System and method for graphically displaying market related data using fixed size bars

• US 7,792,741 B1
• Filed: 02/24/2004
• Issued: 09/07/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 02/24/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Trading Technologies International, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Trading Technologies International, Inc.
• Inventors: West, Robert A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Oyebisi; Ojo O
• Application Number:
  US10/785,816
• Time in Patent Office: 2,387 Days
• Field of Search: 705/35, 705/36, 705/37, 705/38
• US Class Current: 705/38
• 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

Abstract

A system and method are provided for displaying market related data, such as traded volume at each price level, or any other trader-selected values, using one or more fixed size bars. In one preferred embodiment, a graphical display interface is provided and includes a plurality of fixed size bars that display traded volume at different price levels. In such an embodiment, the length of each bar may correspond to a predefined maximum value, and each bar may be progressively color-coded using a first graphical format to represent traded volume that is lower than the maximum value. If the traded volume exceeds the maximum value, the overflow value may be represented by progressively color-coding the bar using a second graphical format that may be used in relation to the first graphical format color-coding.

Claims

1. A method for displaying data for use in an electronic trading system, the method comprising:

providing by a computing device a plurality of bars displayed in relation to a value axis, wherein each bar is displayed in a corresponding display area and associated with at least one value on the value axis, wherein each bar is of a fixed length corresponding to a maximum value reference, wherein each bar is the same length;

receiving by the computing device tradeable object related information; and

graphically displaying by the computing device the tradeable object related information in relation to at least one bar of the plurality of bars, wherein the tradeable object related information is displayed in the corresponding display area using at least two graphical formats comprising a first graphical format to be used to display values that are lower than the maximum value reference, and at least one second graphical format to be used to display values that are higher than the maximum value reference.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the tradeable object related information comprises market related information associated with the tradeable object.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the market related information comprises traded volume related information.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the traded volume related information comprises traded buy/sell related information.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the value axis comprises a price axis, and wherein each bar is associated with at least one price.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the first graphical format comprises a first highlighting style, and wherein the at least one second graphical format comprises at least one second highlighting style.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein each bar is progressively highlighted using a first color to represent values associated with the tradeable object related information that are lower than the maximum value reference.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein each bar is then progressively highlighted using at least one second color to represent values associated with the tradeable object related information that are higher than the maximum value reference.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the first graphical format comprises a first indicator that moves along each bar to represent values associated with the tradeable object related information that are lower than the maximum value reference, and wherein the second graphical format comprises at least one second indicator that moves along each bar to represent values that are higher than the maximum value reference.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the maximum value reference is user-configurable.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the value axis comprises a time axis, and wherein the tradeable object related information comprises trader-related information.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the trader-related information comprises profit/loss trader-related information.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein values displayed in relation to the value axis are static.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein values displayed in relation to the value axis are dynamic.

15. A method for displaying traded volume related to a tradeable object being traded in an electronic trading environment, the method comprising:

providing by a computing device a plurality of fixed size bars in relation to a price axis associated with a plurality of price levels, wherein each fixed size bar is displayed in a corresponding display area and is associated with at least one price level displayed in relation to the price axis, wherein each fixed size bar is associated with a maximum value reference, wherein each bar is the same length;

receiving by the computing device a first market update comprising tradeable object related information;

determining by the computing device a traded volume at a first price level, wherein the traded volume is lower than the maximum value reference;

displaying by the computing device the traded volume in relation to a first fixed size bar corresponding to the first price level, wherein the traded volume is displayed using a first graphical format in the corresponding display area;

receiving by the computing device a second market update comprising tradeable object related information;

determining by the computing device an updated traded volume at the first price level, wherein the updated traded volume is higher than the maximum value reference; and

displaying by the computing device the updated traded volume in relation to the first fixed size bar using a second graphical format in the corresponding display area for the portion of the updated traded volume that is higher than the maximum value reference.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the price axis comprises a static price axis.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein the price axis comprises a dynamic price axis.

18. The method of claim 15, wherein the maximum value reference is user configurable.

19. The method of claim 15, wherein the traded volume comprises a traded buy quantity and a traded sell quantity.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the first fixed size bar is used to display the traded buy quantity.

21. The method of claim 19, wherein the first fixed size bar is used to display the traded sell quantity.

22. The method of claim 19, further comprising:

displaying a second fixed size bar in relation to the first price level, wherein the first fixed size bar is used to display the traded buy quantity at the first price level, and wherein the second fixed size bar is used to display the traded sell quantity at the first price level.

23. The method of claim 15, wherein using the first graphical format comprises progressively highlighting the first fixed size bar using a first highlighting style, and wherein using the second graphical format comprises progressively highlighting the first fixed size bar using a second highlighting style.

24. The method of claim 23, wherein the first fixed size bar is highlighted using a first color for the first highlighting style, and wherein the first fixed size bar is highlighted using a second color for the second highlighting style.

25. The method of claim 15, wherein the first graphical format comprises a first indicator that moves along the first fixed size bar to represent values that are lower than the maximum value reference, and wherein the second graphical format comprises at least one second indicator that moves along the first fixed size bar to represent values that are higher than the maximum value reference.

26. A computer readable medium having stored therein instructions for execution on a computer to perform the following method steps:

providing by a computing device a plurality of bars displayed in relation to a value axis, wherein each bar is displayed in a corresponding display area and associated with at least one value on the value axis, wherein each bar is of a fixed length corresponding to a maximum value reference, wherein each bar is the same length;

receiving by the computing device tradeable object related information; and

graphically displaying by the computing device the tradeable object related information in relation to at least one bar of the plurality of bars, wherein the tradeable object related information is displayed in the corresponding display area using at least two graphical formats comprising a first graphical format to be used to display values that are lower than the maximum value reference, and at least one second graphical format to be used to display values that are higher than the maximum value reference.

27. A computer readable medium having stored therein instructions for execution on a computer to perform the following method steps:

providing by a computing device a plurality of fixed size bars in relation to a price axis associated with a plurality of price levels, wherein each fixed size bar is displayed in a corresponding display area and is associated with at least one price level displayed in relation to the price axis, wherein each fixed size bar is associated with a maximum value reference, wherein each bar is the same length;

receiving by the computing device a first market update comprising tradeable object related information;

determining by the computing device a traded volume at a first price level, wherein the traded volume is lower than the maximum value reference;

displaying by the computing device the traded volume in relation to a first fixed size bar corresponding to the first price level, wherein the traded volume is displayed using a first graphical format in the corresponding display area;

receiving by the computing device a second market update comprising tradeable object related information;

determining by the computing device an updated traded volume at the first price level, wherein the updated traded volume is higher than the maximum value reference; and

displaying by the computing device the updated traded volume in relation to the first fixed size bar using a second graphical format in the corresponding display area for the portion of the updated traded volume that is higher than the maximum value reference.