Dynamic price axes in featured user interfaces

Abstract

A user interface for use with an electronic trading system includes a display that shows a bid price axis and an ask price axis, as well as corresponding sizes, and a visual indicator of the inside market. When the inside market changes in response to changing market conditions, the display of the inside market clearly shows a spatial movement of the inside market as well as the representative price(s) associated therewith, thereby rendering the two price axis dynamic axis. The user interface is easy to use, intuitive as well as customizable, and contains features that facilitate efficient electronic trading and shows trading activity pertaining to the user as well as the market in general.

The invention claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method for displaying market information for an item being traded in an electronic trading system, the method comprising:
 providing a user interface that is displayed on a workstation in the electronic trading system;   displaying a plurality of bid prices associated with the item in a first region within the user interface;   displaying a plurality of ask prices associated with the item in a second region within the user interface; and   displaying an indication of an inside market associated with the item such that, when the inside market changes, at least one of the plurality of prices displayed changes locations between the first and the second regions within the user interface.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1  further comprising displaying an indication of the change of locations of the at least one of the plurality of prices displayed. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1  further comprising:
 for at least one of the displayed prices, displaying only a portion of a price, and for other displayed prices, displaying the entire price. 
 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1  further comprising:
 displaying only prices at which a pending bid or ask order for the item exists, and omitting display of prices having no pending orders. 
 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1  further comprising displaying a particular price at which a pending order for the item exists in a way that differs from how prices at which no pending orders for the item exist are displayed. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 5  wherein displaying the particular price comprises using a method selected from the group consisting of displaying the particular price in a reduced-size fashion, collapsed fashion and cropped fashion. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1  further comprising calculating and displaying a volume-weighted average price for orders that are not displayed. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 displaying a user order entry region, adapted to allow the user to trade a size corresponding to a size needed to balance the user's net volume position with respect to the item.   
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the plurality of ask prices are displayed along an ask price and wherein the plurality of bid prices are displayed along a bid price axis. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 9  further comprising displaying a plurality of quantities along an ask quantity axis that is aligned with the ask price axis wherein at least one of the plurality of quantities displayed corresponds to at least one order for the item at a price displayed in a location along the ask price axis that is aligned with a location of the displayed size along the bid price axis. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 10  wherein at least one of the plurality of quantities corresponds to an in-transit order for the item. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 10  wherein at least one of the plurality of quantities corresponds to an in-transit order for the item. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 10  wherein at least one of the plurality of quantities corresponds to a total size of completed trades on the item. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 10  wherein at least one of the plurality of quantities corresponds to a user's share of the at least one order for the item. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 10  wherein the plurality of quantities comprise a first plurality of quantities, each one of which comprises at least one order to buy the item. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 15  wherein the ask quantity axis is further aligned with the bid price axis and wherein the plurality of quantities comprise a second plurality of quantities, each one of which comprises at least one order to sell the item. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 10  wherein the plurality of quantities comprise a first plurality of quantities, the method further comprising displaying a second plurality of quantities that are aligned with the first plurality of quantities. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 1  further comprising centering the displayed indication of the inside market within the user interface. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 18  wherein the centering the displayed indication of the inside market within the user interface is performed in response to a particular user input. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 18  wherein the centering the displayed indication of the inside market within the user interface is performed periodically. 
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 18  wherein the centering the displayed indication of the inside market within the user interface is performed in response to at least one change in the inside market. 
     
     
         22 . A method for displaying market information for an item being traded in an electronic trading system, the method comprising:
 providing a user interface that is displayed on a workstation in the electronic trading system;   displaying a plurality of bid prices associated with the item along a first axis within the user interface;   displaying a plurality of ask prices associated with the item along a second axis within the user interface; and   displaying a change of location between the first and the second axes in one of the plurality of prices displayed in response to a change in an inside market associated with the item.   
     
     
         23 . An electronic trading system for displaying market information for an item, the system comprising a server adapted to distribute a plurality of bid and ask prices associated with the item to a plurality of workstations that are coupled to the server, the plurality of workstations being adapted to:
 display a user interface;   display the plurality of bid prices associated with the item in a first region within the user interface;   display the plurality of ask prices associated with the item in a second region within the user interface; and   display an indication of an inside market associated with the item such that, when the inside market changes, at least one of the plurality of prices displayed changes locations between the first and the second regions within the user interface.