Patent ID: 7373322

Claim:
In a two-way wireless communications system adapted for use on the floor of a financial exchange, a method of providing assured communications, comprising the steps of: constructing an instruction signal at a first device for wireless transmission to a second device, the instruction signal corresponding to at least one of a buy order, a sell order, an execution against a buy or sell order, or a partial execution against a buy or sell order, the instruction signal including an instruction, an assigned sequence number for identifying the instruction, and an adjustable hierarchical value for identifying a present stage of the instruction, the present stage of the instruction including one of i) initial instruction status, ii) instruction sent to said second device, iii) instruction received by said second device, and iv) instruction seen by an operator of said second device; transmitting the instruction signal from the first device to the second device; altering the instruction signal at the second device to provide an indication that the instruction has been received by the second device, the altering step including adjusting the hierarchical value to indicate the present stage of the instruction; transmitting the altered instruction signal from the second device to the first device; acknowledging receipt of the instruction by providing an indication that the received instruction has been seen by an operator of the second device, the step of acknowledging including further altering the previously altered instruction signal at the second device by further adjusting the hierarchical value to indicate the present stage of the instruction; and transmitting the further altered instruction signal from the second device to the first device.