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.

1 . (canceled) 
     
     
         2 . An apparatus comprising:
 a network interface;   a display device;   an input device;   at least one processor to:
 render, on the display device, a graphical user interface comprising a matrix, each row of the matrix having a plurality of bid fields and a plurality of ask fields associated with a financial instrument; 
 move a row containing a highest bid price or lowest ask price for the financial instrument to a particular area of the graphical user interface; 
 render a highlighted box around the particular area; 
 detect, via the input device, a selection of an unpopulated bid field or ask field in a given row within the highlighted box around the particular area; and 
 in response to the selection, transmit, via the network interface, an order for a respective financial instrument with data from a populated bid field or ask field such that the transmitted order is on an opposite side of a trade associated with the selected, unpopulated bid field or ask field. 
   
     
     
         3 . The apparatus of  claim 2 , wherein the at least one processor is further configured to render visual indicators on the display device to highlight differences between the plurality of bid fields and the plurality of ask fields. 
     
     
         4 . The apparatus of  claim 2 , wherein the plurality of bid fields include a bid price field and a bid size field. 
     
     
         5 . The apparatus of  claim 2 , wherein the plurality of ask fields include an ask price field and an ask size field. 
     
     
         6 . The apparatus of  claim 2 , wherein the at least one processor is configured to transmit, via the network interface, the order for the respective financial instrument with a default size. 
     
     
         7 . The apparatus of  claim 2 , wherein the at least one processor is further configured to transmit, via the network interface, the order for the respective financial instrument with a size different than a default size. 
     
     
         8 . The apparatus of  claim 2 , wherein the at least one processor is further configured to highlight the given row to indicate that the given row is associated with an inside market. 
     
     
         9 . The apparatus of  claim 2 , wherein the at least one processor is further configured to receive, via the network interface, updated data and to update the plurality of bid fields and the plurality of ask fields with the updated data. 
     
     
         10 . A method comprising:
 rendering, by at least one processor, a graphical user interface comprising a matrix on a display device, each row of the matrix having a plurality of bid fields and a plurality of ask fields associated with a financial instrument;   moving, by the at least one processor, a row containing a highest bid price or lowest ask price for the financial instrument to a particular area of the graphical user interface;   rendering, by the at least one processor, a highlighted box around the particular area;   detecting, by the at least one processor, a selection via an input device of an unpopulated bid field or ask field in a given row within the highlighted box around the particular area; and   in response to the selection, transmitting, by the at least one processor, an order via a network interface for a respective financial instrument, the order comprising data from a populated bid field or ask field such that the transmitted order is on an opposite side of a trade associated with the selected, unpopulated bid field or ask field.   
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 10 , further comprising rendering, by the at least one processor, visual indicators on the display device to highlight differences between the plurality of bid fields and the plurality of ask fields. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein the plurality of bid fields include a bid price field and a bid size field. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein the plurality of ask fields include an ask price field and an ask size field. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein transmitting the order further comprises transmitting, by the at least one processor, the order for the respective financial instrument with a default size. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein transmitting the order further comprises transmitting, by the at least one processor, the order for the respective financial instrument with a size different than a default size. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 10 , further comprising highlighting, by the at least one processor, the given row to indicate that the given row is associated with an inside market. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 10 , further comprising receiving, by the at least one processor, updated data via the network interface; and updating, by the at least one processor, the plurality of bid fields and the plurality of ask fields with the updated data.