Repositioning of market information on trading screens

• US 7,930,240 B1
• Filed: 09/24/2009
• Issued: 04/19/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 06/30/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Trading Technologies International, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Trading Technologies International, Inc.
• Inventors: Buck, Brian J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Patel; Jagdish N
• Assistant Examiner(s): POE, KEVIN T
• Application Number:
  US12/566,117
• Time in Patent Office: 572 Days
• Field of Search: 705/37
• US Class Current: 705/37
• 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 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
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/06 Asset management; Financial planning or analysis

Abstract

As market conditions descend or ascend an axis of prices, the display of market information is repositioned, at a pre-determined rate if desired, around an item of interest. An item of interest may include the best bid price, the best ask price, the inside market, a moving average, a last traded price, a theoretical value, the result of an equation, or some other item of interest to the trader. According to the present embodiments, market information may be displayed in a region relative to an axis of prices, and when an event occurs, a repositioning signal is initialized causing the axis to be repositioned such that the item of interest is positioned at a pre-determined location in the region. The price axis can be repositioned at a fixed rate or at a dynamically variable rate.

Claims

1. A method for repositioning market information relating to a tradeable object being traded in a market on a graphical user interface, the method comprising:

displaying by a computer device a display region comprising a plurality of locations in alignment with a price axis for displaying market information relating to the tradeable object, wherein each location corresponds to a price level along the price axis;

identifying by the computer device an item of interest associated with a first price level;

detecting by the computer device a first change in value of the item of interest from the first price level to a second price level;

automatically repositioning the price axis and the plurality of locations in the display region a first time, based on the first change, wherein the second price level associated with the item of interest is automatically repositioned on the graphical user interface to a designated location in the display region;

detecting by the computer device a second change in value of the item of interest from the second price level to a third price level during the step of automatically repositioning the price axis based on the first change, and, before the second price level is positioned at the designated location based on the repositioning at the first time; and

automatically repositioning the price axis and the plurality of locations in the display region a second time, based on the second change, wherein the third price level associated with the item of interest is automatically repositioned on the graphical user interface to the designated location in the display region.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the item of interest represents any of the following:

a best bid price, a best ask price, a moving average of the inside market, or a last traded price.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the item of interest has a value based on a result of an expression in an equation.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the item of interest comprises a user defined price indicator.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the designated location is substantially centered in the display region.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the designated location is off-centered in the display region.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the graphical user interface displays price levels along the price axis.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the price axis and the plurality of locations in the display region are automatically repositioned at a predetermined rate of repositioning.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the predetermined rate of repositioning is in a range of speeds according to units of pixels per second.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the predetermined rate of repositioning is in the range of speeds between 50 pixels per second and 200 pixels per second.

11. The method of claim 8, wherein the predetermined rate of repositioning is configured so that the price axis and the plurality of locations in the display region glide to the designated location in the display region.

12. The method of claim 8, wherein the predetermined rate of repositioning comprises a fixed rate of repositioning.

13. The method of claim 8, wherein the predetermined rate of repositioning comprises a variable rate that changes as the item of interest is being repositioned.

14. The method of claim 8, wherein the predetermined rate of repositioning depends on a location of the item of interest.

15. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

displaying, by the computer device, an order entry region comprising a plurality of locations for receiving commands to initiate trade orders, wherein each location of the order entry region corresponds to a price level along the price axis, and wherein each command initiates placement of a trade order responsive to selecting a location of the order entry region with a cursor of a user input device, wherein the trade order has an order price based on a price level corresponding to the selected location.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the price axis and the plurality of locations in the display region are automatically repositioned at a predefined rate of repositioning that allows placing of the cursor of the user input device by a user over a desired location in the order entry region and selecting the desired location to initiate a trade order at a desired price level corresponding to the desired location as the item of interest is automatically repositioned to the designated location.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein selecting the location of the order entry region comprises selecting the location by a single action of the user input device to initiate the trade order at the price level corresponding to the selected location.

18. The method of claim 15, wherein selecting the location of the order entry region is a single click of the user input device.

19. The method of claim 15, wherein selecting the location of the order entry region is a double click of the user input device.

20. The method of claim 15, wherein selecting the location of the order entry region further sets a plurality of order parameters and sends the trade order at the price level corresponding to the selected location.

21. The method of claim 15, wherein the order entry region and the display region overlap.

22. A computer readable medium having stored therein instructions to execute a method for repositioning market information relating to a tradeable object being traded in a market on a graphical user interface, the method comprising:

displaying by a computer device a display region comprising a plurality of locations in alignment with a price axis for displaying market information relating to the tradeable object, wherein each location corresponds to a price level along the price axis;

identifying by the computer device an item of interest associated with a first price level;

detecting by the computer device a first change in value of the item of interest from the first price level to a second price level;

automatically repositioning the price axis and the plurality of locations in the display region a first time, based on the first change, wherein the second price level associated with the item of interest is automatically repositioned on the graphical user interface to a designated location in the display region;

detecting by the computer device a second change in value of the item of interest from the second price level to a third price level during the step of automatically repositioning the price axis based on the first change, and, before the second price level is positioned at the designated location based on the repositioning at the first time; and

automatically repositioning the price axis and the plurality of locations in the display region a second time, based on the second change, wherein the third price level associated with the item of interest is automatically repositioned on the graphical user interface to the designated location in the display region.