System and method for displaying security information

• US 8,645,262 B1
• Filed: 12/30/2011
• Issued: 02/04/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 12/30/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Charles Schwab & Company Incorporated (Charles Schwab Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Charles Schwab & Company Incorporated (Charles Schwab Corporation)
• Inventors: Cottrell, Erik, Gardner, Mindy P, Cobbledick-Ridley, Carolyn
• Primary Examiner(s): Chang, Edward
• Application Number:
  US13/341,177
• Time in Patent Office: 767 Days
• Field of Search: 705/37, 705/35
• US Class Current: 705/37
• 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

A system and method provides security information by allowing the user to choose from among tools that will be displayed to the user, some of which may be displayed in a manner that replaces a display of a different tool when the user selects it. Some tools such as a series of small charts displayed on the user'"'"'s computer screen will display information regarding multiple securities, while multiple other tools display information about a single security selected by the user, for example, by the user clicking on the small chart corresponding to that security.

Claims

1. A method of displaying financial security information comprising:

receiving over a network and combining by a computer processor system coupled to a memory system for substantially simultaneous display on a computer screen using a first order, and repeatedly updating, a first set of at least four small charts or at least some of the information contained therein, each comprising a first type of information corresponding to a quantity of at least one security, a plurality of the at least four small charts corresponding to different securities from one another;

electronically displaying on the computer screen a second type of information about a first of the at least one security displayed in a small chart, such second type of information different from the first type displayed in said small chart and simultaneously displayed with said small chart, at least some of the second type of information having been received over the network;

receiving an indication that one of the small charts has been selected by a user using the computer screen; and

responsive to the small chart selected;

receiving over a network and combining by the computer processor system coupled to the memory system for substantially simultaneous electronic display on the computer screen using a second order, and repeatedly updating, a second set of at least four small charts or at least some of the information contained therein, each comprising the first type of information, each small chart corresponding to a quantity of at least one security, a plurality of the second set of at least four small charts corresponding to different securities from one another; and

outputting by the computer processor system coupled to the memory system over the network for electronic display on the computer screen the second type of information about a second of the at least one security displayed in one of the small charts in the second set of small charts, such second type of information different from the first type of information displayed in said small chart and simultaneously displayed with said small chart; and

wherein either;

the securities corresponding to the small charts in the first set of at least four small charts match the securities corresponding to the small charts in the second set of at least four small charts, but the second order is different from the first order;

or

one of the small charts in the first set of at least four small charts corresponds to a security that is not in the second set of at least four small charts, but a remainder of the small charts have a same order relative to one another in the first set and the second set.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the second type of information is provided for display in response to a user selecting from among the second type of information, and a third type of information about the second of the at least one security, but not a fourth type of information, the second and third type of information having been selected by the user as information to be made available, from among the second type of information, the third type of information, and a fourth type of information, said fourth type of information having been made available for said selection by the user, but not having been selected by the user.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the second type of information is displayed having a size equal to a user-adjusted size of a display of the third set of information.

4. The method of claim 1, additionally comprising providing for display on the computer screen at substantially a same time as the second type of information is provided for display, a fifth type of information about one of the at least one security displayed in one of the small charts in the second set of small charts other than the second of the at least one security displayed in one of the small charts in the second set of small charts, the fifth type of information not user-selectable between a fifth type of information and a sixth type of information.

5. The method of claim 4, additionally comprising providing for display the fifth type of information about the second of the at least one security displayed in one of the small charts in the second set of small charts responsive to the small chart selected, the fifth type of information not user-selectable between a fifth set of information and a sixth type of information.

6. A system for displaying financial security information comprising:

a display manager comprising a processor coupled to a memory and having an input for receiving over a network a first set of at least four small charts or at least some of the information contained therein, each comprising a first type of information, each small chart corresponding to a quantity of at least one security, a plurality of the at least four small charts corresponding to different securities from one another, the display manager for substantially simultaneously providing to a user at the display manager output the at least four small charts for display on a computer screen using a first order, and repeatedly updating the display of the at least four small charts from the information received at the display manager input, and for providing at the display manager output for display to the user on the computer screen a second type of information about a first of the at least one security displayed in a small chart, such second type of information different from the first set of displayed in said small chart and simultaneously displayed with said small chart, at least some of the second type of information having been received via the network at the display manager input;

a command manager comprising a processor coupled to a memory, the command manager for receiving at an input an indication that one of the small charts has been selected by the user using the computer screen and providing an identifier of the small chart selected at an output coupled to the display manager input; and

the display manager additionally for, responsive to the identifier of the small chart selected received at the display manager input;

receiving over the network at the display manager input a second set of at least four small charts or at least some of the information contained therein, each small chart comprising a first type of information, each small chart corresponding to a quantity of at least one security, a plurality of the at least four small charts corresponding to different securities from one another;

substantially simultaneously providing at the display manager output for display to the user on the computer screen the second set of at least four small charts on the computer screen using a second order, and repeatedly updating the display of the second set of small charts using information received over the network at the display manager input; and

outputting by a computer processor coupled to a memory at the display manager output for display to the user on the computer screen the second type of information about a second of the at least one security displayed in one of the small charts in the second set of small charts, such second type of information different from the first type of information displayed in said small chart and simultaneously displayed with said small chart; and

wherein either;

the securities corresponding to the small charts in the first set of at least four small charts match the securities corresponding to the small charts in the second set of at least four small charts, but the second order is different from the first order;

or

one of the small charts in the first set of at least four small charts corresponds to a security that is not in the second set of at least four small charts, but a remainder of the small charts have a same order relative to one another in the first set and the second set.

7. The system of claim 6:

additionally comprising;

a tool manager having an input coupled for receiving from the user a first selection of the second type of information and a third type of information as information to be made available, from among the second type of information, the third type of information, and a fourth type of information, said fourth type of information having been made available for said selection by the user, but not having been selected by the user, the tool manager for providing at an output an indication of the first selection of the second type of information and the third type of information; and

a tool subset manager having an input coupled to the tool manager output for receiving the indication of the first selection and for receiving from the user a second selection of the second type of information from among the types of information in the first indication, the tool subset manager for providing at an output coupled to the display manager input an indication of the second selection;

and wherein the display manager provides at the display manager output for display to the user the second type of information responsive to the indication of the second selection received at the display manager input.

8. The system of claim 6:

additionally comprising a tool boundary manager having an input for receiving from the user a size of a display of the third type of information, the tool boundary manager for providing at an output coupled to the display manager input an indication of the size of the third type of information; and

wherein the display manager displays the second type of information using a size responsive to the indication of the size of the third type of information received at the display manager input.

9. The system of claim 6, wherein the display manager is additionally for providing at the display manager output for display on the computer screen at substantially a same time as the second type of information is provided for display, a fifth type of information about one of the at least one security displayed in one of the small charts in the second set of small charts other than the second of the at least one security displayed in one of the small charts in the second set of small charts, the fifth type of information not user-selectable between a fifth type of information and a sixth type of information.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the display manager is additionally for providing at the display manager output for display to the user the fifth type of information about the second of the at least one security displayed in one of the small charts in the second set of small charts responsive to the small chart selected, the fifth type of information not user-selectable between a fifth type of information and a sixth type of information.

11. A computer program product comprising a non-transitory computer useable medium having computer readable program code embodied therein for displaying financial security information, the computer program product comprising computer readable program code devices configured to cause a computer system to:

receive over a network and combine by a first computer processor coupled to a first memory for substantially simultaneous electronic display on a computer screen using

a first order, and repeatedly update, a first set of at least four small charts or at least some of the information contained therein, each comprising a first type of information corresponding to a quantity of at least one security, a plurality of the at least four small charts corresponding to different securities from one another;

electronically display on the computer screen a second type of information about a first of the at least one security displayed in a small chart, such second type of information different from the first type of displayed in said small chart and simultaneously displayed with said small chart, at least some of the second type of information having been received over the network;

receive an indication that one of the small charts has been selected by a user using the computer screen; and

responsive to the small chart selected;

receive over a network and combine by a computer processor system coupled to a memory system for substantially simultaneous display on the computer screen using a second order, and repeatedly updating, a second set of at least four small charts or at least some of the information contained therein, each comprising the first type of information, each small chart corresponding to a quantity of at least one security, a plurality of the second set of at least four small charts corresponding to different securities from one another; and

output by the computer processor system coupled to the memory system over the network for electronic display on the computer screen the second type of information about a second of the at least one security displayed in one of the small charts in the second set of small charts, such second type of information different from the first type of information displayed in said small chart and simultaneously displayed with said small chart; and

wherein either;

the securities corresponding to the small charts in the first set of at least four small charts match the securities corresponding to the small charts in 60 the second set of at least four small charts, but the second order is different from the first order;

or one of the small charts in the first set of at least four small charts corresponds to a security that is not in the second set of at least four small charts, but a remainder of the small charts have a same order relative to one another in the first set and the second set.

12. The computer program product of claim 11, wherein the second type of information is provided for display in response to a user selecting from among the second type of information, and a third type of information about the second of the at least one security, but not a fourth type of information, the second and third type of information having been selected by the user as information to be made available, from among the second type of information, the third type of information, and a fourth type of information, said fourth type of information having been made available for said selection by the user, but not having been selected by the user.

13. The computer program product of claim 11, wherein the second type of information is displayed having a size equal to a user-adjusted size of a display of the third type of information.

14. The computer program product of claim 11, additionally comprising the computer readable program code devices configured to cause the computer system to provide for display on the computer screen at substantially a same time as the second type of information is provided for display, a fifth type of information about one of the at least one security displayed in one of the small charts in the second type of small charts other than the second of the at least one security displayed in one of the small charts in the second set of small charts, the fifth type of information not user-selectable between a fifth type of information and a sixth type of information.

15. The computer program product of claim 14, additionally comprising the computer readable program code devices configured to cause the computer system to provide for display the fifth type of information about the second of the at least one security displayed in one of the small charts in the second set of small charts responsive to the small chart selected, the fifth type of information not user-selectable between a fifth type of information and a sixth type of information.