System and method for managing relationships between brokers and traders

• US 7,562,045 B2
• Filed: 11/18/2003
• Issued: 07/14/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 11/18/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: BGC Partners LP (BGC Group, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: BGC Partners Incorporated (BGC Group, Inc.)
• Inventors: Beadle, Alastair J. D., Sweeting, Michael
• Primary Examiner(s): Felten; Daniel S
• Application Number:
  US10/716,304
• Publication Number:
  US 20050108142A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,065 Days
• Field of Search: 705/26, 705/37
• US Class Current: 705/37
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/08 Auctions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/04 Trading; Exchange, e.g. stocks, commodities, derivatives or currency exchange
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/188 Electronic negotiation
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/08 for authentication of entities cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication H04L9/32
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/10 for controlling access to devices or network resources

Abstract

According to one embodiment, a method of managing access to a trading network is provided. A first network login request for a first user is received from a client application. The first network login request includes first authentication information. Based at least on the first authentication information, the first network login request is approved, which authorizes the first user to access the trading network. One or more associated users for which the first user is authorized to act as a proxy is identifying from a plurality of users. User profile information for one of the associated users is obtained and communicated to the client application. The user profile information includes information regarding the second user that can be used to allow the first user to engage in trading activity via the trading network on behalf of the second user.

Claims

1. A method of managing access to a trading network, comprising:

receiving at a computing device an attachment request, the attachment request including a request to attach a first user to a second user, the attachment request indicates whether the second user is a passive trader or an active trader;

establishing and storing a user relationship between the first user and the second user;

when the attachment request indicates that the second user is a passive trader, establishing a first association between the user relationship and a first connection between the computing device and a trading system;

wherein the established user relationship and the established first association allow the first user to engage in trading activity in the trading system on behalf of the second user via the first connection; and

when the attachment request indicates that the second user is an active trader;

(1) determining whether the second user is logged into the trading system; and

(2) when it is determined that the second user is logged into the trading system, establishing a second association between the user relationship and a second connection between the computing device and the trading system;

wherein the established user relationship and the established second association allow the first user to engage in trading activity in the trading system on behalf of the second user via the second connection.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the first connection and the second connection are the same connection such that an association is established between the user relationship and a particular connection between the computing device and the trading system regardless of whether the second user is a passive trader or an active trader.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising preventing the first user from engaging in trading activity in the trading system on behalf of the second user when it is determined that the second user is not logged into the trading system.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein when it is determined that the second user is not logged into the trading system, the method further comprises:

waiting to receive a trading system login request from the second user;

receiving the trading system login request from the second user; and

in response to receiving the trading system login request from the second user, establishing a third association between the user relationship and a third connection between the computing device and the trading system;

wherein the established user relationship and the established third association allow the first user to engage in trading activity in the trading system on behalf of the second user via the third connection.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the third connection and the second connection are the same connection such that an association is established between the user relationship and a particular connection between the computing device and the trading system regardless of whether the second user is logged in at the time the attachment request is received or logs in at a later time.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the first user is a broker that is prevented from engaging in trading activity via the trading network on behalf of itself.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising determining whether the second user is authorized to attach to the first user.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein determining whether the second user is authorized to attach to the first user comprises:

communicating an attachment authorization query to an authentication manager, the attachment authorization query identifying the second user and the first user; and

receiving from the authentication manager a determination of whether the second user is authorized to engage in trading activity on behalf of the first user.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving an additional attachment request, the additional attachment request including a request to attach a third user to a second user;

establishing and storing an additional user relationship between the third user and the second user;

when the first association is established, establishing an additional association between the additional user relationship and the first connection between the computing device and the trading system;

wherein the established additional user relationship and the established additional association allow the third user to engage in trading activity in the trading system on behalf of the second user via the first connection; and

when the second association is established, establishing an additional association between the additional user relationship and the second connection between the computing device and the trading system;

wherein the established additional user relationship and the established additional association allow the third user to engage in trading activity in the trading system on behalf of the second user via the second connection.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the third user is a broker that is prevented from engaging in trading activity via the trading network on behalf of itself.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a first network login request for a first user, the first network login request including first authentication information;

approving the first network login request based at least on the received first authentication information, wherein approving the first network login request authorizes the first user to access the trading network; and

identifying from a plurality of users one or more associated users, including the second user, for which the first user is authorized to act on behalf of.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

identifying, based at least on the received first authentication information, one or more trading systems to which the first user is authorized access, the one or more trading systems including the particular trading system; and

communicating a list of the identified trading systems.

13. The method of claim 11,

wherein the first user is a first broker;

wherein the method further comprises storing a set of broker-trader relationships, each broker-trader relationship defining a relationship between one of a plurality of brokers and one of a plurality of traders, the plurality of brokers including the first broker and the plurality of traders including the second user; and

wherein the one or more associated users for which the first user is authorized to act on behalf of are identified by identifying from the set of broker-trader relationships each broker-trader relationship between the first broker and any one of the plurality of traders.

14. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a logoff notification that the first user is logged off of the trading network;

in response to receiving the logoff notification, detaching the second user from the first user by removing from storage the user relationship between the first user and the second user.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

after removing the relationship from storage, receiving a logon notification that the first user is logged on to the trading network; and

in response to receiving the logon notification, automatically re-attaching the first user to the second user at least by re-establishing and re-storing the user relationship between the first user and the second user.

16. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a first network login request for a first user, the first network login request including first authentication information;

approving the first network login request based at least on the received first authentication information, wherein approving the first network login request authorizes the first user to access the trading network;

identifying from a plurality of users one or more associated users, including the second user, for which the first user is authorized to act as a proxy;

obtaining user profile information for the second user, the user profile information including information regarding the second user that can be used to allow the first user to engage in trading activity via the trading network on behalf of the second user; and

communicating the user profile information.

17. A system of managing access to a trading network, the system comprising a computing device operable to:

receive at the computing device an attachment request, the attachment request including a request to attach a first user to a second user, the attachment request indicating whether the second user is a passive trader or an active trader;

establish and storing a user relationship between the first user and the second user;

when the attachment request indicates that the second user is a passive trader, establish a first association between the user relationship and a first connection between the computing device and a trading system;

wherein the established user relationship and the established first association allow the first user to engage in trading activity in the trading system on behalf of the second user via the first connection; and

when the attachment request indicates that the second user is an active trader;

(1) determine whether the second user is logged into the trading system; and

(2) when it is determined that the second user is logged into the trading system, establish a second association between the user relationship and a second connection between the computing device and the trading system;

wherein the established user relationship and the established second association allow the first user to engage in trading activity in the trading system on behalf of the second user via the second connection.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the first connection and the second connection are the same connection such that an association is established between the user relationship and a particular connection between the computing device and the trading system regardless of whether the second user is a passive trader or an active trader.

19. The system of claim 17, wherein when it is determined that the second user is not logged into the trading system, the computing device is further operable to:

wait to receive a trading system login request from the second user;

receive the trading system login request from the second user; and

in response to receiving the trading system login request from the second user, establish a third association between the user relationship and a third connection between the computing device and the trading system;

wherein the established user relationship and the established third association allow the first user to engage in trading activity in the trading system on behalf of the second user via the third connection.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein the third connection and the second connection are the same connection such that an association is established between the user relationship and a particular connection between the computing device and the trading system regardless of whether the second user is logged in at the time the attachment request is received or logs in at a later time.

21. The system of claim 17, wherein the first user is a broker that is prevented from engaging in trading activity via the trading network on behalf of itself.

22. The system of claim 17, wherein the computing device is further operable to determine whether the second user is authorized to attach to the first user.

23. The system of claim 22, wherein determining whether the second user is authorized to attach to the first user comprises:

communicating an attachment authorization query to an authentication manager, the attachment authorization query identifying the second user and the first user; and

receiving from the authentication manager a determination of whether the second user is authorized to engage in trading activity on behalf of the first user.

24. The system of claim 17, wherein the computing device is further operable to:

receive an additional attachment request, the additional attachment request including a request to attach a third user to a second user;

establish and storing an additional user relationship between the third user and the second user;

when the first association is established, establish an additional association between the additional user relationship and the first connection between the computing device and the trading system;

wherein the established additional user relationship and the established additional association allow the third user to engage in trading activity in the trading system on behalf of the second user via the first connection; and

when the second association is established, establish an additional association between the additional user relationship and the second connection between the computing device and the trading system;

wherein the established additional user relationship and the established additional association allow the third user to engage in trading activity in the trading system on behalf of the second user via the second connection.

25. The system of claim 24, wherein the third user is a broker that is prevented from engaging in trading activity via the trading network on behalf of itself.

26. The system of claim 17, further comprising an authentication manager operable to:

receive a first network login request for a first user, the first network login request including first authentication information;

approve the first network login request based at least on the received first authentication information, wherein approving the first network login request authorizes the first user to access the trading network; and

identify from a plurality of users one or more associated users, including the second user, for which the first user is authorized to act on behalf of.

27. The system of claim 17, wherein the computing device is further operable to:

receive a logoff notification that the first user is logged off of the trading network;

in response to receiving the logoff notification, detach the second user from the first user by removing from storage the user relationship between the first user and the second user.

28. The system of claim 27, wherein the computing device is further operable to:

receive a logon notification that the first user is logged on to the trading network; and

in response to receiving the logon notification, automatically re-attach the first user to the second user at least by re-establishing and re-storing the user relationship between the first user and the second user.

29. The system of claim 17, further comprising an authentication manager operable to:

receive a first network login request for a first user, the first network login request including first authentication information;

approve the first network login request based at least on the received first authentication information, wherein approving the first network login request authorizes the first user to access the trading network;

identify from a plurality of users one or more associated users, including the second user, for which the first user is authorized to act as a proxy;

obtain user profile information for the second user, the user profile information including information regarding the second user that can be used to allow the first user to engage in trading activity via the trading network on behalf of the second user; and

communicate the user profile information.