Server computer providing data for dynamic price axes
The invention relates to systems and methods that provide a user interface for use with an electronic trading system. The interface displays a bid price axis and an ask price axis, as well as corresponding sizes, and an indication of the inside market. When the inside market changes in response to changing market conditions, the indication of the inside market changes locations before being restored to its original location by shifting the bid and ask prices in a direction parallel to the bid or ask price axis. The user may enter trade commands at different price levels using an input device. In order to help prevent such trade commands from being entered at erroneous price levels, the system locks a pointer associated with the input device to a price the user points to during the shifting process, unless the pointer is moved away from that price.
1. A method comprising the steps of:
at a server computer system that distributes market information to user computers of a trading system, transmitting bid and ask price information for an item for display on a computer display, for the computer display:
to display the plurality of bid prices along a first axis and a plurality of ask prices along a second axis parallel to but not collinear with the first axis, the best bid and best offer being aligned with each other along a dimension perpendicular to the first and second axes at a first location in a portion of the a computer display in which bids and offers are displayed, including an indication of an inside market, being the best bid and best offer, among the bid and ask prices at the first aligned location;
when the inside market changes from a first bid price and a first ask price to at least one of a second bid price and a second ask price, to display the indication of the inside market with best bid and best offer aligned with other in a second location also perpendicular to the first and second axes; and
automatically by computer, in response to the change to the inside market, to shift the plurality of bid prices along the first axis of the computer display and the plurality of ask prices along the second axis of the computer display, the shifting being at a time and amount and in a direction to substantially continuously maintain the display location of the inside market at or near the first aligned location as the unexceptional state during a trading session, the first aligned location being within the central approximate one-third of the computer display's range for display of prices, the shifting being substantially continuous to appear visually smooth, and at substantially the same time as shifting the plurality of bid and ask prices, repositioning a pointer associated with an input device associated with the computer display such that the pointer remains pointing to a price previously pointed to prior to the change in the inside market.
2. The method of claim 1 further comprising:
when the inside market changes from a first bid price and a first ask price to at least one of a second bid price and a second ask price, displaying at least one additional price along the first or second axis, the at least one additional price comprising the second bid or ask price.
3. The method of claim 1 further comprising:
when shifting the plurality of bid and ask prices, displaying along the first and second axes one or more bid and ask prices that were not displayed on the computer display immediately before the shifting.
4. The method of claim 1 wherein shifting the plurality of bid and ask prices comprises shifting the plurality of bid and ask prices on a pixel by pixel basis on the computer display.
5. The method of claim 1 wherein:
shifting the plurality of bid and ask prices occurs at a speed set by a user of the computer display.
6. The method of claim 1 wherein:
shifting the plurality of bid and ask prices occurs at a speed based on market activity.
7. The method of claim 1 wherein:
shifting the plurality of bid and ask prices occurs at a speed that decreases when a user of the computer display enters a command to trade the item.
8. The method of claim 1 wherein:
shifting the plurality of bid and ask prices occurs at a slower speed when a pointer associated with an input device is pointing to one of the plurality of bid and ask prices than when the pointer is not pointing to any of the plurality of bid and ask prices.
9. The method of claim 1 wherein, when the inside market changes, at least one of the plurality of prices displayed changes locations between the first and the second axes on the computer display.
10. The method of claim 1 further comprising receiving a command to trade the item from a user.
11. The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of:
displaying on the computer display a plurality of sizes along a third axis that is parallel to the first axis, wherein at least one of the plurality of sizes corresponds to at least one order on the item for a price displayed in a location along the first axis that is aligned with a location of the at least one of the plurality of sizes.
12. The method of claim 11 further comprising the step of:
displaying on the computer display a second plurality of sizes along a fourth axis that is parallel to the second axis, wherein at least one of the second plurality of sizes corresponds to at least one order on the item for a price displayed in a location along the second axis that is aligned with a location of the at least one of the second plurality of sizes.