Method and apparatus for on-line trading display
The present method and software provides a display for a trader in tradable instruments that shows the market price and market depth. The display dynamically updates with data received from an electronic exchange and centers on the market price. Upon the trader moving a cursor over a trade entering portion of the screen to make a trade, the price is held stationary and no longer centers on the market price so as to permit the trader to select a price and quantity for trading. The displayed data is still being updated in the stationary screen, however. The trade is made by the trader selecting a price and quantity on the display. Movement of the cursor away from the trade selecting area results in the display again automatically centering on the market price in the dynamic display mode.
1. A system for monitoring market price of a market for a tradable interest and for submitting offers for the tradable interest to the market, comprising:
a computer connected to receive data from a market for the tradable interest, the data including price data for offers to buy and offers to sell the tradable interest submitted to the market; and
software operable on said computer to display the price data in an ordered display, said ordered display indicating offers to buy in a first display area and indicating offers to sell in a second display area and displaying market price in a market price area intermediate said first and second display areas, said ordered display having two display modes,
a first display mode of said ordered display maintaining the market price area at a predetermined fixed location on the display and changing price data in said first and second display areas and said market price area as market data is updated from the market,
a second display mode of said ordered display maintaining the price data in stationary locations on the display and changing locations on the display of said market price area as market data is updated from the market,
said display switching between said first mode and said second mode as a cursor is positioned over predetermined locations on the display by a user, said display being maintained in said first display mode so long as the cursor is positioned over a first of said predetermined locations and said display being maintained in said second display mode so long as the cursor is positioned over a second of said predetermined locations.
2. A system as claimed in claim 1 , further comprising:
accepting an offer to trade while in said second mode of the display and forwarding the offer to trade to the market, said offer to trade being at least one of an offer to buy and an offer to sell.
3. A system as claimed in claim 2 , wherein said offer to trade is accepted by receiving a user selection of a price or quantity while the cursor is over a corresponding display of price or quantity of the tradable interest.
4. A system as claimed in claim 1 , wherein said predetermined fixed location of the market price is substantially in a center of said ordered display of price data.
5. A system as claimed in claim 1 , wherein when said display is switched from said second display mode to said first display mode, then the market price area is returned to said predetermined fixed location.
6. A system for monitoring market price of a market for a tradable interest and for submitting offers for the tradable interest to the market, comprising:
a computer connected to receive data from a market for the tradable interest, the data including price data for offers to buy and offers to sell the tradable interest submitted to the market; and
software operable on said computer to display the price data in an ordered display, said ordered display indicating offers to buy in a first display area and indicating offers to sell in a second display area and displaying market price in a market price area, said ordered display having two display modes,
a first display mode of said ordered display maintaining the market price area at a predetermined fixed location on the display and changing price data in said first and second display areas and said market price area as market data is updated from the market,
a second display mode of said ordered display maintaining the price data in stationary locations on the display and changing locations on the display of said market price area as market data is updated from the market,
said display automatically switching between said first mode and said second mode as a cursor is positioned over predetermined locations on the display by a user, said display being maintained in said first display mode while the cursor is positioned over a first predetermined location of the display.