System and method for creating a market map in an electronic trading environment

• US 7,584,142 B1
• Filed: 05/02/2006
• Issued: 09/01/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 01/08/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Trading Technologies International, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Trading Technologies International, Inc.
• Inventors: West, Robert A., Burns, Michael J., Kline, Robert J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Colbert; Ella
• Assistant Examiner(s): Norman; Samica L
• Application Number:
  US11/416,452
• Time in Patent Office: 1,218 Days
• Field of Search: 705/35, 705/37, 715/764
• US Class Current: 705/37
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/00 Finance; Insurance; Tax strategies; Processing of corporate or income taxes
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/04 Trading; Exchange, e.g. stocks, commodities, derivatives or currency exchange

Abstract

A market map interface displays market information and trader-related information associated with at least two tradable objects. In one embodiment, the at least two graphical interfaces may be linked, and a user may define one or more adjustment parameters to be used to adjust the view of information being displayed via the linked graphical interfaces. For instance, a user may initiate repositioning of one of the linked graphical interfaces, thus, effectively, causing other linked graphical interfaces to be repositioned according to the defined adjustment parameters.

Claims

1. A method for displaying information related to a plurality of tradable objects in an electronic trading environment via a market map, the method comprising:

receiving at a client terminal coupled with an electronic exchange, first market information for at least a first tradable object and second market information for a second tradable object from the electronic exchange, the first market information identifying working orders for a first tradable object and the second market information identifying working orders for a second tradable object;

displaying at the client terminal, a market map including a plurality of price levels of a first static price axis and a plurality of price levels of a second static price axis, the first static price axis associated with the working orders for the first tradable object and the second static price axis associated with the working orders for the second tradable object;

receiving at the client terminal, an adjustment parameter between the first static price axis and the second static price axis representing a repositioning relationship between the first static price axis and the second static price axis, where a shift in position of the first static price axis relative to the market map is unequal to shift in position of the second static price axis relative to the market map;

displaying, for a first working order for the first tradable object, an indicator along the first static price axis at a price level corresponding to a price of the first working order;

displaying, for a second working order for the second tradable object, displaying an indicator along the second static price axis at a price level corresponding to a price of the second working order;

repositioning the first static price axis relative to the market map according to a user input command received via an input device, where price levels of the first static price axis, and indicators displayed relative thereto, each shift a same number of price levels along the first static price axis relative to the market map; and

repositioning the second static price axis in response to repositioning the first static price axis such that price levels of the second static price axis each shift a second number of price levels relative to the market map according to the adjustment parameter.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising displaying a theoretical value indicator related to at least one of the first tradable object and the second tradable object along the respective first static price axis or second static price axis.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising displaying the theoretical value relative to the respective first or static axis or prices indicator according to a formula configured to determine a price for at least one of the first and second tradable object.

4. The method of claim 3, where the formula is configured to determine the price according to a variable related to at least one of the first market information and the second market information.

5. The method of claim 2, further comprising shifting the theoretical value indicator in response to repositioning the first static price axis.

6. The method of claim 1, where repositioning the first static price axis comprises substantially re-centering the first static price axis, where indicators for an inside market for the first tradable object displayed along the first static price axis are substantially centered relative to the market map.

7. The method of claim 1, where repositioning the first static price axis comprises substantially re-centering the second static price axis, where indicators for an inside market for the second tradable object displayed along the second static price axis are substantially centered relative to the market map.

8. The method of claim 1, where a view of the information related to the second tradable object returns to an original position after a predetermined amount of time.

9. The method of claim 1, where the indicator displayed along the first static price axis and the indicator displayer along the second static price axis illustrate order type.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising repositioning the indicator displayed along the first static price axis to a new location representing a new price for the order associated with the indicator.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

canceling the first working order for the first tradable product; and

submitting a new working order having the new price for the first tradable product to the electronic market for the first tradable object.

12. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

receiving updated first market information for the first tradable object; and

displaying indicators along the first static price axis associated with orders identified with the updated first market information, each indicator being displayed along the first static price axis at a price level corresponding to a price of the order associated with the indicator.

13. A method for displaying market information for tradable objects, comprising:

displaying a graphical user interface on a client terminal coupled with an electronic exchange;

receiving from the electronic exchange at the client terminal, market information for a first tradable object and a second tradable object;

displaying on the graphical user interface, a first market axis for the first tradable object according to the received market information, the first market axis having a plurality of locations;

displaying first order indicators along the first market axis, each first order indicator associated with a working order for the first tradable object and being displayed at one of the plurality of locations associated with a value of the working order associated with the first order indicator;

displaying on the graphical user interface, a second market axis for the second tradable object according to the received market information, the second market axis having a plurality of locations;

displaying second order indicators along the second market axis, each second order indicator associated with a working order for the first tradable object and being displayed at one of the plurality of locations associated with a value of the working order associated with the second order indicator;

repositioning the first market axis a first number of locations of the first market axis, where the first market axis shift the first number of locations of the first axis relative to the graphical user interface; and

repositioning, in response to repositioning the first market axis, the second market axis according to a reposition relationship defining a reposition relationship between the first market axis and the second market axis where a shift in position of the first market axis relative to the graphical user interface is unequal to shift in position of the second market axis relative to the graphical user interface.

14. The method of claim 13 further comprising graphically displaying on the graphic user interface historical data representing for at least one of the first and the second tradable objects.

15. The method of claim 14 where graphically displaying comprises displaying a bar chart representing a price fluctuation during multiple substantially equal predefined time periods.

16. The method of claim 14 where graphically displaying comprises displaying a time-based chart representing trader-related historical data.

17. The method of claim 16 where the time-based chart comprises at least one of a sell order and a buy order where the graphical display illustrates relative trade levels for the sell and buy order.

18. The method of claim 13, further comprising displaying at least one of a first theoretical position indicator relative to the first market axis and a second theoretical position indicator relative to the second market axis, the value of the first theoretical position indicator being displayed at a one of the plurality of locations of the first market axis corresponding to a trading level for a first tradable object, and the value of the second theoretical position indicator being displayed at a one of the plurality of locations of the second market axis corresponding to a trading level for a second tradable object.

19. The method of claim 18 further comprising repositioning the at least one of the first theoretical position indicator and the second theoretical position indicator in response to repositioning the first market axis.

20. The method of claim 18 where a position of the first theoretical indicator relative to the first axis is determined according to a first formula and a position of the second theoretical indicator relative to the second axis is determined according to a second formula.

21. The method of claim 18 displaying the at least one of the first position indicator and the second position indicator along a respective first or second market axis according to a formula.

22. The method of claim 21, where the formula comprises at least one variable related to at least one of the first tradable object and the second tradable object.

23. The method of claim 18 further comprising graphically displaying a curve connecting the first and second theoretical position indicators.

24. The method of claim 23 further comprising repositioning the graphically displayed curve connecting the first and second theoretical position indicators according to the reposition relationship defining a reposition relationship between the first market axis and the second market axis in response to movement of the first axis and second axis.

25. A method for displaying market information for tradable objects, comprising:

displaying a market map on a display of a client terminal;

displaying a first axis having a plurality of trading levels corresponding to a first tradable object relative to the market map on the display of the client terminal;

displaying a second axis having a plurality of trading levels corresponding to a second tradable object relative to the market map on the market map of the client terminal; and

in response to shifting the first axis a first number of trading levels along the first axis relative to the market map, shifting the second axis relative to the market map a second number of levels, the second number of levels determined according to a repositioning relationship defining an unequal relative repositioning movement between the first and the second axis.

26. The method of claim 25 further comprising receiving a user command via the market map for an order for at least one of the first and second tradable object.

27. The method of claim 25 where receiving an order comprises receiving data associated with a user selection of an indicator displayed in association with a corresponding one of the first or second axis.

28. The method of claim 25 further comprising:

displaying first theoretical position indicators on both of the first axis and second axis, the value of the first theoretical position indicators corresponding to at least one of the trading levels for respective first and second tradable objects;

displaying second theoretical position indicators on both of the first axis and second axis, the value of the second theoretical position indicators corresponding to at least one of the trading levels for respective first and second tradable objects; and

graphically displaying a first curvature connecting the first theoretical position indicators and a second curvature connecting the second theoretical position indicators.

29. The method of claim 28 further comprising repositioning the graphically displayed first curvature connecting the first theoretical position indicators and the second curvature connecting the second theoretical position indicators according to the unequal relative movement relationship between the first and the second axis in response to movement of the first axis.