System and method for providing security to a game controller device for electronic trading

Abstract

A system for managing electronic trading, compnses an interface application including a mapping module that defines a plurality of controller signal relationships. Each controller signal relationship associates one or more of a plurality of game controller signals with one of a plurality of trading system commands associated with the electronic trading of financial instruments. The interface application receives a plurality of game controller signals generated by a game controller, and determines, based on the controller signal relationships, that one or more of the plurality of received game controller signals are erroneous. The interface application causes the communication of a command to lock the game controller based on the determination of the one or more erroneous game controller signals.

1 . (canceled) 
     
     
         2 . A method comprising:
 controlling, by at least one processor,
 storing a plurality of controller signal relationships comprising a plurality of first controller signal relationships, each controller signal relationship associating one or more game controller signals with one of a plurality of trading system commands associated with electronic trading of financial instruments via a trading platform; 
 receiving a plurality of first game controller signals generated via a first game controller; 
 determining, based on the first controller signal relationships and the plurality of first game controller signals, whether one or more of the plurality of first game controller signals is erroneous; and 
 when one or more of the plurality of first game controller signals is determined to be erroneous, locking the first game controller. 
   
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the locking including communicating an instruction to lock the first game controller. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein determining whether one or more of the plurality of first game controller signals is erroneous comprises determining, based on the first controller signal relationships, whether one or more of the plurality of first game controller signals does not correspond with any of the plurality of trading system commands. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein determining whether one or more of the plurality of first game controller signals is erroneous comprises:
 determining first trading system commands associated with one or more of the plurality of first game controller signals based on the plurality of controller signal relationships; and   determining whether one or more of the first trading system commands is an invalid command in a state of trading activity in which the one or more of the plurality of first game controller signals is received.   
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 3 , wherein communicating an instruction to lock the first game controller comprises:
 determining whether a number of erroneous first game controller signals meets or exceeds a predetermined threshold;   when the number of erroneous first game controller signals is determined to meet or exceed a predetermined threshold, preventing execution of any trading system command originating from the first game controller.   
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 3 , wherein communicating an instruction to lock the first game controller comprises:
 determining whether a number of consecutively-received erroneous first game controller signals meets or exceeds a predetermined threshold; and   when the number of consecutively-received erroneous first game controller signals is determined to meet or exceed a predetermined threshold, preventing execution of any trading system command originating from the first game controller.   
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 3 , wherein communicating an instruction to lock the first game controller comprises:
 determining whether a number of erroneous first game controller signals received within a predetermined time period meets or exceeds a predetermined threshold;   when the number of erroneous first game controller signals received within a predetermined time period is determined to meet or exceed a predetermined threshold, preventing execution of any trading system command originating from the first game controller.   
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 2 , further comprising:
 controlling, by the at least one processor:   receiving second game controller signals generated by a second game controller;   determining trading system commands associated with the second game controller signals; and   communicating the trading system commands toward a trading platform such that the trading system commands may be executed by the trading platform to perform electronic trading of financial instruments via a trading platform.   
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 9 , further comprising:
 controlling, by the at least one processor:   receiving one or more third game controller signals generated by the second game controller;   determining whether the one or more third game controller signals match a stored security code; and   when the one or more third game controller signals is determined to match the stored security code, locking the second game controller.   
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 9 , further comprising:
 controlling, by the at least one processor:   receiving one or more security game controller signals generated by the second game controller, the one or more security game controller signals comprising second game controller signals associated with a configurable security code for locking the second game controller;   determining a configurable security code based on the one or more security game controller signals; and   storing the configurable security code.   
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 9 , further comprising:
 controlling, by the at least one processor:   receiving baseline fingerprint data associated with a user of the second game controller;   receiving from the second game controller user fingerprint data associated with the user; and   determining whether to provide the user access to the trading platform based at least on the received user fingerprint data,   wherein determining whether to provide the user access to the trading platform based at least on the received user fingerprint data comprises comparing the user fingerprint data with the baseline fingerprint data.   
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein receiving second game controller signals generated by the second game controller comprises:
 receiving game controller signals associated with a buy command generated by depressing a first button located on a first front region of the second game controller; and   receiving game controller signals associated with a sell command generated by depressing a second button located on a second front region of the second game controller.   
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein the first front region and second front region of the second game controller are located on a front surface of the second game controller. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 7 , in which the plurality of game controller signals are game controller signals of a game controller comprising a first joystick, a second joystick, and a d-pad. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 15 , in which:
 the plurality of first game controller signals comprises a plurality of directional inputs of the first joystick, each of the plurality of directional inputs being generated by causing a stick portion of the first joystick to move from a central position radially outward from the central position in one of a plurality of directions spanning 360 degrees around the central position,   the one or more erroneous game controller signals comprise at least one of the plurality of directional inputs, and   the plurality of controller signal relationships comprises a plurality of first controller signal relationships associating (1) controller signals comprising at least one directional signal from the first joystick with one of the plurality of trading system commands and (2) controller signals comprising at least one directional signal from the second joystick with another one of the plurality of trading system commands.   
     
     
         17 . An apparatus comprising:
 at least one processor configured to control:
 storing a plurality of controller signal relationships comprising a plurality of first controller signal relationships, each controller signal relationship associating one or more game controller signals with one of a plurality of trading system commands associated with electronic trading of financial instruments via a trading platform; 
 receiving a plurality of first game controller signals generated by a first game controller; 
 determining based on the first controller signal relationships and the plurality of first game controller signals, whether one or more of the plurality of first game controller signals is erroneous; and 
 when one or more of the plurality of game controller signals is determined to be erroneous, locking the first game controller. 
   
     
     
         18 . The apparatus of  claim 17 , wherein the locking including communicating an instruction to lock the first game controller. 
     
     
         19 . The apparatus of  claim 18 , in which:
 the one or more of a plurality of game controller signals are game controller signals of a game controller comprising a first joystick, a second joystick, and a d-pad;   each joystick is configured for movement away from a center position in a plurality of directions spanning 360 degrees,   the plurality of first game controller signals comprises a plurality of directional inputs of the first joystick,   the one or more erroneous game controller signals comprise at least one of the plurality of directional inputs, and   the plurality of controller signal relationships comprises a plurality of first controller signal relationships associating (1) controller signals comprising at least one directional signal from the first joystick with one of the plurality of trading system commands and (2) controller signals comprising at least one directional signal from the second joystick with another one of the plurality of trading system commands.   
     
     
         20 . The apparatus of  claim 18 ,
 wherein the at least one processor is configured to control:
 storing:
 a first set of controller signal relationships, the first set associated with a first user and with a first type of game controller; 
 a second set of controller signal relationships, the second set associated with the first user and with a second type of game controller; and 
 a third set of controller signal relationships, the third set associated with a second user and with the first type of game controller; 
 
   in which at least one controller signal relationship associates one of a plurality of game controller signals with one of a plurality of trading system commands associated with the electronic trading of financial instruments;   wherein the at least one processor is configured to control:
 identifying a specific user associated with a specific game controller; 
 identifying a specific controller type associated with the specific game controller; 
 determining at least one of the sets of controller signal relationships based at least in part on the specific user and the specific controller type; 
 receiving a specific game controller signal from the specific game controller; 
 determining the trading system command associated with the specific game controller signal based at least in part on the at least one of the sets of controller signal relationships; and 
 communicating the determined trading system command such that the trading system command is executed. 
   
     
     
         21 . A non-transitory machine-readable medium configured to store instructions which, when executed by at least one processor, control:
 storing a plurality of controller signal relationships comprising a plurality of first controller signal relationships, each controller signal relationship associating one or more game controller signals with one of a plurality of trading system commands associated with electronic trading of financial instruments via a trading platform;   receiving a plurality of first game controller signals generated by a first game controller;   determining based on the first controller signal relationships and the plurality of first game controller signals, whether one or more of the plurality of first game controller signals is erroneous; and   when one or more of the plurality of game controller signals is determined to be erroneous, locking the first game controller.