Financial market replicator and simulator

Abstract

A financial market replicator and, simulator, intermixes and records data streams of real time financial market data. The FMRS replays such recorded data to simulate the real time financial market(s) in a manner that represents substantially the entirety of information relating to the financial market(s) such that an observer would have difficulty differentiating between the simulator playback of the data and real time data. A user may employ the playback as a research and training tool for developing and executing trading strategies. A user may then determine if the trading strategy would have been successful. In addition, a user may alter the recording and playback parameters to provide various opportunities for studying market activity and/or altering the level of challenge of the simulation. A user may also freeze the simulator playback in order to explore the behaviors of the market's participants and related securities.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A financial market replicator and simulator comprising:
 a market replicator that receives and records one or more incoming financial market data streams pertaining to a plurality of securities; and   a market simulator that plays back the recorded market data to simulate a real time financial market corresponding to the one or more financial market data streams,   wherein the market simulator receives a user input and alters the playback of the recorded market data in accordance with the user input.   
     
     
         2 . The financial market replicator and simulator of  claim 1 , wherein the market replicator and market simulator are part of an analytics and charting software program that a trader uses for accessing real time data. 
     
     
         3 . The financial market replicator and simulator of  claim 1 , wherein the market replicator records the market data onto a computer readable medium encoded in a plurality of data blocks. 
     
     
         4 . The financial market replicator and simulator of  claim 3 , wherein the data blocks include at least one of initialization blocks, market waypoint blocks, and market streaming blocks. 
     
     
         5 . The financial market replicator and simulator of  claim 3 , wherein the market simulator plays back the recorded market data by decoding the plurality of data blocks. 
     
     
         6 . The financial market replicator and simulator of  claim 5 , wherein the data blocks include at least one of initialization blocks, market waypoint t blocks, and market streaming blocks. 
     
     
         7 . The financial market replicator and simulator of  claim 1 , wherein the user input is an input of a setting for controlling the playback, and the market simulator plays back the recorded market data in accordance with the playback setting. 
     
     
         8 . The financial market replicator and simulator of  claim 1 , wherein the user input is an input of a trade of a security, and the market simulator plays back the recorded market data in a manner that simulates the trade. 
     
     
         9 . The financial market replicator and simulator of  claim 1 , further comprising a freeze action component that freezes a display of real time or simulated market data. 
     
     
         10 . The financial market replicator and simulator of  claim 9 , wherein the recorded financial market data remains navigable with an analytics and charting software program while the display of the market data is frozen. 
     
     
         11 . The financial market replicator and simulator of  claim 1 , further comprising a simulation/real time switch that switches between a display of real time market data and simulated market data. 
     
     
         12 . The financial market replicator and simulator of  claim 11 , further comprising a freeze action component that freezes a display of real time or simulated market data. 
     
     
         13 . The financial market replicator and simulator of  claim 12 , wherein the recorded financial market data remains navigable with an analytics and charting software program while the display of the market data is frozen. 
     
     
         14 . The financial market replicator and simulator of  claim 1 , further comprising a learn/teach switch that manipulates metadata pertaining to user interaction with an analytics and charting software program. 
     
     
         15 . The financial market replicator and simulator of  claim 14 , wherein the learn/teach switch at least one of records, plays back, or edits the metadata. 
     
     
         16 . The financial market replicator and simulator of  claim 14 , wherein the learn/teach switch includes a learning mode that records as the metadata user inputs pertaining to user interaction with the analytics and charting software program. 
     
     
         17 . The financial market replicator and simulator of  claim 16 , wherein the learn/teach switch further includes a teaching mode that plays back interactions of one other than the user with the analytics and charting software program regarding the user inputs pertaining to the user interaction with the analytics and charting software program. 
     
     
         18 . The financial market replicator and simulator of  claim 1 , further comprising a market data manager that manages the data associated with the financial market replicator and simulator. 
     
     
         19 . The financial market replicator and simulator of  claim 18 , wherein the market data manager manages storage of data files of the data associated with the financial market replicator and simulator.