WEARABLE FINANCIAL INDICATOR

• US 20120030043A1
• Filed: 07/29/2010
• Published: 02/02/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 07/29/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Bank of America Corp.
• Original Assignee: Bank of America Corp.
• Inventors: Ross, Erik Stephen, Naelon, Ashley T.
• Granted Patent: US 9,177,307 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/16
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/20 Point-of-sale [POS] network systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/00 Finance; Insurance; Tax strategies; Processing of corporate or income taxes

Abstract

A wearable article, such as but not limited to a watch, wristband, or ring, is configured for indicating financial information to a customer. The wearable article includes a communication device configured for receiving a financial indicator from a server. The financial indicator may be communicated by a financial institution'"'"'s server in accordance with a financial indicator profile pre-established by the customer. A user output device, such as a display, is configured for communicating user output, such as a colored light, to the customer based at least in part on the financial indicator. The wearable article may be configured to communicate with the server through a mobile terminal, such as a mobile phone, an Internet hot spot, a mobile telephony system, a payment network, a point-of-sale terminal, or the like. The wearable article may be configured to communicate with a point-of-sale terminal so that the wearable article can also be used as a payment device.

Claims

1. A wearable article configured for indicating financial information to a customer, the wearable article comprising:

a communication device configured for receiving a financial indicator from a remote device, the financial indicator being communicated by the remote device in accordance with a pre-established financial indicator profile, and the financial indicator being associated with financial information associated with the customer; and

a user output device operatively coupled to the communication device and configured to communicate user output to the customer based at least partially on the financial indicator received by the communication device.

2. The wearable article of claim 1, further comprising:

a processing device operatively coupled to the communication device and the user output device and configured to;

receive the financial indicator from the communication device;

process the financial indicator to determine the financial information; and

instruct the user output device to communicate user output corresponding to the financial information.

3. The wearable article of claim 1, wherein the user output device comprises a display device configured for communicating a visual indication to the customer corresponding to the financial indicator.

4. The wearable article of claim 3, wherein the display device comprises a light emitting diode configured for visually communicating one or more colors to the customer corresponding to the financial indicator.

5. The wearable article of claim 1, wherein the user output device comprises an audible device configured for communicating an audible output to the customer corresponding to the financial indicator.

6. The wearable article of claim 1, wherein the user output device comprises a vibratory device configured for communicating a vibratory output to the customer corresponding to the financial indicator.

7. The wearable article of claim 1, wherein the financial indicator comprises one or more standardized indicator instructions configured for instructing the user output device to communicate user output corresponding to the financial indicator.

8. The wearable article of claim 1, wherein the financial indicator is based at least in part on a financial health state associated with the customer.

9. The wearable article of claim 8, wherein the financial health state is determined at least in part based on a comparison between a current balance of one or more accounts associated with the customer and a pre-established threshold stored as part of the pre-established financial indicator profile.

10. The wearable article of claim 8, wherein the financial health state comprises the customer'"'"'s total balance, net worth, cash flow, or capital gains across one or more financial accounts.

11. The wearable article of claim 1, wherein the financial indicator is determined based at least in part on one or more market conditions.

12. The wearable article of claim 1 further comprising:

an energy storage element configured to power the user output device.

13. The wearable article of claim 12, wherein:

the communication device is further configured for receiving a field generated by a wireless transmitter, deriving a power signal from the field, and storing power from the derived power signal at the energy storage element.

14. The wearable article of claim 1, wherein the remote device comprises a server associated with a financial institution, wherein the pre-established financial indicator profile is stored by the server, and wherein the financial indicator is associated with financial information corresponding to one or more accounts maintained by the financial institution and associated with the customer.

15. The wearable article of claim 1, wherein the remote device comprises a mobile phone configured to communicate the financial indicator to the communication device based on communication with a financial institution server about the financial information, and wherein the pre-established financial indicator profile is stored by the mobile phone.

16. The wearable article of claim 1, wherein the remote device comprises a mobile phone configured to communicate the financial indicator to the communication device based on communication with a financial institution server about the financial information, and wherein the pre-established financial indicator profile is stored by the financial institution server.

17. The wearable article of claim 1, wherein the communication device comprises a near field communication device configured to communicate with the remote device.

18. The wearable article of claim 17, wherein the near field communication device comprises a Bluetooth communication device, a radio frequency communication device, an electromagnetic field communication device, a local area network communication device, or an infrared communication device.

19. The wearable article of claim 1, wherein the communication device comprises a far field communication device configured to communicate with the remote device.

20. The wearable article of claim 19, wherein the far field communication device comprises a wireless telephony communication device.

21. The wearable article of claim 1, wherein the financial indicator is based at least in part on financial activity associated with the customer.

22. The wearable article of claim 21, wherein the financial activity comprises a transaction associated with at least one financial account of the customer.

23. The wearable article of claim 1, wherein the financial indicator is associated with real-time financial information.

24. The wearable article of claim 1, wherein the communication device is configured to periodically request the financial indicator from the remote device.

25. The wearable article of claim 1 further comprising a user input device operatively coupled to the communication device and configured to receive user input, wherein the communication device is configured to request the financial indicator from the remote device in response to user input received via the user input device.

26. The wearable article of claim 1, wherein the wearable article comprises a ring, a watch, a wallet, a wristband, a necklace, a contact lens, a pair of glasses, or an earring.

27. The wearable article of claim 1, wherein the financial indicator is based at least in part on stock market activity.

28. The wearable article of claim 1 being further configured for providing payment information to a point of sale terminal during a transaction, the wearable article further comprising:

a memory device configured for storing account information corresponding to one or more accounts owned by the customer,

wherein the communication device is configured to communicate at least a portion of the account information to the point of sale terminal in response.

29. A method for indicating financial information to a customer, the method comprising:

receiving a financial indicator from a remote device via a communication device, the financial indicator being communicated by the remote device in accordance with a pre-established financial indicator profile, and the financial indicator being associated with financial information associated with the customer; and

communicating user output to the customer via a wearable user output device, the user output based at least partially on the financial indicator received by the communication device.

30. The method of claim 29, wherein the communicating user output comprises:

displaying user output via a display device configured for communicating a visual indication to the customer corresponding to the financial indicator.

31. The method of claim 29, wherein the communicating user output comprises:

providing user output via an auditory device configured for communicating an audible indication to the customer corresponding to the financial indicator.

32. The method of claim 29, wherein the communicating user output comprises:

providing user output via a vibratory device configured for communicating a vibratory indication to the customer corresponding to the financial indicator.

33. The method of claim 29, wherein the financial indicator comprises one or more standardized indicator instructions configured for instructing the user output device to communicate user output corresponding to the financial indicator.

34. The method of claim 29, wherein the financial indicator is based at least in part on a financial health state associated with the customer.

35. The method of claim 29, further comprising:

receiving a field at the wearable user output device;

deriving a power signal from the field; and

using the derived power signal to power the wearable user output device.

36. The method of claim 29, wherein the remote device comprises a server associated with a financial institution, wherein the pre-established financial indicator profile is stored by the server, and wherein the financial indicator is associated with financial information corresponding to one or more accounts maintained by the financial institution and associated with the customer.

37. The method of claim 29, wherein the remote device comprises a mobile phone configured to communicate the financial indicator to the communication device based on communication with a financial institution server about the financial information, and wherein the pre-established financial indicator profile is stored by the mobile phone.

38. The method of claim 29, wherein the receiving a financial indicator from a remote device via a communication device comprises:

receiving the financial indicator from a remote device over a local area network.

39. The method of claim 29, wherein the receiving a financial indicator from a remote device via a communication device comprises:

receiving the financial indicator from a remote device over a global area network.

40. The method of claim 29, wherein the communicating user output to the customer via a wearable user output device comprises:

communicating user output instructions to the wearable user output device via a wireless local area network.

41. The method of claim 29, wherein the financial indicator is based at least in part on financial activity associated with the customer.

42. The method of claim 29, further comprising:

periodically requesting, via the communication device, the financial indicator from the remote device.

43. The method of claim 29, further comprising:

receiving user input from a user input device; and

requesting, via the communication device, the financial indicator from the remote device in response to the user input.

44. The method of claim 29, wherein the wearable user output device comprises a ring, a watch, a wallet, a wristband, a necklace, or an earring having a display device, auditory device, or vibratory device.

45. The method of claim 29, further comprising:

providing, via the wearable user output device, payment information to a point of sale terminal during a transaction.

46. A computer program product configured for indicating financial information to a customer, the computer program product comprising a non-transitory computer readable medium comprising computer-executable instructions stored therein, the computer-executable instructions comprising:

instructions for receiving a financial indicator from a remote device, the financial indicator being communicated by the remote device in accordance with a pre-established financial indicator profile, and the financial indicator being associated with financial information associated with the customer; and

instructions for communicating user output to the customer via a wearable user output device, the user output based at least partially on the financial indicator received from the remote device.

47. The computer program product of claim 46, wherein the instructions for receiving a financial indicator from a remote device further comprise:

instructions for receiving the financial indicator from a remote server associated with a financial institution via a global area network.

48. The computer program product of claim 47, wherein the global area network comprises a telephony network.

49. The computer program product of claim 47, wherein the instructions for communicating user output to the customer via a wearable user output device further comprise:

instructions for communicating user output instructions to the wearable user output device over a local area network.

50. The computer program product of claim 49, wherein the local area network comprises a Bluetooth network.

51. The computer program product of claim 49, wherein the instructions for receiving the financial indicator from a remote server associated with a financial institution via a global area network comprise instructions for decrypting the financial indicator using a security protocol.

52. The computer program product of claim 46, wherein the instructions for receiving a financial indicator from a remote device further comprise:

instructions for receiving the financial indicator from a mobile terminal via a local area network.

53. The computer program product of claim 46, wherein the financial indicator comprises one or more standardized indicator instructions configured for instructing the wearable user output device to communicate user output corresponding to the financial indicator.

54. The computer program product of claim 46, wherein the remote device comprises a server associated with a financial institution, wherein the pre-established financial indicator profile is stored by the server, and wherein the financial indicator is associated with financial information corresponding to one or more accounts maintained by the financial institution and associated with the customer.

55. The computer program product of claim 46, wherein the remote device comprises a server associated with a financial institution, and wherein the computer program product further comprises:

instructions for defining the pre-established financial indicator profile based on user input; and

instructions for communicating user output to the customer via a wearable user output device by comparing the financial indicator to the pre-established financial indicator profile and providing user output instructions to the wearable user output device based at least partially on the comparison of the financial indicator to the pre-established financial indicator profile.

56. The computer program product of claim 46, wherein the wearable user output device comprises a ring, a watch, a wallet, a wristband, a necklace, or an earring having a display device, auditory device, or vibratory device.

57. A mobile terminal comprising:

a communication device configured to communicate wirelessly with;

a remote server via a global area network, and

a wearable user output device via a local area network; and

a processing device operatively coupled to the communication device and configured to;

use the communication device to receive a financial indicator from the remote server, and

use the communication device to communicate user output instructions to the wearable user output device based at least partially on the financial indicator received from the remote server.

58. The mobile terminal of claim 57, further comprising:

a memory comprising a pre-established financial indicator profile stored therein, wherein the processing device is operatively coupled to the memory, and wherein the processing device is configured to;

compare the financial indicator received from the remote server with the pre-established financial indicator profile, and

communicate the user output instructions to the wearable user output device based at least partially on a comparison of the financial indicator with the pre-established financial indicator profile.

59. The mobile terminal of claim 58, further comprising a user input device, wherein the processing device is further configured to:

use the user input device to receive user input from a user, and

store the pre-established financial indicator profile in the memory based at least partially on the user input.

60. The mobile terminal of claim 58, wherein the processing device is configured to:

process the financial indicator to determine financial information therefrom, and

compare the financial indicator received from the remote server with the pre-established financial indicator profile by comparing the financial information with the pre-established financial indicator profile.

61. The mobile terminal of claim 57, wherein the mobile terminal comprises a mobile phone, and wherein the wearable user output device comprises a watch, a wristband, or a ring.

62. The mobile terminal of claim 57, wherein the processing device is configured to communicate information to the remote server authenticating the identity of a user of the mobile terminal.

63. A system configured for indicating financial information to a customer, the system comprising:

a communication device;

a memory device configured for storing a pre-established financial indicator profile; and

a processing device operatively coupled to the communication device and the memory device, the processing device configured to;

apply the pre-established financial indicator profile stored in the memory device to one or more accounts maintained by a financial institution and associated with the customer thereby detecting one or more triggering events;

determine a financial indicator based at least in part on the one or more triggering events; and

instruct the communication device to communicate the financial indicator to a wearable article carried by the customer.

64. The system of claim 63, wherein the financial indicator comprises one or more standardized indicator instructions configured for instructing a user output device of the wearable article to communicate user output corresponding with financial information of the customer.

65. The system of claim 63, wherein the processing device is configured to instruct the communication device to communicate the financial indicator to the wearable article carried by the customer by instructing the communication device to communicate the financial indicator to a mobile terminal associated with the customer, wherein the mobile terminal is configured to communicate the financial indicator to the wearable article.

66. The system of claim 63, wherein the wearable article comprises jewelry having a user output device.

67. A method for indicating financial information to a customer, the method comprising:

storing, by a memory device, a pre-established financial indicator profile;

applying, by a processing device, the financial indicator profile stored at the memory device to one or more accounts maintained by the financial institution and associated with the financial indicator profile thereby detecting one or more triggering events;

determining, by the processing device, a financial indicator based at least in part on the one or more triggering events; and

instructing, by the processing device, a communication device to communicate the financial indicator to a wearable article carried by the customer.