Electronic trading system

• US 20060129474A1
• Filed: 10/26/2005
• Published: 06/15/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 10/26/2004
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Patsystems PLC
• Original Assignee: Patsystems PLC
• Inventors: Kelly, Brian Vincent
• Application Number:
  US11/259,373
• Publication Number:
  US 20060129474A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/37
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/04 Trading; Exchange, e.g. stocks, commodities, derivatives or currency exchange

Abstract

A client for trading on an electronic exchange is disclosed. The client has a graphical user interface (GUI) that includes the following components. a) A price region comprising a plurality of cells arranged along a locus within each of which a price can be displayed; b) An order region adjacent to the price region. The order region has a plurality of cells within which order data can be displayed. Each cell in the order region corresponds to a respective cell in the price region. c) A current price indicator that indicates a fixed point on the locus. The display is updated automatically and periodically by moving the content of the cells along the locus to maintain the current price of the market in place at the current price indicator.

Claims

1. A client for trading on an electronic exchange, the client having a graphical user interface (GUI) that includes:

a) a price region comprising a plurality of cells arranged along a locus within each of which a price can be displayed;

b) an order region adjacent to the price region, the order region having a plurality of cells within which order data can be displayed, each cell in the order region corresponding to a respective cell in the price region; and

characterised by

c) a current price indicator that indicates a fixed point on the locus;

d) and in that the display is updated by moving the content of the cells along the locus to maintain the current price of the market in place at the current price indicator.

2. A client for trading on an electronic exchange according to claim 1 in which the locus is a straight line.

3. A client for trading on an electronic exchange according to claim 2 in which the locus is either vertical or horizontal within the GUI.

4. A client for trading on an electronic exchange according to claim 1 in which the nature of the locus is configurable by a user of the client.

5. A client for trading on an electronic exchange according to claim 1 in which the GUI is operative such that a user can cause the content of one or more cells to freeze.

6. A client for trading on an electronic exchange according to claim 5 in which freezing of a cell occurs as a result of a mouse pointer being moved into a predetermined part of the display.

7. A client for trading on an electronic exchange according to claim 6 in which the predetermined part of the display is the cell itself.

8. A client for trading on an electronic exchange according to claim 6 in which the predetermined part of the display is a region associated with the cell.

9. A client for trading on an electronic exchange according to claim 8 in which the predetermined part of the display is the order region and placing the pointer in the order region freezes all of the cells in the order region.

10. A client for trading on an electronic exchange according to claim 5 in which circumstances in which freezing of a cell occurs is configurable by a user.

11. A client for trading on an electronic exchange according to claim 5 in which the GUI is operative to unfreeze a frozen cell in response to one or both of:

the mouse being moved from an area that caused the cell to become frozen and a predetermined period of time has elapsed since the cell became frozen.

12. A client for trading on an electronic exchange according to claim 11 in which the circumstances in which a cell becomes unfrozen configurable by a user.

13. A client for trading on an electronic exchange according to claim 1 in which the display is updated periodically without requiring an action from a user.

14. A client for trading on an electronic exchange according to claim 1 in which the display is updated in response to changes in the market without requiring an action from a user.

15. A method of operating a client for trading on an electronic exchange, the client having a graphical user interface (GUI) that includes:

a) displaying a price region comprising a plurality of cells arranged along a locus within each of which a price can be displayed;

b) displaying an order region adjacent to the price region, the order region having a plurality of cells within which order data can be displayed, each cell in the order region corresponding to a respective cell in the price region; and

characterised by

c) displaying a current price indicator to indicate a fixed point on the locus;

d) and in that the display is updated by moving the content of the cells along the locus to maintain the current price of the market in place at the current price indicator.

16. A method according to claim 15 in which the locus is a straight line.

17. A method according to claim 16 in which the locus is either vertical or horizontal within the GUI.

18. A method according to claim 15 in which the nature of the locus is configurable by 20 a user of the client.

19. A method according to claim 15 in which the GUI operates such that a user can cause the content of one or more cells to freeze.

20. A method according to claim 19 in which freezing of a cell occurs as a result of a mouse pointer being moved into a predetermined part of the display.

21. A method according to claim 20 in which the predetermined part of the display is the cell itself.

22. A method according to claim 20 in which the predetermined part of the display is a region associated with the cell.

23. A method according to claim 22 in which the predetermined part of the display is the order region and placing the pointer in the order region freezes all of the cells in the order region.

24. A method according to claim 20 in which circumstances in which freezing of a cell occurs is configurable by a user.

25. A method according to claim 20 in which the GUI unfreezes a frozen cell in response to one or both of:

the mouse being moved from an area that caused the cell to become frozen and a predetermined period of time has elapsed since the cell became frozen.

26. A method according to claim 25 in which the circumstances in which a cell becomes unfrozen configurable by a user.

27. A method according to claim 15 in which the display is updated periodically without requiring an action from a user.

28. A method according to claim 15 in which the display is updated in response to changes in the market without requiring an action from a user.

29. A computer program product for execution on a client computer to perform a method according to claim 15.