System and method for annotating and capturing chart data

1. A method of generating a Java-based chart comprising the steps of:

retrieving chart data using a hypertext transfer protocol from a remote world-wide web accessible server system using a Java-based applet program executing within a window of a browser program on a client computing system;

wherein said chart data relates to a price history for a company stock;

presenting said chart data in graphical form in said window for viewing by a user as a visual historical price chart for said company stock;

wherein said visual historical price chart is generated using display data from a window data buffer used by said Java-based applet program;

providing a set of user selectable commands within said window for permitting said user to annotate said visual historical price chart directly at said client computing system, including with one or more annotation items;

wherein said annotation items include at least one of the following for said visual historical price chart: trend lines and/or descriptive text labels provided by said user;

modifying said display data directly at said client computing system in said window data buffer based on said user annotating said historical chart with one or more of said annotation data items to generate modified display data;

wherein said user can see both said visual historical price chart as well as such user-supplied annotation items in said window of said browser program using said modified display data.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein said user can also alter an appearance of said window by removing data from said window.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein said user can present chart data for more than one company stock within said window, and such that different colors are used for displaying visual historical price charts for different company stocks.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein said modified display data can be captured in permanent form by transmitting the same to the remote server.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein said user can provide said annotation items using a computer mouse or a keyboard coupled to said client computing system.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein said Java-based applet program executing within a window of a browser program on the client computing system has access to I/O and/or storage resources of said remote world-wide web accessible server system, but is restricted from accessing a local file system on the client computing system.

7. The method of claim 1 and further comprising:

transmitting said modified display data to the remote world-wide web accessible server system; and

using the Java-based applet program executing within a window of the browser program on the client computing system to obtain the modified display data.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein said using comprises using the Java-based applet program executing within a window of the browser program on the client computing system to obtain the modified display data for storage in a location on the client computing system that is accessible by the Java-based applet program for printing and storage.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein the Java-based Applet program is executing within a browser program on a local file system of the client computing system, said Java-based applet program having access to I/O and/or storage resources of said remote world-wide web accessible server system and restricted access to said local file system of the client computing system, the method further comprising:

transmitting said modified display data to the remote world-wide web accessible server system; and

obtaining the modified display data from the remote world-wide web accessible server system to allow the Java-based applet program on the browser program of the client computing system to print and locally store the modified display data including the user-supplied annotation items.

10. An apparatus to generate a Java-based chart comprising: a client computing system, the client computing system including a browser program; the client computing system adapted to:

retrieve chart data using a hypertext transfer protocol from a remote world-wide web accessible server system using a Java-based applet program executing within a window of the browser program, said chart data relating to a price history for a company stock;

present said chart data in graphical form in said window for viewing by a user as a visual historical price chart for said company stock, said visual historical price chart to be generated using display data from a window data buffer used by said Java-based applet program;

provide a set of user selectable commands within said window for permitting said user to annotate said visual historical price chart directly at said client computing system, including with one or more annotation items, said annotation items include at least one of the following for said visual historical price chart: trend lines and/or descriptive text labels provided by said user; and

modify said display data directly at said client computing system in said window data buffer based on said user annotating said historical chart with one or more of said annotation data items to generate modified display data, wherein said user can see both said visual historical price chart as well as such user-supplied annotation items in said window of said browser program using said modified display data.