Abstract: Trading processes interact with each other through a market process. The trading processes and the market process all operate on a platform. When the market process determines that one of the trading processes is satisfying a condition, such as providing a best price for a side of the market, then the market process automatically notifies the trading process of a new contra-side best market price in advance of providing such notification to other trading processes.

Abstract: An order en route to a marketplace is delayed so that a procedure can determine whether to generate a spawned order, and the spawned order is sent to a destination for execution essentially contemporaneously with the sending of the en route order to the marketplace. The spawned order can be sent to the same marketplace or a different marketplace than the en route order is sent to. The spawned order provides additional liquidity.

Abstract: An image forming device including a print unit having a housing and a scan unit disposed on the top surface of the housing. The scan unit is coupled to the housing such that the scan unit is operable to scan an image in an upright position and in a horizontal position. The coupling includes the scan unit slidingly engaging with the print unit along a first edge of the scan unit. A linkage member is pivotably coupled to the scan unit and the print unit for supporting the scan unit in the upright position.

Abstract: Systems and methods for providing a full fail-safe capability in signal transmission networks are disclosed. For example, a system for providing a full fail-safe capability in signal transmission networks includes at least a first electronic circuit to transmit and receive signals or data, at least one driver unit coupled to the at least a first electronic circuit, and at least one receiver unit coupled to the at least a first electronic circuit and the at least one driver unit. The at least one receiver unit includes at least one offset signal generating unit, a signal comparing unit, and a switching unit to couple an offset signal from the at least one offset signal generating unit to an input of the signal comparing unit.

Abstract: A market process records trades between trading processes. A preference rating from each trading process to all other trading processes that it has traded with is updated based on the recorded trade, such as by comparing the recorded trade with a metric and determining whether or not the trading process profited from the trade. The metric may be a market price for the item traded at a time subsequent to or prior to the trade. The updating may be performed by the market process after each trade or at predetermined times, or the updating may be performed by a platform process. A trading process can designate itself as anonymous, maintaining its confidentiality but still being subject to contra-party preference rating. The market process may use the contra-party preference ratings to determine whether a trade may occur between two trading processes.

Abstract: A trading process wishing to perform market depth discovery sends a trial order to a market process. The trading process and the market process are both operative on a platform. The market process receives the trial order and enters the trial order into its order book. When responding to market inquiries from trading processes, the market process ignores the trial order. At some point, the market process selects the trial order for pairing with an active contra-side order, as if the trial order was a regular order, and sends a pairing report for zero shares to the trading process that originated the trial order. The market process then removes the trial order from its order file, and pairs the regular orders in its order file such that their pairing priority is unaffected by the trial order.

Abstract: A trading process represents an order that it is handling at multiple market processes simultaneously. Each of the market processes and the trading process follow a two-phase commit protocol, wherein permission to execute the order is obtained from the process controlling the order, and then the order is executed. Accordingly, multiple executions of an order are prevented. The control process is typically the trading process that originated the order. However, in some market methodologies, the market process may assume control over the order. Permission to execute the order is explicitly given by a trading process. Permission to execute the order may be inferred after a market process determines that no other market processes have control over the order.

Abstract: A platform supports multiple processes, including market processes having respective market methodologies, trading processes having trading methodologies, platform processes providing services to the market processes and trading processes, and representation processes for coupling the market processes to external markets. The trading processes interact with each other and with external markets through the market processes.

Abstract: An market process internal to a platform is configured to operate with a market external to the platform. Generally, the market process first attempts to reflect an order related action at the external market, and if successful, internally commits the order related action. In some situations, such as when trading becomes fast or when the external market expects to have control over all orders posted thereat, the market acts as a router for orders received from trading processing on the platform. When the external market elects to return to the try-commit operational protocol, the order file of the market process is resynchronized with the order file of the external market.

Abstract: A market process facilitates trade negotiation between trading processes using three methodologies. In one methodology, when a fruitful negotiation opportunity is detected, the market process provides an alphanumeric message to one of the trading processes so that the owners of the trading processes can negotiate privately, such as by telephone. In another methodology, the market process provides the name of a broker to at least one of the trading processes; the broker may be a human or another software process. In a third methodology, the market process forwards messages between the trading processes. Each trading process can specify a disclosure level associated with orders left with the market process and with market inquiries. Each trading process can specify desirable or undesirable contra-parties, and the trading history of a pair of trading processes can be used to determine their desirability or undesirability as trading partners.

Abstract: An market process internal to a platform is configured to operate with a market external to the platform. Generally, the market process first attempts to reflect an order related action at the external market, and if successful, internally commits the order related action. In some situations, such as when trading becomes fast or when the external market expects to have control over all orders posted thereat, the market process acts as a router for orders received from trading processes on the platform. When the external market elects to return to the try-commit operational protocol, the order file of the market process is resynchronized with the order file of the external market.

Abstract: An market process internal to a platform is configured to operate with a market external to the platform. Generally, the market process first attempts to reflect an order related action at the external market, and if successful, internally commits the order related action. In some situations, such as when trading becomes fast or when the external market expects to have control over all orders posted thereat, the market acts as a router for orders received from trading processing on the platform. When the external market elects to return to the try-commit operational protocol, the order file of the market process is resynchronized with the order file of the external market.

Abstract: A market process collects orders from trading processes into a batch, the orders associated with respective liquidity curves. The market process uses the liquidity curve to determine a premium offered by or demanded for the order. The market process then pairs orders in the batch that have indicated willingness to bear the greatest amount of market risk, as demonstrated by their premiums. Greedy or risk averse orders, as indicated by their premiums, may not be paired during the batch.

Abstract: Trading processes are operative to route orders from order rooms to market processes, which process the orders according to respective market methodologies. The order routing strategy can be embodied in a decision table having rules with conditions and actions to be taken when the conditions are true. Accordingly, order rooms can readily configure and reconfigure trading processes.

Abstract: A trading process having a trading methodology selected by a user is operative to interact with market processes having respective market methodologies. The trading process and the market processes are supported on a platform that also supports platform processes for providing services to the trading processes and market processes. The trading processes interact with each other and with external markets through the market processes.

Abstract: An all-in-one device including a printer and an image capture unit disposed substantially within a housing, the image capture unit including a transparent platen and capturing an image of a media sheet positioned against the platen. The platen is substantially vertically positioned along a front portion of the housing. The image capture unit may further include a lid that is movable relative to the platen between open and closed positions, and a video monitor integrated within an outer surface of the lid and sized to serve as a monitor for a computing device.

Abstract: A system for auctioning financial products over a distributed, networked computer system includes a plurality of workstations for entering orders for financial products into the distributed, networked computer system. The orders specify a price for the financial product, a quantity of the financial product and exposure time which the order can remain active. The system also includes a plurality of workstations for entering predefined relative indication and responses to orders for the product. The predefined relative indications specify a willingness to trade. The responses specify a price and quantity.

Abstract: A market process having a market methodology selected from a set of market methodologies is operative to interact with trading processes on a platform. The platform also supports platform processes for providing services to the market process and the trading processes. The trading processes interact with each other and with external markets through the market processes.

Abstract: A system for auctioning financial products over a distributed, networked computer system includes a plurality of workstations for entering orders for financial products into the distributed, networked computer system. The orders specify a price for the financial product, a quantity of the financial product and exposure time which the order can remain active. The system also includes a plurality of workstations for entering predefined relative indication and responses to orders for the product. The predefined relative indications specify a willingness to trade. The responses specify a price and quantity.

Abstract: A system for auctioning financial products over a distributed, networked computer system includes a plurality of workstations for entering orders for financial products into the distributed, networked computer system. The orders specify a price for the financial product, a quantity of the financial product and exposure time which the order can remain active. The system also includes a plurality of workstations for entering predefined relative indication and responses to orders for the product. The predefined relative indications specify a willingness to trade. The responses specify a price and quantity.