Graphical representation of financial information

• US 7,046,248 B1
• Filed: 03/13/2003
• Issued: 05/16/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 03/18/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Toshiba Tec Corporation (Toshiba Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Toshiba Tec Corporation (Toshiba Corporation)
• Inventors: Perttunen, Cary D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Hjerpe, Richard
• Assistant Examiner(s): HARRISON, CHANTE E
• Application Number:
  US10/388,258
• Time in Patent Office: 1,160 Days
• Field of Search: 345440-442, 345/418, 345/764, 345/834, 345/853, 705 35- 37, 705/80, 715/764, 715/834
• US Class Current: 345/440
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9558 Details of hyperlinks; Management of linked annotations
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0481 based on specific properties of the displayed interaction object or a metaphor-based environment, e.g. interaction with desktop elements like windows or icons, or assisted by a cursor's changing behaviour or appearance
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04842 Selection of displayed objects or displayed text elements G06F3/0482 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/10 specially adapted for electronic funds transfer [EFT] systems; specially adapted for home banking systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0277 Online advertisement
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/00 Finance; Insurance; Tax strategies; Processing of corporate or income taxes
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/03 Credit; Loans; Processing thereof
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/04 Trading; Exchange, e.g. stocks, commodities, derivatives or currency exchange
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/06 Asset management; Financial planning or analysis
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/12 Accounting
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/188 Electronic negotiation
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 11/206 Drawing of charts or graphs
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2200/24 involving graphical user interfaces [GUIs]

Abstract

An amount of interest to buy a stock in a stock market is determined based on a plurality of messages in which each of a plurality of brokers or dealers specifies an interest to buy the stock, a respective size of the stock to buy, and a respective price to buy the stock. The amount of interest to buy the stock in the stock market is visually represented in a user interface by a region approximately shaped as a circular annulus sector whose outer radius is based on the amount of interest to buy the stock. The outer radius is independent of a price change of the stock.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising:

a computer system programmed to;

determine an amount of interest to buy a stock in a stock market based on a plurality of messages in which each of a plurality of brokers or dealers specifies an interest to buy the stock, a respective size of the stock to buy, and a respective price to buy the stock; and

facilitate a transaction which involves buying or selling the stock based on a user-initiated selection of a displayed region approximately shaped as a circular annulus sector whose outer radius is based on the amount of interest to buy the stock, the outer radius being independent of a price change of the stock.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the outer radius of the circular annulus sector is based on the amount of interest to buy the stock and an inner radius of the circular annulus sector.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the outer radius of the circular annulus sector is based on the amount of interest to buy the stock and an outer radius of another circular annulus sector that is radially adjacent the circular annulus sector.

4. A computer-readable medium which encodes a computer program to cause a computer system to:

determine an amount of interest to buy a stock in a stock market based on a plurality of messages in which each of a plurality of brokers or dealers specifies an interest to buy the stock, a respective size of the stock to buy, and a respective price to buy the stock; and

visually represent in a displayed user interface the amount of interest to buy or sell the stock in the stock market by a region approximately shaped as a circular annulus sector whose outer radius is based on the amount of interest to buy the stock, the outer radius being independent of a price change of the stock.

5. The computer-readable medium of claim 4 wherein the outer radius of the circular annulus sector is based on the amount of interest to buy the stock and an inner radius of the circular annulus sector.

6. The computer-readable medium of claim 4 wherein the outer radius of the circular annulus sector is based on the amount of interest to buy the stock and an outer radius of another circular annulus sector that is radially adjacent the circular annulus sector.

7. The computer-readable medium of claim 4 wherein the computer system comprises a server computer and a client computer, wherein the server computer is to output at least one signal to cause the client computer to provide the user interface.