Distribution and mapping of financial records from data stream

• US 20030126056A1
• Filed: 08/14/2002
• Published: 07/03/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 08/14/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Bloomberg LP
• Original Assignee: Bloomberg LP
• Inventors: Enny, Philip, Field, Nicholas D., Rubinfine, Vyacheslav T., Hausman, Andrew
• Granted Patent: US 8,473,396 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/36
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/00 Finance; Insurance; Tax strategies; Processing of corporate or income taxes
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/06 Asset management; Financial planning or analysis

Abstract

Improved systems, methods, and programs for customized distribution of data, particularly financial data. Individual users of networked computer systems have the capability to select and receive data from data streams produced by sources and made available simultaneously and in standardized format to numbers of client terminals. Selected data is mapped according to individual user specifications and may be used in client applications such as databases or spreadsheets, and stored in caches until users are ready to receive it. Data may be formatted and sent back to the stream source for use in applications operated at the source. The system also facilitates checking of data integrity, in particular by comparing sequences of records sent by the source and received by the client system.

Claims

1. Computer readable medium or media having programming stored thereon for causing a computer system to:

identify, from a plurality of formatted financial data records, data records for electronic transfer to a plurality of users of the computer system in accordance with data indicating the data record or records that are to be delivered to respective users; and

map each identified data record in accordance with data, specific to each of the plurality of users, indicating mapping of the respective data record for at least one application operable on a computer terminal accessible by the user to whom the data record is to be delivered.

2. The medium or media of claim 1, wherein the data indicating mapping is different for at least one identified record for at least two of the plurality of users.

3. The medium or media of claim 1, wherein the formatted financial data records are provided in one or more streams.

4. The medium or media of claim 3, wherein at least one of the streams is continuous.

5. The medium or media of claim 3, wherein at least one some of the formatted data records are provided live.

6. The medium or media of claim 1, wherein at least some of the plurality of formatted data records are provided in a sequence by a data source, and the programming causes the computer system to maintain a sequence listing of records provided by the source for comparison with a sequence listing of the records maintained by the source.

7. The medium or media of claim 1, wherein the programming causes the computer system to map data records provided by at least one said operable application into a format consistent with the format of the plurality of formatted financial data records.

8. The medium or media of claim 1, wherein the programming causes the computer system to forward the consistently-formatted records to a source of the data records.

9. The medium or media of claim 1, wherein the programming causes the computer system to map data records in accordance with data indicating different mappings for a plurality of applications.

10. The medium or media of claim 9, wherein the plurality of applications comprises multiple instances of a same application program.

11. The medium or media of claim 9, wherein the plurality of applications comprises a plurality of different application programs.

12. The medium or media of claim 1, wherein mapping data records comprises reordering items within the data records.

13. The medium or media of claim 1, wherein mapping data records comprises displaying at least a portion of at least one data record in a location specified by a user on a computer display.

14. A method of distributing data to users of a computer system, comprising:

identifying, from a plurality of formatted financial data records, data records for electronic transfer to a plurality of users of the computer system in accordance with data indicating the data record or records that are to be delivered to respective users; and

mapping each identified data record in accordance with data, specific to each of the plurality of users, indicating mapping of the respective data record for at least one application operable on a computer terminal accessible by the user to whom the data record is to be delivered.

15. A computer system for receiving data and distributing received data to a plurality of users of the computer system, the system comprising programming for causing the system to:

identify, from a plurality of formatted financial data records, data records for electronic transfer to a plurality of users of the computer system in accordance with data indicating the data record or records that are to be delivered to respective users; and

map each identified data record in accordance with data, specific to each of the plurality of users, indicating mapping of the respective data record for at least one application operable on a computer terminal accessible by the user to whom the data record is to be delivered.

16. Computer readable medium or media having programming stored thereon for causing a computer system to:

identify, from a plurality of formatted financial data records, data records for electronic transfer to users of the computer system in accordance with data indicating the data record or records that are to be delivered to respective users;

map each identified data record in accordance with data indicating mapping of the respective data record for at least one application operable on a computer terminal accessible by the user to whom the data record is to be delivered; and

store identified data records in caches for delivery to or retrieval by computer terminals accessible by the users to whom the records are to be delivered.

17. The medium or media of claim 16, wherein the formatted financial data records are provided in one or more streams.

18. The medium or media of claim 17, wherein at least one of the streams is continuous.

19. The medium or media of claim 17, wherein at least one some of the formatted data records are provided live.

20. The medium or media of claim 16, wherein at least some of the plurality of formatted data records are provided in a sequence by a data source, and the programming causes the computer system to maintain a sequence listing of records provided by the source for comparison with a sequence listing of the records maintained by the source.

21. The medium or media of claim 20, wherein the programming causes the computer system to request the data stream source to reprovide a sequence of data records upon a determination that the sequence listings are not the same.

22. The medium or media of claim 20, wherein the programming causes a comparison of the sequence listings to be initiated in response to a deliberate provision of an out of sequence record.

23. The medium or media of claim 20, wherein the programming causes the computer system to request the data stream to reprovide a sequence of data records by deliberately modifying the sequence of data records maintained by the computer system.

24. The medium or media of claim 16, wherein the programming causes the computer system to map data records provided by at least one said operable application into a format consistent with the format of the plurality of formatted financial data records.

25. The medium or media of claim 24, wherein the programming causes the computer system to forward the consistently-formatted records to a source of the data records.

26. The medium or media of claim 16, wherein the programming causes the computer system to map identified data records prior to delivery of the records to the terminals.

27. The medium or media of claim 16, wherein the programming causes the terminals accessible by the users to whom the records are to be delivered to map the respective identified data records.

28. The medium or media of claim 16, wherein the programming causes the computer system to map data records in accordance with data indicating different mappings for a plurality of applications.

29. The medium or media of claim 28, wherein the plurality of applications comprises multiple instances of a same application program.

30. The medium or media of claim 28, wherein the plurality of applications comprises a plurality of different application programs.

31. The medium or media of claim 16, wherein mapping data records comprises reordering items within the data records.

32. A method of distributing data to users of a computer system, comprising:

identifying, from a plurality of formatted financial data records, data records for electronic transfer to users of the computer system in accordance with data indicating the data record or records that are to be delivered to respective users;

mapping each identified data record in accordance with data indicating mapping of the respective data record for at least one application operable on a computer terminal accessible by the user to whom the data record is to be delivered; and

storing identified data records in caches for delivery to or retrieval by computer terminals accessible by the users to whom the records are to be delivered.

33. A computer system for receiving data and distributing received data to a plurality of users of the computer system, the system comprising programming for causing the system to:

identify, from a plurality of formatted financial data records, data records for electronic transfer to users of the computer system in accordance with data indicating the data record or records that are to be delivered to respective users of the system;

map each identified data record in accordance with data indicating mapping of the respective data record for at least one application operable on a computer terminal accessible by the user to whom the data record is to be delivered; and

store identified data records in caches for delivery to or retrieval by computer terminals accessible by the users to whom the records are to be delivered.

34. Computer readable medium or media having programming stored thereon for causing a computer system to:

identify, from a plurality of formatted financial data records, data records for electronic transfer to users of the computer system in accordance with data indicating the data record or records that are to be delivered to respective users;

associate with each identified data record a number of times that the record authorized to be delivered to or accessed by the user to whom the record is to be delivered;

store identified data records in caches for delivery to or retrieval by computer terminals accessible by the users to whom the records are to be delivered; and

disable delivery of or access to records when the records have been delivered to or accessed by the respective users the authorized number of times.

35. A method of distributing data to users of a computer system, comprising:

identifying, from a plurality of formatted financial data records, data records for electronic transfer to users of the computer system in accordance with data indicating the data record or records that are to be delivered to respective users;

associating with each identified data record a number of times that the record authorized to be delivered to or accessed by the user to whom the record is to be delivered;

storing identified data records in caches for delivery to or retrieval by computer terminals accessible by the users to whom the records are to be delivered; and

disabling delivery of or access to records when the records have been delivered to or accessed by the respective users the authorized number of times.

36. A computer system for receiving data and distributing received data to a plurality of users of the computer system, the system comprising programming for causing the system to:

identify, from a plurality of formatted financial data records, data records for electronic transfer to users of the computer system in accordance with data indicating the data record or records that are to be delivered to respective users;

associate with each identified data record a number of times that the record authorized to be delivered to or accessed by the user to whom the record is to be delivered;

store identified data records in caches for delivery to or retrieval by computer terminals accessible by the users to whom the records are to be delivered; and

disable delivery of or access to records when the records have been delivered to or accessed by the respective users the authorized number of times.

37. Computer readable medium or media having programming stored thereon for causing a computer system to map a plurality of financial data records in accordance with data specific to each of a plurality of users of the computer system, the data specific to each user indicating mapping of data records for at least one application operable on a computer terminal accessible by that user.

38. The medium or media of claim 37, wherein the data indicating mapping is different for at least one identified record for at least two of the plurality of users.

39. The medium or media of claim 37, wherein the programming causes the computer system to map data records in accordance with data indicating different mappings for a plurality of applications.

40. The medium or media of claim 39, wherein the plurality of applications comprises multiple instances of a same application program.

41. The medium or media of claim 39, wherein the plurality of applications comprises a plurality of different application programs.

42. The medium or media of claim 37, wherein mapping data records comprises reordering items within the data records.

43. The medium or media of claim 37, wherein mapping data records comprises displaying at least a portion of at least one data record in a location specified by a user on a computer display.

44. A method of distributing data to users of a computer system, comprising mapping a plurality of financial data records in accordance with data specific to each of a plurality of users of the computer system, the data specific to each user indicating mapping of data records for at least one application operable on a computer terminal accessible by that user.

45. A computer system for receiving data and distributing received data to a plurality of users of the computer system, the system comprising programming for causing the system to map a plurality of financial data records in accordance with data specific to each of a plurality of users of the computer system, the data specific to each user indicating mapping of data records for at least one application operable on a computer terminal accessible by that user.

46. Computer readable medium or media having programming stored thereon for causing a computer system to:

identify from a plurality of formatted financial data records received by the computer system data records for electronic delivery to users of the computer system in accordance with data indicating the data record or records that are to be delivered to respective users; and

maintain a sequence listing of data records within a stream of formatted financial data records received from a data stream source for comparison with a sequence listing of records maintained by the source.

47. The medium or media of claim 46, wherein the programming causes the computer system to request the data stream source to reprovide a sequence of data records upon a determination that the sequence listings are not the same.

48. The medium or media of claim 46, wherein the programming causes a comparison of the sequence listings to be initiated in response to a deliberate provision of an out of sequence record.

49. The medium or media of claim 46, wherein the programming causes the computer system to request the data stream to reprovide a sequence of data records by deliberately modifying the sequence of data records maintained by the computer system.

50. A computer system for receiving data and distributing received data to a plurality of users of the computer system, comprising:

a computer programmed to receive formatted financial data records and identify data records received by the computer for delivery to the plurality of users in accordance with data indicating the data record or records that are to be delivered to each of the plurality of users; and

programming stored on a computer readable medium at the computer, or at a plurality of user-accessible terminals coupled with the computer, or both, that causes the computer or the terminals to map each identified data record to be delivered in accordance with data indicating mapping of the respective data record for an application operable at the respective user-accessible terminal.

51. The system of claim 50 wherein each of the plurality of terminals comprises a computer, and a computer display device and computer input device coupled to the computer.

52. The system of claim 50 wherein the data indicating mapping of a data record can indicate different mappings of a data record for a plurality of applications.

53. The system of claim 52 wherein the plurality of applications comprise multiple instances of a same application program.

54. The system of claim 52 wherein the plurality of applications comprise a plurality of different applications.

55. A computer system for receiving data and distributing received data to a plurality of users of the computer system, the system comprising:

programming for causing the system to identify within a stream of formatted financial data records data records for electronic delivery to users of a computer system in accordance with data indicating the data record or records that are to be delivered to respective users for use with applications operable on user-accessible terminals coupled with the computer system;

cache memory for receiving data records to be delivered to each respective user when the applications for which the data records are to be used are not active on the computer system; and

programming for causing the system to associate with each identified data record a number of times that the record authorized to be delivered to or accessed by the user to whom the record is to be delivered, store identified data records in the cache memory for delivery to or retrieval by computer terminals accessible by the users to whom the records are to be delivered, and disable delivery of or access to records when the records have been delivered to or accessed by the respective users the authorized number of times.

56. A computer system for receiving data and distributing received data to a plurality of users of the computer system with error detection, comprising:

a computer programmed to receive formatted financial data records and identify data records received by the computer for delivery to a plurality of users of the computer system in accordance with data indicating the data record or records that are to be delivered to each of the plurality of users; and

programming stored on a computer readable medium or media that causes the computer system to determine whether a listing of a sequence of data records received by the computer and a listing of a sequence of data records transmitted to the computer are the same or not, and to determine that there has been an error when the listings are not the same.

57. A method of distributing data, with error detection, to a plurality of users of a computer system, comprising:

receiving formatted financial data records in a computer;

identifying data records received by the computer for delivery to a plurality of users of the computer system in accordance with data indicating the data record or records that are to be delivered to each of the plurality of users;

determining whether a listing of a sequence of data records received by the computer and a listing of a sequence of data records transmitted to the computer are the same or not; and

determining that there has been an error when the listings are not the same.