Patent Publication Number: US-2023137411-A1

Title: Dynamic Market Order Execution Validation Mechanism

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     The present application is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 16/189,485, filed Nov. 13, 2018, which is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 13/937,785, filed Jul. 9, 2013, the contents of both of which are incorporated by reference herein for all purposes. 
     This patent document relates to U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/417,915, filed May 3, 2006, (now U.S. Pat. No. 7,389,264, issued Jun. 17, 2008), U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/137,979, filed May 3, 2002, (now U.S. Pat. No. 7,437,325, issued Oct. 14, 2008), U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/589,751, filed Jun. 9, 2000, (now U.S. Pat. No. 6,938,011, issued Aug. 30, 2005), and U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/590,692, filed Jun. 9, 2000 (now U.S. Pat. No. 6,772,132, issued Aug. 3, 2004), the disclosures of which are hereby incorporated by reference. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND 
     An electronic trading system generally includes a trading device in communication with an electronic exchange. The electronic exchange sends information about a market, such as prices and quantities, to the trading device. The trading device sends messages, such as messages related to orders, to the electronic exchange. The electronic exchange attempts to match quantity of an order with quantity of one or more contra-side orders. 
     The exchange is a central marketplace with established rules and regulations where buyers and sellers meet to trade. Some exchanges, referred to as open outcry exchanges, operate using a trading floor where buyers and sellers physically meet on the floor to trade. Other exchanges, referred to as electronic exchanges, operate by an electronic or telecommunications network instead of a trading floor to facilitate trading in an efficient, versatile, and functional manner. Electronic exchanges have made it possible for an increasing number of people to actively participate in a market at any given time. The increase in the number of potential market participants has advantageously led to, among other things, a more competitive market and greater liquidity. 
     With respect to electronic exchanges, buyers and sellers may log onto an electronic exchange trading platform by way of a communication link through their user terminals or trading device. Once connected, buyers and sellers may typically choose which tradeable objects they wish to trade. As used herein, the term “tradeable object” refers to anything that can be traded with a quantity and/or price. It includes, but is not limited to, all types of traded events, goods and/or financial products, which can include, for example, stocks, options, bonds, futures, currency, and warrants, as well as funds, derivatives and collections of the foregoing, and all types of commodities, such as grains, energy, and metals. The tradeable object may be “real,” such as products that are listed by an exchange for trading, or “synthetic,” such as a combination of real products that is created by the user. A tradeable object could actually be a combination of other tradeable objects, such as a class of tradeable objects. 
     To profit in electronic markets, market participants must be able to assimilate large amounts of data in order to recognize market trends and to view current market conditions. Screen space is often an important factor for a trader to consider when he/she sets up a trading workstation, since the screen space directly affects the trader&#39;s ability to quickly view and process market data. Many traders use one large monitor running at a very high resolution in an effort to get the maximum amount of data onto the screen. However, in today&#39;s information-intensive markets, to be successful, traders often need to simultaneously view multiple trading interfaces, charts, industry news, spreadsheets, as well as other information. Since each application-created interface has at least one window, a single monitor does not allow a trader to simultaneously view data on multiple windows, and the time it takes the trader to flip between the windows does not make the single monitor the most optimal trading workspace solution. 
     The trading device typically includes tools which assist, and in some instances, automatically prepare at least part of a trade order prior to the trading finalizing and sending the trade order to the exchange. Once the trade order is prepared, the trading tools may allow the trader to finalize and send the trade order to the exchange through a single action, e.g., a click or actuation of a button (via a mouse or a touchscreen input device). However, during the acting of generating the trade order, e.g., movement of the mouse controlled cursor, the market data may have changed. Thus, it is possible that the trader does not have sufficient time in which to read and understand any impact the updated market data may have on the trade order. 
     The present invention is aimed at one or more of the problems identified above. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES 
       Certain embodiments are disclosed with reference to the following drawings. 
         FIG.  1    illustrates a block diagram representative of an example electronic trading system in which certain embodiments may be employed. 
         FIG.  2    illustrates a block diagram of another example electronic trading system in which certain embodiments may be employed. 
         FIG.  3 A  illustrates a block diagram of an example computing device which may be used to implement the disclosed embodiments. 
         FIG.  3 B  illustrates a second block diagram of a computing or trading device according to an embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG.  4    illustrates a block diagram of a trading strategy which may be employed with certain disclosed embodiments. 
         FIG.  5 A  illustrate a first instance of a display screen or window of a trading device for displaying market data and allowing a trader to generate a trade order, according to another embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG.  5 B  illustrate a second instance of the display screen or window of a trading device of  FIG.  5 A . 
         FIG.  5 C  illustrate a third instance of the display screen or window of a trading device of  FIG.  5 A . 
         FIG.  6    is a flow diagram of a method associated with a trading device, according to an embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIGS.  7 A,  7 B and  7 C  illustrate embodiments of a notification window that may be presented in conjunction with the display screen or window of a trading device of  FIGS.  5 A to  5 C . 
     
    
    
     Certain embodiments will be better understood when read in conjunction with the provided figures, which illustrate examples. It should be understood, however, that the embodiments are not limited to the arrangements and instrumentality shown in the attached figures. 
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     The present invention relates generally to a computer system which is used to electronically perform trades on an exchange, and more particularly, to a system which determines if market data has been updated during the time a trader is finalizing a trade order and if an update occurs (1) seeks confirmation of the trade order, and/or (2) allows the trader to cancel the order, and/or (3) allows the trader to modify the order. 
     Although this description discloses embodiments including, among other components, software executed on hardware, it should be noted that the embodiments are merely illustrative and should not be considered as limiting. For example, it is contemplated that any or all of these hardware and software components may be embodied exclusively in hardware, exclusively in software, exclusively in firmware, or in any combination of hardware, software, and/or firmware. Accordingly, certain embodiments may be implemented in other ways. 
     I. Brief Description of Certain Embodiments 
     In a first aspect of the present invention, a method includes the steps of receiving market data from an exchange at a trading device, displaying the received market data on a display unit of the trading device, and receiving a trade order instruction via an input device at the trading device. The method further includes the steps of detecting an occurrence of a market update as a function of the received market data within an established trade order time period associated with a time at which the trade order was received and preventing execution of the received order instruction if the occurrence of the market update was detected during the established trade order time period. 
     Further, if the execution of the received order instruction is prevented or otherwise delayed, the method may further allow a user of the trading device to (1) confirm the received trade order at the price level, (2) cancel the trade order, and/or (3) enter a new price level. In another embodiment, if the execution of the received order instruction is prevented or otherwise delayed, the method may suggest alternate price and/or available quantities that may satisfy one or more of the trade order requirements. 
     In a second aspect of the present invention, a trading device is provided. The trading device is coupled to an exchange and is configured to receive and display market data on a display unit. The trading device is configured to receive market data from an exchange at a trading device, to display the received market data on a display unit of the trading device, to receive a trade order instruction via an input device at the trading device, to detect an occurrence of a market update as a function of the received market data within an established trade order time period associated with a time at which the trade order was received, and to prevent execution of the received order instruction if the occurrence of the market update was detected during the established trade order time period. 
     In a third aspect of the present invention, a non-transitory computer-readable information recording medium which stores a program for controlling a computer to perform trade orders is provided. The program is configured to operate the computer as a trading device. The trading device is coupled to an exchange and is configured to receive and display market data on a display unit. The trading device is configured to receive market data from an exchange at a trading device, to display the received market data on a display unit of the trading device, to receive a trade order instruction via an input device at the trading device, to detect an occurrence of a market update as a function of the received market data within an established trade order time period associated with a time at which the trade order was received, and to prevent execution of the received order instruction if the occurrence of the market update was detected during the established trade order time period. 
     II. Example Electronic Trading System 
       FIG.  1    illustrates a block diagram representative of an example electronic trading system  100  in which certain embodiments may be employed. The system  100  includes a trading device  110 , a gateway  120 , and an exchange  130 . The trading device  110  is in communication with the gateway  120 . The gateway  120  is in communication with the exchange  130 . As used herein, the phrase “in communication” encompasses direct communication and/or indirect communication through one or more intermediary components. The exemplary electronic trading system  100  depicted in  FIG.  1    may be in communication with additional components, subsystems, and elements to provide additional functionality and capabilities without departing from the teaching and disclosure provided herein. 
     In operation, the trading device  110  may receive market data from the exchange  130  through the gateway  120 . A user may utilize the trading device  110  to monitor this market data and/or base a decision to send an order message to buy or sell one or more tradeable objects to the exchange  130 . 
     Market data may include data about a market for a tradeable object. For example, market data may include the inside market, market depth, last traded price (“LTP”), a last traded quantity (“LTQ”), or a combination thereof. The inside market is the lowest available ask price (best offer) and the highest available bid price (best bid) in the market for a particular tradable object at a particular point in time (since the inside market may vary over time). Market depth refers to quantities available at the inside market and at other prices away from the inside market. Due to the quantity available, there may be “gaps” in market depth. 
     A tradeable object is anything which may be traded. For example, a certain quantity of the tradeable object may be bought or sold for a particular price. A tradeable object may include, for example, financial products, stocks, options, bonds, future contracts, currency, warrants, funds derivatives, securities, commodities, swaps, interest rate products, index-based products, traded events, goods, or a combination thereof. A tradeable object may include a product listed and/or administered by an exchange (for example, the exchange  130 ), a product defined by the user, a combination of real or synthetic products, or a combination thereof. There may be a synthetic tradeable object that corresponds and/or is similar to a real tradeable object. 
     An order message is a message that includes a trade order. A trade order may be, for example, a command to place an order to buy or sell a tradeable object, a command to initiate managing orders according to a defined trading strategy, a command to change or cancel a previously submitted order (for example, modify a working order), an instruction to an electronic exchange relating to an order, or a combination thereof. 
     The trading device  110  may include one or more electronic computing platforms. For example, the trading device  110  may include a desktop computer, hand-held device, laptop, server, a portable computing device, a trading terminal, an embedded trading system, a workstation, an algorithmic trading system such as a “black box” or “grey box” system, cluster of computers, or a combination thereof. As another example, the trading device  110  may include a single or multi-core processor in communication with a memory or other storage medium configured to accessibly store one or more computer programs, applications, libraries, computer readable instructions, and the like, for execution by the processor. 
     As used herein, the phrases “configured to” and “adapted to” encompass that an element, structure, or device has been modified, arranged, changed, or varied to perform a specific function or for a specific purpose. 
     By way of example, the trading device  110  may be implemented as a personal computer running a copy of X TRADER®, an electronic trading platform provided by Trading Technologies International, Inc. of Chicago, Ill. (“Trading Technologies”). As another example, the trading device  110  may be a server running a trading application providing automated trading tools such as ADL™, AUTO SPREADER®, and/or AUTOTRADER™, also provided by Trading Technologies. In yet another example, the trading device  110  may include a trading terminal in communication with a server, where collectively the trading terminal and the server are the trading device  110 . 
     The trading device  110  is generally owned, operated, controlled, programmed, configured, or otherwise used by a user. As used herein, the phrase “user” may include, but is not limited to, a human (for example, a trader), trading group (for example, group of traders), or an electronic trading device (for example, an algorithmic trading system). One or more users may be involved in the ownership, operation, control, programming, configuration, or other use, for example. 
     The trading device  110  may include one or more trading applications. As used herein, a trading application is an application that facilitates or improves electronic trading. A trading application provides one or more electronic trading tools. For example, a trading application stored by a trading device may be executed to arrange and display market data in one or more trading windows. In another example, a trading application may include an automated spread trading application providing spread trading tools. In yet another example, a trading application may include an algorithmic trading application that automatically processes an algorithm and performs certain actions, such as placing an order, modifying an existing order, deleting an order. In yet another example, a trading application may provide one or more trading screens. A trading screen may provide one or more trading tools that allow interaction with one or more markets. For example, a trading tool may allow a user to obtain and view market data, set order entry parameters, submit order messages to an exchange, deploy trading algorithms, and/or monitor positions while implementing various trading strategies. The electronic trading tools provided by the trading application may always be available or may be available only in certain configurations or operating modes of the trading application. 
     A trading application may include computer readable instructions that are stored in a computer readable medium and executable by a processor. A computer readable medium may include various types of volatile and non-volatile storage media, including, for example, random access memory, read-only memory, programmable read-only memory, electrically programmable read-only memory, electrically erasable read-only memory, flash memory, any combination thereof, or any other tangible data storage device. As used herein, the term non-transitory or tangible computer readable medium is expressly defined to include any type of computer readable storage media and to exclude propagating signals. 
     One or more components or modules of a trading application may be loaded into the computer readable medium of the trading device  110  from another computer readable medium. For example, the trading application (or updates to the trading application) may be stored by a manufacturer, developer, or publisher on one or more CDs or DVDs, which are then loaded onto the trading device  110  or to a server from which the trading device  110  retrieves the trading application. As another example, the trading device  110  may receive the trading application (or updates to the trading application) from a server, for example, via the Internet or an internal network. The trading device  110  may receive the trading application or updates when requested by the trading device  110  (for example, “pull distribution”) and/or un-requested by the trading device  110  (for example, “push distribution”). 
     The trading device  110  may be adapted to send order messages. For example, the order messages may be sent to through the gateway  120  to the exchange  130 . As another example, the trading device  110  may be adapted to send order messages to a simulated exchange in a simulation environment which does not effectuate real-world trades. 
     The order messages may be sent at the request of a user. For example, a trader may utilize the trading device  110  to send an order message or manually input one or more parameters for a trade order (for example, an order price and/or quantity). As another example, an automated trading tool provided by a trading application may calculate one or more parameters for a trade order and automatically send the order message. In some instances, an automated trading tool may prepare the order message to be sent but not actually send it without confirmation from a user. 
     An order message may be sent in one or more data packets or through a shared memory system. For example, an order message may be sent from the trading device  110  to the exchange  130  through the gateway  120 . The trading device  110  may communicate with the gateway  120  using a local area network, a wide area network, a wireless network, a virtual private network, a T1 line, a T3 line, an integrated services digital network (“ISDN”) line, a point-of-presence, the Internet, and/or a shared memory system, for example. 
     The gateway  120  may include one or more electronic computing platforms. For example, the gateway  120  may implemented as one or more desktop computer, hand-held device, laptop, server, a portable computing device, a trading terminal, an embedded trading system, workstation with a single or multi-core processor, an algorithmic trading system such as a “black box” or “grey box” system, cluster of computers, or any combination thereof. 
     The gateway  120  may facilitate communication. For example, the gateway  120  may perform protocol translation for data communicated between the trading device  110  and the exchange  130 . The gateway  120  may process an order message received from the trading device  110  into a data format understood by the exchange  130 , for example. Similarly, the gateway  120  may transform market data in an exchange-specific format received from the exchange  130  into a format understood by the trading device  110 , for example. 
     The gateway  120  may include a trading application, similar to the trading applications discussed above, that facilitates or improves electronic trading. For example, the gateway  120  may include a trading application that tracks orders from the trading device  110  and updates the status of the order based on fill confirmations received from the exchange  130 . As another example, the gateway  120  may include a trading application that coalesces market data from the exchange  130  and provides it to the trading device  110 . In yet another example, the gateway  120  may include a trading application that provides risk processing, calculates implieds, handles order processing, handles market data processing, or a combination thereof. 
     In certain embodiments, the gateway  120  communicates with the exchange  130  using a local area network, a wide area network, a virtual private network, a T1 line, a T3 line, an ISDN line, a point-of-presence, the Internet, and/or a shared memory system, for example. 
     The exchange  130  may be owned, operated, controlled, or used by an exchange entity. Example exchange entities include the CME Group, the London International Financial Futures and Options Exchange, the Intercontinental Exchange, and Eurex. The exchange  130  may include an electronic matching system, such as a computer, server, or other computing device, which is adapted to allow tradeable objects, for example, offered for trading by the exchange, to be bought and sold. The exchange  130  may include separate entities, some of which list and/or administer tradeable objects and others which receive and match orders, for example. The exchange  130  may include an electronic communication network (“ECN”), for example. 
     The exchange  130  may be an electronic exchange. The exchange  130  is adapted to receive order messages and match contra-side trade orders to buy and sell tradeable objects. Unmatched trade orders may be listed for trading by the exchange  130 . The trade orders may include trade orders received from the trading device  110  or other devices in communication with the exchange  130 , for example. For example, typically the exchange  130  will be in communication with a variety of other trading devices (which may be similar to trading device  110 ) which also provide trade orders to be matched. 
     The exchange  130  is adapted to provide market data. Market data may be provided in one or more messages or data packets or through a shared memory system. For example, the exchange  130  may publish a data feed to subscribing devices, such as the trading device  110  or gateway  120 . The data feed may include market data. 
     The system  100  may include additional, different, or fewer components. For example, the system  100  may include multiple trading devices, gateways, and/or exchanges. In another example, the system  100  may include other communication devices, such as middleware, firewalls, hubs, switches, routers, servers, exchange-specific communication equipment, modems, security managers, and/or encryption/decryption devices. 
     III. Expanded Example Electronic Trading System 
       FIG.  2    illustrates a block diagram of another example electronic trading system  200  in which certain embodiments may be employed. In this example, a trading device  210   a  is in communication with an exchange  230   a  through a gateway  220   a . The following discussion mainly focuses on the trading device  210   a , gateway  220   a , and the exchange  230   a . However, the trading device  210   a  may also be connected to and communicate with any number of gateways  220   n  connected to exchanges  230   n . The communication between the trading device  110   a  and other exchanges  230   n  may be the same, similar, or different than the communication between the trading device  210   a  and exchange  230   a . Generally, each exchange has its own preferred techniques and/or formats for communicating with a trading device, a gateway, the user, or another exchange. 
     The trading device  210   a , which may be similar to the trading device  110  in  FIG.  1   , may include a server  212   a  in communication with a trading terminal  214   a . The server  212   a  may be located geographically closer to the gateway  120  than the trading terminal  214   a . As a result, the server  212   a  latency benefits that are not afforded to the trading terminal  214   a . In operation, the trading terminal  214   a  may provide a trading screen to a user and communicate commands to the server  212   a  for further processing. For example, a trading algorithm may be deployed to the server  212   a  for execution based on market data. The server  212   a  may execute the trading algorithm without further input from the user. In another example, the server  212   a  may include a trading application providing automated trading tools and communicate back to the trading terminal  214   a . The trading device  210   a  may include, additional, different, or fewer components. 
     The trading device  210   a  may communicate with the gateway  220   a  using one or more communication networks. As used herein, a communication network is any network, including the Internet, which facilitates or enables communication between, for example, the trading device  210   a , the gateway  220   a  and the exchange  220   a . For example, as shown in  FIG.  2   , the trading device  210   a  may communicate with the gateway  220   a  across a multicast communication network  202   a . The data on the network  202   a  may be logically separated by subject (for example, prices, orders, or fills). As a result, the server  212   a  and trading terminal  214   a  can subscribe to and receive data (for example, data relating to prices, orders, or fills) depending on their individual needs. 
     The gateway  220   a , which may be similar to the gateway  120  of  FIG.  1   , may include a price server  222   a , order server  224   a , and fill server  226   a . The gateway  220   a  may include additional, different, or fewer components. The price server  222   a  may process price data. Price data includes data related to a market for one or more tradeable objects. The order server  224   a  may process order data. Order data is data related to a user&#39;s trade orders. For example, order data may include order messages, confirmation messages, or other types of messages. The fill server collects and provides fill data. Fill data includes data relating to one or more fills of trade orders. For example, the fill server  226   a  may provide a record of trade orders, which have been routed through the order server  224   a , that have and have not been filled. The servers  222   a ,  224   a ,  226   a  may run on the same machine or separate machines. Similarly, the gateway  220   n , which may be similar to the gateway  220   a , may include a price server  222   n , order server  224   n , and fill server  226   n.    
     The gateway  220   a  may communicate with the exchange  230   a  using one or more communication networks. For example, as shown in  FIG.  2   , there may be two communication networks connecting the gateway  220   a  and the exchange  230   a . The network  204   a  may be used to communicate market data to the price server  222   a . In some instances, the exchange  230   a  may include this data in a data feed that is published to subscribing devices. The network  206   a  may be used to communicate order data. 
     The exchange  230   a , which may be similar to the exchange  130  of  FIG.  1   , may include an order book  232   a  and a matching engine  234   a . The exchange  230   a  may include additional, different, or fewer components. The order book  232   a  is a database that includes data relating to unmatched quantity of trade orders. For example, an order book may include data relating to a market for a tradeable object, such as the inside market, market depth at various price levels, the last traded price, and the last traded quantity. The matching engine  234   a  may match contra-side bids and offers. For example, the matching engine  234   a  may execute one or more matching algorithms that match contra-side bids and offers. A sell order is contra-side to a buy order with the same price. Similarly, a buy order is contra-side to a sell order with the same price. Similarly, the exchange  230   n , which may be similar to the exchange  230   a , may include an order book  232   n  and a matching engine  234   n . The trading device  210   a  communicates with the gateway  220   n  across a multicast communication network  202   n . The gateway  220   n  communicates with the exchange  230   n  via the network  204   n  and the network  206   n.    
     In operation, the exchange  230   a  may provide price data from the order book  232   a  to the price server  222   a  and order data and/or fill data from the matching engine  234   a  to the order server  224   a . Servers  222   a ,  224   a ,  226   a  may translate and communicate this data back to the trading device  210   a . The trading device  210   a , for example, using a trading application, may process this data. For example, the data may be displayed to a user. In another example, the data may be utilized in a trading algorithm to determine whether a trade order should be submitted to the exchange  230   a . The trading device  210   a  may prepare and send an order message to the exchange  230   a.    
     In certain embodiments, the gateway  220   a  is part of the trading device  210   a . For example, the components of the gateway  220   a  may be part of the same computing platform as the trading device  210   a . As another example, the functionality of the gateway  220   a  may be performed by components of the trading device  210   a . In certain embodiments, the gateway  220   a  is not present. Such an arrangement may occur when the trading device  210   a  does not need to utilize the gateway  220   a  to communicate with the exchange  230   a , for example. For example, if the trading device  210   a  has been adapted to communicate directly with the exchange  230   a.    
     Additional trading devices  210   b - 210   e , which are similar to trading device  210   a , may be connected to one or more of the gateways  220   a - 220   n  and exchanges  230   a - 230   n . Furthermore, additional gateways, similar to the gateway  220   a , may be in communication with multiple exchanges, similar to the exchange  230   a . Each gateway may be in communication with one or more different exchanges, for example. Such an arrangement may, for example, allow one or more trading devices  210   a  to trade at more than one exchange (and/or provide redundant connections to multiple exchanges). 
     IV. Example Computing Device 
       FIG.  3 A  illustrates a block diagram of an example computing device  300  which may be used to implement the disclosed embodiments. The trading device  110  of  FIG.  1    may include one or more computing devices  300 , for example. The gateway  120  of  FIG.  1    may include one or more computing devices  300 , for example. The exchange  130  of  FIG.  1    may include one or more computing devices  300 , for example. 
     The computing device  300  includes a communication network  310 , a processor  312 , a memory  314 , an interface  316 , an input device  318 , and an output device  320 . The computing device  300  may include additional, different, or fewer components. For example, multiple communication networks, multiple processors, multiple memory, multiple interfaces, multiple input devices, multiple output devices, or any combination thereof, may be provided. As another example, the computing device  300  may not include an input device  318  or output device  320 . 
     As shown in  FIG.  3 A , the computing device  300  may include a processor  312  coupled to a communication network  310 . The communication network  310  may include a communication bus, channel, electrical or optical network, circuit, switch, fabric, or other mechanism for communicating data between components in the computing device  300 . The communication network  310  may be communicatively coupled with and transfer data between any of the components of the computing device  300 . 
     The processor  312  may be any suitable processor, processing unit, or microprocessor. The processor  312  may include one or more general processors, digital signal processors, application specific integrated circuits, field programmable gate arrays, analog circuits, digital circuits, programmed processors, and/or combinations thereof, for example. The processor  312  may be a single device or a combination of devices, such as one or more devices associated with a network or distributed processing. Any processing strategy may be used, such as multi-processing, multi-tasking, parallel processing, and/or remote processing. Processing may be local or remote and may be moved from one processor to another processor. In certain embodiments, the computing device  300  is a multi-processor system and, thus, may include one or more additional processors which are communicatively coupled to the communication network  310 . 
     The processor  312  may be operable to execute logic and other computer readable instructions encoded in one or more tangible media, such as the memory  314 . As used herein, logic encoded in one or more tangible media includes instructions which may be executable by the processor  312  or a different processor. The logic may be stored as part of software, hardware, integrated circuits, firmware, and/or micro-code, for example. The logic may be received from an external communication device via a communication network such as the network  340 . The processor  312  may execute the logic to perform the functions, acts, or tasks illustrated in the figures or described herein. 
     The memory  314  may be one or more tangible media, such as computer readable storage media, for example. Computer readable storage media may include various types of volatile and non-volatile storage media, including, for example, random access memory, read-only memory, programmable read-only memory, electrically programmable read-only memory, electrically erasable read-only memory, flash memory, any combination thereof, or any other tangible data storage device. As used herein, the term non-transitory or tangible computer readable medium is expressly defined to include any type of computer readable medium and to exclude propagating signals. The memory  314  may include any desired type of mass storage device including hard disk drives, optical media, magnetic tape or disk, etc. 
     The memory  314  may include one or more memory devices. For example, the memory  314  may include local memory, a mass storage device, volatile memory, non-volatile memory, or a combination thereof. The memory  314  may be adjacent to, part of, programmed with, networked with, and/or remote from processor  312 , so the data stored in the memory  314  may be retrieved and processed by the processor  312 , for example. The memory  314  may store instructions which are executable by the processor  312 . The instructions may be executed to perform one or more of the acts or functions described herein or shown in the figures. 
     The memory  314  may store a trading application  330 . In certain embodiments, the trading application  330  may be accessed from or stored in different locations. The processor  312  may access the trading application  330  stored in the memory  314  and execute computer-readable instructions included in the trading application  330 . 
     In certain embodiments, during an installation process, the trading application may be transferred from the input device  318  and/or the network  340  to the memory  314 . When the computing device  300  is running or preparing to run the trading application  330 , the processor  312  may retrieve the instructions from the memory  314  via the communication network  310 . 
     With particular reference to  FIG.  3 B , the output device  320  of the trading device  300  may include a display unit  350  for displaying the market data received from the exchange  130 . The market data as used herein may include additional information or data than the market data received directly from the exchange  130 . For example, the market data may also include data generated by the trading device  300  (as a function of the market data received from the exchange  130  or otherwise), other information (received from other sources), and a user interface, which allows the trader to prepare and communicate trade orders to the exchange  130 . 
     In one embodiment, the display unit  350  is a single display device. In another embodiment, the display unit  350  includes a plurality of device devices. In the illustrated embodiment, the display unit  350  includes first, second, third and fourth display devices  350 A,  350 B,  350 C,  350 D, and a tracking mechanism  360 , although the present invention is not limited to any number of display devices. In one aspect of the present invention, the display devices  350 A,  350 B,  350 C,  350 D are treated as a single large display, where elements (such as windows) displayed thereon are freely moveable across the separate display devices. In other aspect of the present invention, the display devices  350 A,  350 B,  350 C,  350 D are treated as a single large display, however, the position of elements or blocks of information are predetermined and generally fixed (although the position may be configurable). 
     A display manager  364  controls display of information on the display unit  350  and/or display devices  350 A,  350 B,  350 C,  350 D. 
     V. Strategy Trading 
     In addition to buying and/or selling a single tradeable object, a user may trade more than one tradeable object according to a trading strategy. One common trading strategy is a spread and trading according to a trading strategy may also be referred to as spread trading. Spread trading may attempt to capitalize on changes or movements in the relationships between the tradeable object in the trading strategy, for example. 
     An automated trading tool may be utilized to trade according to a trading strategy, for example. For example, the automated trading tool may AUTOSPREADER®, provided by Trading Technologies. 
     A trading strategy defines a relationship between two or more tradeable objects to be traded. Each tradeable object being traded as part of a trading strategy may be referred to as a leg or outright market of the trading strategy. 
     When the trading strategy is to be bought, the definition for the trading strategy specifies which tradeable object corresponding to each leg should be bought or sold. Similarly, when the trading strategy is to be sold, the definition specifies which tradeable objects corresponding to each leg should be bought or sold. For example, a trading strategy may be defined such that buying the trading strategy involves buying one unit of a first tradeable object for leg A and selling one unit of a second tradeable object for leg B. Selling the trading strategy typically involves performing the opposite actions for each leg. 
     In addition, the definition for the trading strategy may specify a spread ratio associated with each leg of the trading strategy. The spread ratio may also be referred to as an order size for the leg. The spread ratio indicates the quantity of each leg in relation to the other legs. For example, a trading strategy may be defined such that buying the trading strategy involves buying 2 units of a first tradeable object for leg A and selling 3 units of a second tradeable object for leg B. The sign of the spread ratio may be used to indicate whether the leg is to be bought (the spread ratio is positive) or sold (the spread ratio is negative) when buying the trading strategy. In the example above, the spread ratio associated with leg A would be “2” and the spread ratio associated with leg B would be “−3.” 
     In some instances, the spread ratio may be implied or implicit. For example, the spread ratio for a leg of a trading strategy may not be explicitly specified, but rather implied or defaulted to be “1” or “−1.” 
     In addition, the spread ratio for each leg may be collectively referred to as the spread ratio or strategy ratio for the trading strategy. For example, if leg A has a spread ratio of “2” and leg B has a spread ratio of “−3”, the spread ratio (or strategy ratio) for the trading strategy may be expressed as “2:−3” or as “2:3” if the sign for leg B is implicit or specified elsewhere in a trading strategy definition. 
     Additionally, the definition for the trading strategy may specify a multiplier associated with each leg of the trading strategy. The multiplier is used to adjust the price of the particular leg for determining the price of the spread. The multiplier for each leg may be the same as the spread ratio. For example, in the example above, the multiplier associated with leg A may be “2” and the multiplier associated with leg B may be “−3,” both of which match the corresponding spread ratio for each leg. Alternatively, the multiplier associated with one or more legs may be different than the corresponding spread ratios for those legs. For example, the values for the multipliers may be selected to convert the prices for the legs into a common currency. 
     The following discussion assumes that the spread ratio and multipliers for each leg are the same, unless otherwise indicated. In addition, the following discussion assumes that the signs for the spread ratio and the multipliers for a particular leg are the same and, if not, the sign for the multiplier is used to determine which side of the trading strategy a particular leg is on. 
       FIG.  4    illustrates a block diagram of a trading strategy  410  which may be employed with certain disclosed embodiments. The trading strategy  410  includes “n” legs  420  (individually identified as leg  420   a  to leg  420   n ). The trading strategy  410  defines the relationship between tradeable objects  422  (individually identified as tradeable object  422   a  to tradeable object  422   n ) of each of the legs  420   a  to  420   n  using the corresponding spread ratios  424   a  to  424   n  and multipliers  426   a  to  426   n.    
     Once defined, the tradeable objects  422  in the trading strategy  410  may then be traded together according to the defined relationship. For example, assume that the trading strategy  410  is a spread with two legs, leg  420   a  and leg  420   b . Leg  420   a  is for tradeable object  422   a  and leg  420   b  is for tradeable object  422   b . In addition, assume that the spread ratio  424   a  and multiplier  426   a  associated with leg  420   a  are “1” and that the spread ratio  424   b  and multiplier  426   b  associated with leg  420   b  are “−1”. That is, the spread is defined such that when the spread is bought, 1 unit of tradeable object  422   a  is bought (positive spread ratio, same direction as the spread) and 1 unit of tradeable object  422   b  is sold (negative spread ratio, opposite direction of the spread). As mentioned above, typically in spread trading the opposite of the definition applies. That is, when the definition for the spread is such that when the spread is sold, 1 unit of tradeable object  422   a  is sold (positive spread ratio, same direction as the spread) and 1 unit of tradeable object  422   b  is bought (negative spread ratio, opposite direction of the spread). 
     The price for the trading strategy  410  is determined based on the definition. In particular, the price for the trading strategy  410  is typically the sum of price the legs  420  comprising the tradeable objects  422  multiplied by corresponding multipliers  426 . The price for a trading strategy may be affected by price tick rounding and/or pay-up ticks. However, both of these implementation details are beyond the scope of this discussion and are well-known in the art. 
     Recall that, as discussed above, a real spread may be listed at an exchange, such as exchange  130  and/or  230 , as a tradeable product. In contrast, a synthetic spread may not be listed as a product at an exchange, but rather the various legs of the spread are tradeable at one or more exchanges. For the purposes of the following example, the trading strategy  410  described is a synthetic trading strategy. However, similar techniques to those described below may also be applied by an exchange when a real trading strategy is traded. 
     Continuing the example from above, if it is expected or believed that tradeable object  422   a  typically has a price 10 greater than tradeable object  422   b , then it may be advantageous to buy the spread whenever the difference in price between tradeable objects  422   a  and  422   b  is less than 10 and sell the spread whenever the difference is greater than 10. As an example, assume that tradeable object  422   a  is at a price of 45 and tradeable object  422   b  is at a price of 40. The current spread price may then be determined to be (1)(45)+(−1)(40)=5, which is less than the typical spread of 10. Thus, a user may buy 1 unit of the spread, which results in buying 1 unit of tradeable object  422   a  at a price of 45 and selling 1 unit of tradeable object  422   b  at 40. At some later time, the typical price difference may be restored and the price of tradeable object  422   a  is 42 and the price of tradeable object  422   b  is 32. At this point, the price of the spread is now 10. If the user sells 1 unit of the spread to close out the user&#39;s position (that is, sells 1 unit of tradeable object  422   a  and buys 1 unit of tradeable object  422   b ), the user has made a profit on the total transaction. In particular, while the user bought tradeable object  422   a  at a price of 45 and sold at 42, losing 3, the user sold tradeable object  422   b  at a price of 40 and bought at 32, for a profit of 8. Thus, the user made 5 on the buying and selling of the spread. 
     The above example assumes that there is sufficient liquidity and stability that the tradeable objects can be bought and sold at the market price at approximately the desired times. This allows the desired price for the spread to be achieved. However, more generally, a desired price at which to buy or sell a particular trading strategy is determined. Then, an automated trading tool, for example, attempts to achieve that desired price by buying and selling the legs at appropriate prices. For example, when a user instructs the trading tool to buy or sell the trading strategy  410  at a desired price, the automated trading tool may automatically place an order (also referred to as quoting an order) for one of the tradeable objects  422  of the trading strategy  410  to achieve the desired price for the trading strategy (also referred to as a desired strategy price, desired spread price, and/or a target price). The leg for which the order is placed is referred to as the quoting leg. The other leg is referred to as a lean leg and/or a hedge leg. The price that the quoting leg is quoted at is based on a target price that an order could be filled at in the lean leg. The target price in the hedge leg is also known as the leaned on price, lean price, or lean level. Typically, if there is sufficient quantity available, the target price may be the best bid price when selling and the best ask price when buying. The target price may be different than the best price available if there is not enough quantity available at that price or because it is an implied price, for example. As the leaned on price changes, the price for the order in the quoting leg may also change to maintain the desired strategy price. 
     The leaned on price may also be determined based on a lean multiplier and/or a lean base. A lean multiplier may specify a multiple of the order quantity for the hedge leg that should be available to lean on that price level. For example, if a quantity of 10 is needed in the hedge leg and the lean multiplier is 2, then the lean level may be determined to be the best price that has at least a quantity of 20 available. A lean base may specify an additional quantity above the needed quantity for the hedge leg that should be available to lean on that price level. For example, if a quantity of 10 is needed in the hedge leg and the lean base is 5, then the lean level may be determined to be the best price that has at least a quantity of 15 available. The lean multiplier and lean base may also be used in combination. For example, the lean base and lean multiplier may be utilized such that larger of the two is used or they may be used additively to determine the amount of quantity to be available. 
     When the quoting leg is filled, the automated trading tool may then submit an order in the hedge leg to complete the strategy. This order may be referred to as an offsetting or hedging order. The offsetting order may be placed at the leaned on price or based on the fill price for the quoting order, for example. If the offsetting order is not filled (or filled sufficiently to achieve the desired strategy price), then the strategy order is said to be “legged up” or “legged” because the desired strategy relationship has not been achieved according to the trading strategy definition. 
     In addition to having a single quoting leg, as discussed above, a trading strategy may be quoted in multiple (or even all) legs. In such situations, each quoted leg still leans on the other legs. When one of the quoted legs is filled, typically the orders in the other quoted legs are cancelled and then appropriate hedge orders are placed based on the lean prices that the now-filled quoting leg utilized. 
     VI. Trade Order Generation at a Trading Device 
     In one aspect of the present invention, the user or trader is presented with a screen, window, or dialog which presents market information related to a single tradeable object or contract. As described below, the market information may include both inside market information and market depth information. The screen, window, or dialog allows a user to view the information and to generate a trade order which may then be sent to the exchange where it is filled if the conditions of the trade order are met. After the trade order has been sent to the exchange for execution, the screen, window, or dialog may allow the trader to cancel or modify the order (before the order has been filled). A trade order may be an order to buy or sell a given number of a single tradeable object or may contain multiple single orders of an object which has one or more contingencies attached (see above). Several examples of screen displays are described below for displaying market data and for generating the trade order. However, it should be noted that these examples are for discussion purposes only. The present invention is not limited to particular screen, window or dialog for displaying the market data or for generating the trade order. 
       FIGS.  5 A to  5 C  illustrate example trading displays disclosed and described in commonly owned U.S. Pat. No. 6,772,132 entitled “Click Based Trading with Intuitive Grid Display of Market Depth,” the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. 
     In particular,  FIGS.  5 A- 5 C  illustrate embodiments of a trading display screen which displays market data and allows the trader to generate a trade order. 
     The display of market depth and the manner in which traders trade within the market depth can be effected in different manners, which many traders will find materially better, faster and more accurate. In addition, some traders may find the display of market depth to be difficult to follow. In the trading display shown in  FIG.  5 A , the market depth is displayed vertically so that both Bid and Ask quantities are aligned adjacent to a common value axis. A vertical field is shown in the figures and described for convenience, but the field could be horizontal or at an angle. 
     Bid quantities are displayed in the bid column  1003  (labeled BidQ), and ask quantities are displayed in a corresponding ask column  1004  (labeled AskQ). The bid and ask columns  1003  and  1004  are aligned adjacent to a value axis  1005 . In the illustrated example, the value axis  1005  includes multiple value levels representative of the prices for a given commodity. The prices at each individual value level are divided into ticks representing the minimum price movement or increment for the given commodity. The example value column  1005  does not list the whole prices (e.g. 95.89), but rather, just the last two digits (e.g. 89). In the example shown, the inside market, cells  1020 , is 18 (best bid quantity) at 89 (best bid price) and 20 (best ask quantity) at 90 (best ask price). In the preferred embodiment of the invention, these three columns are shown in different colors so that the trader can quickly distinguish between them. 
     The values and prices displayed in the value column  1005  are considered to be static in that the quantities displayed in the bid and ask columns  1003  and  1004  move and change quickly relative to any movement or change affecting the position or location of the individual levels making up the value column  1005 . In certain embodiments, the values and prices displayed in the value column  1005  may change positions in response to a re-centering command, or other event triggering event such as the movement of the quantities displayed in the bid and ask columns  1003  and  1004  relative to a range of value levels, or the passage of time from a previous triggering event or any other detectable or measurable event. 
     The inside market and market depth ascend and descend as prices in the market increase and decrease. For example,  FIG.  5 B  shows a screen displaying the same market as that of  FIG.  5 A  but at a later interval where the inside market, cells  1101 , has risen three ticks. Here, the inside market for the commodity is 43 (best bid quantity) at 92 (best bid price) and 63 (best ask quantity) at 93 (best ask price). In comparing  FIGS.  5 A and  5 B , it can be seen that the value column  1005  remained static, but the corresponding bids and asks rose up the price column. Market Depth similarly ascends and descends the value column  1005 , leaving a vertical history of the market. In operation, a trader can trade with single clicks of the right or left mouse button. For example, orders may be entered by right clicking and left clicking on the BidQ field or the AskQ field. 
     Using the screen display and values from  FIG.  5 C , the placement of trade orders using the illustrated trading display and trading method is now described using examples. Selection via a left mouse button click on the 18 in the BidQ column  1201  sends an order to market to sell 17 lots (quantity # chosen on the Quantity Description pull down menu cell  1204 ) of the commodity at a price of 89 (the corresponding price in the Prc column  1203 ). Similarly, selection via a left mouse button click on the 20 in the AskQ column  1202  sends an order to market to buy 17 lots at a price of 90. 
     Selection using a right mouse button click, sends an order to market at a price that corresponds to the row selected or clicked for the total quantity of orders in the market that equal or better the price in that row plus the quantity in the R field  1205 . Thus, a right mouse button click in the AskQ column  1202  in the 87 price row sends a sell order to market at a price of 87 and a quantity of 150. 150 is the sum of all the quantities 30, 97, 18 and 5. 30, 97 and 18 are all of the quantities in the market that would meet or better the trader&#39;s sell order price of 87. These quantities are displayed in the BidQ column  1201  because this column represents the orders outstanding in the market to purchase the commodity at each corresponding price. 
     Similarly, a right click in the BidQ column  1201  at the same price level of 87 sends a buy limit order to market for a quantity of 5 at a price of 87. The quantity is determined in the same manner as above. In this example, though, there are no orders in the market that equal or better the chosen price—there are no quantities in the AskQ column  1202  that equal or better this price. Therefore, the sum of the equal or better quantities is zero (“0”). The total order entered by the trader will be the value in the R field, which is 5. 
     VII. Dynamic Market Order Execution Validation Mechanism 
     With particular reference to the drawings, and in operation, the present disclosure provides an apparatus or trading device  110 , a method  600 , and a non-transitory computer-readable information recording medium for allowing a trader to view market data received from the exchange  130  on the display unit  350  of the trading device  110 . 
     With particular reference to  FIG.  6   , in one embodiment, the method includes the steps of receiving market data from an exchange  130  at a trading device  110  (step  602 ) and displaying the received market data on a display unit  350  of the trading device (step  604 ). In step  606 , a trade order instruction is received via an input device  318  at the trading device  110 . In step  608 , an occurrence of a market update is detected as a function of the received market data within an established trade order time period associated with a time at which the trade order was received. Execution of the received order instruction is prevented if the occurrence of the market update was detected during the established trade order time period (step  610 ). 
     As described above, the trader may utilize the displayed market data to formulate a trade order using an input screen, window or dialog. The trader may use an input device  318  at the trading device  110  in formulating the trade order. Once the trade order has been formulated or put together and the trader has decided to submit the trade order to the exchange so that it may be executed by submitting the trade order to the exchange  130 . 
     The input device  318  may be, or include one or more of the following: a computer mouse, a trackpad, a keyboard, a touchscreen device (a touchscreen input device associated with the display unit  350 ), a non-contact order detection system or similar device. Depending on the input device  318  being used, the trader actuates the input device  318 , generally with respect to a predetermined portion of the input screen, window, or dialog, to submit the trade order to the exchange  130 . 
     While the trader is actuating the input device, the market data may have changed. The change or update in the market data may impact the trade order. In other words, if the trader was made aware of the update in the market data, the trader would have decided to not proceed with the trade order or to modify the trade order. 
     For example, as described above, the trader may submit a trade order using a 1-click process which involves moving a cursor (not shown) on the display unit  350  using a computer mouse to a specified position on display, such as a virtual button. Once the cursor has reached the specified position, the trader submits the trade order through clicking a mouse button. However, during the time the trader is moving the cursor and actuating the mouse button, the market data may have changed. In one embodiment the updated market data may have been received at the trading device  110 , but not displayed. In another embodiment, the updated market data has been received at the trading device  110  and has been displayed on the display unit  350 . 
     It should be noted that the operation of the trading device  110 , i.e., what occurs at the trading device  110 , during the time period leading up to actuation of the input device  110  to submit the trade order is dependent upon the input device  318 . For instance, if a touchscreen device is used as the input device, a cursor may not be displayed on the display unit  350 . Therefore, actuation of the input device  318  and submission of the trade order may be based solely on actuation (or a touch) of the specified position on the display unit  350 . 
     In one aspect of the present disclosure, the trading device  110  is configured to detect an occurrence of a market update as a function of the received market data within an established trade order time period associated with a time at which the trade order was received. In other words, a trade order time period may be established which relates to the time at which the trader actuates the input device  318 . In one embodiment, the trade order time period of, for example, 100, 250 or 500 milliseconds can be used to prevent entrance of an order upon detection of a change in the market data. A wide range of trade order time periods may be established based on a trader&#39;s strategies, habits and preferences. In one embodiment, the trade order time period has a start time at some time prior to actual actuation of the input device  318  and has an end time. The period of time between the start time and the end time may be predetermined or configurable. Furthermore, the end time of the trade order time period may be before the actual actuation time, equal to the actual actuation time, or after the actual actuation time. 
     If the market update is detected during the trade order time period, than the trading device  110  prevents execution of the received order instruction. For instance in one embodiment, the trading device  110  does not transmit the trade order to the exchange in response to the detection of the market update during the trade order time period. 
     In one embodiment, if the input device  318  is a computer mouse and the trader utilizes the computer mouse to control a cursor on the display unit  350 , the trading device  110  detects if the cursor is moving during the trade order time period. The market update is detected if the cursor is moving and the market data has changed during the trade order time period. 
     In another aspect of the present disclosure, if the trading device  110  prevents execution of the trade order, as described, the trading device  110  may be configured to correct the problem or cancel the order. For example, in one embodiment the trading device  110  may be configured to automatically cancel the trade order of the market update is detected. The trading device  110  may provide a notice to the trader in response to the automatic cancellation. The notice may take one or more of any form, including but not limited to a text message, e.g., in a dialog, audio, and visual. For example, the icon representing the cursor may be temporally changed in the event the trade is canceled. 
     In another embodiment of the present disclosure, the trader may be notified of the cancellation or prevention of trade order and provided an opportunity to confirm (or override the prevention) of the trade order at the original price level.  FIG.  7 A  illustrates an example of a notification pop-up or dialog box  700  that may be presented to a trader when a trader order in the event that a change in market data has been detected. The example dialog box  700  provider user controls to cancel the trade order (element  702 ) and continue the order process (element  704 ). The example dialog box  700  further includes controls to adjust (e.g., increase and decrease) the quantity (QTY element  706 ) and the price (PRICE element  708 ) associated with the trader order.  FIG.  7 B  illustrates another example of a notification pop-up or dialog box  720  that may be presented adjacent to the price level  90  shown in  FIG.  5 A . For example, the dialog box  720  may appear after an order has been entered via the trading display screens shown in  FIGS.  5 A to  5 C . The example dialog-box  720  may further include a pointer or price indicator portion  722  that may align with or otherwise indicate the price level at which the trade order was placed. The dialog box  720  further includes interface controls to: cancel the trade order and close the dialog box (element  724 ); adjust the quantity associated with the trade order (QTY element  726 ); adjust the price associated with the trade order (PRICE element  728 ) and continue the order with the original or new order parameters (element  730 ).  FIG.  7 C  illustrates an example of a notification dialog  740  that may be presented to a user when a change in market data has been detected. The notification dialog  740  may further include a close or cancel element  744 . In another embodiment, the notification dialog  740  may be closed automatically after a predetermined period (e.g., 1 second, or 0.5 second). 
     Once a trade order has been sent to the exchange  130 , the trade order may remain there until (1) its pre-conditions are met and the order is filled, or (2) the trader cancels or modifies the trade order. In one embodiment of the present invention, the trading device  110  may be configured to, once a trade order has been sent to the exchange  130 , receive a cancel/modify trade instruction relative to the sent trade order. 
     The same issue may arise with respect to the cancel/modify trade order instruction and market update. Thus, the trading device  110  may be configured to detect market updates when a cancel/modify trade order instruction is received. In particular, the trading device  110  may be configured to detect an occurrence of a market update as a function of the received market data within an established cancel/modify time period associated with a time at which the cancel/modify trade instruction was received. If a market update was received during the trade order time period, the trading device  110  may be configured to prevent execution of the received cancel/modify trade instruction. 
     The trade order time may be defined in a manner similar to the trade order time period as described above. 
     Some of the described figures depict example block diagrams, systems, and/or flow diagrams representative of methods that may be used to implement all or part of certain embodiments. One or more of the components, elements, blocks, and/or functionality of the example block diagrams, systems, and/or flow diagrams may be implemented alone or in combination in hardware, firmware, discrete logic, as a set of computer readable instructions stored on a tangible computer readable medium, and/or any combinations thereof, for example. 
     The example block diagrams, systems, and/or flow diagrams may be implemented using any combination of application specific integrated circuit(s) (ASIC(s)), programmable logic device(s) (PLD(s)), field programmable logic device(s) (FPLD(s)), discrete logic, hardware, and/or firmware, for example. Also, some or all of the example methods may be implemented manually or in combination with the foregoing techniques, for example. 
     The example block diagrams, systems, and/or flow diagrams may be performed using one or more processors, controllers, and/or other processing devices, for example. For example, the examples may be implemented using coded instructions, for example, computer readable instructions, stored on a tangible computer readable medium. A tangible computer readable medium may include various types of volatile and non-volatile storage media, including, for example, random access memory (RAM), read-only memory (ROM), programmable read-only memory (PROM), electrically programmable read-only memory (EPROM), electrically erasable read-only memory (EEPROM), flash memory, a hard disk drive, optical media, magnetic tape, a file server, any other tangible data storage device, or any combination thereof. The tangible computer readable medium is non-transitory. 
     Further, although the example block diagrams, systems, and/or flow diagrams are described above with reference to the figures, other implementations may be employed. For example, the order of execution of the components, elements, blocks, and/or functionality may be changed and/or some of the components, elements, blocks, and/or functionality described may be changed, eliminated, sub-divided, or combined. Additionally, any or all of the components, elements, blocks, and/or functionality may be performed sequentially and/or in parallel by, for example, separate processing threads, processors, devices, discrete logic, and/or circuits. 
     While embodiments have been disclosed, various changes may be made and equivalents may be substituted. In addition, many modifications may be made to adapt a particular situation or material. Therefore, it is intended that the disclosed technology not be limited to the particular embodiments disclosed, but will include all embodiments falling within the scope of the appended claims.