Abstract:
The present invention provides an apparatus and method of displaying trading trends for an investment wherein an opening value and a closing value for the investment for two or more time intervals is received. 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 investment is calculated. A visual indicator comparing the opening value trend to the closing value trend for the investment 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:
RELATED APPLICATIONS  
       [0001]    This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 60/213,576 filed on Jun. 22, 2000, the disclosure of which is herein incorporated by reference. 
     
    
     
       FIELD OF THE INVENTION  
         [0002]    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 stocks, bonds, and commodities.  
         BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
         [0003]    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 stock being traded, they are not trading with the trend. The stock 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 stock, but the trend is short, the stock movement may never return the investor&#39;s way.  
           [0004]    There is, therefore, a need for an apparatus and method to analyze market 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  
         [0005]    The present invention relates to investment software and provides an apparatus and method for displaying trading trends. Such an apparatus and method can be used, for example, to display signals for buying and selling opportunities of stocks, bonds and commodities. The present invention can be used by anyone interested in investments, such as individual investors, investment brokers and mutual fund managers. As a result, the present invention provides an apparatus and method for minimizing risk when trading in the market, displaying investment movement and trends, and identifying investments that have a specific trend.  
           [0006]    The present invention can be used to analyze market data and develop trade information, which reduces the risk and loss for the investor. Thus, traders of stocks, bonds and commodities 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 monitoring the raw market data, the present invention enables the trader to make better trade decisions because it easier to track the performance of the stocks, bond or commodities being monitored.  
           [0007]    In addition, the present invention extrapolates trade trends in a selected investment and provides the investor with current price information, trade trends, trade indicators, long and short positions 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 price of the selected investment is going up and signal the investor that it is time to buy. Conversely, the color red may indicate that the price going down and signal the investor that it is time to sell or go short. Other colors can be used. The present invention also shows the number of shares, the price, and the last active price per share. Trade indicators with adjustable time intervals are also color-coded. These time intervals allow the investor to monitor the time to best apply the trade.  
           [0008]    The present invention allows the investor to access market information or trade data via Internet Web sites, dial-up and other network connections and define specific search parameters, which effectively “weed-out” unqualified or undesirable trade opportunities. The investor can identify and restrict investment price ranges above and below certain price points, and indicate the desired volume minimum and spread maximum. The present invention will not identify any trade opportunity that does not meet the parameters input by the investor. 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. These alerts can be a combination of audio and visual notifications.  
           [0009]    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.  
           [0010]    The present invention provides an apparatus for displaying trading trends for an investment 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 investment 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 investment, calculates a closing value trend using the market trend indicator and the closing values for the investment, and displays a visual indicator comparing the opening value trend to the closing value trend for the investment on the display.  
           [0011]    In addition, the present invention provides a method of displaying trading trends for an investment wherein an opening value and a closing value for the investment for two or more time intervals is received. 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 investment is calculated. A visual indicator comparing the opening value trend to the closing value trend for the investment 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.  
           [0012]    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  
       [0013]    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:  
         [0014]    [0014]FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating the possible interaction between data systems in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention;  
         [0015]    [0015]FIG. 2 is a flowchart illustrating the data update process in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention;  
         [0016]    [0016]FIG. 3 is the Overview Screen in Overview Mode in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention;  
         [0017]    [0017]FIG. 4 is the Overview Screen in Trading Mode in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention;  
         [0018]    [0018]FIG. 5 is the Chart Screen in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention;  
         [0019]    [0019]FIG. 6 is the Search Screen in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention;  
         [0020]    [0020]FIG. 7 is the Gainers/Losers Screen in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention;  
         [0021]    [0021]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;  
         [0022]    [0022]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;  
         [0023]    [0023]FIG. 8C is a flowchart illustrating the processing flow for the Chart Screen in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention;  
         [0024]    [0024]FIG. 8D is a flowchart illustrating the processing flow for the Search Screen in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention;  
         [0025]    [0025]FIG. 8E is a flowchart illustrating the processing flow for the Gainers/Losers Screen in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention;  
         [0026]    [0026]FIG. 9 is the Trading Screen in accordance with another embodiment of the present invention;  
         [0027]    [0027]FIG. 10 is the Trade Vault Screen in accordance with another embodiment of the present invention;  
         [0028]    [0028]FIG. 11 is the Overview Screen in accordance with another embodiment of the present invention;  
         [0029]    [0029]FIG. 12 is the Parameters Screen in accordance with another embodiment of the present invention; and  
         [0030]    [0030]FIG. 13 is the Gainers/Losers Screen in accordance with another embodiment of the present invention. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION  
       [0031]    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 that provides an apparatus and method for displaying trading trends. Such an apparatus and method can be used, for example, to display signals for buying and selling opportunities of stocks, bonds and commodities. The present invention can be used by anyone interested in investments, such as individual investors, investment brokers and mutual fund managers. As a result, the present invention provides an apparatus and method for minimizing risk when trading in the market, displaying investment movement and trends, and identifying investments that have a specific trend.  
         [0032]    The present invention can be used to analyze market data and develop trade information, which reduces the risk and loss for the investor. Thus, traders of stocks, bonds and commodities 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 monitoring the raw market data, the present invention enables the trader to make better trade decisions because it easier to track the performance of the stocks, bond or commodities being monitored.  
         [0033]    In addition, the present invention extrapolates trade trends in a selected investment and provides the investor with current price information, trade trends, trade indicators, long and short positions 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 price of the selected investment is going up and signal the investor that it is time to buy. Conversely, the color red may indicate that the price going down and signal the investor that it is time to sell or go short. Other colors can be used. The present invention also shows the number of shares, the price, and the last active price per share. Trade indicators with adjustable time intervals are also color-coded. These time intervals allow the investor to monitor the time to best apply the trade.  
         [0034]    The present invention allows the investor to access market information or trade data via Internet Web sites, dial-up and other network connections and define specific search parameters, which effectively “weed-out” unqualified or undesirable trade opportunities. The investor can identify and restrict investment price ranges above and below certain price points, and indicate the desired volume minimum and spread maximum. The present invention will not identify any trade opportunity that does not meet the parameters input by the investor. 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. These alerts can be a combination of audio and visual notifications.  
         [0035]    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.  
         [0036]    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)  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.  
         [0037]    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 95/NT, 64 MB RAM, CD-ROM, 25 MB available hard drive space, an Internet connection and Level I or Level II data feed. The ideal system requirements for a personal computer would be Windows 98, 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.  
         [0038]    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-realtime  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. In one embodiment, the data is acquired by executing TQL (Taltrade Query Language) commands through the Taltrade ActiveX components. These commands are executed on a regular basis by two application timer controls  210  and  220 , which send TQL requests to the server at regular intervals via Taltrade controls  212  and  222 . Taltrade controls  214  and  224  receive the results from the TQL queries. The results are preferably returned from Taltrade servers in an asynchronous manner. That is, the requests do not have to wait on the returned data. Window 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 Taltrade server is also used to update the stored data  260 .  
         [0039]    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.  
         [0040]    [0040]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  12 ,  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.  
         [0041]    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 a 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.  
         [0042]    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).  
         [0043]    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.  
         [0044]    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  or 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.  
         [0045]    [0045]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.  
         [0046]    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.  
         [0047]    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  123499 - 1000  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 .  
         [0048]    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.  
         [0049]    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.  
         [0050]    [0050]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.  
         [0051]    [0051]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.  
         [0052]    FIGS.  8 A- 8 E 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.  
         [0053]    [0053]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 .  
         [0054]    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.  
         [0055]    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 .  
         [0056]    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 .  
         [0057]    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).  
         [0058]    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 .  
         [0059]    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.  
         [0060]    [0060]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 .  
         [0061]    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  10151 ,  10251 ,  10351 ,  10451  and  10551  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.  
         [0062]    To execute a trade, the investor enters the execute price (Price)  101   5   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  10151 ,  10251 ,  10351 ,  10451  and  10551  saves the transaction so that the investor can keep track of his or her historical trading activity.  
         [0063]    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  1400  (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).  
         [0064]    [0064]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  10151 ,  10251 ,  10351 ,  10451  and  10551  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 .  
         [0065]    [0065]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.  
         [0066]    [0066]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  1400  (FIG. 13) and the Trade Vault Screen  1100  (FIG. 10) can be set using sections  1322  and  1324  respectively.  
         [0067]    [0067]FIG. 13 is the Gainers/Losers Screen  1400  in accordance with another embodiment of the present invention. This screen  1400  shows the biggest gainers in section  1402 , the biggest losers in section  1404  and the most active in section  1406 .  
         [0068]    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 13. 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.