Conversational dealing system

• US 7,269,793 B2
• Filed: 10/18/2002
• Issued: 09/11/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 10/19/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: EBS Group Ltd. (CME Group Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: EBS Group Ltd. (CME Group Incorporated)
• Inventors: Jain, Neena, Howorka, Edward R., Horsfall, Peter Richard P.
• Primary Examiner(s): Hailu; Tadesse
• Application Number:
  US10/272,981
• Publication Number:
  US 20030093363A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,789 Days
• Field of Search: 715748-759, 715/773, 709/204, 709/205, 709/230, 709/227, 370/276, 370/277
• US Class Current: 715/751
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/04 Trading; Exchange, e.g. stocks, commodities, derivatives or currency exchange
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1813 for computer conferences, e.g. chat rooms instant messaging H04L51/04; protocols for multimedia communication H04L65/1101; arrangements for multi-party communication H04L65/403; telephonic conference arrangements H04M3/56; television conference systems H04N7/15
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/04 Real-time or near real-time messaging, e.g. instant messaging [IM]

Abstract

In a duplex chat conversational trading system, trader terminals monitor for new incoming messages from the time a trader starts to input a new message to the time it is sent. If an incoming message is detected, sending of the message is inhibited and the trader is alerted to the new incoming message whereupon he can confirm his message, modify it or resend it. Messages are exchanged via a chat server which assigns a unique reference number to each message. Where a message received at the server is sent in reply to an earlier message it carries the reference of the earlier message. The server compares this reference to the most recent reference it has logged and notifies the parties of a crossover if the references are not the same.

Claims

1. A method for sending messages in a duplex messaging system, the method comprising:

detecting commencement of entry of a new message at a first messaging station;

while the new message is being entered, and until the new message is sent, monitoring for an incoming message from a second messaging station; and

if the incoming message is detected during the monitoring, alerting a user of the first messaging station to the incoming message, wherein

a message server is disposed intermediate the first and second messaging stations and the method further comprises

assigning a reference to each message by the message server;

logging received messages with respective references at the message server;

comparing the reference of a particular received message with the reference of the last logged message; and

if the reference of the particular received message and the last logged message are not substantially identical, marking the particular received message as crossover.

2. A method according to claim 1, further comprising displaying an indication that a crossover has been detected at one or both of the first and second messaging stations.

3. A method according to claim 2, wherein the indication includes a context of the crossover.

4. A method for sending messages in a duplex messaging system in which messages are sent between a first messaging station and a second messaging station via a message server, the method comprising the steps of:

receiving a first message at a server;

assigning a first reference to the first message;

logging the first message and the first reference in a log;

receiving a second message at the server after the first message, the second message including a second reference to a previous message;

logging the second message and the second reference at the server;

comparing the second reference with the reference in the log immediately preceding the second message; and

indicating that there has been a message crossover when the second reference and the reference immediately preceding in the log do not substantially match.

5. A method according to claim 4, wherein the indicating includes sending an indication to one or both of the first and second messaging stations.

6. A method according to claim 5, wherein the indication comprises an icon.

7. A method according to claim 5, wherein the indication shows the context of the crossover.

8. A method according to claim 4, wherein each reference is unique.

9. A method according to claim 4, wherein on receipt of at least one of the first and second messages from one of the first and second messaging stations, the server forwards the at least one of the first and second messages and respective reference to the other of the first and second messaging stations.

10. A method according to claim 9, further comprising acknowledging receipt of at least one of the first and second messages the acknowledging including the respective reference.

11. A method of conversational dealing in which a first and second trader negotiate trades of instruments by exchange of messages between trader workstations in a duplex messaging environment, the method comprising the steps of:

at a first trader workstation, detecting commencement of entry of a new message by a first trader relating to a conversation between the first trader and a second trader;

monitoring for an incoming message to the first trader workstation relating to the conversation and received between the detected commencement of entry of the new message and an attempt to send the new message from the first trader workstation to a second trader workstation;

on detection of the incoming message, alerting the first trader to the incoming message; and

interrupting a sending of the new message,

wherein messages are sent between the trader workstations via a message server, and the method further comprising;

on receipt of each message at the server, assigning a respective reference to a respective message;

storing messages received at the server with corresponding references;

comparing the reference of a particular message received at the server with the reference most recently stored at the server; and

if the compared references are not the same, notifying one or both traders of a message crossover.

12. A method according to claim 11, wherein notifying comprises displaying an icon.

13. A method according to claim 12, wherein each workstation displays a list of messages sent and received and the icon identifies a crossover message for which a crossover has been detected.

14. A method according to claim 12, wherein the icon includes an indication of crossover context.

15. A method of conversational dealing in which traders negotiate trades of instruments by exchange of messages between respective trader workstations via a message server in a duplex messaging environment, the method comprising:

at the message server;

on receipt of a first message from a first workstation, assigning a first reference to the first message;

logging the first message with the first reference in a log;

forwarding the first message to an intended recipient workstation together with the first reference;

acknowledging the first message to the first workstation along with the first reference;

and on receipt of a second message including a second reference from a second workstation, comparing the second reference with the reference in the log immediately proceeding the second reference and, if the second reference and the reference immediately preceding the second reference in the log are not the same, notifying the second workstation of a crossover; and

at a particular workstation;

on detection of commencement of entry of a new message by a particular trader to be sent from the particular workstation to a counterparty workstation, monitoring for an incoming message to the particular workstation while the new message is being entered; and

on detection of the incoming message, alerting the particular trader of the incoming message.

16. A method of conversational dealing in which traders negotiate trades of instruments by exchange of messages between trader workstations in a duplex messaging environment, and in which messages are exchanged via a message server which logs messages on receipt and acknowledges a received message to a sending party who sent the received message, the method comprising the steps of:

receiving a first message from a first messaging station;

assigning a first reference to the first message;

logging the first message and the first reference in a log;

receiving a second message from a second messaging station at the server after the first message, the second message including a second reference to a previous message;

logging the second message and the second reference at the server;

comparing the second reference with the reference in the log immediately preceding the second message; and

notifying one or both of the first and second messaging stations that there has been a message crossover when the second reference and the reference immediately preceding in the log do not substantially match.

18. A method according to claim 16, wherein each reference is unique.

19. The method as recited in claim 16, wherein the alerting includes at least one of an audio indication and highlighting a representation of an incoming image.

17. A method of conversational dealing in which traders negotiate trades of instruments by exchange of messages between trader workstations in a duplex messaging environment, the method comprising the steps of:

at a first trader workstation, detecting commencement of entry of a new message relating to an ongoing conversation between the first trader workstation and a second trader workstation;

monitoring for an incoming message to the first trader workstation relating to the conversation upon the detection of the commencement of entry of the new message; and

on detection of the incoming message, notifying the first trader of the incoming message prior to sending the new message,

wherein the notifying comprises displaying an icon at one of the messaging stations, the icon including an indication of the context of the crossover.

20. A duplex messaging system comprising a plurality of messaging stations for exchanging conversational messages, each of the messaging stations comprising:

means for detecting the commencement of an entry of a new message relating to an existing conversation with a counterparty in the messaging system;

monitoring means for monitoring for an incoming message from the counter party while the new message is being entered; and

alerting means for alerting a user of the incoming message detected by the monitoring means, wherein;

each workstation comprises means for sending a completed message;

the alerting means includes means for inhibiting the means for sending if the incoming message has been detected; and

the means for sending means comprises means for confirming, amending or canceling the new message in response to an alerting from the alerting means.

21. A system according to claim 20, wherein:

the monitoring means further monitors for an additional incoming message received after

generation of an alert by the alerting means and prior to an attempt to send an amended message by the means for sending; and

wherein the alerting means generates a further alert and inhibits the means from sending the amended message on detection of the additional incoming message.

22. A duplex messaging system comprising a plurality of messaging stations for exchanging conversational messages, each of the messaging stations comprising:

means for detecting the commencement of an entry of a new message relating to an existing conversation with a counterparty in the messaging system;

monitoring means for monitoring for an incoming message from the counter party while the new message is being entered; and

alerting means for alerting a user of the incoming message detected by the monitoring means;

a message server for receiving incoming messages sent by sender workstations and forwarding the incoming messages to intended destination workstations, the server comprising;

a message log for logging the incoming messages; and

means for assigning a respective reference to each incoming message;

wherein

the message log logs the respective assigned reference with a respective message, and wherein

the server comprises;

means for notifying a particular party receiving a particular message of the reference assigned to the particular message;

the server receives a reply to a select message with a respective reference to the select message;

the server comprises means for comparing the respective reference of the select message, with the reference of the most recently logged message; and

the server comprises means for notifying one or both of the sender of the select message and the intended receiver of the select message of a crossover if the respective reference of the select message and the reference of the most recently logged message are not substantially the same.

23. A system according to claim 22, wherein each of the message stations include means for displaying a crossover notified by the message server.

24. A system according to claim 23, wherein the display means comprises an icon.

25. A system according to claim 24, wherein the icon includes an indication of the context of the crossover.

26. A duplex messaging system comprising a plurality of messaging stations for exchanging conversational messages, each of the messaging stations comprising:

means for detecting the commencement of an entry of a new message relating to an existing conversation with a counterparty in the messaging system;

monitoring means for monitoring for an incoming message from the counter party while the new message is being entered; and

alerting means for alerting a user of the incoming message detected by the monitoring means;

a message server for receiving incoming messages sent by sender workstations and forwarding the incoming messages to intended destination workstations, the server comprising;

a message log for logging the incoming messages; and

means for assigning a respective reference to each incoming message;

wherein the message log logs the respective assigned reference with a respective message, and wherein each reference assigned by the message server is unique.

27. A duplex messaging system, comprising a plurality of messaging stations for exchanging conversational messages, a particular messaging station comprising:

a detector which detects the commencement of entry of a new message into the particular messaging station;

a monitor which monitors for an incoming message to the particular messaging station from others of said plurality of messaging stations while the new message is being entered; and

an alert generator which generates an alert to alert the user of the particular messaging station of the incoming message, the incoming message originating from another messaging station in a conversation with the particular messaging station, and received at the particular messaging station before an attempt to send the new message by the user,

wherein the system further comprises a message server disposed between the messaging stations which receives and forwards incoming messages to intended destinations, the message server comprising;

a reference generator which assigns a respective reference to an incoming message from a sender message station;

a message log which logs the incoming message with the respective assigned reference;

a message acknowledger which acknowledges the received incoming message and returns a respective assigned reference to the sender message station;

a message forwarder which forwards the received incoming message to an intended destination together with the respective assigned reference;

a comparator which compares a reference of the incoming message with the most recent reference logged at the server; and

a crossover notifier which notifies one or both of the sender and receiver of the incoming message of a crossover if the references compared by the comparator are not substantially the same.

28. A duplex messaging system comprising:

a plurality of messaging stations which exchange conversational messages; and

a message server arranged between the messaging stations which receives messages from sending stations and forwards the messages to intended stations, the message

 

server comprising;

a reference generator which assigns a respective reference to incoming message received from a sending message station;

a message log which logs the incoming message with the respective reference;

a message acknowledger which acknowledges the incoming message and returns the respective reference to the sending message station;

a message forwarder which forwards the incoming message to an intended destination station together with the respective assigned reference;

a comparator which compares the reference of the incoming message with the most recent reference logged at the server; and

a crossover notifier which notifies one or both of the sender message station and the intended destination station of the incoming received message of a crossover if the references compared by the comparator are not substantially the same.

29. A system according to claim 28, wherein each of the messaging stations comprises a display which displays a crossover notification from the message server.

30. A system according to claim 28, wherein each messaging station comprises an icon generator which generates a crossover icon for display in response to a crossover

 

notification from the server.

31. A system according to claim 30, wherein the icon indicates the context of the crossover.

32. A duplex messaging system comprising:

a plurality of messaging stations which exchange conversational messages; and

a messager server arranged between the messaging stations for receiving messages from sending stations and forwarding the messaged to intended destinations, the message

server comprising;

means for generating references and assigning a respective unique reference to each message received at the server;

means for logging received messages with respective references;

means for acknowledging a received message received from a sender message station and returning the respective assigned reference to the sender message station;

means for forwarding the received message and respective references to an intended destination;

means for comparing the reference of the received message, with the most recent reference logged at the server; and

means for notifying the sender message station and the intended destination of the received message of a crossover if the references compared by the comparing means are not substantially the same.

33. A conversational dealing system for negotiation of trades between traders by exchange of messages between trader workstations operating in a duplex messaging environment, wherein each trader workstation comprises:

means for detecting the commencement of an entry of a new message into the trader workstation;

monitoring means for monitoring for an incoming message to the trader workstation from another of said plurality of workstations while the new message is being entered; and

alerting means for alerting a trader working on the trader workstation to the incoming message detected by the monitoring means originating from the another of the plurality of workstations in a conversation with the trader workstation, wherein;

each workstation comprises a means for sending a completed message;

the alerting means includes means for inhibiting the means for sending if the incoming message has been detected; and

the sending means comprises means for confirming, amending or canceling the new message in response to an alert from the alerting means.

34. A system according to claim 33, wherein:

the monitoring means further monitors for a further incoming message received after generation of an alert by the alerting means and prior to an attempt to send an amended message by the sending means; and

the alerting means generates a further alert and inhibits the sending means from sending the amended message on detection of the further incoming message by the monitoring means.

35. A conversational dealing system for negotiation of trades between traders by exchange of messages between trader workstations operating in a duplex messaging environment, wherein each trader workstation comprises:

means for detecting the commencement of an entry of a new message into the trader workstation;

monitoring means for monitoring for an incoming message to the trader workstation from another of said plurality of workstations while the new message is being entered;

alerting means for alerting a trader working on the trader workstation to the incoming message detected by the monitoring means originating from the another of the plurality of workstations in a conversation with the trader workstation;

a message server for receiving incoming messages sent by sender workstations and forwarding the incoming messages to intended destination trader workstations, the server comprising;

a message log for logging the incoming messages; and

means for assigning a respective reference to each incoming message;

wherein the message log logs the respective assigned reference with a respective message, and wherein;

the server receives a reply to a select message with a respective reference to the select message;

the server comprises means for comparing the respective reference of the select message, with the reference of the most recently logged message; and

the server comprises means for notifying one or both of the sender of the select message and the intended receiver of the select message of a crossover if the respective reference of the select message and the reference of the most recently logged message are not substantially the same.

36. A system according to claim 35, wherein the server comprises means for notifying a sending party sending a particular message of the respective reference assigned to the particular message.

37. A system according to claim 35, wherein the server comprises means for notifying a party receiving a particular message of the respective assigned reference assigned to the particular message.

38. A system according to claim 35, wherein each of the message stations include means for displaying a crossover notified by the message server.

39. A system according to claim 38, wherein the display means comprises an icon.

40. A system according to claim 39, wherein the icon includes an indication of the context of the crossover.

41. A conversational dealing system for negotiation of trades between traders by exchange of messages between trader workstations operating in a duplex messaging environment, wherein each trader workstation comprises:

means for detecting the commencement of an entry of a new message into the trader workstation;

monitoring means for monitoring for an incoming message to the trader workstation from another of said plurality of workstations while the new message is being entered; and

alerting means for alerting a trader working on the trader workstation to the incoming message detected by the monitoring means originating from the another of the plurality of workstations in a conversation with the trader workstation;

a message server for receiving incoming messages sent by sender workstations and forwarding the incoming messages to intended destination trader workstations, the server comprising;

a message log for logging the incoming messages; and

means for assigning a respective reference to each incoming message;

wherein the message log logs the respective assigned reference with a respective message, wherein each reference assigned by the message server is unique.

42. A conversational dealing system for negotiated trading of instruments by traders, comprising:

a plurality of trader terminals which exchange conversational messages in a duplex messaging environment; and

a message server arranged between the trader terminals, the message server receives messages from the trader terminals and sends the messages to intended recipient trader terminals, the message server comprising;

a reference generator which assigns a respective reference to an incoming message received from a sender trader terminal;

a message log which logs the incoming message with a respective assigned reference;

a message acknowledger which acknowledges the incoming message and returns the respective reference to the sending trader terminal;

a message forwarder which forwards the incoming message to an intended recipient trader terminal together with the respective assigned reference;

a comparator which compares the reference of the incoming message with the most recent reference logged at the server; and

a crossover notifier which notifies one or both of the sender and receiver of the incoming message of a crossover if the references compared by the comparator are not substantially the same.

43. A system according to claim 42, wherein each of the trader terminals comprise a display which displays a crossover notification received from the message server.

44. A system according to claim 42, wherein the trader terminals comprise an icon generator which generates a crossover icon in response to a crossover notification from the server.

45. A system according to claim 44, wherein the icon indicates the context of the crossover.

46. A conversational dealing system for negotiated trading of instruments between traders, comprising:

a plurality of trader terminals for exchange of conversational messages between traders in a duplex messaging environment; and

a messager server arranged between the trader terminals for receiving messages from sending trader terminals and forwarding the messages to intended destinations, the message server comprising;

means for generating a reference and assigning a respective unique reference to an incoming message received at the server from a sender trader terminal;

means for logging the incoming message with the respective reference;

means for acknowledging the incoming message and returning the respective assigned reference to the sender trader terminal;

means for forwarding the incoming message and respective reference to an intended destination terminal;

means for comparing the reference of the incoming message with the most recent reference logged at the server; and

means for notifying at least one of the sender trader terminal and the intended destination terminal of a crossover if the references compared by the comparing means are not substantially the same.

47. A trader terminal for a conversational dealing system in which trades are negotiated by exchange of conversational messages between trader terminals in a duplex messaging environment, the trader terminal comprising:

means for detecting the commencement of an entry of a new message into the trader terminal;

monitoring means for monitoring for an incoming conversational message to the trader terminal received after detection of the commencement of entry of the new message;

alerting means for alerting a trader using the trader terminal to the incoming message detected by the monitoring means and originating from a party in conversation with the trader terminal; and

means for sending a completed message from the trader terminal;

wherein the alerting means comprises means for inhibiting the means for sending if the incoming message has been detected; and

wherein the means for sending comprises means for confirming, amending or canceling the new message in response to an alert from the alerting means.

48. A trader terminal according to claim 47, wherein the monitoring means further comprises means for monitoring for a further incoming message received after generation of an alert by the alerting means and prior to an attempt to resend the new message, and wherein the alerting means comprises means for generating a further alert upon detection of the further incoming message.