second position on the age scale.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the first element and the second element are displayed simultaneously.

19. The method of claim 1, wherein the element describes an investment-related event occurring at the first position on the age scale.

20. The method of claim 1, wherein the element describes an investment-related service related to the first position on the age scale.