U.S. patent application number 16/447480 was filed with the patent office on 2019-10-03 for system and method for displaying highest and lowest traded prices of tradable objects.
The applicant listed for this patent is TRADING TECHNOLOGIES INTERNATIONAL INC.. Invention is credited to Joan Ebersole, Gary Allan Kemp, II, Scott F. Singer.
Application Number | 20190304018 16/447480 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 42314184 |
Filed Date | 2019-10-03 |
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United States Patent
Application |
20190304018 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Ebersole; Joan ; et
al. |
October 3, 2019 |
System and Method for Displaying Highest and Lowest Traded Prices
of Tradable Objects
Abstract
A client terminal displays on a graphical interface a first
indicator of a price associated with a lowest traded price of a
tradable object during a predetermined period of time, a second
indicator of a price associated with a highest traded price of the
tradable object during the predetermined period of time, along with
at least one quantity indicator associated with at least one order
to buy/order the tradable object. The first indicator, the second
indicator, and the at least one quantity indicator are displayed in
relation to a static axis of price, and the client terminal
dynamically updates the first and second indicator to new lowest
and highest traded prices based on market updates received from an
exchange.
Inventors: |
Ebersole; Joan; (Lone Tree,
CO) ; Kemp, II; Gary Allan; (Fairfax, CA) ;
Singer; Scott F.; (Green Oaks, IL) |
|
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
TRADING TECHNOLOGIES INTERNATIONAL INC. |
Chicago |
IL |
US |
|
|
Family ID: |
42314184 |
Appl. No.: |
16/447480 |
Filed: |
June 20, 2019 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
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14274913 |
May 12, 2014 |
10373250 |
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16447480 |
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13742855 |
Jan 16, 2013 |
8762255 |
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14274913 |
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12848685 |
Aug 2, 2010 |
8392315 |
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13742855 |
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10260643 |
Sep 30, 2002 |
7813994 |
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12848685 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
1/1 |
Current CPC
Class: |
G06Q 40/00 20130101;
G06Q 40/06 20130101; G06Q 40/04 20130101 |
International
Class: |
G06Q 40/04 20060101
G06Q040/04; G06Q 40/00 20060101 G06Q040/00; G06Q 40/06 20060101
G06Q040/06 |
Claims
1. A method of displaying market information relating to a tradable
object, the method comprising: dynamically displaying a quantity
indicator associated with at least one order of the tradable object
in relation to a static axis of prices; dynamically displaying a
first indicator of a price associated with a lowest traded price of
the tradable object during a predetermined period of time in
relation to the static axis of prices; and dynamically displaying a
second indicator of a price associated with a highest traded price
of the tradable object during the predetermined period of time in
relation to the static axis of prices.
Description
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] This application is a continuation of U.S. patent
application Ser. No. 14/274,913, filed May 12, 2014, which is a
continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 13/742,855, filed
Jan. 16, 2013, now U.S. Pat. No. 8,762,255, which is a continuation
of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12/848,685, filed Aug. 2, 2010,
now U.S. Pat. No. 8,392,315, which is a continuation of U.S. patent
application Ser. No. 10/260,643, filed Sep. 30, 2002, now U.S. Pat.
No. 7,813,994, the contents of each of which are fully incorporated
herein by reference for all purposes.
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0002] The present invention is directed towards electronic
trading. More specifically, the present invention is directed
towards monitoring lowest and highest traded prices of at least one
tradable object and dynamically displaying results thereof using
indicators.
BACKGROUND
[0003] Many exchanges throughout the world now support electronic
trading. Electronic trading has made it possible for an increasing
number of people to actively participate in a market at any given
time. The increase in the number of potential market participants
has advantageously led to, among other things, a more competitive
market and greater liquidity.
[0004] Exchanges that support electronic trading are generally
based on a host, one or more computer networks, and clients. In
general, the host includes one or more centralized computers to
form the electronic heart. Its operations typically include order
matching, maintaining order books and positions, price information,
and managing and updating a database that records such information.
The host is also equipped with an external interface that maintains
uninterrupted contact to the clients and possibly other
trading-related systems.
[0005] Typically, market participants link to the host through one
or more networks. A network is a group of two or more computers
linked together. There are many types of networks such as local
area networks and wide area networks. Networks can also be
characterized by topology, protocol, and architecture. However, any
type of network configuration can be used in electronic trading.
For example, some market participants may link to the host through
a direct connection such as a T1 or ISDN. Some participants may
link to the exchange through direct connections and through other
common network components such as high-speed servers, routers,
gateways, and so on.
[0006] Regardless of the way in which a connection is established,
software running on the clients allows people to log onto one or
more exchanges and participate in one or more markets. Some clients
run software that creates specialized interactive trading screens.
In general, the trading screens enable people to enter orders into
the market, obtain market quotes, and monitor positions. The range
and quality of features available varies according to the specific
software application being run.
[0007] The success of a trader who trades in a competitive
electronic trading environment depends on many factors. One of the
most important factors is how fast a trader can make a trade. Also
important is the ability of a trader to view market changes on
real-time basis. In today's market, a trader needs tools to view
market movements and trends. There are many currently existing
software applications that assist traders with viewing current
markets. These applications typically plot real-time market data
into a variety of chart formats that may be accessed by a trader at
any time during a day. A market chart is often presented as a
sequence of prices or volumes that are plotted over a specific time
frame, such as over a specific trading day, month, year, or number
of years.
[0008] Considering the number of screens that a typical trader has
to view at the same time, visual viewing of charts may be time
consuming and physically demanding. Because viewing market trends
is of great importance, it is desirable for electronic trading
system to offer tools that can assist a trader in trading in an
electronic marketplace, help the trader to make trades at the most
favorable prices in a speedy and accurate manner, while being able
to conveniently view one or more market trends.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES
[0009] Example embodiments of the present invention are described
herein with reference to the following drawings, in which:
[0010] FIG. 1 is an example of a network configuration for a
communication system utilized to access one or more exchanges;
[0011] FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating an example display
having bid and ask quantities displayed in association with a
static axis of prices that may be used in accordance with preferred
embodiments;
[0012] FIG. 3 is a flow chart illustrating one process for
displaying the highest and lowest traded prices on the display of
FIG. 2;
[0013] FIG. 4 is a block diagram illustrating one example display
showing two price indicators in the form of horizontal lines in
accordance with one embodiment;
[0014] FIG. 5 is a block diagram illustrating one example display
showing two price indicators in the form of highlighted cells in
accordance with one embodiment;
[0015] FIG. 6 is a block diagram illustrating one example display
showing two price indicators in the form of graphical symbols in
accordance with one embodiment;
[0016] FIG. 7 is a block diagram illustrating one example display
showing an indicator column as means for displaying a price
indication in accordance with one embodiment; and
[0017] FIG. 8 is a block diagram illustrating one example display
showing a combination of two price indicators in accordance with
one embodiment.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0018] It is beneficial to display market information in a manner
that allows a trader to quickly monitor how the market fluctuates
at any predetermined point of time during a trading day, or a
predetermined period of time, in comparison to the current market
stage. According to one preferred embodiment, the market
information includes the highest traded price and the lowest traded
price of a tradable object during a predetermined period of time.
As used herein, the term "tradable object" refers simply to
anything that can be traded with a quantity and/or price. It
includes, but is not limited to, all types of tradable objects such
as financial products, which can include, for example, stocks,
options, bonds, futures, currency, and warrants, as well as funds,
derivatives and collections of the foregoing, and all types of
commodities, such as grains, energy, and metals. The tradable
object may be "real," such as products that are listed by an
exchange for trading, or "synthetic," such as a combination of real
products that is created by the user.
[0019] More specifically, the present invention provides a method
and system for dynamically displaying a quantity indicator
associated with at least one order (such as a buy order, a sell
order, or both) of a tradable object, in combination with
dynamically displaying information related to the highest traded
price and the lowest traded price of the tradable object during a
predetermined period of time. The quantity indicator, the highest
traded price, and the lowest traded price are displayed in relation
to a static axis of prices. It should be understood that static, in
the context of the embodiments described hereinafter, does not mean
immovable, but rather fixed in relation. For example, with a static
axis of prices, the axis itself may be movable (e.g., via a
recentering or repositioning command), but the prices represented
remain fixed in relation to the market information, subject to
consolidation or expansion. Further, for example, the static axis
of prices can stay fixed even when the market moves.
[0020] According to the example embodiments, the highest traded
price and the lowest traded price shown in relation to the static
axis of prices reflect the lowest and highest traded prices of a
tradable object during a predetermined period of time that, by
default, may include the entire trading day, or, alternatively, may
be user configurable. For instance, a user may configure the
predetermined period of time to be a specific time interval during
a trading day. Therefore, for instance, using the present
invention, a trader may view current market fluctuations of prices
of a tradable object compared to the highest and lowest traded
prices of a tradable object during a trading day.
[0021] While the present invention is described herein with
reference to illustrative embodiments for particular applications,
it should be understood that the present invention is not limited
thereto. Those having ordinary skill of art will recognize that
many additional modifications and embodiments are possible as
well.
[0022] FIG. 1 shows an example system that may be used to implement
network connection between a plurality of exchanges and client
terminals. It should be understood, however, that this and other
arrangements described herein are set forth for purposes of example
only. As such, those skilled in the art will appreciate that other
arrangements and other elements (e.g., machines, interfaces,
functions, orders of functions, etc.) can be used instead, and some
elements may be omitted altogether. Further, as in most
telecommunications applications, those skilled in the art will
appreciate that many of the elements described herein are
functional entities that may be implemented as discrete or
distributed components or in conjunction with other components, and
in any suitable combination and location.
[0023] Still further, various functions described herein as being
performed by one or more entities may be carried out by hardware
and/or software logic. For instance, various functions may be
carried out by a processor executing a set of machine language
instructions stored in memory. Provided with the present
disclosure, those skilled in the art can readily prepare
appropriate computer instructions to perform such functions.
[0024] Referring back to FIG. 1, the illustrated system includes
trading houses 102 and 104 that are connected to exchanges 118,
120, 122, and 124 through one or more gateways 108 and 110. The
aforementioned exchanges may include the Chicago Board of Trade
("CBOT"), the New York Stock Exchange ("NYSE"), the Chicago
Mercantile Exchange ("CME"), the Xetra (a German stock exchange),
or the European derivatives market ("Eurex"). However, it should be
understood that the exchanges could also include any other
currently existing or later created exchanges as well.
Additionally, it should be understood that the preferred
embodiments are not limited to any particular network architecture
or trading application, but rather may be applied with utility on
any client device in any network that can be used for electronic
trading. Furthermore, the present invention is not limited to a
completely electronic trading environment where orders are sent to
an electronic matching engine. For example, the invention could be
utilized with an electronic trading application, which sends orders
electronically to a terminal where a person (e.g., a floor broker)
executes those orders in a traditional open outcry trading
floor.
[0025] Each trading house has one or more client terminals. For
example, the trading house 102 includes N client terminals, and the
trading house 104 includes M client terminals. It should be
understood that N and M could be any number, and the present
invention is not limited to any specific number of client terminals
at one trading house. Further, it should be understood that the
example embodiments are not limited to trading houses. As
illustrated in FIG. 1, an individual client terminal 106, being
operated by one or more traders, may also connect to the exchanges
in a similar fashion as the trading houses.
[0026] The term client terminal, as used herein, can include any
computing terminal, including a personal computer, a handheld
device, and other currently existing or later developed computing
terminals. Further, it should be understood that a client terminal
may connect to the gateways via wireless communication links,
wireline communication links, or a combination thereof. In general,
a client terminal, according to the example embodiments described
hereinafter, is a computer that allows a trader to participate in
the market hosted at the exchange, and uses software that creates
specialized interactive trading screens on the client terminal. The
range and quality of features available to the trader on his or her
client terminal's screen may vary according to the specific
software application being run on the client terminal. Among other
functional features, a trading screen being run on a client
terminal may enable traders to enter and execute orders, obtain
market quotes, and monitor positions. However, it should be
understood that, in addition to interactive trading screens, a
client terminal may also run automated or semi-automated
non-interactive types of trading applications.
[0027] The system shows two possible configurations, although any
number of configurations is possible. In one configuration
illustrated in FIG. 1, the trading house 102 is connected to the
gateway 108 that communicates with the exchanges 118, 120, and 122
through gateways 112, 114, and 116. The assignee of the present
invention sells one such gateway, referred to as TT Relay.TM., that
may connect to multiple gateways. Additionally, the trading house
102 communicates with the exchange 124 through the gateway 110. It
should be understood that more network devices, such as routers,
may exist along the path between the trading house 102 and the
exchanges 118-124.
[0028] In another configuration, the trading house 104 and the
client terminal 106 are connected to the exchange 124 through the
gateway 110. According to the second configuration, the trading
house 104 and the client terminal 106 communicate with the exchange
through one gateway. As with the first configuration, more network
devices may exist along the path between the trading houses and
exchanges. It should also be understood that there are many
possible variations beside the system shown in FIG. 1. For example,
the gateway 110 may be connected to the gateways 112-116 so that
the trading house 104 and the client terminal 106 may connect with
the exchanges 118-124. Alternatively, the gateway 110 may connect
to the gateway 108 that then provides connections to the gateways
112, 114, and 116. Moreover, the gateway(s) may reside on the
trading workstations, or it may be located on a separate physical
device on a computer network. Similarly, a single physical device
may provide more than one instantiation of a gateway. Each gateway,
as is known in the art, may include one or more computers, or
software programs, and may receive information from the host
exchanges and send the information down to the client terminal 106.
Preferably, each gateway receives data from the host exchanges and
converts the received data to a format compatible with the
protocols used on the client terminal 106. Alternatively, the
conversion could be performed at the client terminal 106.
[0029] Each host exchange may provide different types of
information, and may relay this information, or a portion thereof,
collectively called a data feed, over a network to market
participants at the client terminals. A data feed from one exchange
may contain different information representing different tradable
objects than another data feed from a second exchange. Further, a
data feed coming from an exchange may include information related
to all tradable objects being traded at that exchange. In such an
embodiment, when a client terminal receives a data feed, a trading
application on the client terminal may use the received data feed
to extract data relevant to one or more tradable objects selected
by a trader at the client terminal. Alternatively, the data feed
provided from the exchange to a client terminal may include only
data relevant to the tradable objects selected by a trader at the
client terminal.
[0030] Data feeds may include information relating to prices and
quantities of one or more tradable objects. For example, a data
feed could provide data corresponding to quantities at inside
market prices and/or data corresponding to quantity at different
prices. The inside market is the highest bid price ("HBP") and the
lowest ask price ("LAP") for a tradable object. Data feeds from
some exchanges may also provide data related to the market depth.
The market depth is each available pending bid and ask quantity, or
any aggregation or combination thereof, entered at a particular
price. The extent of the market depth available to a trader depends
on the exchange. Some exchanges provide an infinite market depth,
while others provide only quantities associated with the inside
market and some may provide no market depth.
[0031] The data feed may also contain other types of market
information such as the last traded price ("LTP"), the last traded
quantity ("LTQ"), order information, and/or fill information for a
tradable object. Additionally, some exchanges may also monitor
traded prices for tradable objects being offered at the exchange,
and may determine the highest traded price ("HTP") and the lowest
traded price ("LTP") for each or some trading objects offered at
the exchange during a trading day. In one embodiment, such
exchanges may use data feeds to provide, to client terminals, the
highest traded price and the lowest traded price for one or more
trading objects. Alternatively, the exchanges may use special
market update messages that are exclusively used to send the
highest traded price and the lowest traded price to the client
terminals. In such an embodiment, the exchange may send an update
message every time a new highest or lowest traded price is detected
for a tradable object.
[0032] A commercially available trading application that allows a
user to trade in a system like that shown in FIG. 1 is
X_TRADER.RTM. from Trading Technologies International, Inc. of
Chicago, Ill. X_TRADER.RTM. also provides an electronic trading
interface, referred to as MD Trader.TM., in which working orders
and/or bid and ask quantities are displayed in association with a
static axis of prices. However, the preferred embodiments are not
limited to any particular product.
[0033] Portions of the X_TRADER.RTM. and the MD Trader.TM.-style
display are described in U.S. patent application Ser. No.
09/590,692, entitled "Click Based Trading With Intuitive Grid
Display of Market Depth," filed on Jun. 9, 2000, and U.S. patent
application Ser. No. 09/971,087, entitled "Click Based Trading With
Intuitive Grid Display of Market Depth and Price Consolidation,"
filed on Oct. 5, 2001, the contents of both are incorporated herein
by reference. Moreover, the trading application may implement tools
for trading tradable objects that are described in U.S. patent
application Ser. No. 10/125,894, filed on Apr. 19, 2002, entitled
"Trading Tools for Electronic Trading," the contents of which are
incorporated herein by reference.
[0034] The example embodiments for displaying market information,
including the highest traded price and/or the lowest traded price,
related to a tradable object will be described below in reference
to the MD Trader.TM.-style display that displays information, such
as orders to buy or orders to sell, in association with price
levels arranged along a common static axis or scale of prices. The
quantities associated with orders to buy are preferably displayed
in a bid display region and quantities associated with orders to
sell are preferably displayed in an ask display region. These
quantities can be displayed using any type of indicator. For
example, the indicator can be a graphical representation of
quantity (e.g., colors, bars, etc.) or can simply be a number. The
price levels are fixed in relation to the bid and ask display
regions such that the indicators displayed in these regions can
move relative to the static price axis. It should be noted that the
static axis of prices is not immovable relative to the display
(e.g., the screen). For example, which portion of the static axis
that is being viewed can be changed by scrolling up or down the
axis or by entering a repositioning command. One embodiment using
this type of display system displays market information with
respect to a vertical axis so that the market information
fluctuates logically up and down relative to the axis as the market
prices fluctuate. It should be understood that while the example
embodiments for displaying the highest and lowest traded prices of
a tradable object are described in reference to the MD
Trader.TM.-style display, the present invention is not limited to
any particular display and could be used with different or
equivalent displays. Further, it should be understood that many
modifications to the MD Trader.TM. display are possible as well.
For example, information related to a tradable object may be
displayed on horizontally relative to a horizontally oriented axis,
n-dimensionally, or in any other fashion.
[0035] In a fast moving market, where varying price levels are
trading (i.e., bids and offers entering the market are being
matched at different prices), it is beneficial for a trader to be
able to quickly enter orders and quickly see and analyze market
information. FIG. 2 illustrates a display 200 that allows a trader
to quickly enter orders at specific price levels by clicking next
to a static axis of prices, displayed as a static column, and to
quickly and easily see information such as working orders. The
display 200 is the MD Trader.TM.-style display; however, some of
the fields available on the typical MD Trader.TM. have been omitted
and are not described in reference to FIG. 2. A typical MD
Trader.TM.-style display is described in greater detail in U.S.
patent application Ser. No. 09/590,692, filed on Jun. 9, 2000, the
contents of which are fully incorporated herein by reference.
[0036] The display shown in FIG. 2 includes a working orders column
202, a bid quantity ("Bid Qty") column 204, an ask quantity ("Ask
Qty") column 206, and a price column 208. In the preferred
embodiment, the three columns 202, 204, 206 are shown in different
colors so that a trader can easily distinguish them. Further, it
should be understood that a trader has the ability to control the
arrangement of the columns on the display. For example, the Bid Qty
column 204 could be positioned on the left side of the price column
208, while the Ask Qty column 206 could be positioned to the right
of the price column 208. However, it should be understood that
other arrangements are possible as well. The Bid Qty column 204
displays bid quantities, and the Ask Qty column 206 displays ask
quantities. The representative prices for a given trading object
are shown in the price column 208. As mentioned in reference to
preceding paragraphs, the price column 208 includes a static axis
of prices. It should be understood that the static axis of prices
could be displayed in any manner, including in a row, on any angle,
or n-dimensionally, without departing from the invention.
Alternatively, the prices on the static axis of prices do not need
to be displayed.
[0037] The representative prices for a given tradable object are
illustrated in the price column 208 and incremented in "ticks,"
where a tick is the minimum change in a price value that is set by
the exchange for a tradable object. It should be understood that
prices can be displayed as ticks, as multiples of ticks, or in any
other fashion. In the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 2, the column
does not list the whole price (e.g., 99.89), but only the last two
digits (e.g., 89). Other price display conventions may
alternatively be used, as long as price information is conveyed to
the user. In an alternative embodiment, the static axis of prices
may include no numerical values at all. In such an embodiment, the
market information may be displayed relative to one another along a
scale or axis representing particular prices using particular
colors or using other methods. Further, alternatively, prices could
be consolidated, and the display could show consolidated prices so
that for instance, a cell could correspond to a range of prices
instead of one price. More information on price consolidation may
be found in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/971,087, filed on
Oct. 5, 2001, "Click Based Trading with Intuitive Grid Display of
Market Depth and Price Consolidation," the contents of which are
fully incorporated herein by reference.
[0038] Referring back to FIG. 2, the inside market is 90 (best bid
price) and 91 (best ask price). There is a quantity of 150 (best
bid quantity) at 90 and a quantity of 120 (best ask quantity) at
91. Three additional market depth levels are also shown in FIG. 2.
Specifically, the first, second, and third additional market depth
levels are 180, 120 and 400 (ask quantities) at 92, 93, and 94 (ask
prices), and 100, 150, and 25 (bid quantities) at 89, 88, and 87
(bid prices). The working order column 202 displays the current
status of the trader's orders. The status of each order is
displayed in the price row where it was entered. For example, in
the working orders column 202, in a cell corresponding to the
static price 90, the number next to "B" indicates the number of the
trader's lots that have been bought at the price in the specific
row, i.e., price 90. Referring to the lower cell in the working
orders column 202, in a cell corresponding to the static price 89,
the number next to W indicates the number of the trader's ordered
lots that are in the market, but have not been filled, i.e., the
system is working on filling the order. Although not shown, the
working orders column 202 may also include current status of
trader's sale orders. The sale orders could be indicated in a cell
including "S" and "W" and the corresponding numbers. A non-zero
number next to "S" would indicate the number of trader's ordered
lots that have been sold at the price in the specific row. The
number next to "W" in such an order would indicate the number of
the trader's ordered lots that are in the market, but have not been
filled--i.e., the system is working on filling the order.
[0039] It should be understood that the same information and
features can be displayed and enabled in a horizontal or other
fashion. Just as the market ascends and descends the vertical axis
in the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 2, the market will move left
and right in the horizontal display, while the same data and the
same information gleaned from the dynamic display of the data is
provided. It should be understood that other orientations can be
used to dynamically display the data and such orientations are
intended to come within the scope of the present invention.
[0040] The specific features of the embodiment of a display as in
FIG. 2 are an example of one embodiment of a screen display that
can be used with the present invention. The present invention is
not limited, however, to a screen display utilized each of these
features.
[0041] Maximum and Minimum Traded Price Indicators
[0042] FIG. 3 is a flow diagram 300 illustrating an example method
for displaying market information associated with a tradable object
based on market updates received from an exchange. More
specifically, the market information includes the lowest traded
price and the highest traded price of a tradable object that are
determined based on market updates provided by an exchange. It
should be understood that the flow diagram 300 illustrates only
example steps that may be taken to display the lowest and highest
traded prices associated with a tradable object, and more or fewer
steps may be included in the flow diagram, and more or fewer steps
may occur in one or more orders.
[0043] Referring to the flow chart in FIG. 3, at step 302, a client
terminal receives a first market update from an exchange. In one
embodiment, a market update may have a format of a message and may
include the inside market, quantities, along with the highest
traded price and the lowest traded price associated with a tradable
object. Alternatively, an exchange may use one or more separate
market update messages specifically designed to exclusively send
the highest and lowest traded prices whenever a change in one of
these prices is detected at the exchange. It should be understood
that when a gateway associated with the client terminal receives
the first market update from the exchange, the gateway may convert
the received data into a format compatible with protocols used on
the client terminal.
[0044] When the client terminal receives the first market update,
at step 304, a trading application on the client terminal uses the
information specified in the received update to dynamically display
a first indicator reflecting the lowest traded price of a tradable
object. According to an example embodiment, the first indicator is
displayed on the MD Trader.TM.-style display, such as the display
illustrated in FIG. 2, in relation to a static axis of prices, the
example embodiments of which will be described in greater detail in
reference to subsequent figures.
[0045] At step 306, the trading application on the client terminal
uses the information specified in the first update to dynamically
display a second indicator reflecting the highest traded price of
the tradable object. Similarly to the first indicator, the second
indicator is also displayed in relation to the static axis of
prices associated with the tradable object. It should be
understood, and as explained in reference to FIG. 2, the MD
Trader.TM.-style display may also display other information related
to the tradable object, including, for example, a quantity
indicator associated with at least one order for the tradable
object, such as at least one order to buy and/or sell the tradable
object. In such an embodiment, one or more quantity indicators are
also displayed in relation to the static axis of prices.
[0046] At step 308, the trading application on the client terminal
receives a second, or subsequent, market update from the exchange.
Depending on formats and types of messages being used by exchanges
to convey the highest and lowest traded prices of tradable objects,
different steps may be carried out at a gateway or the trading
application at the client terminal to determine if the highest
traded price and/or the lowest traded price have changed compared
to the prices associated with the first and second indicators. In
an embodiment in which an exchange provides the highest/lowest
traded price information in a market update including the inside
market, the market update message may include a special flag
indicating that a new highest or lowest traded price is specified
in the message. Alternatively, if an exchange monitors the
highest/lowest traded prices for the tradable object and sends a
special update message only if the new highest/lowest traded price
is detected, then, when the trading application at the client
terminal receives such a message, the trading application may
simply use the information specified in the message to determine
that a new highest/lowest traded price has been reached. Further,
for example, an exchange may use two separate update messages, one
of which used to send the highest traded price updates, and another
to send the lowest traded price updates.
[0047] Further, alternatively, an exchange may only provide the
last traded price of a tradable object. In such an embodiment,
gateway or a trading application on a client terminal may determine
a first highest traded price and a first lowest traded price based
on the first and second last traded prices received from an
exchange (assuming that the first two last traded prices have
different values). In an embodiment in which the gateway makes such
a determination, the gateway may then send this information to the
client terminal. The first highest and lowest traded prices may
then be displayed on a display using a first indicator and a second
indicator. In such an embodiment, once the first and second
indicators are displayed, the gateway or the trading application on
the client terminal may then use a next update message received
from the exchange to determine if the last traded price specified
in the received message corresponds to a new highest or lowest
traded price of the tradable object. In one embodiment, the gateway
or the trading application may determine a relative price level of
the received last traded price compared to the lowest/highest
traded prices corresponding to the first and second indicators. If
the last traded price is lower than the traded price corresponding
to the first indicator (the lowest traded price), the gateway or
the trading application may determine that a new lowest traded
price has been received for the tradable object. If the last traded
price is higher that the traded price corresponding to the second
indicator (the highest traded price), the gateway or the trading
application may determine that a new highest traded price has been
received for the tradable object. It should be understood that
different embodiments are possible as well.
[0048] At step 310, the trading application on the client terminal
updates the first and second indicators based on price information
specified in the second, or subsequent, update message. As
described in the preceding paragraphs, the functions performed on
the gateway or the trading application to determine if a new
highest/lowest traded price has been reached may depend on the
format and information contained in the update message received
from the exchange. Irrespectively of what operations are performed,
when the new lowest traded price is detected, the first indicator
is dynamically updated, i.e., repositioned to reflect the new
lowest traded price. Similarly, when the new highest traded price
is detected, the second indicator is repositioned to reflect the
new highest traded price.
[0049] It should be understood that a first indicator and a second
indicator reflect the lowest traded price and the highest traded
price over a predetermined period of time. In one embodiment, the
predetermined period of time, by default, may be set to a trading
day. In such an embodiment, the first trading indicator and the
second trading indicator, at the beginning of a trading day, may be
set to the previous day settlement highest traded price and the
lowest traded price. Alternatively, the trading application may
wait until it receives data related to the first trades in a
particular trading day, i.e., data including the highest traded
price and the lowest traded price, or data including information
that can be used at the trading application to determine the
highest traded price and the lowest traded price.
[0050] However, the predetermined period of time does not
necessarily have to be set to the entire trading day. It should be
understood that the predetermined period of time may be user
configurable. For example, a user may want to view the highest and
lowest traded prices over a predetermined time interval, such as
over a specific hour during a trading day. In one embodiment, a
user could preprogram such a specific time interval at any time
during a trading day. In such an embodiment, the trading
application may send the user request to a gateway, for example,
and the gateway may use the last traded prices being received from
the exchange to determine new high or low traded prices during the
time interval specified by the user. In such an embodiment, when a
new high or low is detected on the gateway, the gateway may send
that information to the client terminal via a data feed or using a
predetermined message for sending high and low updates. Once the
information is received at the client terminal, the client terminal
may automatically set the indicators corresponding to the highest
and lowest traded prices of a tradable object and may update the
indicators throughout the predetermined time interval based on the
updates provided by the gateway. Further, in such an embodiment,
the indicators reflecting the highest and lowest traded prices over
the time period specified by the user may be displayed instead of
or in addition to indicators reflecting the highest and lowest
traded prices during a trading day. In such an embodiment, to
differentiate the indicators related to the highest/lowest traded
prices associated with the entire trading day and indicators
related to the highest/lowest traded prices monitored over a time
period specified by a user, the indicators may be displayed using
different colors. Alternatively, different types of indicators
configurable by a user could also be used instead.
[0051] Further, in an alternative embodiment, a user could preset a
movable time window to monitor the highest and lowest traded prices
during the preset time period. For example, instead of monitoring
the entire trading day, or a preset period of time, such as a
specific hour or a number of hours during a trading day, a user
could preset, for instance, a movable ten minutes time window. In
such an embodiment, the indicators would reflect highest and lowest
traded prices during the first ten minutes from the specified start
time, and then would be reset, and reflect the prices for the next
ten minutes, and so on.
[0052] It should be understood that the method of determining the
highest and lowest traded prices based on data received from the
exchange could be performed on the client terminal or the gateway,
or partially performed on the gateway and the client terminal.
Determining the highest and lowest traded prices on the gateway may
turn out beneficial when a client terminal has little processing
power.
[0053] Further, it should be understood that the present invention
is not limited to displaying the highest and lowest traded prices
associated with a single tradable object. In an alternative
embodiment, the highest and lowest traded prices may be displayed
for a spread. Spread trading is the buying and/or selling of two or
more tradable objects, and a spread trade could involve buying two
or more tradable objects, buying and selling two or more tradable
objects, selling two or more tradable objects, or some combination
thereof. According to an example embodiment, when a user selects
individual tradable objects underlying the spread, i.e., legs of
the spread, an automatic spreader may calculate an overall spread
based on data feeds associated with each leg. Further, in such an
embodiment, the automatic spreader may calculate the highest traded
price and the lowest traded price of the spread using highest and
lowest traded prices associated with each tradable object of the
spread. The automatic spreader and methods for calculating spread
prices are described in greater detail in U.S. patent application
Ser. No. 10/137,979, filed on May 3, 2002, entitled "System and
Method for Performing Automatic Spread Trading," the contents of
which are incorporated herein by reference.
[0054] In accordance with a preferred embodiment, the highest and
lowest traded prices associated with a tradable object during a
predetermined period of time are displayed using two visual
indicators. It should be understood that any type of indicator may
be used as long as it is recognizable by a user as the highest
and/or lowest traded price of a tradable object during a
predetermined period of time. For example, the indicators may be
graphical indicators, color indicators, or markers. Further, each
indicator may include an associated numerical value. Alternatively,
or additionally, each indicator could be designated with a letter
or word, such as "H," "L," "Max," or "Min." In one embodiment, the
two indicators may be of the same type. In an alternative
embodiment, two different indicators may be used to illustrate the
highest and lowest traded prices of a tradable object.
[0055] Further, in accordance with a preferred embodiment, when a
new highest or lowest traded price is reached, a sound alert may be
generated to notify a user of the new high or low. In such an
embodiment, it should be understood that a user may pre-configure
sound indicators reflecting the new high or low via a graphical
interface, such as a popup window enabling the user to select from
a number of possible audio indicators. Further, it should be
understood that a voice synthesizer could be used to notify the
user of the new high or low, to play "A new high has been reached,"
for example, when the new highest traded price is reached. It
should be understood that different embodiments could also be used,
and the present invention is not limited to any particular sound
indicator.
[0056] As noted above, items of interest in the user interface may
be color-coded or highlighted using color or gray scale shades. In
a preferred embodiment, the user interface is of the type
illustrated in FIG. 2 having market data displayed in relation to a
static axis of prices, such as the MD_TRADER.TM. style display. In
MD_TRADER.TM., the highest and lowest traded price of a tradable
object during a predetermined period of time may be presented as a
pair of indicator bars in the form of two horizontal lines.
[0057] FIG. 4 is an example display showing two price indicators in
the form of horizontal lines. In FIG. 4, two horizontal lines 410
and 412 are displayed in a price column 408 at levels corresponding
to the highest and lowest traded prices, respectively. Thus,
according to an embodiment illustrated in FIG. 4, the highest
traded price for a tradable object is 97, and the lowest traded
price is 87. It should be understood that the horizontal line
indicators may be color indicators and may be displayed using the
same or different colors. For example, the highest traded price
indicator 410 may be displayed using one color, such as yellow, and
the lowest traded price indicator 412 may be displayed using
another color, such as red. However, it should be understood that
different colors could also be used. In one embodiment, the trading
application preferably allows a user to change color designation in
accordance with the user's preference. Further, it should be
understood that the horizontal line indicators are not necessarily
displayed in the price column 408, and could be displayed in
relation to the price column. In one embodiment, the price
indicators 410 and 412 may be displayed adjacent to the price
column 408, for example. The indicator horizontal bars 410 and 412
move in relation to the static axis of prices in the price column
408 based on the highest and lowest traded price movements during a
predetermined period of time. Thus, for example, if a new highest
traded price is reached for a tradable object, the price indicator
410 is moved to a new price level reflecting the new highest traded
price. As mentioned in reference to preceding figures, the
indicator updates are done based on market updates related to the
tradable object received from the exchange.
[0058] Further, if a price consolidation mechanism is used, it
should be understood that the price indicators corresponding to the
highest and lowest traded prices may be displayed in a cell
corresponding to a range of prices including the highest or lowest
traded price. For example, if a cell corresponds to prices ranging
from 89-91, and the highest traded price is 90, then a highest
traded price indicator may be displayed in relation to the middle
portion of the cell. Alternatively, the price indicator could be
displayed anywhere within the cell including the highest traded
price, thus, only indicating that the highest traded prices is
somewhere within the ranged of prices represented by the cell.
[0059] In an alternative embodiment, the highest and lowest traded
prices may be presented as highlighted or partially highlighted
cells on a static axis of prices. FIG. 5 is an example display
showing two price indicators in the form of highlighted cells on a
static axis of prices. As illustrated in FIG. 5, the highest traded
price and the lowest traded price associated with a tradable object
are displayed on the example display as highlighted price cells in
the price column 508, as shown at 510 and 512. It should be
understood that each cell may be highlighted in a particular color
that may be configurable by a user, for example. Alternatively, a
particular highlighting pattern may be used to highlight the cells
corresponding to the highest and lowest traded prices. It should be
understood that a highlighting pattern used in each cell may be
different or the same, and it may be configurable by a user.
Further, it should be understood that only a portion of each cell
may be highlighted.
[0060] The indicators related to the highest and lowest traded
prices may be displayed in any format that is suitable and
recognizable by a user. For example, graphical symbols may be used
as indicators of the highest and lowest traded prices. FIG. 6 is an
example display showing price indicators in the form of graphical
symbols. FIG. 6 shows prices corresponding to the highest traded
price and the lowest traded price in the price column 610
surrounded by colored, shaded, or highlighted circles, as shown at
610 and 612. However, it should be understood that different types
of graphical indicators could also be used, such as boxes
surrounding respective prices, or graphical indicators displayed
next to the prices in the price cells. Further, it should be
understood that graphical indicators could occupy either a portion
or the entire price cell corresponding to the highest or lowest
traded price. In alternative embodiment, graphical indicators may
be displayed in relation to a static axis of prices in the price
column 608, such as next to the price column 608.
[0061] FIG. 7 is an example display showing an indicator column
related to the highest and lowest traded price of a tradable
object. In the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 7, a column indicator
710 is displayed in the price column 708 and indicates a range of
prices between the lowest and highest traded prices. The column
indicator 710 may be a colored, highlighted or shaded column. FIG.
7 illustrates the column indicator 710 occupying only a portion of
each price cell between the highest traded price and the lowest
traded price. However, in an alternative embodiment, entire cells
between the highest traded price and the lowest traded price may be
highlighted as well. Further, alternatively, the column indicator
may be displayed adjacent to the price column 708.
[0062] In view of the embodiments described above, it should be
understood that the type of indicators relating to the highest and
lowest traded prices may be selectable by a user. For instance one
or more methods for displaying price indicators could be combined
as well. In one embodiment, the method of displaying the highest
and lowest traded prices using horizontal line indicators could be
combined with the price column indicator. FIG. 8 is an example
display showing two price indicators in the form of horizontal
lines and further showing a highlighted indicator column. In FIG.
8, two horizontal lines 810 and 814 are displayed in the price
column 808 at levels corresponding to the highest traded price and
the lowest traded price. Further, a range of prices between the
highest and lowest traded prices is highlighted using a highlighted
indicator column 812.
[0063] It should be understood that different embodiments are
possible as well, and the present invention is not limited to the
described types of indicators. Further, it should be understood
that user may configure price indicator to reflect prices related
to, but not equal to, the highest and traded price. As an example,
price indicators may reflect a certain percentage, or percentages,
of the highest and lowest traded prices of a tradable object. Those
skilled in the art will recognize that many other embodiments
within the scope of the present invention are also possible.
[0064] In accordance with one embodiment, the graphical user
interface for a trading application provides means for indicating
that an item of interest is outside the viewable range of display.
For example, due to market movement, indicators of the highest and
lowest traded price may be outside the viewable range of display.
According to an example embodiment, a user has the ability to cause
the display to shift up or down so that the user may view the
indicator that is outside the viewable area. In one embodiment, the
out of range indicator is an arrow or similar pointing indicator,
which indicates to the user that an item of interest, such as an
indicator of the highest traded price or the lowest traded price,
lies outside the viewable area, and further indicates the direction
in which the viewable area needs to move in order for the user to
view the item of interest. More information on means for indicating
that an item of interest is outside the viewable area may be found
in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/125,894, entitled "Trading
Tools for Electronic Trading," fully incorporated herein by
reference.
[0065] It should be understood that the above description of the
preferred embodiments, alternative embodiments, and specific
examples, are given by way of illustration and should not be viewed
as limiting. Further, many changes and modifications within the
scope of the present embodiments may be made without departing from
the spirit thereof, and the present invention includes such changes
and modifications.
[0066] Further, it will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in
the art that methods involved in the system and method for
displaying market information relating to a tradable object may be
embodied in a computer program product that includes one or more
computer readable media. For example, a computer readable medium
can include a readable memory device, such as a hard drive device,
CD-ROM, a DVD-ROM, or a computer diskette, having computer readable
program code segments stored thereon. The computer readable medium
can also include a communications or transmission medium, such as,
a bus or a communication link, either optical, wired or wireless
having program code segments carried thereon as digital or analog
data signals.
[0067] The claims should not be read as limited to the described
order or elements unless stated to that effect. Therefore, all
embodiments that come within the scope and spirit of the following
claims and equivalents thereto are claimed as the invention.
* * * * *