Informative graphical representation of individual net worth system, method and software

• US 9,646,348 B2
• Filed: 02/08/2013
• Issued: 05/09/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 02/08/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: MX Technologies Inc.
• Original Assignee: MX Technologies Inc.
• Inventors: Caldwell, John Ryan
• Primary Examiner(s): Iwarere, Seye
• Application Number:
  US13/815,213
• Publication Number:
  US 20140229346A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,551 Days
• Field of Search: 705 30, 705 35, 705 36 R
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/12 Accounting

Abstract

Net worth can be graphically represented as dollars versus time. A user can zoom in on a desired section of the graphical representation in order to better discern short term net worth trends. On the zoomed in image, time and or dollars may be truncated in order to show net worth trends more distinctly. The slope of the curve between two net worth points or at any single net worth can be computed and graphically displayed to a user so that the user can understand short term net worth trends an modify behavior to improve long term net worth trends.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

a display comprising a touch screen configured to receive touch input;

a hardware device comprising one or more of a semiconductor-based computer, a biological computer, and optical computer, a magnetic computer, and a quantum computer, the display electrically coupled to the hardware device, the hardware device being hard-wired to;

access financial data for a user for a past period of time, and, for a plurality of points of the past period of time, compute individual net worth for the user based on the user'"'"'s financial data according to the formula NW=A−

L, wherein A represents an individual'"'"'s assets and L represents an individual'"'"'s liabilities;

graph a first graph of NW versus time in a Cartesian coordinates system for at least a portion of the plurality of points of the past period of time;

display the NW first graph on the display electrically coupled to the hardware device;

receive from the user a selection of a single focus point on the first graph, the focus point comprising a central point in time of a truncated period of the past period of time on which to focus the first graph, the time period defined by the truncated period of time specified by the user, wherein the user interacts with the first graph using the touch screen to select the focus point;

present a second graph to the user on the display electrically coupled to the hardware device based on the user'"'"'s selection of the focus point on the first graph, the second graph depicting a zoomed-in image of a portion of the first graph, the second graph depicting short term net worth trend in greater detail than the first graph, the second graph including a net worth curve;

receive from the user a selection of two points in time, T1 and T2, on the net worth curve in response to the user interacting with the net worth curve using the touch screen;

compute slope between the selected points in time, T1 and T2, on the net worth curve; and

graphically present to the user an indicator that indicates one of a positive net worth trend and a negative net worth trend for the user based on the computed slope of the net worth curve between the two selected points in time, the indicator comprising a graphical icon presented on the graph of the net worth curve, the indicator presented on the display electrically coupled to the hardware device.

2. The system as recited in claim 1, wherein the hardware device is further hard-wired to inform the user of the slope computation.

3. The system as recited in claim 1, wherein the hardware device is further hard-wired to display the slope on the display electrically coupled to the hardware device.

4. The system as recited in claim 1, wherein the hardware device is further hard-wired to graphically depict the slope as a net worth trend on the display electrically coupled to the hardware device.

5. The system as recited in claim 1, wherein the hardware device is further hard-wired to inform the user to reflect on his/her behavior that led to the net worth trend, and inform the user to modify future behavior based on the reflection and in response to the net worth trend displayed on the display electrically coupled to the hardware device.

18. The system as recited in claim 1, wherein the hardware device is further hard-wired to graphically depicting the slope as a net worth trend on the digital display electrically coupled to the hardware device.

19. The system as recited in claim 1, wherein the graphical indicator of the desirability of the net worth trend is a direction indicator graphic oriented in the direction of the slope of the short term trend.

6. A method comprising:

receiving, by a hardware device, login data that corresponds to a plurality of user accounts, the hardware device comprising one or more of a semiconductor-based computer, a biological computer, an optical computer, a magnetic computer, and a quantum computer, the hardware device being hard-wired to receive the login data;

accessing, by the hardware device, user financial data for a past period of time from the plurality of user accounts to derive a plurality of points of the past period of time and a user'"'"'s net worth that corresponds with the plurality of points of the past period of time, the hardware device being hard-wired to access the user financial data, wherein the user'"'"'s net worth is derived according to the formula of net worth=A−

L, wherein A represents a user'"'"'s assets and L represents a user'"'"'s liabilities;

generating, by the hardware device, a first graph of net worth versus time in a Cartesian coordinates system for at least a portion of the plurality of points of the past period of time, the hardware device being-wired to generate the first graph of net worth;

displaying, by the hardware device, the net worth first graph on a digital display electrically coupled to the hardware device, the hardware device being hard-wired to display the net worth first graph, the digital display comprising a touch screen configured to receive touch input;

receiving, by the hardware device, a user selection of a single focus point on the first graph, the focus point comprising a central point in time of a past period of time from the first graph on which to derive additional detail regarding net worth corresponding to the user selection in response to the user interacting with the first graph using the touch screen to select the focus point, the past period of time associated with the focus point being specified by the user, the hardware device being hard-wired to receive the user selection;

generating, by the hardware device, a second graph comprising the derived additional detail based on the user'"'"'s selection of the focus point on the first graph and displaying the second graph on the digital display electrically coupled to the hardware device, the hardware device being hard-wired to generate and display the second graph;

deriving, by the hardware device, a slope for the plurality of points of time within the second graph in order to define short term net worth trends, the hardware device being hard-wired to derive the slope;

determining, by the hardware device, the desirability of the short term net worth trends based on the corresponding slope, the hardware device being hard-wired to determined the desirability; and

displaying, by the hardware device, to the user on the digital display electrically coupled to the hardware device the short term net worth trends and a graphical indicator of the desirability of the net worth trend, the graphical indicator comprising a graphical icon presented on the graph of the net worth curve, the hardware device hard-wired to display the short term net worth trends and the graphical indicator of desirability.

7. The method as recited in claim 6, further comprising informing, by the hardware device, the user of the slope computation, the hardware device being hard-wired to inform the user of the slope computation.

8. The method as recited in claim 6, further comprising displaying, by the hardware device, the slope on the digital display electrically coupled to the hardware device, the hardware device being hard-wired to display the slope on the digital display.

9. The method as recited in claim 6, further comprising graphically depicting, by the hardware device, the slope as a net worth trend on the digital display electrically coupled to the hardware device, the hardware device being hard-wired to graphically display the slope as a net worth trend on the digital display.

10. The method as recited in claim 6, further comprising receiving, by the hardware device, from the user instructions for the modifying future behavior in response to the net worth trend displaying on the digital display electrically coupled to the hardware device, the hardware device being hard-wired to receive the instructions.

11. The method as recited in claim 6, wherein the graphical indicator of the desirability of the net worth trend is a direction indicator graphical oriented in the direction of the slope of the short term trend.

12. An apparatus comprising:

a hardware device comprising on of a semiconductor-based computer, a biological computer, and optical computer, a magnetic computer, and a quantum computer, the hardware device being hard-wired to;

access financial data for a user for a past period of time, and, for a plurality of points of the past period of time, compute individual net worth for the user based on the user'"'"'s financial data according to the formula NW=A−

L, wherein A represents an individual'"'"'s assets and L represents an individual'"'"'s liabilities;

graph a first graph of NW versus time in a Cartesian coordinates system for at least a portion of the plurality of points of the past period of time;

display the NW first graph on a display electrically coupled to the hardware device, the display comprising a touch screen configured to receive touch input;

receive from the user a selection of a single focus point on the first graph, the focus point comprising a central point in time of a truncated period of the past period of time on which to focus the first graph, the time period defined by the truncated period of time specified by the user, wherein the user interacts with the first graph using the touch screen to select the focus point;

present a second graph to the user on the display electrically coupled to the hardware device based on the user'"'"'s selection of the focus point on the first graph, the second graph depicting a zoomed-in image of a portion of the first graph, the second graph depicting short term net worth trends in greater detail than the first graph, the second graph including a net worth curve;

receive from the user a selection of two points in time, T1 and T2, on the net worth curve in response to the user interacting with the net worth curve using the touch screen;

compute slop between the selected points in time, T1 and T2, on the net worth curve; and

graphically present to the user an indicator that indicated one of a positive net worth trend and a negative net worth trend for the user based on the computed slope of the net worth curve between the two selected points in time, the indicator comprising a graphical icon presented on the graph of the net worth curve, the indicator presented on the display electrically coupled to the hardware device.

13. The apparatus as recited in claim 12, wherein the hardware device is further hard-wired to inform the user of the slope computation.

14. The apparatus as recited in claim 12, wherein the hardware device is further hard-wired to display the slope on the display electrically coupled to the hardware device.

15. The apparatus as recited in claim 12, wherein the hardware device is further hard-wired to graphically depict the slope as a net worth trend on the display electrically coupled to the hardware device.

16. The apparatus as recited in claim 12, wherein the hardware device is further hard-wired to graphically depicting the slope as a net worth trend on the digital display electrically coupled to the hardware device.

17. The apparatus as recited in claim 12, wherein the graphical indicator of the desirability of the net worth trend is a direction indicator graphic oreiented in the direction of the slope of the short term trend.