Interactive graphical representation of a market for an electronic trading system

• US 7,696,997 B2
• Filed: 08/16/2006
• Issued: 04/13/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 11/27/2002
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Chart Trading Development, LLC (BGC Group, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: BGC Partners Incorporated (BGC Group, Inc.)
• Inventors: Heaton, Timothy H.
• Primary Examiner(s): Yang; Ryan R
• Application Number:
  US11/465,060
• Publication Number:
  US 20070076002A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,336 Days
• Field of Search: 345/440, 705/16, 705/35, 705/37, 715/809
• US Class Current: 345/440
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/04 Trading; Exchange, e.g. stocks, commodities, derivatives or currency exchange
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 11/206 Drawing of charts or graphs

Abstract

Systems and methods for providing an interactive graphical representation of a market for an electronic trading system are provided. A graph may be displayed on a display of a workstation in an electronic trading system. In one example, the graph may include a curve corresponding to a range of values of a financial instrument. In another example, the graph may include symbols that represent bids and offers for one or more financial instruments. A user may be allowed to select a portion of the graph. In response to the user'"'"'s selection, a trading dialog box may be provided, thereby allowing the user to place a trade directly from the graph.

Claims

1. A method comprising the steps of:

on a graphical user interface display of an electronic trading system, displaying a graph of two or more financial instruments traded on the trading system, the graph comprising;

a first axis corresponding to a first parameter of the financial instruments,

a second axis corresponding to a second parameter of the financial instruments, and

a plot of a plurality of the financial instruments on the two axes;

accepting from a user a selection of at least a portion of the graph, the selection of the portion differentiating the plurality of the financial instruments into selected and non-selected instruments, the graphical user interface being programmed to interpret the selection as a step in initiating a trade of at least one of the selected financial instruments.

2. The method of claim 1:

wherein the first parameter corresponds to a price or yield;

the method further comprising the step of updating the price or yield for each of the plurality of financial instruments in real time.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the financial instruments are fixed income instruments.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the first parameter corresponds to a price or yield and the second parameter corresponds to a maturity date.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of:

receiving a selection of at least a portion of the graph and displaying, in response to the selection, a trading dialog box comprising at least one field for specifying a term for the trade.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein:

the at least one field of the dialog box comprises at least one of a price and a size field.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein:

at least one of the price and size fields are pre-filled in response to the selection of the at least a portion of the graph.

8. The method of claim 5, wherein:

the dialog box comprises at least one button for submitting one of a bid, an offer, a buy, and a sell command for a selected one of the plurality of the first type of financial instruments.

9. The method of claim 5, wherein:

the graphical user interface is programmed to interpret the selection as a step in initiating a bid to buy at least one of the selected financial instruments, and an offer to sell another of the selected financial instruments.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising the step of:

receiving a selection of a bid or an offer for at least one of the plurality of the first type of financial instruments and displaying, in response to the selection, a trading dialog box comprising at least one field for specifying a term for the trade.

11. The method of claim 5, wherein:

the at least one field pre-filled in response to selection of the bid or the offer reflect price and/or size information reflecting two selected financial instruments; and

the graphical user interface is programmed to interpret the selection as a step in initiating trades of both selected financial instruments.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the plot of the first type of financial instruments comprises a fair value curve.

13. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of:

receiving a selection of a second type of financial instruments, the graph comprising a plot of a plurality of the second type of financial instruments.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising the step of:

receiving a selection of at least a portion of the graph and displaying, in response to the selection, a trading dialog box comprising at least one field for specifying a term to trade at least one of the plurality of the first type of financial instrument and at least one field for specifying a term to trade at least one of the plurality of the second type of financial instruments.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein:

the selection received comprises a region of the graph.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein:

the at least one field for specifying a term to trade at least one of the plurality of the first type of financial instrument and the at least one field for specifying a term to trade at least one of the plurality of the second type of financial instruments are pre-filled in response to the selection.

17. A method for providing an interactive graphical representation of a market comprising:

displaying a graph on a display of a computer trading system, the graph being displayed in response to receipt by the system of a selection of a type of financial instrument, the graph comprising;

a first axis corresponding to a first parameter of a first type of financial instrument,

a second axis corresponding to a second parameter of the first type of financial instruments, and

a plot of a plurality of the first type of financial instruments, respective curves of the plurality of instruments being distinguishable in the plot on the first and second axes, at least a portion of the graph selectable by a user, selection of the selectable graph portion being interpreted by the computer trading system as a command to initiate a trade of at least the first type of financial instruments.

18. A method comprising the steps of:

displaying a graph on a graphical display of a computer trading system, the graph comprising;

a first axis corresponding to a price or yield parameter of financial instruments traded on the computer trading system,

a second axis corresponding to a maturity parameter of the financial instruments, and

a plot of a plurality of the financial instruments, at least a portion of the graph selectable by a user of the graphical display, the computer trading system programmed to interpret the selection as a command to initiate a trade of at least one of the selected financial instruments; and

displaying, in response to a selection of at least a portion of the graph, a trading dialog box for specifying at least one term for the trade, the trading dialog box comprising at least one of a price field and a size field.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein at least one of the price and size fields are pre-filled in response to selection of the at least a portion of the graph.

20. The method of claim 18, wherein:

the dialog box has fields to permit the user to initiate a bid to buy a first selected financial instrument and an offer to sell a second of the selected financial instruments.

21. A method comprising the steps of:

displaying a graph on a display of a computer trading system, the graph being displayed in response to receipt by the system of a selection of an instrument that a user desires to trade, the graph comprising;

a first axis corresponding to a price or yield parameter of the first and the second type of financial instruments,

a second axis corresponding to a maturity parameter of the first and the second type of financial instruments,

a plot of a plurality of the first type of financial instruments, and

a plot of a plurality of the second type of financial instruments, at least a portion of the graph selectable by a user, selection of the selectable graph portion being interpreted by the computer trading system as a command to initiate a trade of at least one of the plurality of the first and the second type of financial instruments.

22. The method of claim 21, comprising displaying, in response to a selection of at least a portion of the graph, a trading dialog box for specifying at least one term for the trade, the trading dialog box comprising at least one of a price field and a size field.

23. The method of claim 21, comprising receiving a selection of at least a portion of the graph and displaying, in response to the selection, a trading dialog box comprising at least one field for specifying a term to trade at least one of the plurality of the first type of financial instruments and at least one field for specifying a term to trade at least one of the plurality of the second type of financial instruments.