US Patent 9378664 Providing financial data through real-time virtual animation

One embodiment of the present invention provides a system that provides data associated with a financial instrument through real-time virtual animation anchored to the financial instrument in a video stream. During operation, the system receives at a computer system a video stream, wherein the video stream includes an image of a financial instrument, and wherein a financial instrument is a physical object that is associated with at least one of a financial account and financial data. Next, the system identifies the financial instrument in the video stream. The system then retrieves data associated with the financial instrument from a data source. Next, the system creates an animation which displays the data. Once the animation is created, the system anchors the animation to the financial instrument in the video stream. Finally, the system displays the video stream which includes the animation to a user.