Dynamic price axes

A method for displaying market information for an item, the method comprising:

• displaying on a display of a computer a plurality of bid prices along a first axis and a plurality of ask prices along a second axis;
• displaying on the display an indication of an inside market in a first location along the first and second axes;
• when the inside market changes from a first of the plurality of bid prices and a first of the plurality of ask prices to at least one of a second of the plurality of bid prices and a second of the plurality of ask prices, by computer on the computer display, displaying the indication of the inside market in a second location along the first and second axes corresponding to a display location of the at least one of the second of the plurality of bid prices and the second of the plurality of ask prices, the second location being different than the first location;
• following the displaying of the indication of the inside market in the second location, automatically by computer shifting the plurality of bid prices along the first axis and the plurality of ask prices along the second axis of the display, the shifting being substantially continuous to appear visually smooth, the shifting comprising:
• displaying on the display (1) the at least one of the second of the plurality of bid prices and the second of the plurality of ask prices, and (2) the indication of the inside market, at a third location at least part of the way between the second location and the first location, the third location being different than the second and first locations;
• and
• displaying on the display (1) the at least one of the second of the plurality of bid prices and the second of the plurality of ask prices, and (2) the indication of the inside market, at the first location;
• and
• substantially at the same time as shifting the plurality of bid and ask prices, repositioning a pointer associated with an input device on the display such that the pointer is pointing to a price previously pointed to prior to the change in the inside market.

A system for displaying market information for an item, the system comprising:

• a server computer 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, each of the plurality of workstations displaying a user interface, the server and workstations in combination being adapted to:
• display on a computer display of at least one of the workstations a plurality of bid prices along a first axis and a plurality of ask prices along a second axis, including an indication of the inside market among the bid and ask prices in a central display location along the first and second axes, the central display location being within the central approximate one-third of the display range for display of price;
• when the inside market changes from a first of the plurality of bid prices and a first of the plurality of ask prices to at least one of a second of the plurality of bid prices and a second of the plurality of ask prices, display the indication of the inside market in a second location along the first and second axes corresponding to a display location of the at least one of the second of the plurality of bid prices and the second of the plurality of ask prices, the second location being different than the central display location;
• and
• automatically by computer, in response to the change to the inside market, 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 comprising:
• displaying (1) the at least one of the second of the plurality of bid prices and the second of the plurality of ask prices, and (2) the indication of the inside market, at a third location at least part of the way between the second location and the central display location, the third location being different than the second and central display locations;
• and
• displaying (1) the at least one of the second of the plurality of bid prices and the second of the plurality of ask prices, and (2) the indication of the inside market, at the central display location,
• wherein the shifting of the plurality of bid prices and the plurality of ask prices occurs at a time, at an amount, and in a direction to substantially continuously maintain the display location of the indication of the inside market at or near the central display location, the shifting being substantially continuous to appear visually smooth;
• and
• substantially at the same time as shifting the plurality of bid and ask prices, maintain a display pointer associated with an input device to point at the same price on one of the axes as the pointer pointed to before the change in the inside market, by repositioning the input device pointer on the computer display.

A workstation of a computer trading system having an input device and being designed to display a user interface for display a plurality of bid and ask prices associated with an item traded on the trading system, the user interface adapted to:

• display on a display of the workstation the user interface a plurality of bid prices along a first axis and a plurality of ask prices along a second axis;
• display on the display an indication of the inside market in a first location along the first and second axes;
• when the inside market changes from a first of the plurality of bid prices and a first of the plurality of ask prices to at least one of a second of the plurality of bid prices and a second of the plurality of ask prices, display the indication of the inside market in a second location along the first and second axes corresponding to a display location of the at least one of the second of the plurality of bid prices and the second of the plurality of ask prices, the second location being different than the first location;
• following the displaying of the indication of the inside market in the second location, automatically by computer shift the plurality of bid prices along the first axis and the plurality of ask prices along the second axis, the shifting being substantially continuous to appear visually smooth, the shifting comprising:
• displaying (1) the at least one of the second of the plurality of bid prices and the second of the plurality of ask prices, and (2) the indication of the inside market, at a third location at least part of the way between the second location and the first location, the third location being different than the second and first locations;
• and
• displaying (1) the at least one of the second of the plurality of bid prices and the second of the plurality of ask prices, and (2) the indication of the inside market, at the first location;
• and
• substantially at the same time as shifting the plurality of bid and ask prices, reposition a pointer associated with the input device on the display such that the pointer is pointing to a price previously pointed to prior to the change in the inside market.

A method comprising the steps of:

• displaying on a computer display a plurality of bid prices along a first axis and a plurality of ask prices along a second axis, including an indication of an inside market in a first location along the first and second axes;
• when the inside market changes from a first of the plurality of bid prices and a first of the plurality of ask prices to at least one of a second of the plurality of bid prices and a second of the plurality of ask prices, displaying the indication of the inside market in a second location along the first and second axes corresponding to a display location of the at least one of the second of the plurality of bid prices and the second of the plurality of ask prices, the second location being different than the first location;
• following the displaying of the indication of the inside market in the second location, automatically by computer and as a result of recognizing the change in the inside market, shifting the plurality of bid prices along the first axis and the plurality of ask prices along the second axis, the shifting being substantially continuous to appear visually smooth, the shifting comprising:
• displaying (1) the at least one of the second of the plurality of bid prices and the second of the plurality of ask prices, and (2) the indication of the inside market, at a third location at least part of the way between the second location and the first location, the third location being different than the second and first locations;
• and
• displaying (1) the at least one of the second of the plurality of bid prices and the second of the plurality of ask prices, and (2) the indication of the inside market, at the first location;
• and
• substantially at the same time as shifting the plurality of bid and ask prices, automatically by computer repositioning a pointer associated with an input device associated with the computer display such that the pointer is pointing to a price previously pointed to prior to the change in the inside market.

One or more non-transitory computer memory devices, having stored therein instructions to cause one or more computers to:

• display, on a user interface of a computer trading system for trading of an item, a plurality of bid prices along a first axis and a plurality of ask prices along a second axis, with an inside market for the item displayed at a central display location along the first and second axes, the central display location being within the central approximate one-third of the display range for display of price;
• display, on the user interface a pointer associated with an input device;
• when the inside market changes from a first of the plurality of bid prices and a first of the plurality of ask prices to at least one of a second of the plurality of bid prices and a second of the plurality of ask prices, display the indication of the changed inside market at a second location on the axes, changed relative to the first location, the second location on the axes corresponding to a display location of the at least one of the second of the plurality of bid prices and the second of the plurality of ask prices, the second location being different than the central display location, with the prices of the axes remaining at substantially the same display locations before the change in inside market, with a pointer associated with an input device at a display location corresponding to a pointed-to price;
• following the displaying of the indication of the inside market in the second location, and in response to the change in location of the inside market, automatically by computer shift at a particular speed the plurality of bid prices along the first axis and the plurality of ask prices along the second axis to reposition the indication of the inside market, the shifting comprising:
• displaying (1) the at least one of the second of the plurality of bid prices and the second of the plurality of ask prices, and (2) the indication of the inside market, at a third location at least part of the way between the second location and the central display location, the third location being different than the second and central display locations;
• and
• displaying (1) the at least one of the second of the plurality of bid prices and the second of the plurality of ask prices, and (2) the indication of the inside market, at the central display location,
• wherein the shifting of the plurality of bid prices and the plurality of ask prices occurs at a time, at an amount, and in a direction to substantially continuously maintain the display location of the indication of the inside market at or near the central display location, wherein the particular speed at which the shifting occurs is based at least in part on a determination of at least one of (1) a location of the pointer on the user interface and (2) movement of the pointer on the user interface.

An apparatus comprising:

• at least one processor;
• and
• memory storing instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, configure the apparatus to:
• receive information related to bids and asks for an item;
• based on the received information, display on a computer display a plurality of bid prices and a plurality of ask prices along at least one axis, wherein a best bid price and a best ask price are displayed at a central display location along the at least one axis;
• display on the computer display a pointer associated with an input device;
• receive updated information related to at least one of bids and asks for the item;
• based at least in part on the received updated information, determine at least one of a new best bid price and a new best ask price, wherein the at least one of the new best bid price and new best ask price is displayed at a second display location along the at least one axis that is different from the central display location;
• and
• automatically by computer, in response to determining the at least one of the new best bid price and new best ask price, shift at a particular speed at least one of (1) the plurality of bid prices and (2) the plurality of ask prices along the at least one axis of the computer display to transition the second display location of the at least one of the new best bid price and the new best ask price toward the central display location, wherein the particular speed at which the shifting occurs is based at least in part on a determination of at least one of (1) a location of the pointer on the display and (2) movement of the pointer on the display.

A non-transitory computer readable medium storing instructions that, when executed by at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to:

• receive information related to bids and asks for an item;
• based on the received information, display on a computer display a plurality of bid prices and a plurality of ask prices along at least one axis, wherein a best bid price and a best ask price are displayed at a central display location along the at least one axis;
• display on the computer display a pointer associated with an input device;
• receive updated information related to at least one of bids and asks for the item;
• based at least in part on the received updated information, determine at least one of a new best bid price and a new best ask price, wherein the at least one of the new best bid price and new best ask price is displayed at a second display location along the at least one axis that is different from the central display location;
• and
• automatically by computer, in response to determining the at least one of the new best bid price and new best ask price, shift at a particular speed at least one of (1) the plurality of bid prices and (2) the plurality of ask prices along the at least one axis of the computer display to transition the second display location of the at least one of the new best bid price and the new best ask price toward the central display location, wherein the particular speed at which the shifting occurs is based at least in part on a determination of at least one of (1) a location of the pointer on the display and (2) movement of the pointer on the display.

A method comprising the steps of:

• receiving information related to bids and asks for an item;
• based on the received information, displaying on a computer display a plurality of bid prices and a plurality of ask prices along at least one axis, wherein a best bid price and a best ask price are displayed at a central display location along the at least one axis;
• displaying on the computer display a pointer associated with an input device;
• receiving updated information related to at least one of bids and asks for the item;
• based at last in part on the received updated information, determining at least one of a new best bid price and a new best ask price, wherein the at least one of the new best bid price and new best ask price is displayed at a second display location along the at least one axis that is different from the central display location;
• and
• automatically by computer, in response to determining the at least one of the new best bid price and new best ask price, shifting at a particular speed at least one of (1) the plurality of bid prices and (2) the plurality of ask prices along the at least one axis of the computer display to transition the second display location of at least one of the new best bid price and the new best ask price toward the central display location, wherein the particular speed at which the shifting occurs is based at least in part on a determination of at least one of (1) a location of the pointer on the display and (2) movement of the pointer on the display.