Interactive user interface for displaying correlation

• US 7,590,940 B2
• Filed: 10/11/2005
• Issued: 09/15/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 10/11/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Morgan Stanley Services Group Inc. (Morgan Stanley)
• Original Assignee: Morgan Stanley
• Inventors: Hurewitz, Barry S.
• Primary Examiner(s): BAUTISTA, XIOMARA L
• Application Number:
  US11/247,505
• Publication Number:
  US 20080109726A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,435 Days
• Field of Search: 715/733, 715/738, 715/764, 715/765, 715/780, 715/781, 715/783, 715/804, 715/810, 715/841, 715/856, 715/862, 715/968, 715/205, 707/104.1, 705/10, 709/203, 709/217, 709/219
• US Class Current: 715/738
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/00 Finance; Insurance; Tax strategies; Processing of corporate or income taxes

Abstract

Various embodiments are directed to interactive user interfaces that allow users to quickly and visually navigate the financial relationships between companies. In one embodiment, the interactive user interfaces may include a focal company field where a user can input an identifier for a focal company. The interfaces also include a focal company metric input field that allows the user to select a financial metric for the focal company. Using a related company metric input field, the user can select a related company metric to be correlated to the focal company metric. Based on the chosen metrics, a positive correlation field may list identifiers for companies whose related company metric is positively correlated to the focal company metric and a negative correlation field may list identifiers for companies whose related company metric is negatively correlated to the focal company metric.

Claims

1. A system for providing an interactive user interface to a user, the system comprising:

a host computer system comprising at least one processor and an operatively associated computer readable medium, wherein the computer readable medium comprises instructions executable by the at least one processor for serving a file for the interactive user interface via an electronic communication network to the user, the interactive user interface comprising;

a focal company field listing an identifier for a focal company;

a focal company metric input field for allowing a user to select a focal company metric;

a related company metric input field for allowing a user to select a related company metric;

a positive correlation field listing identifiers for companies whose related company metric is positively correlated to the focal company metric, wherein the positive correlation field lists identifiers for companies having a related company metric with a correlation factor relative to the focal company metric that exceeds a first threshold value;

a negative correlation field listing identifiers for companies whose related company metric is negatively correlated to the focal company metric, wherein the negative correlation field lists identifiers for companies having a related company metric with a correlation factor relative to the focal company metric that is less than a second threshold value; and

wherein certain of the identifiers listed in the positive correlation field and the negative correlation field include a hyperlink which, when activated by a user, causes the identifier corresponding to the activated hyperlink to be listed as a new focal company in the focal company field and such that the positive correlation field lists identifiers for companies whose related company metric is positively correlated to the focal company metric of the new focal company and the negative correlation field lists identifiers for companies whose related company metric is negatively correlated to the focal company metric of the new focal company; and

a database in communication with the host computer system.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein certain of the identifiers listed in the positive correlation field and the negative correlation field include a mouseover such that when a cursor is brought near the mouseover, additional information relating to the company identified by the identifier is displayed.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the interactive user interface further comprises a non-correlation field listing identifiers for companies whose related company metric shows relatively no correlation to the focal company metric, wherein certain of the identifiers listed in the non-correlation field include a hyperlink which, when activated by a user, causes the identifier corresponding to the activated hyperlink to be listed as a second focal company in the focal company field and such that the positive correlation field lists identifiers for companies whose related company metric is positively correlated to the focal company metric of the second focal company and the negative correlation field lists identifiers for companies whose related company metric is negatively correlated to the focal company metric of the second focal company.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the focal company metric and the related company metric are different.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the interactive user interface further comprises a field for selecting a time period over which the correlation between the focal company metric and the related company metric is determined.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the interactive user interface further comprises a field for selecting a time period offset.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the interactive user interface further comprises a field for selecting at least one filter to be applied to a set of potential related companies.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the at least one filter comprises a market capitalization filter.

9. The system of claim 7, wherein the at least one filter comprises a filter based on location and a filter based on industry.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the interactive user interface further comprises a related companies input field for allowing a user to select related companies.

11. A method of presenting data in an interactive user interface, the method comprising:

displaying a first page with a computer device comprising at least one processor and an operatively associated computer readable medium, wherein the first page comprises;

a focal company field listing an identifier for a focal company;

a focal company metric input field for allowing a user to select a focal company metric;

a related company metric input field for allowing a user to select a related company metric;

a positive correlation field listing identifiers for companies whose related company metric is positively correlated to the focal company metric, wherein the positive correlation field lists identifiers for companies having a related company metric with a correlation factor relative to the focal company metric that exceeds a first threshold value; and

a negative correlation field listing identifiers for companies whose related company metric is negatively correlated to the focal company metric, wherein certain of the identifiers listed in the positive correlation field and the negative correlation field include a hyperlink, and wherein the negative correlation field lists identifiers for companies having a related company metric with a correlation factor relative to the focal company metric that is less than a second threshold value; and

displaying a second page, when one of the hyperlinks on the first page is activated, wherein the identifier corresponding to the activated hyperlink is listed in the focal company field as a new focal company on the second page, and wherein;

the positive correlation field lists identifiers for companies whose related company metric is positively correlated to the focal company metric for the new focal company; and

the negative correlation field lists identifiers for companies whose related company metric is negatively correlated to the focal company metric for the new focal company.