Data health monitor for financial information communications networks

• US 7,050,981 B2
• Filed: 06/25/2003
• Issued: 05/23/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 09/08/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Thomson Reuters Global Resources Unlimited Company (The Woodbridge Co. Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Reuters Limited (The Woodbridge Co. Ltd.)
• Inventors: Dale, Stephen G., Smith, Christina, Fletcher, Steve John Harwood
• Primary Examiner(s): Rosen, Nicholas D.
• Application Number:
  US10/602,761
• Publication Number:
  US 20040039671A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,063 Days
• Field of Search: 705/1, 705/35, 705/37, 707/1, 707/10, 707/104.1, 707/200, 707/203, 715/511, 715/530, 715/540, 709/205, 709/224, 709/248
• US Class Current: 705/35
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/00 Finance; Insurance; Tax strategies; Processing of corporate or income taxes
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/06 Asset management; Financial planning or analysis
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/20 for the management or administration of healthcare resources or facilities, e.g. managing hospital staff or surgery rooms
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/63 for local operation
• CPC Class Codes: Y02A 90/10 Information and communication technologies [ICT] supporting adaptation to climate change, e.g. for weather forecasting or climate simulation
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99953 Recoverability
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99954 Version management

Abstract

A financial communications network incorporating a data health monitor is provided that includes a plurality of data sources, a plurality of data collection systems, a client site terminal and a network connecting these components. Each data collection system includes a processor for receiving and formatting financial data received from the data sources, wherein the formatted financial data has a data field including a first data source identifier identifying the data source of the formatted financial data and a first system identifier identifying the data collection system formatting the formatted financial data. The collection system also includes a status code generator for generating and transmitting a status code, and a heartbeat signal generator for generating and periodically transmitting a heartbeat signal. Based on information in data fields, status codes, and heartbeat signal, client site terminals select a real-time or stale display mode for displaying the financial data.

Claims

1. A method of identifying non real-time data transmitted through a communications network, the method comprising:

receiving at a data processor data from a data source of a plurality of data sources;

formatting the data to include a data source identifier corresponding to the data source and a system identifier corresponding to the data processor;

transmitting the formatted data to a client site via the communications network;

determining the operational status of the data source;

generating a data source status signal including the data source identifier, the data source status signal being generated based on the operational status of the data source; and

transmitting the data source status signal to the client site via the communications network.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of generating a data source status signal includes determining whether the data source is operating normally.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving a heartbeat signal from the data source.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

generating a system heartbeat signal including the system identifier; and

transmitting the system heartbeat signal at a predetermined interval to the client site.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the system heartbeat signal includes a data source heartbeat signal received from the data source.

6. A data collection system comprising:

a transmitter in communication with a communications network; and

a data processor in communication with the transmitter, the data processor programmed to perform steps comprising;

receiving data from a data source of a plurality of data sources;

formatting the data to include a data source identifier corresponding to the data source and a system identifier corresponding to the data processor;

transmitting via the transmitter the formatted data to a client site via the communications network;

determining the operational status of the data source;

generating a data source status signal including the data source identifier, the data source status signal being generated based on the operational status of the data source; and

transmitting via the transmitter the data source status signal to the client site via the communications network.

7. The data collection system of claim 6 further comprising a status code generator generating a data source status signal in response to a control signal from the data processor, wherein the step of generating a data source status signal includes automatically generating the control signal for the status code generator in response to changes in the operating status of said data source.

8. The data collection system of claim 6, wherein the step of generating a data source status signal includes determining whether the data source is operating normally.

9. The data collection system of claim 6, wherein the data processor further performs the step of receiving a heartbeat signal from the data source.

10. The data collection system of claim 6 further comprising a heartbeat generator for generating a system heartbeat signal including the system identifier and transmitting via the transmitter the system heartbeat signal at a predetermined interval to the client site via the communications network.

11. The data collection system of claim 10 wherein the system heartbeat signal includes a data source heartbeat signal received from the data source.

12. A computer-readable medium having computer-readable instructions for causing a computer to perform steps comprising:

receiving at a data processor data from a data source of a plurality of data sources;

formatting the data to include a data source identifier corresponding to the data source and a system identifier corresponding to the data processor;

transmitting the formatted data to a client site via a communications network;

determining the operational status of the data source;

generating a data source status signal including the data source identifier, the data source status signal being generated based on the operational status of the data source; and

transmitting the data source status signal to the client site via the communications network.

13. The computer-readable medium of claim 12 wherein the step of generating a data source status signal includes determining whether the data source is operating normally.

14. The computer-readable medium of claim 12, the computer-readable instructions for performing the further step comprising receiving a heartbeat signal from the data source.

15. The computer-readable medium of claim 12, the computer-readable instructions for performing further steps comprising:

generating a system heartbeat signal including the system identifier; and

transmitting the system heartbeat signal at a predetermined interval to the client site.

16. The computer-readable medium of claim 15, wherein the system heartbeat signal includes a data source heartbeat signal received from the data source.