Systems and methods for data coding, transmission, storage and decoding

• US 20060269148A1
• Filed: 11/14/2005
• Published: 11/30/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 11/14/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Bloomberg Finance LP (Bloomberg LP)
• Original Assignee: Bloomberg Finance LP (Bloomberg LP)
• Inventors: Halstead, Scott, Williams, Paul Crispin, Hardin, Michael J., Farber, Emanuel
• Granted Patent: US 8,321,465 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 382/232
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/00 Finance; Insurance; Tax strategies; Processing of corporate or income taxes

Abstract

Systems and methods are provided for the provision of data for transmission and/or storage, the transmission and storage of data, and, more particularly, to data coding for transmission and/or storage and to decoding of received and/or accessed or retrieved coded data. In an embodiment of the invention, data is assembled into coded data structures comprising a plurality of fields that, e.g., may contain actual or implied field values, and data associated therewith that relates to the plurality of fields. Encoding and decoding of the data may take place with reference to one or more associated data models, and a coded data structure according to this embodiment may contain content only (field values and data identifying the structure). This allows for a reduction in size of the data structure as compared to, e.g., a data structure comprising program code or all data needed to describe the data in the data structure.

Claims

1. A method of electronically providing financial data to one or more recipients, comprising:

assembling a coded data structure comprising identifying data and a plurality of fields;

the fields each including at least one value of an item of financial data, and the identifying data being insufficient to directly attach meaning to the values of the two or more fields but sufficient to indirectly attach meaning to the values of the two or more fields;

transmitting the coded data structure in a data stream to the one or more recipients; and

providing the one or more recipients with data external to the transmitted data structure sufficient to attach meaning to the plurality of fields in the transmitted data structure using the identifying data included in the transmitted data structure.

2. A method as in claim 1, wherein assembling the coded data structure comprises assembling a coded data structure comprising at least one additional field including at least one item of financial data and associated therewith data sufficient for directly attaching meaning to the value of the at least one additional field.

3. A method as in claim 1, wherein assembling the coded data structure comprises assembling a coded data structure comprising at least one additional field including at least one item of financial data and associated therewith additional data sufficient for indirectly attaching meaning to the value of the at least one additional field, and wherein providing the one or more recipients with data external to the transmitted data structure comprises providing such data sufficient to attach meaning to the value of the at least one additional field using the additional data.

4. A method as in claim 3, wherein the identifying data comprises the additional data sufficient for indirectly attaching meaning to the value of the at least one additional field.

5. A method as in claim 1 or claim 3, wherein the data external to the transmitted data comprises data that, in connection with the identifying data, is required to parse the plurality of fields and/or the at least one additional field.

6. A method as in claim 1, comprising receiving data from one or more sources, and wherein assembling the coded data structure comprises populating the plurality of fields with received data.

7. A method as in claim 1, comprising assembling the coded data structure in accordance with a data assembly model.

8. A method as in claim 7, wherein providing the one or more recipients with data external to the transmitted data structure comprises providing the one or more recipients with a data disassembly model corresponding to the data assembly model, the data disassembly model including data sufficient for directly attaching meaning to the field values of each of the plurality of fields using the identifying data of the coded data structure.

9. A method as in claim 3, comprising assembling the coded data structure in accordance with a data assembly model, and wherein providing the one or more recipients with data external to the transmitted data structure comprises providing the one or more recipients with a data disassembly model corresponding to the data assembly model, the data disassembly model including

data, sufficient for directly attaching meaning to the field values of each of the plurality of fields, which can be obtained using the identifying data of the coded structure, and

data, sufficient for directly attaching meaning to the field values of the at least one additional field, which can be obtained using the identifying data of the coded structure.

10. A method as in claim 9, comprising changing the data assembly model and providing the one or more recipients with changes to the data disassembly model corresponding to changes in the data assembly model or an updated data disassembly model corresponding to the changed data assembly model.

11. A method for distributing financial data over a network, comprising:

assembling data messages in an assembling computer system in accordance with at least one data message assembly model, a data message according to the data message assembly model comprising

a plurality of data fields, each of which includes a field value relating to financial data, and

an identifying field comprising data that is insufficient for directly interpreting the field values of the plurality of field values but sufficient for indirectly interpreting the field values of the plurality of field values;

transmitting data messages assembled by the assembling computer in accordance with the data message assembly model in a data stream to a plurality of consumer computer systems over the network;

providing the plurality of consumer computer systems with at least one data message disassembly model by which data sufficient for directly interpreting the field values of each of the plurality of fields of a data message can be obtained using the identifying data of the data message, the at least one data message disassembly model corresponding to the at least one data message assembly model in accordance with which the respective data message was assembled; and

by means of the identifying data of a data message received by a consumer computer system, obtaining in the consumer computer system the data from the at least one data message disassembly model sufficient for directly interpreting the field values in the plurality of fields of the received data message.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the at least one data message disassembly model is provided to the plurality of consumer computers separate from the data stream containing data messages which are to be interpreted using the at least one data message disassembly model.

13. A method for distributing financial data over a network, comprising:

assembling data messages in an assembling computer system in accordance with at least one data message assembly model,

a data message according to the data message assembly model comprising (a) a plurality of data fields, each of which includes a field value relating to financial data, (b) identifying data that is insufficient for directly interpreting the field values of the plurality of field values but sufficient for indirectly interpreting the field values of the plurality of field values, and (c) at least one additional data field comprising a field value and associated identifying data;

transmitting data messages assembled by the assembling computer in accordance with the data message assembly model in a data stream to a plurality of consumer computer systems over the network;

providing the plurality of consumer computer systems with at least one data message disassembly model whereby;

(a) data sufficient for directly interpreting the field values of each of the plurality of fields of a data message can be obtained using the identifying data of the data message, the at least one data message disassembly model corresponding to the at least one data message assembly model in accordance with which the respective data message was assembled, and

(b) if the data in the associated data field that is associated with the at least one additional field is not sufficient to directly interpret the field value in the at least one additional field, data sufficient to directly interpret the field value of the at least one additional field can be obtained using the data in the associated identifying data; and

by means of the identifying data of a data message received by a consumer computer system, and if necessary by means of the data in an associated data field in the data message, obtaining in the consumer computer system the data from the at least one data message disassembly model sufficient for directly interpreting the field values in the plurality of fields and the at least one additional field of the received data message.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the at least one data message disassembly model is provided to the plurality of consumer computers separate from the data stream containing data messages which are to be interpreted using the at least one data message disassembly model.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein the identifying data comprises the associated data associated with the at least one additional data field.

16. A method of assembling a data structure using a computer including object oriented programming, comprising:

parsing data comprising a describing data field and at least one data field comprising a field value associated with the describing data field, wherein the describing data includes data sufficient to directly interpret the field value in the at least one data field;

pursuant to a definition in the programming of a class for the data structure, instantiating objects of the class as data structures each including a plurality of data fields each comprising a field value of parsed data and an identifying field associated therewith, wherein the class definition includes an identifying field that does not include data sufficient for directly interpreting field values in the plurality of data fields; and

providing a data model which provides describing data based on the data in the identifying field of a respective data structure for directly interpreting the field values in a respective data structure.

17. A method of assembling a data structure using a computer including object oriented programming, comprising:

parsing data comprising a describing data field and at least one data field comprising a field value associated with the describing data field, wherein the describing data includes data sufficient to directly interpret the field value in the at least one data field;

pursuant to a definition in the programming of a class for the data structure, instantiating objects of the class as data structures each including (a) a plurality of data fields each comprising a field value of parsed data and an identifying field associated therewith, and (b) at least one additional data field comprising a field value and an associated data field,

wherein the class definition includes an identifying field that does not include data sufficient for directly interpreting field values in the plurality of data fields and a data field associated with the additional field that has data for directly or indirectly interpreting the field value in the associated data field; and

providing a data model which (a) provides describing data based on the data in the identifying field of a respective object for directly interpreting the field values in a respective data structure and (b) where the describing data in the field associated with the at least one additional data field is not sufficient to directly interpret the field value in the at least one additional field, provides describing data based on the data in the associated data field sufficient for directly interpreting the field value in the at least one additional field.

18. A computerized system for electronically providing financial data over a network, comprising:

an assembling computer system comprising

software adapted to assemble a coded data structure comprising identifying data and a plurality of fields, the fields each including at least one value of an item of financial data, and the identifying data being insufficient to directly attach meaning to the values of the two or more fields but sufficient to indirectly attach meaning to the values of the two or more fields,

at least one interface adapted to transmit data over a network, and

software adapted to transmit a data feed comprising the coded data structure, using the at least one interface adapted to transmit data; and

one or more recipient computer systems comprising

at least one interface adapted to receive data,

software adapted to receive the data feed comprising the coded data structure, using the at least one interface adapted to receive data.

stored data external to the coded data structure sufficient to attach meaning to the plurality of fields in the coded data structure using the identifying data included in the coded data structure; and

19. A system as in claim 18, wherein the coded data structure comprises at least one additional field including at least one item of financial data and associated therewith data sufficient for directly attaching meaning to the value of the at least one additional field.

20. A system as in claim 18, wherein the coded data structure comprises at least one additional field including at least one item of financial data and associated therewith additional data sufficient for indirectly attaching meaning to the value of the at least one additional field, and wherein the stored data external to the coded data structure comprises data sufficient to attach meaning to value of the at least one additional field using the additional data.

21. A system as in claim 18 or claim 20, wherein the data external to the transmitted data comprises data that, in connection with the identifying data, is required to parse the plurality of fields and/or the at least one additional field.

22. A system as in claim 18, wherein the identifying data comprises the additional data sufficient for indirectly attaching meaning to the value of the at least one additional field.

23. A system as in claim 18, wherein:

the assembling computer system comprises an interface adapted to receive data and software adapted to receive data from one or more sources, and

the software adapted to assemble a coded data structure comprising identifying data and a plurality of fields comprises software adapted to populate the plurality of fields with received data.

24. A system as in claim 18, wherein the assembling computer system comprises at least one data assembly model and software adapted to assemble the coded data structure in accordance with the at least one data assembly model.

25. A system as in claim 24, wherein the stored data external to the coded data structure comprises a data disassembly model corresponding to the data assembly model, the data disassembly model including data sufficient for directly attaching meaning to the field values of each of the plurality of fields using the identifying data of the coded data structure.

26. A system as in claim 20, wherein:

the assembling computer system comprises at least one data assembly model that is usable to assemble the coded data structure and software adapted to assemble the coded data structure in accordance with the at least one data model; and

the stored data external to the coded data structure comprises at least one data disassembly model corresponding to the at least one data assembly model, the at least one data disassembly model including

data, sufficient for directly attaching meaning to the field values of each of the plurality of fields, which can be obtained using the identifying data of the coded data structure, and

data, sufficient for directly attaching meaning to the field values of the at least one additional field, which can be obtained using the identifying data of the coded data structure.

27. A system as in claim 26, wherein:

the assembling computer system comprises software adapted to transmit data that describes at least one change to the at least one data assembly model; and

the one or more recipient computer systems comprise software adapted to receive the data describing the at least one change to the at least one assembly data model and to make corresponding changes to the at least one data disassembly model or to create an updated data disassembly model corresponding to the changed data assembly model.

28. A system as in claim 27, wherein the data that describes the one or more changes to the at least one data assembly model comprises a representation of the entire data assembly model reflecting the one or more changes.

29. A system as in claim 27, wherein the one or more recipient computer systems comprise software such that, following receipt of the data describing the at least one change to the at least one data assembly model, the recipient computer system may refer to both the at least one data disassembly model as it existed before receipt of the data describing the at least one change and the at least one data disassembly model as changed to reflect the data describing the at least one change.

30. A computerized system for distributing financial data over a network, comprising:

an assembling computer system adapted to assemble data messages in accordance with at least one data message assembly model, a data message according to the data message assembly model comprising

a plurality of data fields, each of which includes a field value relating to financial data, and

an identifying field comprising data that is insufficient for directly interpreting the field values of the plurality of field values but sufficient for indirectly interpreting the field values of the plurality of field values;

a plurality of consumer computer systems comprising

at least one data message disassembly model by which data sufficient for directly interpreting the field values of each of the plurality of fields of a data message can be obtained using the identifying data of the data message, the at least one data message disassembly model corresponding to the at least one data message assembly model in accordance with which the respective data message was assembled, and

software adapted to obtain, by means of the identifying data of a data message received by a consumer computer system, the data from the at least one data message disassembly model sufficient for directly interpreting the field values in the plurality of fields of the received data message; and

software adapted to convey over the network data messages, assembled by the assembling computer system in accordance with the data message assembly model, in a data stream to the plurality of consumer computer systems.

31. The system of claim 30, wherein the at least one data message disassembly model is provided to the plurality of consumer computers separate from the data stream containing data messages which are to be interpreted using the at least one data message disassembly model.

32. A computerized system for distributing financial data over a network, comprising:

an assembling computer system comprising software adapted to assemble data messages in accordance with at least one data message assembly model,

a data message according to the data message assembly model comprising (a) a plurality of data fields, each of which includes a field value relating to financial data, (b) identifying data that is insufficient for directly interpreting the field values of the plurality of field values but sufficient for indirectly interpreting the field values of the plurality of field values, and (c) at least one additional data field comprising a field value and an associated data field;

a plurality of consumer computer systems comprising

at least one data message disassembly model whereby (a) data sufficient for directly interpreting the field values of each of the plurality of fields of a data message can be obtained using the identifying data of the data message, the at least one data message disassembly model corresponding to the at least one data message assembly model in accordance with which the respective data message was assembled, and (b) if the data in the associated data field that is associated with the at least one additional field is not sufficient to directly interpret the field value in the at least one additional field, data sufficient to directly interpret the field value of the at least one additional field can be obtained using the data in the associated data field; and

software adapted to obtain, by means of the identifying data of a data message received by a consumer computer system, and if necessary by means of the data in an associated data field in the data message, the data from the at least one data message disassembly model sufficient for directly interpreting the field values in the plurality of fields and the at least one additional field of the received data message; and

software adapted to convey over the network data messages, assembled by the assembling computer system in accordance with the data message assembly model, in a data stream to the plurality of consumer computer systems.

33. The system of claim 32, wherein the at least one data message disassembly model is provided to the plurality of consumer computers separate from the data stream containing data messages which are to be interpreted using the at least one data message disassembly model.

34. The system of claim 32, wherein the identifying data comprises the associated data associated with the at least one additional data field.

35. A computerized system for assembling a data structure using object oriented programming, comprising:

software adapted to parse data comprising a describing data field and at least one data field comprising a field value associated with the describing data field,

wherein the describing data includes data sufficient to directly interpret the field value in the at least one data field;

software reflecting object-oriented programming techniques, adapted to instantiate, pursuant to a definition in the programming of a class for the data structure, objects of the class as data structures each including a plurality of data fields each comprising a field value of parsed data and an identifying field associated therewith, wherein the class definition includes an identifying field that does not include data sufficient for directly interpreting field values in the plurality of data fields; and

a data model that provides describing data based on the data in the identifying field of a respective data structure for directly interpreting the field values in a respective data structure.

36. A computerized system for assembling a data structure using object oriented programming, comprising:

software adapted to parse data comprising a describing data field and at least one data field comprising a field value associated with the describing data field, wherein the describing data includes data sufficient to directly interpret the field value in the at least one data field;

software reflecting object-oriented programming techniques, adapted to instantiate, pursuant to a definition in the programming of a class for the data structure, objects of the class as data structures each including (a) a plurality of data fields each comprising a field value of parsed data and an identifying field associated therewith, and (b) at least one additional data field comprising a field value and an associated data field,

wherein the class definition includes an identifying field that does not include data sufficient for directly interpreting field values in the plurality of data fields and a data field associated with the additional field that has data for directly or indirectly interpreting the field value in the associated data field; and

a data model which (a) provides describing data based on the data in the identifying field of a respective object for directly interpreting the field values in a respective data structure and (b) where the describing data in the field associated with the at least one additional data field is not sufficient to directly interpret the field value in the at least one additional field, provides describing data based on the data in the associated data field sufficient for directly interpreting the field value in the at least one additional field.

37. A computerized system for receiving a coded data structure using object oriented programming, comprising:

software adapted to represent at least one data disassembly model as at least one corresponding instance of an object;

software adapted to receive via a network a coded data structure including (a) a plurality of data fields each comprising a field value of parsed data and an identifying field associated therewith, and (b) at least one additional data field comprising a field value and an associated data field, wherein the coded data structure includes an identifying field that does not include data sufficient for directly interpreting field values in the plurality of data fields and a data field associated with the additional field that has data for directly or indirectly interpreting the field value in the associated data field; and

software adapted to parse the coded data structure and to use the identifying field, in connection with the at least one instance of an object corresponding to the at least one data disassembly model, instantiate, pursuant to a definition in the programming of a class, an object of the class corresponding to the coded data structure.

38. A computer-readable medium encoded with at least one data structure embodying a data model, wherein the data model comprises instructions for assembling a coded data structure comprising:

a plurality of fields, each including at least one value of an item of financial data; and

identifying data insufficient to directly attach meaning to the at least one value of each of the plurality of fields but sufficient to indirectly attach meaning to the at least one value of each of the plurality of fields.

39. A computer-readable medium as in claim 38, wherein the data model comprises instructions for assembling a coded data structure comprising at least one additional field including at least one item of financial data and associated therewith data sufficient for directly attaching meaning to the value of the at least one additional field.

40. A computer-readable medium as in claim 38, wherein the data model comprises instructions for assembling a coded data structure comprising at least one additional field including at least one item of financial data and associated therewith additional data sufficient for indirectly attaching meaning to the value of the at least one additional field.

41. A computer-readable medium encoded with at least one data structure embodying a data model, wherein the data model comprises instructions for decoding a coded data structure comprising:

a plurality of fields, each including at least one value of an item of financial data; and

identifying data insufficient to directly attach meaning to the at least one value of each of the plurality of fields but sufficient, through reference to the data model, to indirectly attach meaning to the at least one value of each of the plurality of fields.

42. A computer-readable medium as in claim 41, wherein the data model comprises instructions for decoding a coded data structure comprising at least one additional field including at least one item of financial data and associated therewith data sufficient for directly attaching meaning to the value of the at least one additional field.

43. A computer-readable medium as in claim 41, wherein the data model comprises instructions for decoding a coded data structure comprising at least one additional field including at least one item of financial data and associated therewith additional data sufficient, through reference to the data model, for indirectly attaching meaning to the value of the at least one additional field.