Visible representation of stock market indices

• US 7,928,982 B1
• Filed: 10/27/2010
• Issued: 04/19/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 03/18/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Cary D. Perttunen
• Original Assignee: Cary D. Perttunen
• Inventors: Perttunen, Cary D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Kimbinh T
• Application Number:
  US12/925,691
• Time in Patent Office: 174 Days
• Field of Search: 345/419, 345/440, 345/441, 345/442, 345/473, 345/619, 705/30, 705/35, 705/36, 705/37, 705/39, 705/80, 709/217, 709/219, 715/764, 715/834, 715/866
• US Class Current: 345/440
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9558 Details of hyperlinks; Management of linked annotations
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0481 based on specific properties of the displayed interaction object or a metaphor-based environment, e.g. interaction with desktop elements like windows or icons, or assisted by a cursor's changing behaviour or appearance
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04842 Selection of displayed objects or displayed text elements G06F3/0482 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/10 specially adapted for electronic funds transfer [EFT] systems; specially adapted for home banking systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0277 Online advertisement
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/06 Asset management; Financial planning or analysis
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/12 Accounting
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/188 Electronic negotiation
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 11/206 Drawing of charts or graphs
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2200/24 involving graphical user interfaces [GUIs]

Abstract

Based on a selected stock market index, a visible representation of a plurality of stock market indices is displayed using a display device. The stock market indices comprise the selected stock market index and a plurality of other stock market indices related to the selected stock market index by a non-unary tree. The visible representation comprises a region to represent the selected stock market index. The visible representation further comprises a plurality of regions to represent the plurality of other stock market indices. The plurality of regions are approximately shaped as a plurality of annulus sectors each having a respective area based on a respective market capitalization associated with its represented one of the plurality of other stock market indices. The visible representation represents pairs of stock market indices that are adjacent in the non-unary tree by radially-adjacent pairs of their representing regions.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising:

a display device; and

at least one computer programmed to cause the display device to display a visible representation of a plurality of stock market indices that is based on a selected stock market index, the plurality of stock market indices comprising the selected stock market index and a plurality of other stock market indices related to the selected stock market index by a non-unary tree, the visible representation comprising a region to represent the selected stock market index, the visible representation further comprising a plurality of regions to represent the plurality of other stock market indices, the plurality of regions approximately shaped as a plurality of annulus sectors each having a respective area based on a respective market capitalization associated with its represented one of the plurality of other stock market indices, wherein the visible representation represents pairs of stock market indices that are adjacent in the non-unary tree by radially-adjacent pairs of their representing regions.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the plurality of other stock market indices comprise a parent stock market index and a plurality of child stock market indices, the plurality of child stock market indices being children of the parent stock market index in the non-unary tree, wherein the at least one computer is programmed to modify a clockwise order of the plurality of child stock market indices in the visible representation.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the visible representation has a first plurality of angularly-adjacent pairs of the plurality of regions, and wherein the at least one computer is programmed to rearrange at least two of the plurality of regions so that the visible representation has a second plurality of angularly-adjacent pairs of the plurality of regions, wherein the second plurality of angularly-adjacent pairs differs from the first plurality of angularly-adjacent pairs.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the plurality of regions approximately shaped as the plurality of annulus sectors are angularly arranged based on a plurality of correlation values between a corresponding plurality of pairs of the other stock market indices.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the region to represent the selected stock market index is approximately shaped as a circle.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein each of the plurality of regions approximately shaped as the plurality of annulus sectors has a respective color based on a respective change in price of its represented one of the plurality of other stock market indices.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the non-unary tree has a height of at least two.

8. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the at least one computer comprises a server computer and a client computer, wherein the server computer outputs at least one signal to cause the client computer to display the visible representation using the display device.

9. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising a touch screen, wherein the at least one computer is programmed to receive a user input from the touch screen, the user input indicating a selection of one of the plurality of regions approximately shaped as the plurality of annulus sectors.

10. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising a keyboard to facilitate user interaction with the at least one computer.

11. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium encoded with a computer program, the computer program to cause at least one computer to:

display, using a display device coupled to the at least one computer, a visible representation of a plurality of stock market indices that is based on a selected stock market index, the plurality of stock market indices comprising the selected stock market index and a plurality of other stock market indices related to the selected stock market index by a non-unary tree, the visible representation comprising a region to represent the selected stock market index, the visible representation further comprising a plurality of regions to represent the plurality of other stock market indices, the plurality of regions approximately shaped as a plurality of annulus sectors each having a respective area based on a respective market capitalization associated with its represented one of the plurality of other stock market indices, wherein the visible representation represents pairs of stock market indices that are adjacent in the non-unary tree by radially-adjacent pairs of their representing regions.

12. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 11 wherein the plurality of other stock market indices comprise a parent stock market index and a plurality of child stock market indices, the plurality of child stock market indices being children of the parent stock market index in the non-unary tree, wherein the computer program further is to cause the at least one computer to:

modify a clockwise order of the plurality of child stock market indices in the visible representation.

13. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 11 wherein the visible representation has a first plurality of angularly-adjacent pairs of the plurality of regions, and wherein the computer program further is to cause the at least one computer to:

rearrange at least two of the plurality of regions so that the visible representation has a second plurality of angularly-adjacent pairs of the plurality of regions, wherein the second plurality of angularly-adjacent pairs differs from the first plurality of angularly-adjacent pairs.

14. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 11 wherein the plurality of regions approximately shaped as the plurality of annulus sectors are angularly arranged based on a plurality of correlation values between a corresponding plurality of pairs of the other stock market indices.

15. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 11 wherein the region to represent the selected stock market index is approximately shaped as a circle.

16. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 11 wherein each of the plurality of regions approximately shaped as the plurality of annulus sectors has a respective color based on a respective change in price of its represented one of the plurality of other stock market indices.

17. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 11 wherein the non-unary tree has a height of at least two.

18. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 11 wherein the at least one computer comprises a server computer and a client computer, wherein the server computer outputs at least one signal to cause the client computer to display the visible representation using the display device.

19. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 11 wherein the computer program further causes the at least one computer to receive a user input from a touch screen, the user input indicating a selection of one of the plurality of regions approximately shaped as the plurality of annulus sectors.

20. A method comprising:

displaying, using a display device coupled to at least one computer, a visible representation of a plurality of stock market indices that is based on a selected stock market index, the plurality of stock market indices comprising the selected stock market index and a plurality of other stock market indices related to the selected stock market index by a non-unary tree, the visible representation comprising a region to represent the selected stock market index, the visible representation further comprising a plurality of regions to represent the plurality of other stock market indices, the plurality of regions approximately shaped as a plurality of annulus sectors each having a respective area based on a respective market capitalization associated with its represented one of the plurality of other stock market indices, wherein the visible representation represents pairs of stock market indices that are adjacent in the non-unary tree by radially-adjacent pairs of their representing regions.

21. The method of claim 20 wherein the plurality of other stock market indices comprise a parent stock market index and a plurality of child stock market indices, the plurality of child stock market indices being children of the parent stock market index in the non-unary tree, the method further comprising:

modifying a clockwise order of the plurality of child stock market indices in the visible representation.

22. The method of claim 20 wherein the visible representation has a first plurality of angularly-adjacent pairs of the plurality of regions, the method further comprising:

rearranging at least two of the plurality of regions so that the visible representation has a second plurality of angularly-adjacent pairs of the plurality of regions, wherein the second plurality of angularly-adjacent pairs differs from the first plurality of angularly-adjacent pairs.

23. The method of claim 20 wherein the plurality of regions approximately shaped as the plurality of annulus sectors are angularly arranged based on a plurality of correlation values between a corresponding plurality of pairs of the other stock market indices.

24. The method of claim 20 wherein the region to represent the selected stock market index is approximately shaped as a circle.

25. The method of claim 20 wherein each of the plurality of regions approximately shaped as the plurality of annulus sectors has a respective color based on a respective change in price of its represented one of the plurality of other stock market indices.

26. The method of claim 20 wherein the non-unary tree has a height of at least two.

27. The method of claim 20 wherein the at least one computer comprises a server computer and a client computer, wherein the server computer outputs at least one signal to cause the client computer to display the visible representation using the display device.

28. The method of claim 20 further comprising:

using the at least one computer to initiate a transaction that involves buying or selling a stock.

29. The method of claim 20 further comprising:

using the at least one computer to assist a transaction that involves buying or selling a stock.