Client-oriented, on-demand trading system

• US 20060026087A1
• Filed: 07/30/2004
• Published: 02/02/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 07/30/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Lin, Cheng-Yee
• Granted Patent: US 8,396,782 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/37
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/10 specially adapted for electronic funds transfer [EFT] systems; specially adapted for home banking systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/04 Trading; Exchange, e.g. stocks, commodities, derivatives or currency exchange

Abstract

A client-oriented, on-demand automated trading system that facilitates client-oriented automated trading with suppliers. A client transaction agent is adapted to provide trading requirements for notification to one or more suppliers, and to discover automated services provided by the one or more suppliers that conform to the trading requirements. A broker is adapted to notify one or more supplier transaction agents of trading requirements specified by the client transaction agent, and to advise the client transaction agent of automated services that conform to the trading requirements. The supplier transaction agents are adapted to process trading requirements generated by the client transaction agent and register automated services that conform to the trading requirements with the broker.

Claims

1. An automated trading system, comprising:

a client transaction agent;

one or more supplier transaction agents; and

a broker adapted to notify said one or more supplier transaction agents of trading requirements specified by said client transaction agent and to advise said client transaction agent of automated services offered by said one or more supplier transaction agents that conform to said trading requirements;

whereby a client associated with said client transaction agent can invoke said automated services using a single automated trading application.

2. A system in accordance with claim 1 wherein said broker is either remote from said client transaction agent or incorporated therein.

3. A system in accordance with claim 1 wherein said client transaction agent is adapted to publish an automated service interface specification containing said trading requirements to said broker and to collect one or more automated service identifications identifying said automated services from said broker.

4. A system in accordance with claim 1 wherein said one or more supplier transaction agents are adapted to register automated service identifications identifying said automated services at said broker.

5. A system in accordance with claim 1 wherein said broker is adapted to maintain a registry of automated service identifications provided by said one or more supplier transaction agents.

6. An automated trading method, comprising:

notifying one or more suppliers of trading requirements specified by a client; and

advising said client of automated services offered by said one or more suppliers that conform to said trading requirements;

whereby said client can invoke said automated services using a single automated trading application.

7. A method in accordance with claim 6 further including publishing an automated service interface specification containing said trading requirements prior to notifying said one or more suppliers.

8. A method in accordance with claim 6 further including registering one or more automated service identifications between notifying said one or more suppliers and advising said client of said automated services.

9. A method in accordance with claim 8 wherein said registering includes storing said one or more automated service identifications in a registration database.

10. A method in accordance with claim 9 wherein said advising includes providing said one or more automated service identifications from said registration database.

11. A client transaction agent for use in an automated trading system that facilitates client-oriented automated trading with suppliers, comprising:

publication means for providing trading requirements for notification to one or more suppliers; and

collection means for collecting information about automated services provided by said one or more suppliers that conform to said trading requirements;

whereby a client associated with said client transaction agent can invoke said automated services using a single automated trading application.

12. A client transaction agent in accordance with claim 11 wherein said publication means comprises means for publishing an automated service interface specification containing said trading requirements to a remote broker that notifies said one or more suppliers thereof, and wherein said collection means comprises means for collecting one or more automated service identifications that identify said automated services from said remote broker.

13. A client transaction agent in accordance with claim 11 wherein said publication means comprises means for publishing an automated service interface specification containing said trading requirements to a broker module within said client transaction agent that notifies said one or more suppliers thereof, and wherein said collection means comprises means for collecting one or more automated service identifications that identify said automated services from said broker module.

14. A client transaction agent in accordance with claim 11 further including data collection means for accessing said automated services provided by said one or more suppliers to obtain information regarding a transaction subject of interest to said client.

15. A client transaction agent in accordance with claim 14 further including decision means for evaluating said information to determine a most suitable supplier for a transaction concerning said subject and transaction means for consummating a transaction concerning said subject with said most suitable supplier.

16. A computer program product for programming a client transaction agent for use in an automated trading system that facilitates client-oriented automated trading with suppliers, comprising:

one or more data storage media;

programming means recorded on said data storage media for programming said client transaction agent to operate as by;

publishing trading requirements for notification to one or more suppliers; and

collecting information about automated services provided by said one or more suppliers that conform to said trading requirements;

whereby a client associated with said client transaction agent can invoke said automated services using a single automated trading application.

17. A computer program product in accordance with claim 16 wherein said programming means further comprises means for programming said client transaction agent to publish said trading requirements by publishing an automated service interface specification containing said trading requirements to a remote broker that notifies said one or more suppliers thereof, and wherein said programming means further comprises means for programming said client transaction agent to collect information about said automated services by collecting one or more automated service identifications that identify said automated services from said remote broker.

18. A computer program product in accordance with claim 16 wherein said programming means further comprises means for programming said client transaction agent to publish said trading requirements by publishing an automated service interface specification containing said trading requirements to a broker module within said client transaction agent that notifies said one or more suppliers thereof, and wherein said programming means further comprises means for programming said client transaction agent to collect information about said automated services by collecting one or more automated service identifications that identify said automated services from said broker module.

19. A computer program product in accordance with claim 16 wherein said programming means further comprises means for programming said client transaction agent to operate as by accessing said automated services provided by said one or more suppliers to obtain information regarding a transaction subject of interest to said client.

20. A computer program product in accordance with claim 19 wherein said programming means further comprises means for programming said client transaction agent to operate as by evaluating said information to determine a most suitable supplier for a transaction concerning said subject and consummating a transaction concerning said subject with said most suitable supplier.

21. A broker for use in an automated trading system that facilitates client-oriented automated trading with suppliers, comprising:

notification means for notifying one or more suppliers of trading requirements received from a client;

registration means for registering automated services provided by said one or more suppliers that conform to said trading requirements; and

advising means for advising said client about said registered automated services;

whereby said client can invoke said automated services using a single automated trading application.

22. A broker in accordance with claim 21 wherein said broker is remote from a transaction agent associated with said client.

23. A broker in accordance with claim 21 wherein said broker is situated in a client transaction agent associated with said client.

24. A broker in accordance with claim 21 wherein said registration means comprises a registration database that stores automated service identifications.

25. A broker in accordance with claim 24 wherein said advising means comprises a collection interface that said client can access to collect registration database entries.

26. A computer program product for programming a broker for use in an automated trading system that facilitates client-oriented automated trading with suppliers, comprising:

one or more data storage media;

programming means recorded on said data storage media for programming said broker to operate as by;

notifying one or more suppliers of trading requirements received from a client;

registering automated services provided by said one or more suppliers that conform to said trading requirements; and

advising said client about said registered automated services;

whereby said client can invoke said automated services using a single automated trading application.

27. A computer program product in accordance with claim 26 wherein said programming means is for programming said broker to operate remotely from a transaction agent associated with said client.

28. A computer program product in accordance with claim 26 wherein said programming means is part of a computer program product for programming a client transaction agent.

29. A computer program product in accordance with claim 26 wherein said programming means further comprises means for programming said broker to register said automated services by way of a registration database that stores automated service identifications.

30. A computer program product in accordance with claim 26 wherein said programming means further comprises means for programming said broker to advise said client about said registered automated services by providing a collection interface that said client can access to collect registration database entries.

31. A supplier transaction agent for use in an automated trading system that facilitates client-oriented automated trading with suppliers, comprising:

processing means for processing trading requirements generated by a client; and

registration means for registering automated services that conform to said trading requirements with a broker;

whereby said client can invoke said automated services using a single automated trading application.

32. A supplier transaction agent in accordance with claim 31 wherein said processing means comprises means for processing an automated service interface specification.

33. A supplier transaction agent in accordance with claim 31 wherein said registration means comprises means for providing an automated services identification that can be accessed by said client.

34. A supplier transaction agent in accordance with claim 33 wherein said automated services identification is a network resource locating address.

35. A supplier transaction agent in accordance with claim 31 further including means for generating said automated services using said trading requirements.

40. A computer program product in accordance with claim 31 wherein said programming means further comprises means for programming said supplier transaction agent to generate said automated services using said trading requirements.

36. A computer program product for programming a supplier transaction agent for use in an automated trading system that facilitates client-oriented automated trading with suppliers, comprising:

one or more data storage media;

programming means recorded on said data storage media for programming said client transaction agent to operate as by;

processing trading requirements generated by a client; and

registering automated services that conform to said trading requirements with a broker;

whereby said client can invoke said automated services using a single automated trading application.

37. A computer program product in accordance with claim 36 wherein said programming means further comprises means for programming said supplier transaction agent to process said trading requirements by processing an automated service interface specification.

38. A computer program product in accordance with claim 36 wherein said programming means further comprises means for programming said supplier transaction agent to register said automated services by providing a automated services identification that can be accessed by said client.

39. A computer program product in accordance with claim 36 wherein said programming means further comprises means for programming said supplier transaction agent to register said automated services by providing a network resource locating address that can be accessed by said client.

41. A method for brokering automated transactions among compatible trading partners, comprising:

establishing a broker registry;

publishing trading requirements in said registry for consumption by suppliers; and

registering automated services that conform to said trading requirements in said registry for consumption by clients.

42. A client transaction method for use in an automated trading system that facilitates client-oriented automated trading with suppliers, comprising:

publishing trading requirements for notification to one or more suppliers; and

collecting information about automated services provided by said one or more suppliers that conform to said trading requirements;

whereby a client implementing said client transaction method can invoke said automated services using a single automated trading application.

43. A supplier transaction method for use in an automated trading system that facilitates client-oriented automated trading with suppliers, comprising:

processing trading requirements generated by a client; and

registering automated services that conform to said trading requirements with a broker;

whereby said client can invoke said automated services using a single automated trading application.