Nested Budget Meter for Parent-Child Relationship Visualization

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing technologies fail to graphically represent the status of a parent-child relationship, which is essential in various fields for tracking and managing budgets and other related data.

Innovation Solution

A system and method that uses a processor and memory to generate graphical representations of budgets, determining parent and child budgets, and presenting a budget meter within each graphical representation to show the usage status of child budgets relative to parent budgets, utilizing a computer program product for tracking income and expenses.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Adaptability or versatility

If traditional meters or bar graphs are used to depict status, then single entity status can be shown, but parent-child relationship status cannot be represented

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveability to represent parent-child relationshipsVSAvoidcomplexity of graphical representation system

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent implements nested budget meters where child budget meters are embedded within parent budget meters. Each parent budget meter contains multiple child budget meters, allowing hierarchical representation of budget relationships. This nesting structure enables the system to display parent-child relationships visually while maintaining a compact, organized presentation that does not significantly increase overall system complexity.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #7Nested doll (Nesting)

2Loss of information

If detailed child budget information is displayed, then comprehensive tracking is achieved, but visual clutter and complexity increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecompleteness of budget informationVSAvoidvisual complexity of display

Core Design Contradiction:

Loss of informationVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent segments budget information into hierarchical levels with parent budgets and child budgets displayed as separate but related meters. Each budget meter is divided into segments representing different spending categories or time periods. This segmentation allows comprehensive information to be organized in a structured way that prevents visual clutter while maintaining completeness of budget tracking data.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The patent adds a hierarchical dimension to the display by nesting child budget meters within parent budget meters. This dimensional organization allows comprehensive budget information to be presented in layers, where users can view both high-level parent budget status and detailed child budget information without all data competing for the same visual space, thereby reducing perceived complexity.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #17Another dimension (Dimensionality change)

Data Source

PatentUS11880889B2Meter for graphically representing relative status in a parent-child relationship and method for use thereof

Publication Date: 2024.01.23 MX TECHNOLOGIES INC

AI summary

Apparatuses, methods, systems, and program products are disclosed for graphically representing relative status in a parent-child relationship. An apparatus includes a processor and a memory that stores code executable by the processor to generate a plurality of graphical representations of budgets for tracking a user's income and expenses, determine a parent-child relationship between each of the plurality of budgets to determine each parent budget and each child budget associated with each parent budget, and present each graphical representation of a parent budget of the plurality of budgets and a budget meter within each graphical representation of the parent budget that represents a portion of the parent budget that has been used according to the child budgets of the parent budget.