Abstract:
The present invention provides an apparatus and method of determining and displaying trading trends for one or more currency pairs wherein an opening value and a closing value for the one or more currency pairs for two or more time intervals is obtained. An opening value trend using a market trend indicator and the opening values for the investment is calculated, and a closing value trend using the market trend indicator and the closing values for the one or more currency pairs is calculated. A visual indicator comparing the opening value trend to the closing value trend for the one or more currency pairs is then displayed. This method may be incorporated into a computer program embodied in a computer readable medium using code segments to accomplish the method described above.

Description:
PRIORITY CLAIM 
     This patent application is a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/888,040 filed on Jun. 22, 2001, which is a U.S. non-provisional patent application of U.S. provisional patent application serial No. 60/213,576 filed on Jun. 22, 2000. 
    
    
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates in general to the field of investment software and more particularly to an apparatus and method for providing a visual display of a two-line cross-over method signaling buying and selling opportunities of foreign currency pairs in the foreign exchange—called FOREX for short. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Our world consists of several national currencies and as individuals or companies from one country trade across borders, the need for foreign currency arises. The foreign exchange market plays a key role in transferring financial payments across borders and moving funds and purchasing power from one currency to another. The movement of different currencies between countries determines a very important price: the exchange rate. It is the exchange rate that allows the currencies to be traded for profit. The foreign exchange is not a physical exchange, but an electronic structure. The (spot) FOREX market is open 24 hours a day, from Sunday evening through Friday afternoon (North American time). 
     Virtually all large institutions and professional traders conduct most of their foreign exchange dealing in the (spot) FOREX market. The (spot) FOREX market pairs together currencies from different countries and quotes them according to the values of the respective currency. In the example of one common current pair, EUR/USD, the First Currency (EUR-Euro) is known as the Base Currency. It shows how much the Base Currency is worth as measured against the Second Currency (USD—US Dollar). For example, if the EUR/USD rate equals 0.9762, then one Euro is worth 0.9762 US Dollar. If a trader believes that the US Dollar will rise in relation to the Euro, the trader would sell EUR/USD. That is, sell the Euro and buy the US Dollar. 
     With the advent of electronic trading, it is more critical than ever to make appropriate entry and exit decisions quickly to maximize profits while minimizing losses. This is especially true with day trading. The investor can also be easily overwhelmed by the vast amount of information available about a specific market, industry sector or investment. In addition, when investors trade the live market without any trend indication relative to the foreign currency pair being traded, they are not trading with the trend. The foreign currency pair price, therefore, will move further against the investor&#39;s entry point and thousands of dollars can be lost while the investor waits for the movement to come back their way. If the investor is long in the exchange pair, but the trend is short, the foreign currency pair movement may never return the investor&#39;s way. 
     There is, therefore, a need for an apparatus and method to analyze market data (e.g., (spot) FOREX data) and develop trade information, which reduces the risk and loss for the investor. There is also a need for an apparatus and method to provide the investor with greater order entry/exit guidance than might be received through a broker or through monitoring the raw market data. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates to investment software and provides an apparatus and method for displaying trading trends for investments, such as foreign currency pairs. Such an apparatus and method can be used, for example, to display signals for buying and selling opportunities of stocks, bonds and commodities (e.g., foreign currency pairs). The present invention can be used by anyone interested in investments, such as individual investors or investment brokers. As a result, the present invention provides an apparatus and method for minimizing risk when trading in a market, such as the (spot) FOREX market, displaying movements and trends of investment, such as foreign currency pairs, and identifying investment, such as currency pairs, that have a specific trend. 
     The present invention can be used to analyze market data, such as (spot) FOREX market data, and develop trade information, which reduces the risk and loss for the investor. Thus, traders of stocks, bonds and commodities (e.g., foreign currency pairs) can manage their investment portfolios from their home, office or location of their choice. By providing them with greater order entry/exit guidance than might be received through a broker or through calculating or monitoring their own raw data, the present invention enables the trader to make better trade decisions because it is easier to track the performance of investments, such as foreign currency pairs. 
     With respect to the FOREX market for example, the present invention allows the investor to customize buttons for certain time-related queries that will output trade date which may be more in line with the investor&#39;s style of trading. There are, however, predefined settings that may not be adjusted by the user. The user may also customize which pairs of foreign currencies appear foremost on the present invention, although the set of available foreign currency pairs from which to chose is predetermined. 
     In addition, the present invention extrapolates trade trends in a selected foreign currency pair and provides the investor with current exchange rate information, up-to-the-second currency valuations, trade trends, trade indicators, fundamental information relative to the foreign currency pairs and active trade information. The investor can watch for an intersection cross of the trade trends and, guided by colors, take the appropriate action. For example, the color green may indicate that the value of the base currency is going up and signal the investor that it is time to enter into a long trade of that currency pair. Conversely, the color red may indicate that the value of the base currency is going down and signal the investor that it is time to enter into a short trade or exit a current trade for that currency pair. Other colors can be used. The present invention also shows the high value and low value of the base currency for during the past 48 hours, current bid and current ask. Trade indicators with customizable time intervals are also color coded. These time intervals allow the investor to monitor the time to best apply the trade. 
     The present invention allows the investor to access market information or trade data via Internet web sites, dial-up and other network connections and enter the symbol for a security to view a two-line crossover chart indicating the trend of the currency pair. Based upon the chart, the investor selects various strategies which display data indicating desirable trade opportunities. Locating and identifying these trend friendly trades reduces risk. The present invention will also alert the investor when an exit of an investment should occur. 
     The present invention allows the investor to save the information on completed trades, whether real or practice, in order for the investor to become more proficient in trading with this apparatus and method. The present invention can be used by the investor to calculate leverage, risk/reward ratio and placement of stops for protection of the investor&#39;s profits and limitation of loss. 
     The present invention also allows the investor to practice trades in a live market environment without risking capital. The present invention obtains trade data form the selected market(s) and continuously updates the information provided to the investor each time an investment purchase or sell transaction occurs. Using this information, the present invention provides the entry, exit and trend data to the investor. 
     The present invention provides an apparatus for determining and displaying trading trends for one or more currency pairs having a computer and a display. The computer is communicably connected to a market information source, and the display is communicably connected to the computer. The computer receives an opening value and a closing value for the one or more currency pairs for two or more time intervals from the market information source, calculates an opening value trend using a market trend indicator and the opening values for the one or more currency pairs, calculates a closing value trend using the market trend indicator and the closing values for the one or more currency pairs, and displays a visual indicator comparing the opening value trend to the closing value trend for the one or more currency pairs on the display. 
     In addition, the present invention provides a method of determining and displaying trading trends for one or more currency pairs. Market information is obtained for one or more currency pairs for two or more time intervals. An opening value trend is calculated using a market trend indicator and the opening values for the one or more currency pairs. A closing value trend is also calculated using the market trend indicator and the closing values for the one or more currency pairs. Thereafter, a visual indicator is displayed comparing the opening value trend to the closing value trend for the one or more currency pairs. This method may be incorporated into a computer program embodied in a computer readable medium using code segments to accomplish the method described above. 
     Other features and advantages of the present invention will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art upon reference to the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       For a more complete understanding of the features and advantages of the present invention, reference is now made to the detailed description of the invention along with the accompanying figures in which corresponding numerals in the different figures refer to corresponding parts in which: 
         FIG. 1  is a block diagram illustrating the possible interaction between data systems in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 2  is a flowchart illustrating the data update process in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 3  is the Overview Screen in Overview Mode in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 4  is the Overview Screen in Trading Mode in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 5  is the Chart Screen in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 6  is the Search Screen in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 7  is the Gainers/Losers Screen in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 8A  is a flowchart illustrating the application start-up and processing flow for the Overview Screen in Overview Mode in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 8B  is a flowchart illustrating the processing flow for the Overview Screen in Trading Mode in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 8C  is a flowchart illustrating the processing flow for the Chart Screen in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 8D  is a flowchart illustrating the processing flow for the Search Screen in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 8E  is a flowchart illustrating the processing flow for the Gainers/Losers Screen in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 9  is the Trading Screen in accordance with another embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 10  is the Trade Vault Screen in accordance with another embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 11  is the Overview Screen in accordance with another embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 12  is the Parameters Screen in accordance with another embodiment of the present invention; and 
         FIG. 13  is the Gainers/Losers Screen in accordance with another embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 14  is a Tutorial Screen in accordance with a FOREX embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 15  is the Quick Quote Screen in accordance with a FOREX embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 16  is a Parameters Screen in accordance with a FOREX embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 17  is a Trading Screen in accordance with a FOREX embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 18  is an Exchange Pairs List Screen in accordance with a FOREX embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIGS. 19 ,  20  and  21  are various Chart Screens in accordance with a FOREX embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 22  is a Trade Vault Screen in accordance with a FOREX embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 23  is a Money Management Screen in accordance with a FOREX embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 24A  is a flowchart illustrating the application start-up and processing flow in accordance with a FOREX embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 24B  is a flowchart illustrating the processing flow for the Trading Screen in accordance with a FOREX embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 24C  is a flowchart illustrating the processing flow for the Charts Screen in accordance with a FOREX embodiment of the present invention; and 
         FIGS. 25A ,  25 B,  25 C and  25 D are charts describing a blueprint for a successful trade using the present invention. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     It should be understood that the principles and applications disclosed herein can be applied to a wide range of trading scenarios, such as stocks, bonds and commodities. For purposes of explanation and illustration, the present invention is hereafter described in reference to the management of investment portfolios. The present invention relates to investment software and provides an apparatus and method for displaying trading trends for investments, such as foreign currency pairs. Such an apparatus and method can be used, for example, to display signals for buying and selling opportunities of stocks, bonds and commodities (e.g., foreign currency pairs). The present invention can be used by anyone interested in investments, such as individual investors or investment brokers. As a result, the present invention provides an apparatus and method for minimizing risk when trading in a market, such as the (spot) FOREX market, displaying movements and trends of investment, such as foreign currency pairs, and identifying investment, such as currency pairs, that have a specific trend. 
     The present invention can be used to analyze market data, such as (spot) FOREX market data, and develop trade information, which reduces the risk and loss for the investor. Thus, traders of stocks, bonds and commodities (e.g., foreign currency pairs) can manage their investment portfolios from their home, office or location of their choice. By providing them with greater order entry/exit guidance than might be received through a broker or through calculating or monitoring their own raw data, the present invention enables the trader to make better trade decisions because it is easier to track the performance of investments, such as foreign currency pairs. 
     With respect to the FOREX market for example, the present invention allows the investor to customize buttons for certain time-related queries that will output trade date which may be more in line with the investor&#39;s style of trading. There are, however, predefined settings that may not be adjusted by the user. The user may also customize which pairs of foreign currencies appear foremost on the present invention, although the set of available foreign currency pairs from which to chose is predetermined. 
     In addition, the present invention extrapolates trade trends in a selected foreign currency pair and provides the investor with current exchange rate information, up-to-the-second currency valuations, trade trends, trade indicators, fundamental information relative to the foreign currency pairs and active trade information. The investor can watch for an intersection cross of the trade trends and, guided by colors, take the appropriate action. For example, the color green may indicate that the value of the base currency is going up and signal the investor that it is time to enter into a long trade of that currency pair. Conversely, the color red may indicate that the value of the base currency is going down and signal the investor that it is time to enter into a short trade or exit a current trade for that currency pair. Other colors can be used. The present invention also shows the high value and low value of the base currency for during the past 48 hours, current bid and current ask. Trade indicators with customizable time intervals are also color coded. These time intervals allow the investor to monitor the time to best apply the trade. 
     The present invention allows the investor to access market information or trade data via Internet web sites, dial-up and other network connections and enter the symbol for a security to view a two-line crossover chart indicating the trend of the currency pair. Based upon the chart, the investor selects various strategies which display data indicating desirable trade opportunities. Locating and identifying these trend friendly trades reduces risk. The present invention will also alert the investor when an exit of an investment should occur. 
     The present invention allows the investor to save the information on completed trades, whether real or practice, in order for the investor to become more proficient in trading with this apparatus and method. The present invention can be used by the investor to calculate leverage, risk/reward ratio and placement of stops for protection of the investor&#39;s profits and limitation of loss. 
     The present invention also allows the investor to practice trades in a live market environment without risking capital. The present invention obtains trade data form the selected market(s) and continuously updates the information provided to the investor each time an investment purchase or sell transaction occurs. Using this information, the present invention provides the entry, exit and trend data to the investor. 
     Now referring to  FIG. 1 , a block diagram illustrating the possible interaction between data systems in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention is shown. Investors  150 ,  152 ,  154 ,  156 ,  158  and  160  interact with the various investment markets (Stocks)  120 , (Bonds)  125  and (Commodities (e.g., foreign exchange))  130  via network  110 , which may comprise any typical communications network such as telephone, Internet, satellite or any combination thereof. Access to the market information sources or markets  120 ,  125  and  130  can be achieved through a service specific to each market, or through a third-party server that will allow access to one or more of the markets  120 ,  125  or  130 . Investors  150 ,  152 ,  154 ,  156 ,  158  and  160  can access the network  110  using a personal computer, workstation or laptop computer. The present invention can be implemented as an application on each investor&#39;s computer  150 - 160 , or as a server-based application accessible by investors  150 - 160  via a network or other communications link. The number of investors  150 ,  152 ,  154 ,  156 ,  158  and  160  shown in  FIG. 1  is simply representative and does not indicate a limitation on the number of investors that may use the present invention at a given time. Nor is the number of investment types or markets  120 ,  125  and  130  intended to limit the number or types of investments that may analyzed with the present invention. 
     In one method of accessing the present invention, a personal computer  150 - 160  equipped with a modem can be used to obtain this data from the market information source or market  120 ,  125  and  130  via the network  110  at a fee for the exchange in a manner well known in the art. A subscription to a real-time or near-real-time investment reporting system is needed. An example of such a system is PCQuote, which interfaces with the Taltrade ActiveX components. The Taltrade components execute Taltrade Query Language (TQL) commands. These commands retrieve investment information from the markets in real-time. The present invention can use data from multiple sources. The minimum system requirements for a personal computer would be Windows 98/ME/2000/XP/NT 4.0 (Service Pack 3), 64 MB RAM, CD-ROM, 25 MB available hard drive space, an Internet connection and Level I or Level II data feed. The recommended system requirements for a personal computer would be Windows XP, 128 MB RAM, CD-ROM, 25 MB available hard drive space and a high speed Internet connection such as: ISDN, DSL, T1, T3 or cable; or better. 
     Referring now to  FIG. 2 , a flowchart illustrating the data update process in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention is shown. The present invention starts in block  202  where the investor  150 - 160  ( FIG. 1 ) selects one or more markets  120 ,  125  or  130  ( FIG. 1 ) to connect to. The specific servers that may be connected to and the details regarding the connection to be established are typically setup during the installation process of the software. The investor  150 - 160  ( FIG. 1 ) can change, add or delete available connections and/or markets. Next, the present invention prompts the investor to log-on to a server, which preferably supplies investment information updates in real-time or near-real-time  204 . At this point, the present invention downloads investment information in block  206 . The download can be performed in a variety of ways. For example, the data may be requested on a regularly scheduled basis, such as every 10 seconds, or in response to the occurrence of some selected event, such as a mouse click. Alternatively, the data may be sent from the market  120 ,  125 ,  130  ( FIG. 1 ) or other data source to the investor  150 - 160  ( FIG. 1 ) on a regularly scheduled basis or in response to the occurrence of some selected event, such as a change in the data. The data request commands are executed on a regular basis by two application timer controls  210  and  220 , which send requests to the server at regular intervals via controls  212  and  222 . Controls  214  and  224  receive the results from the queries. The results are preferably returned from servers in an asynchronous manner. That is, the requests do not have to wait on the returned data. Windows events are fired when the results are returned. The present invention then processes the received data  250 , which is used to update the stored pricing and volume data  260 . Historical data that is retrieved from the server is also used to update the stored data  260 . 
     It is beneficial for the investor to be aware of the time at the market location because trading cannot occur prior to the opening of a given market nor after its close. Therefore, a way to notify the investor of the given market&#39;s opening and to warn the investor of the given market&#39;s impending close also improves the investor&#39;s ability to make trade decision. In a preferred embodiment shown in  FIG. 2 , application timer  230  monitors the time at the market location  232  in order to notify the investor of the opening of the market Setpoint  234  and at several intervals approaching the close of the market Setpoints  236 ,  238 ,  240  and  242 . If the time at the market location  232  equals the time in any of Setpoints  234 ,  236 ,  238 ,  240  and  242 , the investor is notified  244 . For example, the opening of the market Setpoint  234  could be 10 a.m., while the intervals approaching the close of the market Setpoints  236 ,  238 ,  240  and  242  could be 3:30 p.m., 3:45 p.m., 3:55 p.m. and close at 4 p.m., respectively. 
       FIG. 3  is the Overview Screen  300  in Overview Mode in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention. The Overview Screen  300  enables the investor to recognize trends and directional movements. This screen is visible most of the time. Overview Screen  300  contains information about several selected investments  310 ,  320 ,  330 ,  340  and  350 . In this example, investment  310  is Cisco,  320  is I 2 ,  330  is Intel,  340  is Ebay and  350  is Microsoft. Color coded indicators  310   a - 310   h ,  320   a - 320   h ,  330   a - 330   h ,  340   a - 340   h  and  350   a - 350   h  are displayed for each of the selected investments  310 ,  320 ,  330 ,  340  and  350 . These indicators are preferably laid out in a grid fashion, but can be otherwise configured. Each indicator  310   a - 310   h ,  320   a - 320   h ,  330   a - 330   h ,  340   a - 340   h  and  350   a - 350   h  represents information for an associated single investment. Each indicator  310   a - 310   h ,  320   a - 320   h ,  330   a - 330   h ,  340   a - 340   h  and  350   a - 350   h  displays the chosen time interval for that indicator. Time intervals may be in minutes, hours, days, weeks or months. In the example shown, the time interval for indicators  310   a ,  320   a ,  330   a ,  340   a  and  350   a  is one minute; the time interval for indicators  310   b ,  320   b ,  330   b ,  340   b  and  350   b  is five minutes; the time interval for indicators  310   c ,  320   c ,  330   c ,  340   c  and  350   c  is fifteen minutes; the time interval for indicators  310   d ,  320   d ,  330   d ,  340   d  and  350   d  is thirty minutes; the time interval for indicators  310   e ,  320   e ,  330   e ,  340   e  and  350   e  is sixty minutes; the time interval for indicators  310   f ,  320   f ,  330   f ,  340   f  and  350   f  is one day; the time interval for indicators  310   g ,  320   g ,  330   g ,  340   g  and  350   g  is one week; and the time interval for indicators  310   h ,  320   h ,  330   h ,  340   h  and  350   h  is one month. 
     As will be described below in reference to  FIG. 5 , the present invention uses a regression analysis to calculate an opening value trend and a closing value trend for each of the time intervals for each of the investments  310 ,  320 ,  330 ,  340  and  350 . The color of the indicators  310   a - h ,  320   a - h ,  330   a - h ,  340   a - h  and  350   a - h  is based on a comparison of the opening value trend to the closing value trend for each time interval for each investment  310 ,  320 ,  330 ,  340  and  350 , and whether a long trade  314   a ,  324   a ,  334   a ,  344   a  and  354   a  or short trade  314   b ,  324   b ,  334   b ,  344   b  and  354   b  has been selected. If a long trade  314   a ,  324   a ,  334   a ,  344   a  and  354   a  is selected, the indicators  310   a - h ,  320   a - h ,  330   a - h ,  340   a - h  and  350   a - h  will be first color when the closing value trend is greater than the opening value trend for each time interval for each investment  310 ,  320 ,  330 ,  340  and  350 , and a second color when the closing value trend is less than the opening value trend for each time interval for each investment  310 ,  320 ,  330 ,  340  and  350 . For example, indicators  310   a ,  310   b ,  310   c ,  310   e ,  310   f ,  310   g ,  310   h ,  320   a ,  320   b ,  320   c ,  320   d ,  320   f ,  320   g ,  320   h ,  330   a ,  330   f ,  330   g ,  330   h ,  340   a ,  340   d ,  340   h ,  350   a ,  350   b  and  350   g  are green in  FIG. 3  indicating favorable trading conditions for investments  310 ,  320 ,  330 ,  340  and  350  within the specified time intervals. Indicators  310   d ,  320   e ,  330   b ,  330   c ,  330   d ,  330   e ,  340   b ,  340   c ,  340   e ,  340   f ,  340   g ,  350   c ,  350   d ,  350   e ,  350   f  and  350   h  are red in  FIG. 3  indicating unfavorable trading conditions for investments  310 ,  320 ,  330 ,  340  and  350  within the specified time intervals. If, however, a short trade  314   b ,  324   b ,  334   b ,  344   b  and  354   b  is selected, the indicators  310   a - h ,  320   a - h ,  330   a - h ,  340   a - h  and  350   a - h  will be the first color when the closing value trend is less than the opening value trend for each time interval for each investment  310 ,  320 ,  330 ,  340  and  350 , and the second color when the closing value trend is greater than the opening value trend for each time interval for each investment  310 ,  320 ,  330 ,  340  and  350 . Other colors may be used as the first color or the second color. 
     DOW current totals  360  and  365  and NASDAQ current totals  370  and  375  are also displayed. Chart buttons  312   a ,  322   a ,  332   a ,  342   a  and  352   a  display charts for an associated single investment. For example, chart button  312   a  displays charts for investment  310 . Change buttons  312   b ,  322   b ,  332   b ,  342   b  and  352   b  enable the investor to change the associated investment. For example, change button  312   b  changes investment  310 . Buttons  380 ,  385 ,  390  and  395  enable the investor to navigate through the application screens. This strip of buttons is repeated on each screen and has identical functionality on each screen. For example, selecting button  385  from any screen will take the investor to Search Screen  600  ( FIG. 6 ). 
     The investor is able to “paper trade” (simulate trading) through Overview Screen  300  by changing to Trading Mode by selecting button  390 .  FIG. 4 , Overview Screen  400  in Trading mode, activates in response to the investor&#39;s selection of button  390  ( FIG. 3 ). The elements of Overview Screen  300  ( FIG. 3 ) are decreased in size and pricing and volume information  415   a - i ,  425   a - i ,  435   a - i ,  445   a - i  and  455   a - i  for each associated investment  410 ,  420 ,  430 ,  440  and  450  is added. For example, pricing and volume information  415   a - i  associated with investment  310  is added. Overview Screen  400  in Trading mode displays data such as the last price  415   a ,  425   a ,  435   a ,  445   a  and  455   a , the dollar amount up or down per investment  415   b ,  425   b ,  435   b ,  445   b  and  455   b , the bid price  415   c ,  425   c ,  435   c ,  445   c  and  455   c , the ask price  415   d ,  425   d ,  435   d ,  445   d  and  455   d , the volume  415   e ,  425   e ,  435   e ,  445   e  and  455   e  and the closing price  415   f ,  425   f ,  435   f ,  445   f  and  455   f  for each investment  410 ,  420 ,  430 ,  440  and  450 . The dollar amount up or down per investment  415   b ,  425   b ,  435   b ,  445   b  and  455   b  is displayed with color-coding: green may represent a gain, red may represent a loss, while white may represent either no change or no data. Other color combinations can be used. 
     To simulate trading, the investor enters execute price (Exe)  415   g ,  425   g ,  435   g ,  445   g  and  455   g  and the amount of an investment bought or shorted (Shr)  415   h ,  425   h ,  435   h ,  445   h  and  455   h  for an associated investment  410 ,  420 ,  430 ,  440  and  450 . For example, Exe  415   g  and Shr  315   h  are associated with investment  410 . The investor chooses from Long or Short on the paper trades for an associated investment  410 ,  420 ,  430 ,  440  and  450  by selecting a Long button  412   a ,  422   a ,  432   a ,  442   a  and  452   a  or a Short button  412   b ,  422   b ,  432   b ,  442   b  and  452   b  for that investment. For example, Long button  412   a  and Short button  412   b  are associated with investment  410 . The results of the simulation are shown in P/L  415   i ,  425   i ,  435   i ,  445   i  and  455   i  for an associated investment  410 ,  420 ,  430 ,  440  and  450 . For example, the results of a trading simulation for investment  410  are displayed in P/L  415   i . The results are displayed with color-coding: green may represent a gain, red may represent a loss, while white may represent either no change or no data. Other color combinations can be used. “Paper Trading” information is not carried over from session to session and is lost when the investor terminates the program. By allowing the investor to practice trading in a live market environment without risking capital, the present invention enables equity tracking for year to date, month to date and specified periods of time. 
       FIG. 5 , Chart Screen  500 , activates in response to the investor&#39;s selection of chart buttons  312   a ,  322   a ,  332   a ,  342   a  and  352   a  ( FIG. 3 ). The selection of a specific chart button determines for which investment  310 ,  320 ,  330 ,  340  and  350  ( FIG. 3 ) charts will be displayed. For example, selecting chart button  312   a  ( FIG. 3 ) results in the display of charted data for investment  310  ( FIG. 3 ). The selected investment appears on Chart Screen  500  as  510 . A preferred embodiment of the present invention includes the display of updated pricing and volume information  515  and two charts  520  and  530  for investment  510 . DOW current totals  560  and  565  and NASDAQ current totals  570  and  575  are also displayed. Chart  520  is the multiple linear regression chart (MLR). Chart  530  is the Volume chart. MLR Chart  520  displays two regression lines  540  and  550 , one color coded to indicate opening prices and the other color coded to indicate closing prices. The present invention preferably uses red to indicate opening prices and green to indicate closing prices. Other colors can be used. For purposes of simplification, the following discussion assumes that regression line  540  is red and regression line  550  is green. 
     Chart interval  580  represents a period of time, which is established by selecting a time interval button  582 ,  584 ,  586 ,  588 ,  590 ,  592 ,  594  and  596 . Any position on the green regression line  550  represents a regression of a prior number of period&#39;s closing prices. This regression analysis builds and displays a trend of the closing prices of the investment  510  over a period of time. Any position on the red regression line  540  represents a regression of a prior number of period&#39;s opening prices. This regression analysis builds and displays a trend of the opening prices of the investment over a period of time. When the green regression line  550  is above the red regression line  540  on the chart, favorable conditions for a long trade occur. When the red regression line  540  is above the green regression line  550  on the chart, favorable conditions for a short trade occur. A critical point occurs where the red regression line  540  and the green regression line  550  cross. When the red regression line  540  crosses the green regression line  550  and ascends above the green regression line  550 , the associated time interval indicator  581 - 588  will become red. When the green regression line  550  crosses the red regression line  540  and ascends above the red regression line  540 , the associated time interval indicator  581 - 588  will become green. These color changes will also occur on indicators  310   a - 310   h ,  320   a - 320   h ,  330   a - 330   h ,  340   a - 340   h  and  350   a - 350   h  ( FIG. 3 ) for the associated investment. There is a separate chart associated with each time interval indicator  582 ,  584 ,  586 ,  588 ,  590 ,  592 ,  594  and  596 . As the present invention updates the calculations and the indicators change, the investor can be notified via audible or visual alerts. The present invention can also sent electronic notifications to the investor. 
     Regression algorithms are well known to those of ordinary skill in the art. The MLR algorithms calculate the red regression line  540  and the green regression line  550  on MLR regression Chart  520 . There is a separate regression routine for each time interval indicator  582 ,  584 ,  586 ,  588 ,  590 ,  592 ,  594  and  596 . Each routine performs regression analysis on the pricing history for all selected investments  310 ,  320 ,  330 ,  340  and  350  ( FIG. 3 ). There are two regression calculations performed. One is performed on a number of prior consecutive interval closing prices, such as four (4) prior 5-minute interval closing prices. The other regression is performed on a number of prior interval opening prices, such as three (3) prior 5-minute interval opening prices. The current interval&#39;s opening price is not included in this calculation. The regression performed on the closing prices is displayed on MLR Chart  520  as the green regression line  550 . The regression performed on the opening prices is displayed on MLR Chart  520  as the red regression line  540 . The present invention indicates an entry point in the market by the intersection of the green regression line  550  and the red regression line  540 . 
     The investor may obtain more detailed information concerning a specific point along either the green regression line  550  or the red regression line  540  by clicking on the line at the desired point. The present invention will display Infolist  555  containing information about the selected point. 
     MLR Chart  520  and Volume Chart  530  are only representative of the market trend indicators and analyses available. The selection of multiple linear regression and volume analyses for a preferred embodiment of the present invention does not indicate that the present invention is limited to only those market trend indicators. There are many market trend indicators that the investor can consult to make better trade decisions, such as the following: stochastics, relative strength, directional movement, commodity channel, simple average, exponential average weighted average, MACD (simple), MACD (exponential), momentum/ROC, midrange, William&#39;s %R, parabolic stop, volatility stop, trailing stop, high low stop, Bollinger Bands, Keltner Channel, uniform channel, regression channel, swing lines, cycle forecast, on balance volume, overlay chart, point &amp; figure, moving average, moving linear regression, upper envelope, lower envelope, %K, %D, %D slow, %D averaged, %R, RSI, momentum, acceleration, moving average oscillator, moving average momentum, moving average convergence-divergence oscillator, moving average convergence-divergence, MACD signal line, commodity channel index, rate of change in prices, on balance volume variance, standard deviation, volatility ratio, volatility, skew, kurtosis, Williams Accumulated Distribution, Arm&#39;s Ease of Movement, plus directional indicator, minus directional indicator, directional movement and average directional movement. 
       FIG. 6 , Search Screen  600 , activates in response to the investor&#39;s selection of button  385  ( FIG. 3 ). It displays the search parameters of Price Min  642 , Price Max  644 , Volume  646  and Spread  648 . These parameters are important to prevent the system from identifying unqualified trade opportunities. The investor can create a custom list  650  of investments, which is kept from session to session. This is done by adding an investment to custom list  650  via Add  654 , deleting an investment from custom list  650  via Delete  652  or deleting all the investments on custom list  650  via Delete All  656 . The present invention enables the investor to identify and restrict investment price ranges above Price Min  642  and below Price Max  644  and indicate the Volume  646  minimum within the search engine parameters. The investor can input a maximum Spread  648  and the system will not identify any trade opportunity that exceeds maximum Spread  648 . The search is activated by selecting Apply  658 . The investor may also set units  626 ,  628 ,  630 ,  632 ,  634 ,  636 ,  638  and  640  and time  610 ,  612 ,  614 ,  616 ,  618 ,  620 ,  622  and  624  interval settings for the button indicators illustrated on the preceding figures. These changes are completed by selecting Apply  658 . DOW current totals  660  and  665  and NASDAQ current totals  670  and  675  are also displayed. 
       FIG. 7 , Gainers/Losers Screen  700 , activates in response to the investor&#39;s selection of button  380  ( FIG. 3 ). The Gainers/Losers Screen  700  displays the investor&#39;s most active trading investments  710 , the investor&#39;s highest gaining investments  720  and the investor&#39;s highest losing investments  730 . The investor can sort investments by point  740  and  745  or percentage  750  and  755 . DOW current totals  760  and  765  and NASDAQ current totals  770  and  775  are also displayed. 
       FIGS. 8A-8E  display the processing flows for the options of screens  FIGS. 3-7 . Application Navigation  900  is the same in each of the system screens. Selecting View Gainers/Losers Screen  910  results in the display of  FIG. 7 , enabling its associated processing of  FIG. 8E . Selecting View Search Screen  920  results in the display of  FIG. 6 , enabling its associated processing of  FIG. 8D . Selecting View Overview Screen in Trading Mode  930  results in the display of  FIG. 4 , enabling its associated processing of  FIG. 8B . Selecting View Overview Screen in Overview Mode  940  results in the display of  FIG. 3 , enabling its associated processing of  FIG. 8A . 
       FIG. 8A  focuses on the application start-up and processing flow for  FIG. 3 . The present invention starts in block  802  where the investor  150 - 160  ( FIG. 1 ) selects one or more markets  120 ,  125  or  130  ( FIG. 1 ) to connect to. The specific servers that may be connected to and the details regarding the connection to be established are typically setup during the installation process of the software. The investor  150 - 160  ( FIG. 1 ) can change, add or delete available connections and/or markets. Next, the present invention prompts the investor to log-on to a server which preferably supplies investment information updates in real-time or near-real-time  804 . At this point, the application updates investment information in block  806 . After updating, the system displays the Overview Screen in Overview Mode  808 . 
     A preferred embodiment of the present invention enables the investor to perform three main investment operations  810 : view charts  812 , change investments  813  and paper trade  814 . Chart viewing will be more fully explained in  FIG. 8C . When the investor selects change investment  813 , the system displays a list of currently stored investments  816 . The creation of this list will be more fully explained in  FIG. 8D . After viewing the possible investment choices  816 , the investor then selects an investment  818 . The system updates the screen data  820  and then redisplays the Overview Screen in Overview Mode  808  with the newly selected investment and its associated timer interval statuses. 
     When the investor decides to engage in “paper trading”  814 , there are two possible options: Long  822  and Short  823 . The process flow for each is identical, except for the data used and the calculations performed. These calculations were previously described in reference to  FIG. 5 . In order to perform the calculations, the system must have trade information with which to operate. Therefore, the investor has to supply trade information  825 . The system then checks for the necessary input  827 . If the investor has not input trade information  825  and  827 , then all that happens is the system continues to display the current Overview Screen in Overview Mode  808 . If the investor has entered trade information  825  and  827 , the system calculates the paper trade results  829 , update the screen data  831  and then displays the Overview Screen in Trading Mode  833 . 
     The processing of the Overview Screen in Trading Mode  834  shown in  FIG. 8B  is very similar to that shown in  FIG. 8A . The difference is that regardless of whether the investor selects change investment  813  or paper trade  814 , the present invention displays the results on the Overview Screen in Trading Mode  834 . If changes have been made in the investment selection  813  or if trade information has been entered  825  and  829 , the underlying data will be updated  820  and then displayed  834 . If data changes have not been made, the system continues to display the Overview Screen in Trading Mode  834 . 
     The processing which occurs when  FIG. 5  is displayed is shown in  FIG. 8C . When a chart is displayed  836 , there are three possible chart data operations  838  that may occur: automatic data updating, changing chart intervals or viewing specific data for a selected data point. The chart is automatically updated from the investment data system  840 . Stored data is updated  844  for all the time intervals set in the system for each of the investments selected by the investor in either  FIG. 3  or  FIG. 4 . After the stored data is updated, the system re-accesses the data  846 , updates the screen  848  and displays the charts  836 . The displayed chart may be for any one of the time intervals set in the system and the investor may navigate between each of the time intervals for the chart by selecting a new chart interval  841 . After a new interval has been selected  841 , the system accesses the data for the selected interval  846 , updates the screen  848  and displays the charts  836 . The investor can view more detailed data for a specific chart point by selecting the point  842 . The system then gets the stored data for the selected point  850  and displays it on the screen  852 . The stored data for the selected point is displayed in the Infolist  555  ( FIG. 5 ). 
     Not only can the investor search through the available investments to select those that meet a certain criteria, but the investor can also make changes to some of the system parameters through the Search Screen  854  processing of  FIG. 8D . There are two main types of changes that result through the use of the Search Screen  600  ( FIG. 6 ). The application operations  856  that can be performed are investment changes  858  and appearance changes  859 . The investment symbols appear in the custom list  650  ( FIG. 6 ) can be changed by making investment changes  858 . The investor can add  861  new investments, delete  862  an existing investment or delete all  863  of the investments displayed in the custom list  650  ( FIG. 6 ). When the investor adds  861  new investments, the system will prompt the investor to input the new investment symbol  865 , then the system will update the data  884  and display the Search Screen  854 . If the investor chooses to delete  862  a symbol, the system will prompt the investor to select an investment symbol  867  from custom list  650  ( FIG. 6 ) for deletion. Then, the system will update the data  884  and display the Search Screen  854 . Alternatively, if the investor chooses to delete all  863  the investments in custom list  650  ( FIG. 6 ), the system will ask for confirmation  869  that the investor wants to delete the entire list. If the investor affirms the requested deletion of the entire list, then the system updates the data  884  to reflect no entries and displays the Search Screen  854 . 
     The other changes are made to the appearance  859  of the data relative to which investments are displayed for the screens of  FIGS. 3-7  and which time intervals the system uses for calculations. When the investor conducts a search  874 , the system prompts the investor for the search parameters  880 . Once those parameters have been entered, the investor selects Apply  882 . The screen data is updated  884  to reflect only those investments that met the search parameters. The Search Screen is displayed  854 , showing the matching investments in custom list  650  ( FIG. 6 ). The investor can also change the units  872  for the time intervals used throughout the system. The investor may input the desired units  876  in whole numbers and then select Apply  882 . The data will be updated  884  to display the Search Screen  854  with the newly entered units. Measurement  873  changes are similarly made. However, instead of inputting a new unit of measurement, the investor selects a unit of measurement  878  from a list. Then, the investor selects Apply  882 , the system updates the data  884  and displays the Search Screen  854  with the newly entered units of measurement. 
       FIG. 8E  displays the processing flow for  FIG. 7 . When the Gainers/Losers Screen is displayed  886 , the investor has the ability to sort  888  the data displayed on that screen. The investor may sort the Gainers  890  by point  893  or percent  894 . A point  895  and percent  896  sort is also available for Losers  898 . 
     Now referring to  FIG. 9 , the Trading Screen  1000  in accordance with another embodiment of the present invention is shown. Pricing and volume information  1015   a - i ,  1025   a - i ,  1035   a - i ,  1045   a - i  and  1055   a - i  for each associated investment  1010 ,  1020 ,  1030 ,  1040  and  1050  is shown. The pricing and volume information includes data such as the last price  1015   a ,  1025   a ,  1035   a ,  1045   a  and  1055   a , the dollar amount up or down per investment  1015   b ,  1025   b ,  1035   b ,  1045   b  and  1055   b , the bid price  1015   c ,  1025   c ,  1035   c ,  1045   c  and  1055   c , the ask price  1015   d ,  1025   d ,  1035   d ,  1045   d  and  1055   d , the volume  1015   e ,  1025   e ,  1035   e ,  1045   e  and  1055   e , the closing price  1015   f ,  1025   f ,  1035   f ,  1045   f  and  1055   f , a trade button  1015   g ,  1025   g ,  1035   g ,  1045   g  and  1055   g , the number of shares  1015   h ,  1025   h ,  1035   h ,  1045   h  and  1055   h , the profit/loss  1015   i ,  1025   i ,  1035   i ,  1045   i  and  1055   i , the execute price  1015   j ,  1025   j ,  1035   j ,  1045   j  and  1055   j , a long/short trade button  1015   k ,  1025   k ,  1035   k ,  1045   k  and  1055   k , and a save button  1015   l ,  1025   l ,  1035   l ,  1045   l  and  1055   l  for each investment  1010 ,  1020 ,  1030 ,  1040  and  1050 . The dollar amount up or down per investment  1015   b ,  1025   b ,  1035   b ,  1045   b  and  1055   b  is displayed with color-coding: green may represent a gain, red may represent a loss, while white may represent either no change or no data. Other color combinations can be used. 
     To execute a trade, the investor enters the execute price (Price)  1015   j ,  1025   j ,  1035   j ,  1045   j  and  1055   j  and the amount of an investment bought or shorted (Share)  1015   h ,  1025   h ,  1035   h ,  1045   h  and  1055   h  for an associated investment  1010 ,  1020 ,  1030 ,  1040  and  1050 . The investor chooses from Long or Short for an associated investment  1010 ,  1020 ,  1030 ,  1040  and  1050  by clicking on the long/short button  1015   k ,  1025   k ,  1035   k ,  1045   k  and  1055   k  for that investment. The results of the trade are shown in P/L  1015   i ,  1025   i ,  1035   i ,  1045   i  and  1055   i  for an associated investment  1010 ,  1020 ,  1030 ,  1040  and  1050 . The results are displayed with color-coding: green may represent a gain, red may represent a loss, while white may represent either no change or no data. Other color combinations can be used. The trade button  1015   g ,  1025   g ,  1035   g ,  1045   g  and  1055   g  either execute the trade (real or simulated) or connects the investor to the electronic or online brokerage service. The save button  1015   l ,  1025   l ,  1035   l ,  1045   l  and  1055   l  saves the transaction so that the investor can keep track of his or her historical trading activity. 
     Buttons  1070 ,  1075 ,  1080 ,  1085  and  1090  enable the investor to navigate through the application screens. This strip of buttons is repeated on each screen and has identical functionality on each screen. Button  1070  corresponds to the Gainer/Losers Screen  1350  ( FIG. 13 ). Button  1075  corresponds to the Parameters Screen  1300  ( FIG. 12 ). Button  1080  corresponds to the Traders Screen  1000  ( FIG. 9 ). Button  1085  corresponds to the Overview Screen  1200  ( FIG. 11 ). Button  1090  corresponds to the Trade Vault Screen  1100  ( FIG. 10 ). 
       FIG. 10  is the Trade Vault Screen  1100  in accordance with another embodiment of the present invention. The Trade Vault shows the paper and real trades that were saved by the investor by using the save button  1015   l ,  1025   l ,  1035   l ,  1045   l  and  1055   l  in  FIG. 9 . The Trade Vault Screen shows whether the trade was simulated (paper) or real  1102 , the user  1104 , the purchase date  1106 , the trading symbol  1108 , the investment name  1110 , the purchase price  1112 , the number of shares  1114 , the selling price  1116 , the profit  1118 , whether the trade was long or short  1120 , the fee in  1122 , the fee out  1124 , the tax rate  1126  and the tax liability  1128 . Data can be changed or added using the input section  1130 . The changes can be applied using the apply changes button  1132 . Trades can be deleted using the delete trade button  1134 . 
       FIG. 11  is the Overview Screen  1200  in accordance with another embodiment of the present invention. The Overview Screen  1200  enables the investor to recognize trends and directional movements. Overview Screen  1200  contains information about several selected investments  1210 ,  1220 ,  1230 ,  1240  and  1250 . Color coded indicators  1210   a - 2110   h ,  1220   a - 1220   h ,  1230   a - 1230   h ,  1240   a - 1240   h  and  1250   a - 1250   h  are displayed for each of the selected investments  1210 ,  1220 ,  1230 ,  1240  and  1250 . These indicators are preferably laid out in a grid fashion, but can be otherwise configured. Each indicator  1210   a - 1210   h ,  1220   a - 1220   h ,  1230   a - 1230   h ,  1240   a - 1240   h  and  1250   a - 1250   h  represents information for an associated single investment. Each indicator  1210   a - 1210   h ,  1220   a - 1220   h ,  1230   a - 1230   h ,  1240   a - 1240   h  and  1250   a - 1250   h  displays the chosen time interval for that indicator. Time intervals may be in minutes, hours, days, weeks or months. In the example shown, the time interval for indicators  1210   a ,  1220   a ,  1230   a ,  1240   a  and  1250   a  is fifteen minutes; the time interval for indicators  1210   b ,  1220   b ,  1230   b ,  1240   b  and  1250   b  is thirty minutes; the time interval for indicators  1210   c ,  1220   c ,  1230   c ,  1240   c  and  1250   c  is sixty minutes; the time interval for indicators  1210   d ,  1220   d ,  1230   d ,  1240   d  and  1250   d  is ninety minutes; the time interval for indicators  1210   e ,  1220   e ,  1230   e ,  1240   e  and  1250   e  is one hundred and twenty minutes; the time interval for indicators  1210   f ,  1220   f ,  1230   f ,  1240   f  and  1250   f  is short term (days; the time interval for indicators  1210   g ,  1220   g ,  1230   g ,  1240   g  and  1250   g  is mid-term (weeks); and the time interval for indicators  1210   h ,  1220   h ,  1230   h ,  1240   h  and  1250   h  is long term (months). The investor can use the page down button  1260  and page up button  1265  to scroll through various investments being tracked. 
       FIG. 12  is the Parameters Screen  1300  in accordance with another embodiment of the present invention. The investor can use the Parameters Screen  1300  to add  1302 , delete  1304 , or delete all  1306  investments (symbols)  1308  being tracked, change the time intervals displayed in the Trading Screen  1000  ( FIG. 9 ) and the Overview Screen  1200  ( FIG. 11 ) using the entry fields and toggle fields in the Trading/Overview section  1310 . The investor can set the recalculation options to swing trade/long term investor  1312  or active trade mode  1314 . The investor can also use various preset or stored sets of time intervals by selecting a trade style  1316 , such as beginner, expert, long term investor or day trader. These preset or stored time intervals can be edited using the edit button  1318 . Changes are applied using the apply changes button  1320 . The settings for the Gainers/Losers Screen  1350  ( FIG. 13 ) and the Trade Vault Screen  1100  ( FIG. 10 ) can be set using sections  1322  and  1324  respectively. 
       FIG. 13  is the Gainers/Losers Screen  1350  in accordance with another embodiment of the present invention. This screen  1350  shows the biggest gainers in section  1352 , the biggest losers in section  1354  and the most active in section  1356 . 
     An implementation of the present invention will now be described with respect to foreign exchange. Foreign exchange involves trading one nation&#39;s currency for the currency of another nation. As individuals or companies from one country trade across borders, the need for foreign currency arises. For example, when a U.S. importer buys French wine, either the importer needs euros to pay the French merchant or the French merchant must accept U.S. dollars and convert them to euros. 
     Foreign exchange trading takes place in financial centers all over the world, including New York, London, Hong Kong, Singapore, Frankfurt, Tokyo, and many others. These financial centers are linked to one another in a unified, cohesive, international market, so at any given time, around the clock, there&#39;s a major financial center open where banks, hedge funds, international corporations, and individual speculators all over the world are active participants. Most foreign exchange (“FOREX”) activity consists of the spot business between the U.S. dollar and the six major currencies (Japanese Yen, British Pound, Swiss Franc, Canadian Dollar and Australian Dollar). 
     Many traders have made the switch from currency futures to spot FOREX trading. Spot FOREX offers better liquidity and generally a lower cost of trading than currency futures. Banks and brokers in spot FOREX can quote markets 24 hours a day. Furthermore, the spot FOREX market is not burdened by exchange and NFA (“National Futures Association”) fees, which are generally passed on to the customer in the form of higher commissions. For these reasons, virtually all professional traders and institutions conduct most of their FOREX in the spot FOREX market, not in currency futures. 
     The mechanics of trading spot FOREX are similar to those of currency futures. The most important initial difference is the way in which currency pairs are quoted. Currency futures are always quoted as the currency versus the US dollar. In Spot FOREX, some currencies are quoted this way, while others are quoted as the US dollar versus the currency. For example, in spot FOREX, EURUSD is quoted the same way as Euro futures. In other words, if the Euro is strengthening, EURUSD will rise just as Euro futures will rise. On the other hand, USDCHF is quoted as US dollars with respect to Swiss Francs, the opposite of Swiss Franc futures. So if the Swiss Franc strengthens with respect to the US dollar, USDCHF will fall, while Swiss Franc futures will rise. The rule in spot FOREX is that the first currency shown is the currency that is being quoted in terms of direction. For example, “EUR” in EURUSD and “USD” in USDCHF is the currency that is being quoted. The following table illustrates which spot currencies move parallel to the futures contract and which move inversely (opposite): 
     
       
         
               
               
               
               
             
           
               
                   
               
               
                 Forex 
                   
                 Futures 
                 Directional 
               
               
                 Symbol 
                 Currency Pair 
                 Symbol 
                 Relationship 
               
               
                   
               
             
             
               
                 GBPUSD 
                 British Pound/US Dollar 
                 BP 
                 Parallel 
               
               
                 EURUSD 
                 Euro/US Dollar 
                 EU 
                 Parallel 
               
               
                 USDJPY 
                 US Dollar/Japanese Yen 
                 JY 
                 Inverse 
               
               
                 USDCHF 
                 US Dollar/Swiss Franc 
                 SF 
                 Inverse 
               
               
                 USDCAD 
                 US Dollar/Canadian Dollar 
                 CD 
                 Inverse 
               
               
                 AUDUSD 
                 Australian/US Dollar 
                 AD 
                 Parallel 
               
               
                 NZDUSD 
                 New Zealand Dollar/US Dollar 
                 ND 
                 Parallel 
               
               
                   
               
             
          
         
       
     
     The movement of different currencies between countries determines a very important price: the exchange rate. It is the exchange rate that allows the currencies to be traded for profit. The foreign exchange is not traded on a physical exchange like the stock market. It is traded via the telephone or thru the internet. This electronic structure has contributed to making the Foreign Exchange Market the largest marketplace in the world. With over $1.5 trillion dollars traded per day versus $25 billion per day traded on the New York Stock Exchange, the Foreign Exchange Market offers many trading opportunities due to the low cost of executing the transactions and the speed at which the execution occurs. The spot FOREX market is open 24 hours a day, six days a week, Sunday evening thru Friday afternoon. Virtually all large institutions and professional traders conduct most of their foreign exchange dealing in the spot FOREX market. The spot FOREX market pairs together currencies from different countries and quotes them according to the values of the respective currency. Listed in the chart below are some of the most common currency pairs. In the column title “Currency Pair”, the First Currency is known as the Base Currency. It shows how much the Base Currency is worth as measured against the Second Currency. For example, if the EUR/USD rate equals 0.9762, then one Euro is worth 0.9762 US Dollar. If a trader believes that the US Dollar will rise in relation to the Euro, the trader would sell EUR/USD. That is sell the Euro and buy the US Dollar. 
     
       
         
               
               
               
             
           
               
                   
               
               
                 Symbol 
                 Currency Pair 
                 Trading Terminology 
               
               
                   
               
             
             
               
                 EUR/USD 
                 Euro/US Dollar 
                 Euro 
               
               
                 USD/CHF 
                 US Dollar/Swiss Franc 
                 Swissy 
               
               
                 GBP/USD 
                 British Pound/US Dollar 
                 Cable 
               
               
                 USD/JPY 
                 US Dollar/Japanese Yen 
                 Dollar Yen 
               
               
                 USD/CAAD 
                 US Dollar/Canadian Dollar 
                 Dollar Canada 
               
               
                 AUD/USD 
                 Australian Dollar/US Dollar 
                 Aussie Dollar 
               
               
                 EUR/GBP 
                 Euro/British Pound 
                 Euro Sterling 
               
               
                 EUR/JPY 
                 Euro/Japanese Yen 
                 Euro Yen 
               
               
                 EUR/CHF 
                 Euro/Swiss Franc 
                 Euro Swiss 
               
               
                 GBP/CHF 
                 British Pound/Swiss Franc 
                 Sterling Swiss 
               
               
                 GBP/JPY 
                 British Pound/Japanese Yen 
                 Sterling Yen 
               
               
                 CHF/JPY 
                 Swiss Franc/Japanese Yen 
                 Swiss Yen 
               
               
                 NSD/USD 
                 New Zealand Dollar/US Dollar 
                 Kiwi 
               
               
                 USD/ZAR 
                 US Dollar/South African Rand 
                 Dollar Zar 
               
               
                 GLD/USD 
                 (spot) Gold 
                 Gold 
               
               
                 SLV/USD 
                 (spot) Silver 
                 Silver 
               
               
                   
               
             
          
         
       
     
     When you decide to buy or sell a currency pair, you open your brokers Dealing Station Software and place an order. The software will provide the current trading price of the currency pair in question. You then decide how many lots you wish to trade. Your software will only allow you to trade as much as you have on deposit. If you&#39;re going to Buy, click in the BUY section for that Currency Pair and the Bid price will appear with the current price. If you&#39;re going to Sell, click in the Sell section for that Currency Pair and the Ask price will appear with the current price. If this is the price that you wish to accept, click OK and you will see your position appear in the OPEN POSITION part of your screen. If you would like to BUY or SELL a currency pair at a particular price you may execute a Limit Order by clicking on the ENTRY Button and setting a particular price in which to buy. You may also enter a stop loss for this position in the event it is filled and an exit Limit order for a profit target. Your account will be debited for the number of lots you control at the time of the transaction. If you don&#39;t have enough cash in your account to cover the cost of the position, the software will not allow you to enter the market. 
     The FOREX version of the present invention will now be described in reference to  FIGS. 14-24 . Each major screen of the present invention contains a header area  1402 , a data area  1404  and one or more navigation buttons or tabs on a menu bar  1406 . The header area  1402  contains information that is to be displayed on all screens, whereas the data area  1404  will change depending of the screen being displayed. The navigation tabs  1406  are used to switch screens. As shown, the header area  1402  contains the symbol  1408 , current bid direction  1410  and current bid  1412  for various exchange pairs. Other information can be placed in the header area  1402 . The navigation tabs  1406  include tabs to go directly to the Tutorial Screen  1420 , Quick Quote Screen  1422 , Parameters Screen  1424 , Trading Screen  1426 , Trade Vault Screen  1428  and Money Management Screen  1430 . Other screens can be used. The present invention also includes “pop-up” screens, which allow the user to configure different aspects of the application. 
     Now referring to  FIG. 14 , the Tutorial Screen  1420  will now be described. The Tutorial Screen  1420  contains information about FOREX trading and the software. This screen can be accessed by clicking on the Tutorial Screen tab  1420  from any other screen. 
     Referring now to  FIG. 15 , the Quick Quote Screen  1422  provides an overview of all the current information for the exchange pairs. The Quick Quote Screen  1422  lists the Open  1502 , High  1504 , Low  1506 , Close  1508 , Bid  1510 , Bid Direction  1512 , Ask  1514  and Ask Direction  1516  for each exchange pair  1500 . The Volume can also be listed. The data can be manually updated by clicking on the Refresh button  1518 . 
     Now referring to  FIG. 16 , the Parameters Screen  1424  allows the user to select the Interval Setup  1600 , Header Pairs  1602  displayed in the header  1402 , Clock Setup  1604  and Interval Update  1606 . The Interval Setup  1600  allows the user to select different predefined trading styles (Position  1608 , Swing  1610 , Active  1612 , Super Active  1614 ), or create his or her own custom trading style  1616 . The trading styles  1608 - 1616  are used to set the four Trend Arrows for the Trading Screen  1426 . The predefined trading styles  1608 - 1616  are:
         POSITION or LONG TERM (30, 90, 240, Day intervals)—placing trading that will last one to three weeks or longer enabling you to take profit from the overall long-term trend;   SWING (30, 60, 90, 180 minute intervals)—placing trades for one to three days enabling you to take profit from intermediate trends;   ACTIVE (10, 30, 60, 90 minute intervals)—1, 30 minute up and down cycles within the above 2 trends; and   SUPER ACTIVE or AGGRESSIVE (5, 10, 15, 30 minute intervals)—3, 5, 10, 15 minute trends within all of the above trends.       

     A custom trading style can be created by clicking and highlighting the “Add a new Trading Style” line  1616 . The desired time frame is then entered into the Interval Setup boxes  1618 ,  1620 ,  1622  and  1624 . The custom trading style  1616  can then be saved by clicking the Save button  1626 . Any of the trading styles  1608 - 1616  can be selected and used to populate the Trading screen  1426  by clicking and highlighting the trading style  1608 - 1616  and then clicking the Apply or Select button  1628 . 
     The Header Pairs  1602  that are displayed in the header section  1402  of the screens can be changed using the nine boxes  1630 - 1646  to select a exchange pair to be displayed. A pop-up menu of the available symbols will appear when the button in the appropriate box  1630 - 1646  is clicked. Once selected, the exchange pair will be automatically set on the top of the screens in header section  1402 . The Clock Setup  1604  is used to set various time zones to be displayed. Up to four time zones  1648 ,  1650 ,  1652 ,  1654  can be displayed by providing a clock description  1656 , GMT offset  1658  and whether Daylight Savings Time (“DST”)  1660  is in effect. The clocks can be toggled on or off using the Show Clocks box  1662 . The Interval Update  1606  can be set to update every 15 seconds, 60 seconds or upon interval completion by clicking on boxes  1664 ,  1666 ,  1668 . 
     Referring now to  FIG. 17 , the Trading Screen  1426  provides detailed, real-time information on up to four currency pairs  1700 ,  1702 ,  1704 ,  1706  at a time that can be used to determine if the specific currency pair is viable for trading. The overall trend of these currency pairs is shown for various intervals by color coded indicator, such as up (green) and down (red) arrows  1708 , as well as the last price, current bid and ask and the high and low for the day (collectively  1710 ). These indicators are preferably laid out in a grid fashion, but can be otherwise configured. Each indicator  1708   a - 1708   d ,  1708   e - 1708   h ,  1708   i - 1708   l  and  1708   m - 1708   p  represents information for an associated single currency pair  1700 ,  1702 ,  1704  and  1706 . Each indicator  1708   a - 1708   d ,  1708   e - 1708   h ,  1708   i - 1708   l  and  1708   m - 1708   p  displays the chosen time interval for that indicator. Time intervals may be in minutes, hours, days, weeks or months. In the example shown, the time interval for indicators  1708   a ,  1708   e ,  1708   i  and  1708   m  is five minutes; the time interval for indicators  1708   b ,  1708   f ,  1708   j  and  1708   n  is ten minutes; the time interval for indicators  1708   c ,  1708   g ,  1708   k  and  1708   o  is fifteen minutes; and the time interval for indicators  1708   d ,  1708   h ,  1708   l  and  1708   p  is thirty minutes. 
     As will be described below in reference to  FIG. 19 , the present invention uses a regression analysis to calculate an opening value trend and a closing value trend for each of the time intervals for each of the investments  1700 ,  1702 ,  1704  and  1706 . The color of the indicators  1708   a - 1708   d ,  1708   e - 1708   h ,  1708   i - 1708   l  and  1708   m - 1708   p  is based on a comparison of the opening value trend to the closing value trend for each time interval for each investment  1700 ,  1702 ,  1704  and  1706 , and whether a long or short trade  1724  has been selected for the respective investments. If a long trade  1724  is selected, the indicators  1708   a - 1708   d ,  1708   e - 1708   h ,  1708   i - 1708   l  and  1708   m - 1708   p  will be a first color when the closing value trend is greater than the opening value trend for each time interval for each investment  1700 ,  1702 ,  1704  and  1706 , and a second color when the closing value trend is less than the opening value trend for each time interval for each investment  1700 ,  1702 ,  1704  and  1706 . For example, indicators  1708   i ,  1708   j ,  1708   k    1708   l ,  1708   o  and  1708   p  are green in  FIG. 17  indicating favorable trading conditions for investments  1704  and  1706  within the specified time intervals. Indicators  1708   a ,  1708   b ,  1708   c ,  1708   d ,  1708   e ,  1708   f ,  1708   g ,  1708   h ,  1708   m  and  1708   n  are red in  FIG. 17  indicating unfavorable trading conditions for investments  1700 ,  1702  and  1706  within the specified time intervals. If, however, a short trade  1724  is selected, the indicators  1708   a - 1708   d ,  1708   e - 1708   h ,  1708   i - 1708   l  and  1708   m - 1708   p  will be the first color when the closing value trend is less than the opening value trend for each time interval for each investment  1700 ,  1702 ,  1704  and  1706 , and the second color when the closing value trend is greater than the opening value trend for each time interval for each investment  1700 ,  1702 ,  1704  and  1706 . Other colors may be used as the first color or the second color. 
     Each trade for a currency pair can be stored in the trade vault using button  1712 . This information is then tracked with the real time profit and loss of the user&#39;s outstanding trades as well as historical record of the user&#39;s trades. The user can change the currency pair by clicking on the grey symbol buttons  1714 . As shown in  FIG. 18 , button  1714  will display the Exchange Pairs List Screen  1800 . The user changes the currency pair for the corresponding symbol button  1714  by selecting and highlights the desired currency pair and clicking the Select button  1802 . The change can be cancelled by clicking the Cancel button  1804 . Likewise, clicking upon any of the four arrow indicators  1708  in  FIG. 17  will call up the corresponding charts screen  1900  ( FIG. 19 ). Now referring back to  FIG. 17 , at the right end of each currency pair row  1700 ,  1702 ,  1704 ,  1706  on the Trading Screen  1426  is an area that displays numeric streaming (real-time) information for that pair. The streaming information displayed is:
         High  1716 —The highest price listed on the trading chart;   Low  1718 —The lowest price listed on the trading chart;   Bid Price  1720  and Ask Price  1722 ;   TRADE  1724 —The user clicks this to enter the price he or she entered the market at;.   Price  1726 —The user types in the price he or she entered the market;   LOT  1728 —Represents the amount of lots traded on this particular trade;   P/L  1730 —Presents the color coded real-time profit or loss of the trade (after deducting broker spread), which is calculated automatically and shown in the profit (P/L) text box; and   LONG/SHORT  1732 —If the green Long button is selected once it will toggle to a red Short button, and recalculate the profit or loss as if you were “selling short”; and   DISKETTE Button  1712 —Saves the trade to the trade vault.       

     Now referring to  FIG. 19 , the Chart Screen  1900  is displayed for the selected arrow and time frame of the currency pairs  1700 - 1706  ( FIG. 17 ) by clicking on one of the four trend arrows  1708  ( FIG. 17 ). The Chart Screen  1900  initially displays two graphs  1902  and  1904 . The upper graph  1902 , which is a multiple linear regression chart (MLR), displays two color coded regression lines, a red line  1906  and a green line  1908 , generated using the present invention&#39;s algorithm against the selected time interval. The present invention preferably uses red to indicate opening prices and green to indicate closing prices. Other colors can be used. In general, the red line  1906  incorporates the algorithms and factors that tend to drive a price downward. Conversely, the green line  1908  integrates the algorithms and factors tend to drive the price upward. A user can quickly determine his or her your entry and exit points based on the crossover lines, which are displayed with red and green lights. 
     Any position on the green regression line  1908  represents a regression of a prior number of period&#39;s closing prices, such as four (4) prior five minute interval closing prices. This regression analysis builds and displays a trend of the closing prices of the investment  1704  over a period of time. Any position on the red regression line  1906  represents a regression of a prior number of period&#39;s opening prices, such as three (3) prior five minute interval opening prices. The current interval&#39;s opening price is not included in this calculation. This regression analysis builds and displays a trend of the opening prices of the investment over a period of time. When the green regression line  1908  is above the red regression line  1906  on the chart, favorable conditions for a long trade occur. When the red regression line  1906  is above the green regression line  1908  on the chart, favorable conditions for a short trade occur. A critical point occurs when the red regression line  1906  and the green regression line  1908  cross. When the green regression line  1908  crosses the red regression line  1906  and ascends above the red regression line  1906 , the associated time interval indicator  1708  will become green. When the red regression line  1906  crosses the green regression line  1908  and ascends above the green regression line  1908 , the associated time interval indicator  1708  will become red. The longer term trend indicators  1708  start to turn red as the movement continues. If a long position was initiated on the symbol currently being analyzed, an exit point would be increasingly considered as more lights  1708  turned from green to red. Conversely, if the user was in a short trade, as more and more indicators  1708  changed from red to green, the more imminent the time to cover the short. There is a separate chart associated with each time interval indicator  1708 . As the present invention updates the calculations and the indicators change, the investor can be notified via audible or visual alerts. The present invention can also sent electronic notifications to the investor. 
     More specifically, the algorithm uses seven critical data factors to perform “real-time” calculations at the rate of 800-1500 calculations per second to determine point of entry, point of exit, and trend analysis. The first four indicators are the Open, High, Low, and Close of each of the four time intervals. The next two are each Up tick and Down tick for every one of the four time intervals. The last, and most important, of the seven critical data factors is the Historic Data, exponentially weighted to volume because of the intrinsic price properties as it relates to the investment&#39;s price performance. The present invention then takes these seven critical data factors and integrates them into two summation formulas, the X+Y (represented by the green line) and the X−Y (represented by the red line). Both summation formulas are then calculated by an algorithm, which is then displayed by a red/green light indicator  1708  ( FIG. 17 ). 
     The investor may obtain more detailed information concerning a specific point along either the green regression line  1908  or the red regression line  1906  by clicking on the line at the desired point. Note that graphs  1902  and  1904  are only representative of the market trend indicators and analyses available. The selection of multiple linear regression and volume analyses for a preferred embodiment of the present invention does not indicate that the present invention is limited to only those market trend indicators. There are many market trend indicators that the investor can consult to make better trade decisions, such as the following: stochastics, relative strength, directional movement, commodity channel, simple average, exponential average weighted average, MACD (simple), MACD (exponential), momentum/ROC, midrange, William&#39;s % R, parabolic stop, volatility stop, trailing stop, high low stop, Bollinger Bands, Keltner Channel, uniform channel, regression channel, swing lines, cycle forecast, on balance volume, overlay chart, point &amp; figure, moving average, moving linear regression, upper envelope, lower envelope, % K, % D, % D slow, % D averaged, % R, RSI, momentum, acceleration, moving average oscillator, moving average momentum, moving average convergence-divergence oscillator, moving average convergence-divergence, MACD signal line, commodity channel index, rate of change in prices, on balance volume variance, standard deviation, volatility ratio, volatility, skew, kurtosis, Williams Accumulated Distribution, Arm&#39;s Ease of Movement, plus directional indicator, minus directional indicator, directional movement and average directional movement. 
     The lower chart  1904  displays the volume of the Bid and Ask prices traded during each interval. The four trend arrow indicators lights  1708  for the selected currency pair are displayed below the lower chart  1904 . The trend arrow indicator with the yellow outline  1910  is the interval currently displayed in the graphs. At the bottom of the Chart Screen  1900  are controls that enable the user to view the desired time interval, show or hide the historical data for the selected symbol and print the charts. These controls are as follows:
         Scrolling popup check box  1912 —allows the user to view the interval information as the mouse moves over the chart;   Printer button  1914 —used to print the charts;   Chart popup  1916 —allows the user to have view multiple charts at once (there is no limit on the number of popups the user may view);   Exchange Pair list box  1918 —allows the user to switch between the four selected exchange pairs on the Trading Screen;   Trend Indicators  1708 —clicking on these indicators will change the charts  1902  and to reflect that time intervals information and a yellow outline  1910  appears around the arrow Trend Indicator;   SHOW/HIDE Data  1920  (See FIG.  21 )—used to toggle between the volume graph and the historical data for the selected time interval (the user may toggle between the bars and the data grid by pressing the Alt-V Keys); and   Default view radio button  1922  (See  FIG. 20 ) and 20 interval view radio button  1924  (FIG.  19 )—allows the user to switch between the number of intervals on the chart (the Alt-G keys allow the user to toggle between the two views).       

     Referring now to  FIG. 20 , another Trading Screen  2000  is shown after clicking on the Default view radio button  1922 . As with  FIG. 19 , Trading Screen  2000  has an upper graph  1902  and a lower graph  1904 . The difference is that the upper graph  1902  and lower graph  1904  in Trading Screen  2000  display data for the entire day instead of only twenty intervals. The upper graph  1902  displays a red line  2006  and a green line  2008  generated using the present invention&#39;s algorithm against the selected time interval. In addition, the Show Scrolling Popup  1912  window  2010  is shown that allows the user to view the following data for a selected interval:
         OPEN—the opening price for the time period;   HIGH—the highest price the currency pair reaches during this time frame;   LOW—the lowest price the currency pair reaches during this time frame;   CLOSE—the closing price for the time period;   VOL—the volume of Bid and Ask changes during the time period (Note that no volume is registered for Daily charts or longer); and   TIME—shows the time and date of the period that is being viewed.
 
The Scrolling Popup window  2010  is displayed by clicking in the white box beside the Show Scrolling Popup  1912  and clicking on the red line  2006  or green line  2008  in the upper graph  1902 . This will cause the black boxes to appear at each time interval in the upper graph  1902 . The user then clicks on the desired black box in the upper graph  1902 . As the user scrolls the mouse to any black box, the appropriate data will appear in the Scrolling Popup window  2010 . The user can hide the Scrolling Popup window  2010  by again clicking of the white box  1912  to uncheck it.
       

     Now referring to  FIG. 21  a trading Chart Screen  2100  is shown wherein the historical data  2102  is shown and the volume data  1904  ( FIGS. 19 and 20 ) is hidden. The historical data  2102  is displayed by clicking on the yellow Show Data button  1920  ( FIG. 19 ). Once this button  1920  is selected, the historical data  2102  will appear and the yellow button&#39;s  1920  caption changes to Hide Data. The historical data  2102  grid contains the following information:
         Interval Start  2104 —this is the intervals start time (for minute intervals, the start time is always at the zero second of the minute);   Open  2106 —this is the opening price symbol for the selected time interval;   High  2108 —this is the highest price the symbol reached during the selected time interval;   Low  2110 —this is the lowest price the symbol reached during the selected time interval;   Close  2112 —this is the last price for the symbol for the selected time interval;   Volatility Count  2114 —this is a measure of the volatility during the selected time interval; and   Interval Stop  2116 —this is the intervals stop time (for minute intervals the stop time is always at the 59th second of the minute).
 
As the mouse is moved across the upper graph 1902 , the historical data  2102  grid&#39;s highlighted row will change and correspond to the time interval that the cursor is pointing to. The highlighted row  2118  will have a blue foreground color and a white background color.
       

     Referring now to  FIG. 22 , the Trade Vault Screen  1428  is shown. The Trade Vault Screen  1428  is an extensive trade journal that tracks the user&#39;s complete trading history and is a valuable application to keep the user&#39;s trading profits organized for easy tax preparation purposes. When the Save button  1712  ( FIG. 17 ) is clicked for a selected currency pair, a Tradevault pop up window  2200  is displayed to allow the user to add or modify all the information for adding paper and/or real trades. The Tradevault pop up window  2200  contains the following information:
         Exchange Pair  2202 —name of the symbol that the trade is associated with;   Open/Closed  2204 —shows whether the trade is still active or closed out;   Trade Type  2206 —shows if the trade was executed as a Long or Short position;   Lot Size  2208 —shows the amount of lots traded;   Trade Price In  2210 —shows the price the trade was executed at;   Trade Date In  2212 —shows the date and time the trade was executed;   Miscellaneous  2214 —allows the user to make a note about this trade;   PIP  2216 —shows the spread commission paid to the broker;   Calculated PIP  2218 —shows the calculated spread;   Trade Price Out  2220 —the user enters in the exited price for the trade;   Trade Day Out  2222 —shows the day and time the exited trade was executed;   Gross Profit/Loss  2224 —shows the amount made or lost on the trade;   Other Fees  2226 —any other fee that may take place during a trade, such as overnight interest, etc.; and   Net Profit/Loss  2228 —any profits or losses minus any other fees associated with the trade.
 
Once all the data is filled in, the user clicks the Save button  2230  to save the trade in the Tradevault, which in turn fill in the appropriate fields  2252 - 2274  on the Trade Vault Screen  1428 . The transaction can be cancelled using the Cancel button  2232 . In addition, the trade can be deleted using the Delete button  2234 . The data is arranged with the open trades at the bottom, followed by the most recently closed trades. The trades can be edited by clicking on the edit button  2276 . In addition, the trades displayed on the Trade Vault Screen  1428  are controlled by the Display Options boxes:
   Open Positions  2278 —displays open positions;   Closed Positions  2280 —displays closed positions;   Real  2282 —displays real trades; and   Paper  2284 —displays paper trades.
 
If the Price  1726  ( FIG. 17 ) and Lot  1728  ( FIG. 17 ) text boxes on the Trading Screen  1426  ( FIG. 17 ) have been filled in, that data is automatically transferred to the Tradevault pop up window  2200 . Also, once a trade has been saved to Tradevault  1428  for a trade, the data for the Price 1726  ( FIG. 17 ), Lot  1728  ( FIG. 17 ) and Short/Long button  1732  ( FIG. 17 ) will repopulate for the symbol until the open trade is closed.
       

     Now referring to  FIG. 23 , the Money Management Screen  1430  is shown. The Money Management Screen includes an Account Setup section  2300 , Trade Style section  2302 , Money Management section  2304  and Typical Trade Collars sections  2306 . The user enters his or her beginning account balance in the Initial Balance  2308  and selects the amount of margin to be used (Standard (1%)  2310 , Mini (½%)  2312  or Custom (amount entered by user)  2314 ). The user also selects the type of trading style to be used (Active  2316 , Swing  2318  or Position  2320 ). All of the user&#39;s wins and losses should be saved in the Tradevault  1428  to keep a running total of the user&#39;s balance for the built-in Leverage Ratio. The Leverage Ratio tells the user in the Max Lots Tradable  2322  how many lots one should be trading based on their account balance. 
     The Money Management section  2304  displays the Current Balance  2324 , allows the user to select an Exchange Pair  2326  and whether it is Long or Short  2328 , and displays the Last Bid  2330  and Last Ask  2332  for the selected exchange pair. The user may also Recalculate the Account Balance using button  2334  and Recalculate the Money Management screen using button  2336 . Once the user selects an Interval  2338 , the calculator determines the Max Lots Tradeable  2322 , the Stop Placement  2340  and Limit  2342  for the three different trading styles (Active, Swing and Position). The user should use the longest chart (Interval) that he or she normally uses to be what the Risk Reward Ratios are calculated on. So if the user is using a 90-minute chart, the calculator should be set to 90. The 30-minute calculation is the shortest recommended interval. For example, a super active trader should use the 30 minute minimum calculations to provide the user both room for the trade to work and a large enough profit to allow the user to make money. Likewise, a long term trader should not use an interval longer than a Day calculation. Moreover, if the user&#39;s Stop Placement  2340  on the Position style exceeds 100 pips or more than $1,000 it would be wise to call the broker and be put on a 2% to 3% margin rather than 1% to provide plenty of room to move. 
     For example, an aggressive active trader would click on the Active button  2316 , select the 30 chart calculations  2338  and use the Max Lots Tradeable  2322 , Risk and Reward Ratios (Stop Placement  2340  and Limit  2342 ) under the Active column. A more conservative type of active trader would use the Swing column and a very conservative active trader would use the Position column. The Risk vs. Reward ratios go from 1 to 1 12 for Active to 1 to 2 for Swing and 1 to 3 for Position. This means for each dollar the user is willing to risk, the user is looking to make between 1 12 to 3 on the up side of the trade (a 5 PIP spread is figured into the calculations as well). The Stop Placement  2340  (Risk Ratio) are calculated to the Average True Range of the market to the trading style chosen. The Reward Ratio is then calculated 1 12 to 3 times the Risk for the upside potential. When using the Stop Placement  2340 , the user should not increase the size of the stops. The user should only move the stops forward to protect profits or limit losses in the event the market moves in the direction of the user&#39;s trade. 
     For example, a user went Short on the USD/JPY at 120.50, the Stop Placement  2340  is calculated to 120.70 and the Limit  2342  is set to 120.20. If the market then moves in the expected direction and the current price of the USD/JPY is 120.35, the user would recalculate the Stop Placement  2340  and trail it down to either limit the user&#39;s losses or protect profits, wherever the calculator indicates. If the market moves against the user, the Stop Placement  2340  should not be increased. The calculator measures the Average Range of the market and if the Stop Placement  2340  is reached, then the likelihood of the market continuing in that direction is much higher than it is coming back the user&#39;s way. 
       FIGS. 24A-24C  display the processing flows for the options of screens  FIGS. 14-23 . Application Navigation  2426  is the same in each of the system screens. Selecting View Tutorial Screen  2428  displays the screen shown in  FIG. 14 . Selecting View Quick Quote Screen  2430  displays the screen shown in  FIG. 15 . Selecting View Parameters Screen  2432  displays the screen shown in  FIG. 16 . Selecting View Trading Screen  2434  displays the screen shown in  FIG. 17 , enabling its associated processing of  FIG. 24B . Selecting View Trade Vault Screen  2436  displays the screen shown in  FIG. 22 . Selecting View Money Management Screen  2438  displays the screen shown in  FIG. 23 . 
       FIG. 24A  focuses on the application start-up of this embodiment of the present invention. The present invention starts in block  2402  where the investor  150 - 160  ( FIG. 1 ) connects to the authentication server (FOREX commodity market  130   FIG. 1 ) in block  2406 . The specific servers that may be connected to and the details regarding the connection to be established are typically setup during the installation process of the software. If the connection is made, as determined in decision block  2408 , and the auto login is not enabled, as determined in decision block  2410 , the present invention prompts the investor to login in block  2412 , which preferably supplies investment information updates in real-time or near-real-time. If the login is successful, as determined in decision block  2412 , the application downloads investment information (data) in block  2420  and displays the default screen in block  2422 . If, however, the connection was not made, as determined in decision block  2408 , the process will periodically attempt to connect to the authentication server in the background in block  2424  and display the default screen in block  2422 . Thereafter, the investor is free to navigate through the application in block  2426 . If, however, the auto login feature was enabled, as determined in decision block  2410 , the investor&#39;s login information will be entered and the login will be automatically attempted, and if successful, as determined in decision block  2414 , the investment information (data) will be downloaded in block  2420 . If, however, the login was not successful, as determined in decision block  2414 , and a maximum number of login attempts have not been made, as determined in decision block  2416 , the investor is prompted to reenter the login information in block  2412 . If, however, the maximum number of login attempts has been made, as determined in decision block  2416 , the application ends in block  2418 . 
     The processing of the Trading Screen  2434  (See  FIG. 17 ) is shown in  FIG. 24B . The Trading Screen  1426  ( FIG. 17 ) is displayed in block  2440 . As previously described, the investor can navigate through the application via block  2426  to the various screens  2428 ,  2430 ,  2432 ,  2434 ,  2436 ,  2438  or end the application in block  2418 . The investor can also trade using the investment operations in block  2442 . More specifically, the investor can view the Charts Screen (See  FIGS. 19 and 24C ) in block  2444 , initiate a trade in block  2446  or change the investment being displayed in block  2464 . To initiate a trade in block  2446 , the investor selects either a real trade in block  2448  or a paper trade in block  2450 , and either a long trade in block  2452  or a short trade in block  2454 . The process flows for the real trade  2448 , paper trade  2450 , long trade  2452  and short trade  2454  are identical except for the data used and the calculations performed. These calculations were previously described above. In order to perform the calculations, the system must have trade information with which to operate. Therefore, the investor has to supply trade information in block  2456 . If the investor has not input trade information, as determined in decision block  2458 , the system continues to display the current Trading Screen in block  2440 . If, however, the investor has entered the trade information, the system calculates the trade results in block  2460 , updates the data in block  2462  and displays the Trading Screen in block  2440 . If the investor wants to change the investment being displayed in block  2464 , the investor views the exchange pairs in block  2466  and selects an exchange pair in block  2468 . The system then updates the data in block  2462  and displays the Trading Screen in block  2440 . 
     The processing of the Charts Screen  2470  (See  FIG. 19 ) is shown in  FIG. 24C . The Charts Screen  1900  ( FIG. 19 ) is displayed in block  2470 . As previously described, the investor can navigate through the application via block  2426  to the various screens  2428 ,  2430 ,  2432 ,  2434 ,  2436 ,  2438  or end the application in block  2418 . The investor can also modify the charts using the chart data operations in block  2472 . More specifically, the investor can update the data in block  2474 , select a new chart interval in block  2482  or select a chart point in block  2484 . As set forth in the Parameters Screen  1424  ( FIG. 16 ), the system will periodically update the data by automatically querying the server in block  2474  and updating the stored data for all time intervals in block  2476 . The stored data is then accessed for the selected interval in block  2478 , the screen data is updated in block  2480  and the Charts Screen is displayed in block  2470 . The investor may select a new chart interval in block  2482 , whereby the system will access the stored data for the selected interval in block  2478 , update the screen data in block  2480  and display the Charts Screen in block  2470 . The investor can also select a chart point in block  2482 , whereby the system will get the stored data for the selected point in block  2486  and display the data for the selected point in block  2488 . 
     Referring now to  FIGS. 25A-D , the following steps describe a blueprint for a successful trade using the present invention:
         1. Identify your Trading style—determine the desired timeframe for holding a trade and select or customize a trading style in the Parameters Screen  1424  ( FIG. 16 ) that meets the desired timeframe.   2. Check for Color—all four arrows  1708  should be the same color (green or red) in the Trading Screen  1426  ( FIGS. 17-21 ) (Note that the lights only reveal the direction of movement (up or down), so when all arrows are the same color, the currency pair has an established trend).   3. Evaluate the Charts—look for NEW, STRONG, and STABLE movement using the F.A.S. criteria for evaluation: F—fresh cross ( FIG. 25B ), A—angle ( FIG. 25C ), S—separation ( FIG. 25D ). Review and use F.A.S.T. with every trade:
           F. Fresh Cross—indicates a New Movement—Green and Red Lines crossover in last 2 time frames of the chart;   A. Angle—indicates a Strong Movement—Green and Red Lines traveling in the same direction;   S. Separation—indicates a Stable Movement—Distinguishable separation between lines, the wider the better; and   T. Timing—timing the entry and exit of the trade.   
           4. Time the Entry—the chart of the far right arrow, known as the Foundation Arrow, must have F.A.S. Then, the second arrow from the left, the Entry Arrow, must have F.A.S. Finally, check the far left arrow for good Angle and visible Separation. Utilizing these steps of evaluation will enhance the opportunity for maximize profitable trades.   5. Set the Exit—once the trade has been made, set a Stop Loss order to reduce risk and minimize losses. Also, set a Limit order to take profit at a specific price point. As the trade progresses in the direction towards the Limit Order, move the Stop Loss order towards the Limit order to lock in profits.   6. Money Management—the utilization of proper money management rules will preserve capital and reduce risk.   7. Check for Common Pitfalls—exceptions know no rules. Successful Forex traders are, therefore, aware of trading pitfalls such as: influence of economic events and news, trading without a Stop Loss, trading against the trend, changing plans mid-stream, and emotional trading. Check for common pitfalls in conjunction with steps 4 and 5.       

     More specifically, steps 2, 3 and 4 are illustrated in  FIG. 25A . The user goes to the Chart Screen for the currency that is to be analyzed in block  2500 . If all of the light indicators are not the same color (Green for a long trade and Red for a short trade), as determined in decision block  2502 , the currency is not a good candidate for a trade at this time as indicated by block  2504 . If, however, all of the light indicators are the same color, as determined in decision block  2502 , the chart for the fourth arrow (farthest to the right) is selected in block  2506 . If the F.A.S criteria for the fourth arrow are not met, as determined in decision block  2508 , the currency is not a good candidate for a trade at this time as indicated by block  2504 . F. means that there is a fresh cross or bounce on the chart (See  FIG. 25B ). A. means that there is a strong angle or momentum (See  FIG. 25C ). S. means that there is separation between the green and red line (See  FIG. 25D ). If all of these criteria are met, as determined in decision block  2508 , the chart for the Entry Window or second arrow (second from the left) is selected in block  2510 . If the F.A.S criteria for the second arrow are not met, as determined in decision block  2512 , the currency is not a good candidate for a trade at this time as indicated by block  2504 . If, however, the F.A.S. criteria are met, as determined in decision block  2512 , the chart for the first arrow (farthest to the left) is selected in block  2514 . Note that if the Entry Window is 60 minutes or less, look for a FRESH CROSS in the last 3 time intervals; otherwise look for a FRESH CROSS in the last 2 time intervals. If the A.S criteria for the first arrow are not met, as determined in decision block  2516 , the currency is not a good candidate for a trade at this time as indicated by block  2504 . If, however, the A.S. criteria are met, as determined in decision block  2516 , the currency is a strong candidate for a trade as indicated by block  2518 . 
     The present invention can be implemented on a computer having the following specifications: 
     
       
         
               
               
             
           
               
                   
               
             
             
               
                 Operating 
                 Windows 98/ME/2000/XP/NT 4.0 (Service Pack 3) 
               
               
                 System: 
               
               
                 RAM: 
                 Minimum - 64 MB 
               
               
                   
                 Recommended - 128 MB 
               
               
                 Processor: 
                 Minimum - 333 MHz Pentium II 
               
               
                   
                 Recommended - 500 MHz Pentium III or compatible 
               
               
                 CD-Rom 
                 25 MB 
               
               
                 Available Hard 
               
               
                 Disk Space: 
               
               
                 Internet 
                 DSL, Cable modem, T1, or ISDN is the preferred 
               
               
                 Connection: 
                 connection. 56K modem will work, but a connect 
               
               
                   
                 speed of over 49K is recommended. You may 
               
               
                   
                 experience slow throughput and updates with a 
               
               
                   
                 connect speed lower then 49K. 
               
               
                 Data Feed: 
                 Level I or Level II 
               
               
                   
               
             
          
         
       
     
     It will be apparent that other programs are readily devised to create charts of the type described and that some commercially available charting programs can be adapted to display only the charts and not the trade indicators. It is not intended that the invention be limited to the particular format shown in  FIGS. 1 through 25 . As described above, Applicant&#39;s invention comprises the development of indicators and their display in such a manner that traders can anticipate price trends and trades using the cross over method signaling buys and sells opportunities.