WO2016068811A1

WO2016068811A1 - System and method for tracking target asset / product price, value, or level and providing notifications and sharing social media information based thereon

Info

Publication number: WO2016068811A1
Application number: PCT/SG2015/050426
Authority: WO
Inventors: Jun Yi Daniel CHIA
Original assignee: Call Levels Pte Ltd
Priority date: 2014-11-02
Filing date: 2015-11-02
Publication date: 2016-05-06
Also published as: SG11201703477XA

Abstract

A cloud based call level management system for providing call level management Infrastructure as a Service (CLM IaaS) includes a database management system for receiving real time and/or non-real time data from client databases and/or client-independent third-party data sources; an order management system for establishing and managing call levels for and/or on behalf of clients; and a data monitoring and cloud resource optimization system for dynamically managing allocation of cloud computing resources for performing call level monitoring processes for and/or on behalf of clients. The system receives or establishes client call levels; determines whether target prices, values, or levels for active client call levels have been reached; and for each client call level having a price, value, or level that has been reached, distributes notifications to particular electronic / computing destinations (e.g., e-mail addresses, social media destinations, mobile telephone numbers, IP addresses, and/or web pages).

Description

SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR TRACKING TARGET ASSET / PRODUCT PRICE, VALUE, OR LEVEL AND PROVIDING NOTIFICATIONS AND

SHARING SOCIAL MEDIA INFORMATION BASED THEREON Technical Field

Aspects of the present disclosure are directed to automated systems and methods for (a) tracking current or most-recent prices, values, or levels for a given asset / product with respect to a target price, value, or level or "call level" specified for the asset / product; (b) communicating at least one notification and possibly adjunctive information to a client or registered user and possibly others associated therewith when the target price, value, or level for a given asset / product has been reached; and possibly (c) sharing by way of social media information related to call levels. Some of such automated systems and methods can provide call level management Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS) to or on behalf of clients.

Background

A "call level" historically refers to a target price for a financial asset or product such as a stock, bond, commodity, or foreign exchange (forex) pair. A call level is typically defined by a customer of a financial professional such as a broker, and is verbally or textually communicated to the financial professional by the customer. In response to receiving a call level from a given customer, the financial professional periodically checks the current price or recent prices of the financial asset / product for the call level under consideration. If the target price has been reached, the broker verbally or textually communicates this fact to the customer from whom the call level originated. Unfortunately, such a manner of defining and monitoring call levels is highly inefficient, and highly limited with respect to managing call levels and providing awareness of call level status.

Summary

In accordance with an aspect of the present disclosure, a computer based system for managing call levels is provided, each call level defining a logical association between (i) a system client or user, (ii) an asset / product, and (iii) a target price, value, or level corresponding to the asset / product, wherein the system includes: a cloud based call level management system configured for providing call level management Infrastructure as a Service (CLM IaaS) to and/or on behalf of multiple clients, the call level management system having: a database management system configured for receiving real time and/or non-real time data from client databases and/or client-independent third-party data sources; a client order management system configured for receiving and processing commands for establishing and managing call levels for and/or on behalf of clients; and a data monitoring and cloud resource optimization system configured for dynamically managing allocation of cloud computing resources for performing call level monitoring processes for and/or on behalf of each client.

The data monitoring and cloud resource optimization system can be configured for dynamically managing allocation of cloud computing resources for performing call level monitoring processes in accordance with one or more of the following criteria: (a) a monitoring / tracking frequency parameter or tag corresponding to an asset / product type associated with each active call level; (b) historical asset / product price, value, or level volatility for the asset / product corresponding to each active call level; (c) a current and/or recent weekly, daily, and/or hourly range of the price, value, or level for the asset / product corresponding to each active call level; (d) a time zone or geolocation tag associated with the asset / product corresponding to each active call level, which is indicative of one or more time periods during which prices, values, or levels of the asset / product are likely to exhibit greatest or most-frequent changes; and (e) a number of active call levels that are currently within a predetermined or programmably selected percentage of their target price, value, or level.

The call level management system can include a monitoring and notification system configured for: automatically monitoring each active call level associated with each client with respect to whether the target price, value, or level corresponding to the active call level has been reached; and automatically generating and distributing a set of notifications for each active call level associated with each client when the target price, value, or level corresponding to the active call level has been reached, wherein for each client, the monitoring and notification system is configured for distributing the set of notifications to a set of electronic / computing destinations comprising a set of e-mail addresses, a set of social media accounts, a set of mobile telephone numbers, and/or a set of web pages. For a first asset / product corresponding to a first active call level associated with a first client, the monitoring and notification system is further configured for distributing: first active call level updates indicating to how close the target price, value, or level corresponding to the first active call level currently is to being reached; first asset / product market updates; and/or first asset / product commentary to particular electronic / computing destinations associated with the first client. The monitoring and notification system can be configured for pushing the first active call level updates, the first asset / product market updates, and/or the first asset / product commentary to the particular electronic / computing destinations in response to user input received from an authorized individual representing the first client. The particular electronic / computing destinations associated with the first client correspond to customers of the first client. The particular electronic / computing destinations are accessible to the customers of the first client by way of electronic / computing devices associated with the customers of the first client, and wherein each of the electronic / computing devices provide a graphical user interface (GUI) by which the customers of the first client can directly contact the authorized individual representing the first client or place an order with the first client corresponding to the first asset / product.

The client order management system can be configured for communicating with a call level setting GUI by which a call level associated with a client can be defined, wherein the call level setting GUI is configured for displaying a current or most-recent price for the asset / product corresponding to the call level, wherein the call level setting GUI comprises a slider bar that is bidirectionally displaceable relative to portions of the call level setting GUI in response to user input for adjusting a present target price, value, or level for the asset / product upwards or downwards, and wherein the slider bar displays the present target price, value, or level for the asset / product as the slider bar is displaced in response to user input. The slider bar's visual appearance can be configured to progressively change in a first manner as it is displaced further from a starting position in a target price, value, or level increment direction, and progressively change in a distinct second manner as it is displaced further from the starting position in a target price, value, or level decrement direction.

The call level setting GUI can increment or decrement the present target price, value, or level corresponding to the asset / product in accordance with at least one mapping function by which the present target price, value, or level corresponding to the asset / product is scaled in a manner correlated with a current display space position of the slider bar away from a starting position. The mapping function can defines a level of granularity for scaling the present target price, value, or level corresponding to the asset / product. The mapping function can defines a nonlinear scaling of the present target price, value, or level corresponding to the asset / product across at least a portion of the slider bar's displacement range.

The call level setting GUI can further be configured for setting an expiration date, time, or period for the call level, and/or is configured for setting an additional or adjunctive target price, value, or level corresponding to the asset / product.

In accordance with an aspect of the present disclosure, a computer based process for managing client call levels is provided, each client call level defining a logical association between (i) a client and/or an authorized individual associated with the client, (ii) an asset / product, and (iii) a target price, value, or level corresponding to the asset / product, wherein the process includes: providing a cloud based call level management system configured for providing call level management Infrastructure as a Service (CLM IaaS) to multiple clients, e.g., as set forth in one or more manners above; receiving or establishing client call levels by way of the call level management system; determining whether the target prices, values, or levels corresponding to client call levels have been reached; and for each client call level having a price, value, or level that has been reached, distributing notifications to particular electronic / computing destinations (e.g., a set of e-mail addresses, a set of social media accounts, a set of mobile telephone numbers, a set of IP addresses, and/or a set of web pages). The process can further include dynamically allocating cloud computing resources for performing client call level monitoring processes in accordance with one or more of the criteria (a) - (e)set forth above. For a first asset / product corresponding to a first call level associated with a first client, the process can further include: distributing first call level updates indicating to how close the first call level's target price, value, or level currently is to being reached; distributing first asset / product market updates; and/or distributing first asset / product commentary as set forth above, wherein the particular electronic / computing destinations associated with the first client can correspond to customers of the first client, and wherein the customers of the first can interact with a GUI to directly contact the authorized individual representing the first client or place an order with the first client corresponding to the first asset / product as set forth above. The process can include providing a call level setting GUI by which a call level associated with a client can be defined, and wherein the call level setting GUI is configured in one or more manners set forth above, and includes a slider bar configured to operate in one or more manners set forth above. Brief Description of the Drawings

FIG. 1A is a schematic illustration of a networked call level management system in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. IB is a block diagram of a call level management server in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIGs. 1C and ID are respective illustrations of a representative set of call levels stored in a call level database, and representative contact lists stored in a contact list database, respectively, in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIGs. 2A - 8B are illustrations of a plurality of representative call level management graphical user interfaces (GUIs) by which communication between a call level management application executing on a client or registered user device and the call level management server can occur in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 9 is a schematic illustration showing aspects of a call level management system configured for providing call level management infrastructure as a service (IaaS) to clients in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 10 is a schematic illustration showing further aspects of the call level management system of FIG. 9 with respect to the provision of call level management IaaS in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure.

Detailed Description

In the present disclosure, depiction of a given element or consideration or use of a particular element number in a particular FIG. or a reference thereto in corresponding descriptive material can encompass the same, an equivalent, or an analogous element or element number identified in another FIG. or descriptive material associated therewith. The use of "/" in a FIG. or associated text is understood to mean "and/or" unless otherwise indicated. The recitation of a particular numerical value or value range herein is understood to include or be a recitation of an approximate numerical value or value range.

As used herein, the term "set" corresponds to or is defined as a non-empty finite organization of elements that mathematically exhibits a cardinality of at least 1 (i.e., a set as defined herein can correspond to a unit, singlet, or single element set, or a multiple element set), in accordance with known mathematical definitions (for instance, in a manner corresponding to that described in An Introduction to Mathematical Reasoning: Numbers, Sets, and Functions, "Chapter 11 : Properties of Finite Sets" (e.g., as indicated on p. 140), by Peter J. Eccles, Cambridge University Press (1998)). In general, an element of a set can include or be a system, an apparatus, a device, a structure, an object, a process, a physical parameter, or a value depending upon the type of set under consideration.

Embodiments in accordance with the present disclosure are directed to systems, subsystems, devices, methods, processes, and user interfaces for receiving input from clients and/or users (e.g., registered users) to establish, specify, or define active target classifications, identifiers, descriptors, and/or numerical values or levels corresponding to one or more types of physical or virtual entities, objects, offerings, goods / products, services, events, occurrences, or situations that have, are expected to have, or are characterized / characterizable / quantified / quantifiable by variable or fluctuating classifications, identifiers, descriptors, and/or numerical values or levels associated therewith as a result of their existence, nature, purpose, use, and/or definition. Each active target classification, identifier, descriptor, and/or numerical value or level corresponding to a particular (a) client or registered user, and (b) physical or virtual entity, object, offering, good / product, service, event, occurrence, or situation can be defined as an active "call level."

Embodiments in accordance with the present disclosure are further directed to monitoring or tracking current and/or recent classifications, identifiers, descriptors, and/or numerical values or levels for particular entities, objects, offerings, goods / products, services, events, occurrences, or situations relative to the clients' and/or registered users' active call levels; and for each client and/or registered user, selectively performing one or more types of notification processes or operations in the event that the target classification, identifier, descriptor, or numerical value or level established by the client and/or registered user for any given active call level has been satisfied or reached. As further detailed below, the notification processes can include the communication of notifications or messages to a set of destinations (e.g., electronic / computing destinations) corresponding to the client and/or registered user and/or other parties; and possibly the communication of adjunctive information or a link thereto to one or more destinations, such as one or more e-mail addresses and/or a set of social media destinations (e.g., one or more social media services such as Facebook, Linkedin, etc .). Some embodiments provide an internal or call level based / call level centric social media service for clients and/or registered users, by or to which clients and/or registered users can communicate social media posts relating to their own call levels, one or more other registered users' call levels, and/or sponsored content provider call levels or commentaries.

In accordance with various embodiments of the present disclosure, representative nonlimiting examples of the foregoing types of entities, objects, offerings, goods / products, services, events, occurrences, or situations include the following: (a) financial or physical assets that have or are expected to have variable or fluctuating prices associated therewith as a result of their nature, supply and demand, purpose or use in commerce or economic interchange between parties (e.g., one or more buyers or potential buyers and one or more sellers or potential sellers), economic conditions, and possibly time-based (e.g., seasonal) factors;

(b) manufactured goods that have or can have variable or fluctuating prices associated therewith as a result of supply and demand, economic conditions, and possibly time- based factors; (b) travel related products (e.g., potential travel arrangements corresponding to airline tickets or lodging accommodations) that have or are expected to have variable or fluctuating prices associated therewith prior to booking or confirmation thereof as a result of supply and demand, economic conditions, and possibly time -based factors; (c) weather related phenomena that are characterized / characterizable / quantified / quantifiable by way of standard or accepted classifications, identifiers, or descriptors (e.g., clear, hazy, sunny, mostly-sunny, cloudy, rainy / raining, snowing, freezing, hot, cold), and/or measured or estimated parameter values (e.g., temperature or monthly rainfall) that vary or fluctuate over time; and (d) sporting events that have scores that are expected to change over time as a result of individuals or players participating in sporting games, matches, or competitions under consideration. Depending upon the nature of a given entity, object, good / product, service, event, occurrence, or situation under consideration, a classification, identifier, descriptor, and/or numerical value or level associated therewith can change, vary or fluctuate with respect to one or more time intervals, such as on an intra-day, daily, weekly, monthly, quarterly / seasonal, yearly / annual, or other basis. As further detailed below, the current or most- recent classification, identifier, descriptor, and/or numerical value or level of one or more entities, objects, goods / products, services, events, occurrences, or situations can be obtained or determined / derived from a public and/or a private source of such information, such as a public or private monitoring / reporting service, server, and/or database.

For purpose of brevity and to aid understanding, in the description hereafter physical or virtual entities, objects, goods / products, services, events, occurrences, or situations for which clients and/or registered users can establish, specify, or define active call levels are simply referred to as assets / products. Additionally, for purpose of brevity and to aid understanding, in the description hereafter classifications, identifiers, descriptors, and/or numerical values or levels for assets / products are simply referred to as prices, values, or levels; and correspondingly, target classifications, identifiers, descriptors, and/or numerical values or levels for assets / products are simply referred to as target prices, values, or levels.

In the context of several embodiments of the present disclosure, an asset / product can represent, include, be, or be based upon / derived from essentially any type of financial asset or instrument for which market related data or quotations (e.g., price data, and possibly other related data) for the financial asset or instrument are accessible, retrievable, receivable, or available. For instance, assets can include or be stock indices; individual securities / equities; commodity contracts (e.g., futures contracts or contracts for delivery (CFD)); foreign exchange (forex) contracts; bonds (e.g., government or corporate debt obligations); and/or derivatives thereof (e.g., option contracts). In multiple embodiments, an asset / product can additionally represent, include, or be essentially any type of non-financial or tangible / physical asset for which market related data or quotations (e.g., price data) are accessible, retrievable, receivable, or available from one or more public and/or private sources. Thus, in such embodiments, assets / products can also include or be physical commodities, real estate, rare coins, or artwork. In an analogous manner, in the context of the present disclosure an asset / product can include or be essentially any type of offering or good for which market transaction related data or quotations (e.g., price data) are accessible, retrievable, receivable, or available. For instance, an asset / product can include or be a particular type of facility such as an accommodation or lodging (e.g., a hotel room or other type of travel related accommodation) that is managed by an associated accommodation management entity (e.g., a hotel booking service); or an asset / product can include be a manufactured good (e.g., a consumer good) produced by a manufacturer.

Herein, an active target price, value, or level established by a client or registered user for a particular asset / product of interest represents, specifies, or defines a user-specified price, value / valuation, or level that has not yet been satisfied or reached, and which if satisfied or reached results in the communication of a notification and possibly adjunctive information (e.g., current / recent market related information such as market related news, sentiment, and optionally one or more market analyses or market direction opinions) for the asset / product under consideration or a link thereto to one or more destinations, (e.g., a set of electronic / computing destinations, which can include a number of social media destinations). The communication of the notification and any adjunctive information or a link thereto serves the purpose of informing the client or registered user and possibly others (e.g., one or more asset managers or financial advisors with whom the registered user has a relationship or account) that the client's or registered user's specified target price, value, or level for this particular asset / product has been satisfied or reached. Thus, for a given asset / product under consideration, a corresponding target price, value, or level specified therefor by the client or registered user represents a condition or criterion for which the occurrence or satisfaction thereof is intended to result in the communication or issuance of a set of notifications or messages by which the client or registered user and possibly others who are associated with or linked to the client or registered user (e.g., by way of particular Internet Protocol (IP) addresses, one or more e- mail addresses, social media services or sites, or mobile telephone numbers) can be contacted, informed, or "called," such that they can become aware that the target price, value, or level that the client or registered user had specified for the given asset / product has been reached. Thus, in accordance with various embodiments of the present disclosure, a call level can be defined as a logical association or relationship between a given client or registered user; a specific asset / product selected or identified by this client or registered user; and a target price, value, or level for this asset / product that, if satisfied, crossed, or reached relative to current or recent prices, values, or levels for the asset / product is intended to result in the communication of at least one notification and possibly asset / product relevant adjunctive information or a corresponding link to a set of electronic / computing destinations corresponding to the client or registered user, and possibly one or more other electronic / computing destinations corresponding to parties or individuals other than the client or registered user (e.g., but which may be electronically associated or linked with the client or registered user). Such other parties or individuals can include, for instance, a financial advisor or private wealth manager for the registered user, and/or particular or potential business associates, friends, family members, or acquaintances of the client or registered user. When the target price, value, or level for the asset / product specified by a given call level has been reached or hit, the call level can be defined to have been reached, triggered, or hit. An active call level can be defined as a call level for which (a) current or most-recent prices, values, or levels for the asset / product specified in the call level are actively being monitored or tracked (e.g., on an ongoing or recurring basis) by a call level management system or service, and (b) the call level has not yet been triggered; and an inactive call level can be defined as a call level for which such price, value, or level tracking does not occur. Thus, in several embodiments, an inactive call level can be defined as a call level that has been triggered. Each active call level, and each inactive call level that has not been deleted can be stored in a data structure or database. For a given call level that has been triggered, its corresponding notification and possibly asset / product relevant adjunctive information or a link thereto can be defined as a call level response. In various embodiments, at least some adjunctive information, such as a current asset / product environment or market snapshot, can be dynamically generated in a selective or selectable manner depending upon asset / product type; present and/or recent asset / product environment or market conditions, news, or commentary; and/or other factors such as the client's or registered user's commands / instructions or call level history or preferences, as further detailed below. A call level contact list or call level distribution list can be defined as a set or list of destinations, such as electronic or computing addresses, services, or devices to which one or more portions of the call level response corresponding to a particular call level can be communicated or distributed (e.g., to parties or individuals other than the particular registered user that defined the call level under consideration).

Various embodiments in accordance with the present disclosure provide at least one call level management system, such as a cloud based call level management system, configured for establishing, managing, and monitoring call levels for clients and registered users. Herein, the term "client" can refer to an institution or organization such as a bank, a brokerage, a corporation, or a government or supra-national agency or an individual associated therewith for which a call level management system provides a set or suite of call level related services (e.g., institutional, organizational, or private call level services); and the term "registered user" can refer to essentially any individual, regardless of their institutional or organizational association, for which a call level management system provides one or more types of call level related services (e.g., public or publicly accessible call level services). In several embodiments, a call level management system can manage a predetermined limited number of active call levels for a registered user (e.g., each registered user) simply as a result of their registration with the call level management system. Additional active call levels (e.g., up to a predetermined maximum allowable in some embodiments, or a large, very large, or essentially unlimited number in certain embodiments) can be provided in response to one or more types of actions on the part of the registered user, such as sharing or posting information relating or corresponding to call level services provided by the call level management system on one or more social media sites, or adding a new contact to a call level contact list corresponding to an active call level.

FIG. 1A is a schematic illustration of a networked call level management system 10 in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure, which is configured for managing (e.g., selectively defining, updating, and deleting) call levels and corresponding call level contact lists; monitoring current and/or recent asset / product prices corresponding to active call levels; and selectively communicating one or more types of call level related information, including call level response information to particular electronic / computing destinations.

In an embodiment, the system 10 includes a set of communication networks 20 configured to facilitate or enable information transfer between at least one call level management server 100 and (a) a set of client and/or registered user devices 300; (b) a client and/or registered user database 400; (c) an asset / product database 420 for storing definitions for asset / product categories, identifiers for individual assets / products, and possibly other asset / product related information made available for client and/or registered user selection such that call levels can be defined therefor; (d) a call level database 430 for storing call levels and possibly associated information; (e) a contact list database 440; (f) one or more asset / product price, value, or level sources or databases 500, which can include a set of public sources or databases 500a and/or a set of private sources or databases 500b from which current asset / product prices, values, or levels corresponding to active call levels can be obtained; (g) a set of sponsored content provider sources, systems, databases, and/or services 600 from which asset / product relevant adjunctive information corresponding to triggered call levels can be obtained; (h) a set of contact list recipient devices 700; (i) one or more external or general / broad purpose social media services, servers, or sites 800 directed to personal and/or professional social media networking; and j) possibly an internal or call level based / call level centric / call level driven social media service, server, or site 900 directed to social media networking among clients and/or registered users of the system 10. The communication network(s) 20 can include the Internet as well as one or more telephony networks (e.g., a mobile telephone network), Local Area Networks (LANs), Wide Area Networks (WANs), satellite networks, and/or other networks, in a manner readily understood by an individual having ordinary skill in the relevant art.

In various embodiments, the call level management server 100 is configured for receiving user input from client and/or registered user devices 300 to define and manage call levels, which the call level management server 100 stores in the call level database 430 as further detailed below. The call level management server 100 is also configured for retrieving or receiving from the asset / product price databases 500 current or most-recent asset / product prices, values, or levels corresponding to the particular assets / products specified or identified in clients' and/or registered users' active call levels. The call level management server 100 and/or a call level management application can additionally be configured for automatically (a) determining, maintaining, or retrieving a most-recent set of particular measures or parameters (e.g., statistical measures or parameters) derived or derivable from one or more samples of prices, values, or levels for an asset / product under consideration relative to a given earlier time period; and (b) establishing or determining a set of one-to-one mappings or injective mathematical relationships or functions between (i) one or more of such measures (e.g., a number of statistical parameters, such a recent or historical range and/or standard deviation) for the asset / product under consideration, and (ii) a range of display space positions or locations (e.g., relative pixel locations) corresponding to a visual or graphical user interface (GUI) or GUI resource / element with which a client or registered user can interact to define or set a target price, value, or level when establishing a call level for the asset / product. One or more of such mappings can aid rapid, efficient, and visually intuitive registered user definition of a call level for an asset / product under consideration during client or registered user interaction with a call level setting GUI, as further detailed below.

In multiple embodiments, a set of one-to-one mappings or injective functions between a set of statistical measures / parameters corresponding to a given asset / product and a range of GUI or GUI resource / element display space positions can be based upon one or more measures of central tendency (e.g., mean, median, or mode), dispersion (e.g., range, variance, and/or standard deviation), and/or shape (e.g., skew or kurtosis) of sample prices, values, or levels for the asset / product in accordance with an intra-day (e.g., hourly), daily (e.g., 1 day, or 2 - 5 days), weekly, monthly, quarterly, or yearly time period. Depending upon embodiment details, the call level management server 100 can determine, maintain, or retrieve such statistical measures corresponding to an asset / product with respect to one or more particular time periods on a default basis, or a programmable / selectable basis, possibly in association with registered user preferences.

The call level management server 100 is further configured automatically determining whether any active call levels have been triggered. For each active call level that is triggered, the call level management server 100 can be configured for communicating with one or more sponsored content systems / services 600 for the purpose of generating adjunctive information relevant to this triggered call level's asset / product, as described in greater detail below. Furthermore, the call level management server 100 is configured for selectively communicating particular call level response information to client and/or registered user devices 300, contact list recipient devices 300, possibly one or more external social media services 800, and possibly the internal / call level based social media service 900.

A client or registered user device 300 can include or be an electronic / computing device by which a client or registered user can communicate with the call level management server 100; establish and manage call levels; and possibly receive call level notifications and possibly adjunctive information corresponding to most-recently triggered call levels. Depending upon embodiment details, a client or registered user device 300 can include or be, for instance, a portable or mobile electronic / computing device such as a mobile telephone 300a (e.g., a smartphone), a tablet computing device 300b, a hybrid mobile phone / tablet computing device 300c (e.g., a phablet), a laptop computer 300c, a desktop computer 300d; or other types of electronic / computing resources such a computer system executing an autonomous or semi-autonomous set of program instructions or a software robot or "bot." A client or registered user device 300 can also include a wearable electronic / computing device such as an optical / head mounted display device (e.g., Google Glass, Google Corporation, Mountain View, CA USA) or a smartwatch (e.g., Apple Watch, Apple Inc., Cupertino, CA USA), in a manner readily understood by an individual having ordinary skill in the art. A client or registered user device 300 can additionally include an in-vehicle electronic / computing device that is installable or built into a transportation vehicle such as an automobile.

Each client or registered user device 300 includes processing resources (e.g., at least one processing unit), memory resources (e.g., Random Access Memory (RAM) and Readonly Memory (ROM)), data storage resources (e.g., fixed and/or removable data storage), network communication resources (e.g., a wireless and/or a wire -based network communication unit), information presentation / display and associated user input / output resources (e.g., a touch screen or position sensing display, a gesture sensitive input device / display, and/or speech receipt and processing resources), and program instruction / software resources (e.g., an operating system) in a manner readily understood by an individual having ordinary skill in the art. Furthermore, each client or registered user device 300 includes a call level management application program or call level management application that can be stored in the memory resources and which is executable by the set of processing resources, and which provides a set of call level management services and/or interfaces that can include a number of call level related GUIs configured for at least (a) receiving input or commands from a client or registered user for defining or managing call levels, and (b) distributing or presenting call level notification information to the client, the registered user, and/or electronic / computing destinations associated therewith, as further described in detail below. In various embodiments, a call level management application includes or is a set of program instructions that is downloadable to and executable by one or more types of client or registered user devices 300. For instance, a call level management application can be a downloadable mobile device application (e.g., a mobile phone / smartphone app) that is available from an app store. In several embodiments, the call level management application can automatically render at least some or each of the call level related GUIs in an appropriate or consistent manner relative to the display and resolution capabilities of essentially any type of registered user device 300 under consideration.

A contact list recipient device 700a-d can include or be an electronic or computing device of a type that is essentially identical, generally identical, or analogous to a given client or registered user device 300a-d, but which lacks the call level management application and the set of call level management interfaces, in a manner also readily understood by an individual having ordinary skill in the relevant art. An external social media service 800a-c can include or be essentially any social media service (e.g., Facebook or Linkedin) with which a client or registered user has a social media account, and to which at least some adjunctive information corresponding to triggered call levels can be shared or posted. Finally, an internal / call level based social media service 900 includes a social media service provided for clients or registered users of the call level management server(s) 100, which can be configured for providing call level related / call level based / call level driven information (e.g., triggered call level notifications, and asset / product environment or market snapshots) corresponding to sponsored content providers and/or registered users, and/or sharing social media comments / remarks / responses directed to call levels, call level notifications, and call level related / call level based / call level driven information, as further detailed below.

FIG. IB is a block diagram of a call level management server 100 in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure. In an embodiment, the call level management server 100 includes a processing unit 110, a data storage unit 120, a network interface unit 130, possibly a set of display devices 140 and a set of input devices 150, and a memory 200. Each element of the call level management server 100 can be coupled to a common set of signal communication pathways 102 such as a set of buses, in a manner readily understood by an individual having ordinary skill in the relevant art. In some embodiments, portions of the registered user database 400, the asset / product database 420, the call level database 430, and/or the contact list database 440 can reside within the data storage unit 120 and/or the memory 200 at one or more times.

Program instruction sets which are executable by the processing unit 110, as well as data associated therewith, can reside within the memory 200. Such program instruction sets can include or correspond to an operating system 210, as well as a plurality of software modules configured for performing call level management; asset / product price, value, or level monitoring; call level response; and adjunctive information sharing operations. In an embodiment, the plurality of software modules includes a client management or user registration module 220; a call level definition / management module 230; a contact list management module 240; an asset / product price, value or level monitoring module 250; an adjunctive information generation module 260; a notification module 270; an adjunctive information communication / sharing module 280; and possibly an internal social media service module 290. Each of the client management or user registration module 220, the call level definition / management module 230, the contact list management module 240, the notification module 270, and the internal social media service module 290 can be configured for communicating with a call level management application that presents a set of call level management GUIs on a client or registered user device 300, as further described in detail below. The memory 200 also includes a working memory portion for use by one or more program instruction sets during the execution thereof, in a manner readily understood by an individual having ordinary skill in the relevant art.

The client management or user registration module 220 manages or performs user operations by which a client can interact with the call level management server 100 and/or an individual can become registered with the call level management server 100. The client management or user registration module 220 can store and manage (e.g., update) user data / registration information (e.g., a user name and password, and possibly additional information such as user profile data, which can include a user image or avatar) in the registered user database 400. For each client or registered user, the call level definition / management module 230 can communicate with the call level management application executing on the client's or registered user's device 300, and can define, modify, or delete call levels in the call level database 430 that correspond to the client or registered user in response to client or registered user commands or input. For any given call level, the contact list management module 240 communicates with the client or registered user's call level management application, and adds or updates entries (e.g., e-mail addresses) in a contact list corresponding to the call level in the contact list database 440 in response to client or registered user commands or input.

For each active call level, the asset / product price, value, or level monitoring module 250 communicates with the asset / product price, value, or level databases 500, and monitors the current or most-recent price, value, or level of the asset / product on a real time, near- real time, very short term, periodic, or recurring basis depending upon asset / product type and possibly user specifications or preferences to determine whether the call level has been triggered. For instance, for active call level assets / products that are or which can be traded nearly continuously (e.g., in association with one or more regular hours / daily and possibly after hours / nightly trading sessions), the asset / product price monitoring module 250 can monitor or attempt to monitor the current prices, values, or levels of such assets / products at least once every k seconds, where k can be less than or equal to 2 (e.g., k = 1). With respect to active call level assets / products for which price, value, or level updates occur or are expected to occur less frequently (e.g., real estate assets, weather related phenomena, or sporting events), the asset / product price, value, or level monitoring module 250 can monitor or attempt to monitor the current prices, values, or levels of such assets / products on a less frequent basis, such as daily, weekly, monthly, quarterly, or during a predetermined date and/or time interval corresponding to the nature of the asset / product under consideration (e.g., a date on which a sporting event occurs or is scheduled to occur). In multiple embodiments, the asset / product price, value, or level monitoring module 250 also determines, generates, calculates, maintains, or retrieves a set of statistical measures derived / derivable from sample prices, values, or levels of the asset / product relative to at least one time period (e.g., an intra-day, daily, weekly, monthly, or quarterly time period) that is relevant or expected to be relevant for defining / adjusting a call level for the asset / product. The statistical measures can include, for instance, one or more measures of central tendency, dispersion, and/or shape for the sample prices, values, or levels. The asset / product price, value, or level monitoring module 250 can additionally generate or update a set of one-to-one mappings or injective functions between particular statistical parameters and a range of display space positions or locations corresponding to a call level setting GUI with which a registered user can interact while defining or setting a target price, value, or level of a call level for the asset / product. The call level management application can use one or more of such mappings to facilitate rapid, efficient, and visually intuitive establishment of a target price, value, or level during user interaction with the call level setting GUI. For a given asset / product, such mappings can be defined in a predetermined or programmable / selectable manner (e.g., in accordance with registered user rules or preferences), depending upon embodiment details. The asset / product price, value, or level monitoring module 250 can determine, maintain, or retrieve a set of relevant statistical measures for a given asset / product under consideration by way of direct and/or indirect communication with at least one asset / product price, value, or level database 500. Such communication can occur at a frequency based upon, correlated with, or corresponding to an actual frequency at which one or more prices, values, or levels for the asset / product and/or statistical measures corresponding thereto have recently changed, and/or a magnitude of such changes, in accordance with asset / product type and current, most-recent, or recent / relatively recent asset / product environment or market conditions. Thus, depending upon the asset / product under consideration and recent and/or historical prices, levels, or values and/or corresponding statistical measures determined therefor, the asset / product price, value, or level monitoring module 250 can communicate with an appropriate asset / product price, value, or level database 500 on an intra-day, daily, weekly, monthly, quarterly, or seasonal basis for purpose of determining an appropriate or most-recent / updated set of statistical measures for the asset / product. In some embodiments, when one or more most-recently determined statistical measures (e.g., a range or standard deviation) for the asset / product meet or exceed a predetermined or selectable threshold level compared to corresponding statistical measures previously determined therefor, the asset / product price, value, or level monitoring module 250 communicates with the asset / product price, value, or level database 500 on a more frequent basis to thereby automatically increase the likelihood that the most-recently determined set of statistical measures accurately reflects the corresponding actual / current / real time statistical measure(s) for the asset / product. That is, the asset / product price, value, or level monitoring module 250 can determine asset / product statistical measures in a manner that is auto-adaptive with respect to the corresponding actual / current / real time statistical measures for the asset(s) / product(s). The asset / product price, value, or level monitoring module 250 can store statistical measures for assets / products, as well as the aforementioned mappings or functions for which particular statistical measures serve as inputs or arguments, in the asset / product database 420, the call level database 430, and/or another database, in a manner readily understood by an individual having ordinary skill in the relevant art.

For a given client or user selected call level or a triggered call level, the adjunctive information generation module 260 can communicate with the set of sponsored content provider sources 600 and typically one or more asset / product price, value, or level databases 500 to generate on a dynamic or real time / near-real time basis adjunctive information that is or is expected to be relevant to the selected or triggered call level's asset / product. In several embodiments, the adjunctive information generated for a selected or triggered call level can include or be defined as a current asset / product environment snapshot, such as a current market snapshot. For instance, depending upon embodiment details, the market snapshot can contain or include a link to a chart or graph of recent market activity (e.g., daily or weekly asset / product trading activity, depending upon the asset under consideration); current or recent market statistics or statistical measures (e.g., gain or loss relative to a predetermined time period, depending upon the asset / product under consideration; and/or current or recent trading volume or open interest); one or more current market analyses or commentaries (e.g., client market analyses or commentaries) for the asset / product (e.g., bullish and/or bearish commentaries or forecasts generated by professional traders, economists, or market research firms); and/or other information. Such market analyses / commentaries can be obtained from a client and/or the sponsored content provider sources 600. The adjunctive information generation module 260 can store asset / product environment or market snapshots or links thereto in the asset / product database 420, the call level database 430, and/or another database, in a manner readily understood by an individual having ordinary skill in the relevant art.

For each triggered call level, the notification module 270 communicates one or more types of notifications or messages to a set of electronic / computing destinations corresponding to the client or registered user to whom the call level corresponds (e.g., the client or registered user that originally defined or set the call level by way of commands and/or interaction with a call level setting GUI). Such notifications / messages can include or be, for instance, a message directed to one or more particular Internet Protocol (IP) addresses; an e-mail message directed to an e-mail address corresponding to the client or registered user and possibly a number of other individuals; a short message service (SMS) message directed to a mobile telephone number corresponding to the client or registered user; a push message directed to the call level management application executing on a client or registered user device 300 corresponding to the client or registered user, respectively; a message directed or posted to an electronic account or web page provided in association with or by the internal / call level based social media service 900; a message directed or posted to an external social networking / communication / messaging (e.g., instant messaging) service 800, account, or application (e.g., corresponding to LINE app (LINE Corporation, Tokyo, Japan), WhatsApp Messenger (WhatsApp Inc., Mountain View, CA USA), Twitter (Twitter, Inc., San Francisco, CA USA), or Skype (Microsoft Corporation, Redmond, WA USA)) corresponding to the client or registered user; a message posted to a web page or weblog corresponding to the client or registered user; and/or another type of message (e.g., an automatically generated voice or text-to-speech message). In a number of embodiments, the notification module 270 supports the selective or selectable communication of notifications to particular electronic / computing destinations in accordance with notification rules and/or preferences established or selected by the client or registered user. Such selective / selectable communication of notifications to particular electronic / computing destinations can depend upon a call level's asset / product type or category. The notification module 270 can additionally communicate one or more types of notifications or messages to each electronic / computing destination identified in the contact list corresponding to the triggered call level under consideration.

In addition to the foregoing, for some triggered call levels or each triggered call level, the adjunctive information communication / sharing module 280 obtains or generates a current asset / product environment snapshot (e.g., a current market snapshot) corresponding to the triggered call level's asset / product, and communicates this snapshot to the client or registered user to whom the triggered call level corresponds. In some embodiments, the adjunctive information communication / sharing module 280 can additionally communicate this snapshot to each destination identified in the triggered call level's contact list, or a subset thereof.

The adjunctive information communication / sharing module 280 can also selectively share a current asset / product environment snapshot for a client or user selected call level or a triggered call level with one or more other electronic / computing destinations, such as one or more social media services 800 or an image hosting service with which the client or registered user has an account. Such sharing can automatically occur for at least some triggered call levels (e.g., on a selective / selectable basis in accordance with registered user rules and/or preferences), or in response to client or registered user commands or input received by the call level management application executing on a client or registered user device 300. FIGs. 1C and ID are respective illustrations of a representative set of call levels stored in the call level database 430, and representative contact lists stored in the contact list database 440 in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure. As indicated in FIG. 1C, in several embodiments, each call level stored in the call level database 430 includes a call level status (e.g., active or inactive); an expiration indicator (e.g., a specific expiration time / date / period; or a "good til cancelled" (GTC) designation, indicating no expiration unless explicitly cancelled / deleted by the registered user); an asset / product symbol or code (e.g., a predefined symbol for the asset / product as used by an exchange on which the asset is traded); a target price, value, or level; and a call level ID (e.g., which can associate a registered user name as well as a numerical ID or code with the call level). For purpose of illustration to aid understanding, the set of call levels shown in FIG. 1C includes call levels defined with respect to particular commodities (e.g., GC00, KC00, CL00, SP00, and DX00); specific forex pairs (e.g., USDJPY, AUDUSD, and GBPUSD); selected equity indices (e.g., N225, SPX, FTSE, and COMPQ); an ETF (e.g., JO); equities (e.g., AAPL and TSLA); an equity price to earnings (PE) ratio (e.g., AAPL-PE); a Singapore temperature (e.g., SG Temp); and a Singapore Pollution Standards Index (e.g., SG PSI). An individual having ordinary skill in the art will understand that depending upon embodiment details, the contents of each call level can differ from that shown, as can the manner in which call levels are organized or stored within the call level database 430.

As indicated in FIG. ID, each contact list stored in the contact list database 440 associates a call level ID with a set of electronic / computing destinations (e.g., e-mail destinations) to which notifications are to be communicated or sent in response to triggering of the call level to which the call level ID corresponds. In several embodiments, the contact list includes a call level ID; an optional a contact group ID that associates a pre-defined or user-defined group of electronic / computing destinations with the call level ID; and in the absence of a contact group ID, a list of individual electronic / computing destinations distinct from or outside of a contact group. Each contact group ID identifies a particular group or collection of electronic / computing destinations, which can be contextually related to each other. For instance, representative contact group IDs can correspond to a default or standard group that identifies electronic / computing destinations to which notifications are sent by default; and one or more business associates groups, family groups, friends groups, and/or other types of groups. Each such group can be represented, organized, or stored as an electronic folder within a hierarchical collection of electronic folders, the contents of which can be established or updated in response to client or registered user commands or interaction with a GUI, in a manner readily understood by an individual having ordinary skill in the relevant art. As also indicated in FIG. ID, in various embodiments the set of destinations specified for any given call level can differ from the set of destinations specified for some or each of the other call levels.

FIGs. 2A - 8B are illustrations of a plurality of representative call level management GUIs by which communication between a call level management application executing on a client or registered user device 300 and the call level management server 100 can occur in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure. The call level management GUIs can selectively include, present, or provide a number of visual / graphical interface elements / objects for presenting visual / graphical information; and GUI elements for receiving user input, such as menus, slider bars, text boxes, selection / check boxes, radio buttons, and/or other visual / graphical elements that can link to additional related GUIs or GUI elements, as will be readily understood by an individual having ordinary skill in the relevant art in view of the description provided herein. While the representative call level management GUIs shown in FIGs. 2A - 8B are depicted in a manner that corresponds or generally corresponds to their presentation on a mobile phone (e.g., a smartphone), an individual having ordinary skill in the relevant art will understand that such GUIs can be generated or rendered in a manner that is appropriate for the display size and resolution of essentially any type of electronic / computing device on which the GUIs are presented or presentable.

FIG. 2A illustrates a representative signup GUI 1000 presented on an electronic / computing device, which is configured for receiving one or more types of user input by which an electronic / computing device user can enter user information or user details to thereby sign up or register for asset / product call level services and thus become a registered user. As indicated in FIG. 2A, user details specified as part of a user registration process can include a user name; possibly a first name and/or a last name; at least one e-mail address to which call level notifications are to be communicated; a password, which can be confirmed; and login information for one or more social media accounts to which call level adjunctive information can be communicated. Other embodiments can provide for the input / selection and storage of additional or other user details. User details can be stored in the registered user database 400. FIG. 2B illustrates a representative signin or login GUI 1100 configured for receiving client or registered user input including a user name and password for signing or logging in to the call level management server 100. FIG. 2C illustrates a representative settings GUI 1200 configured for receiving client or registered user input for managing their password or user profile information, or signing out of the call level management server 100. FIG. 2D illustrates a representative password management GUI 1240 configured for receiving user input specifying and confirming a new user password; and FIG. 2E illustrates a representative user profile GUI 1280 configured for receiving user input by which a client or registered user can update or edit their user profile information, such as one or more electronic / computing destinations such as e-mail addresses to which call level notifications are to be communicated; possibly a first and/or last name; possibly a telephone number (e.g., a mobile phone number); and login details corresponding to one or more social media accounts.

FIGs. 3 A - 3C illustrate portions of a representative call level dashboard 1300 presentable or providable to clients and/or registered users, which is configured for presenting or providing information or details corresponding to active and inactive call levels. In an embodiment, the call level management application accesses or checks the call level database 430 to determine whether any active and/or inactive call levels exist for the client or registered user under consideration. If no active call levels exist, and no inactive call levels exist (e.g., no call levels have been recently triggered, and are thus inactive), then the dashboard 1300 can present a message such as "No Call Levels Yet" as indicated in FIG. 3 A. The dashboard 1300 can also include or present an add call levels button 1302, which if selected by the registered user results in the presentation of one or more GUIs for establishing or defining new active call levels, as further detailed below; and possibly a social media button 1304, which if selected by the client or registered user results in the presentation of one or more GUIs for performing social media related functions or operations, such as posting adjunctive information corresponding to one or more call levels to a set of external social media services 800, and/or the internal / call level centric social media service 900. If no active call levels exist, but one or more inactive call levels exist (e.g., corresponding to call levels that have been recently triggered, such as on today's date, or during the past week or month), the dashboard 1300 can present a message such as "No Call Levels Yet" in a first or upper portion 1310 thereof; and can present a list (e.g., a scrollable list) showing one or more inactive call levels in a second or lower portion 1320 thereof, for instance, in a manner indicated in FIG. 3B. In several embodiments, the dashboard 1300 can order or sequence the presentation of inactive call levels in the inactive call levels list based upon or in accordance with the date / time on which each inactive call level was triggered (e.g., beginning with a most recently triggered call level at the top of the inactive call level list). Additionally or alternatively, the dashboard 1300 can order the presentation of inactive call levels in the inactive call levels list in another manner (e.g., in accordance with user preferences), for instance, alphabetically in accordance with an asset / product identifier, symbol, or code. Individuals having ordinary skill in the art will recognize that a system 10 in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure can present or provide multiple types of dashboards 1300 (e.g., a standard dashboard 1300, or a customized / customizable dashboard 1300 such as a client-specific dashboard 1300) to clients and/or registered users, for instance, based on embodiment details and/or the nature or type of a client or registered user under consideration.

FIG. 3B illustrates a representative inactive call level corresponding to a particular financial asset / product, namely HSBC Holdings pic, where this call level had a target price, value, or level of 79.80 established therefor, and was triggered today at 18: 15 PM. As indicated in FIG. 3B, the dashboard 300 can provide a duplicate button 1322 that the client or registered user can select, in response to which the call level management application automatically duplicates or regenerates the inactive call level under consideration as a new active call level having the same target price, value, or level as that of the inactive call level under consideration. The call level management application can store such a duplicate call level as a new active call level in the call level database 430. The dashboard 300 can additionally provide a delete button 1324 that the client or registered user can select, in response to which the call level management application automatically deletes the inactive call level under consideration from the call level database 430.

If any active call levels exist, the dashboard 1300 can present a list (e.g., a scrollable list) of active call levels in the first / upper portion 1310 of the dashboard 1300, for instance, in a manner indicated in FIG. 3C, which illustrates two active call levels, namely, a first active forex call level for USD-JPY, which has a target price, value, or level of 109.50; and a second active forex call level for USD-JPY, which has a target price, value, or level of 111.00. The call level management application can order or sequence the presentation of active call levels in the active call levels list based upon or in accordance with (a) the date / time on which each active call level defined (e.g., beginning with a most recently defined call level at the top of the active call level list); (b) a percentage difference between the target price, value, or level of any given active call level and the current or most-recent price, value, or level available therefor from an asset / product price, value, or level database 500; and/or (c) client or registered user commands, settings, or preferences. In some embodiments, for each active call level, the call level management application can additionally present the current or most-recent price, value, or level of the asset / product corresponding to the active call level, and/or the aforementioned percentage difference for this asset / product (e.g., the current or most-recent price, value, or level for the asset / product, and/or the current or most-recent percentage difference away from the target price, value, or level established for the asset / product, can be displayed above, below, and/or beside the target price, value or level for the asset / product). In response to client or registered user selection of a given active call level (e.g., presented on the dashboard 1300), the call level management application can present additional information relating to the asset / product to which the selected active call level corresponds (e.g., current or most-recent trading volume, or bid and ask prices); The client or registered user can delete the selected active call level if desired, such as by way of the delete button 1324. The call level management application can automatically scroll or slide information corresponding to other active call levels and inactive call levels presented on the dashboard 1300 away from a selected call level, the additional information presented therefor, and the delete button 1324, in a manner readily understood by an individual having ordinary skill in the relevant art.

In response to client or registered user selection of the add call level button 1302, the call level management application presents a set of asset / product selection GUIs and at least one call level setting GUI by which a new active call level can be defined in response to registered user input. FIGs. 4A - 5G illustrate representative asset / product selection GUIs and a corresponding call level setting GUI in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 4A illustrates a representative asset / product category selection GUI 1400, by which a client or registered user can select, identify, or specify a given categorical type of asset / product for which a new active call level is to be defined. Such a GUI 1400 can include, for instance, a drop down menu or list box 1402 by which the client or registered user can specify an asset / product category, such that a call level for a particular asset / product within the selected asset / product can be defined. As a nonlimiting representative example, categorical types of assets / products selectable by the registered user can include one or more of financial assets; real estate in a user specifiable / selectable location (e.g., Singapore or a particular city in the United States); accommodation (e.g., hotel room) prices in a user specifiable / selectable location (e.g., Singapore or Bangkok); airline ticket prices for a user specifiable / selectable flight plan; temperature in a user specifiable / selectable location (e.g., Singapore or a given city in Asia, Australia, or Europe); a haze index or pollution standards index (PSI) for a user specifiable / selectable location (e.g., Singapore, Hong Kong, or Beijing); and sports scores for a user specifiable / selectable sporting event (e.g., a FIFA World Cup match).

An individual having ordinary skill in the relevant art will understand that a user- selectable / specifiable location can be selected, identified, or specified in accordance with a city name and/or a geolocation (e.g., which can be indicated by way of geospatial (e.g., Global Positioning Satellite (GPS) coordinates). An individual having ordinary skill in the relevant art will also understand that a user selectable / specifiable sporting event can be selected, identified, or specified in accordance with a sporting event name and date, possibly in association with a sporting event category.

In response to client or registered user selection of a particular categorical type of asset / product, the call level management application can present a categorically appropriate type of asset / product selection GUI 1420 to the client or registered user, for instance, in a manner indicated in FIGs. 4B - 4E. FIG. 4B illustrates a representative equity asset / product selection GUI 1420a configured for presenting an asset / product market selection element 1422 by which the client or registered user can select, identify, or specify a market of interest, such as equities, within the category of financial assets. In response to registered user selection of a given market of interest, the asset / product selection GUI 1420 presents an appropriate type of list (e.g., a scrollable list) by which the client or registered user can identify and select a particular asset / product of interest. For instance, in response to registered user selection of equities as their market of interest, the asset / product selection GUI 1420 presents a list of equity asset / product symbols 1424a, any one of which the client or registered user can select to define a call level corresponding thereto in a manner further detailed below.

In a manner analogous or generally analogous to that indicated in FIG. 4B, FIG. 4C illustrates a representative first commodity asset / product selection GUI 1420b configured for presenting a list of commodity asset / product categories 1424b that are selectable by the client or registered user when registered user's selected market of interest is commodities. In a nonlimiting representative example, such commodity categories can include one or more of metals, energies, grains, meats, and softs, in accordance with standard usage or definitions of such categories. In response to registered user selection of a given commodity category, for instance, metals, the call level management application further presents an appropriate related, supplemental, or additional commodity asset / product selection GUI 1420c by which the client or registered user can select a specific commodity within the commodity category under consideration to define a call level for this commodity. For instance, if the commodity category under consideration is metals, a second commodity asset / product selection GUI 1420c can present a metal commodity list 1430 to the client or registered user, in a manner indicated in FIG. 4D.

In a manner also analogous or generally analogous to that described above, FIG. 4E illustrates that in response to client or registered user selection or specification of a forex asset / product category, the call level management application presents a forex asset / product selection GUI 1420d that includes a currency pair selection interface 1440 by which the client or registered user can select, identify, or specify a first currency 1442a and a second currency 1442b such that a call level corresponding to the selected currency pair 1442a-b can be defined. In several embodiments, a client or registered user can specify currency pairs 1442 in a direct or indirect manner relative to any selection of the first currency 1442 and the second currency 1442b, and the call level management application and/or the call level management server 100 can automatically convert as necessary between the format of current / most-recent price, value, or level data corresponding to this currency pair as supported by an appropriate asset / product price, value, or level database 500 and the manner in which the registered user has ordered the first and second currencies 1442a-b.

Once client or registered user input has been received for selecting, specifying, or identifying a particular asset / product of interest for which a call level is to be defined or set, the call level management application can present a call level setting GUI to the client or registered user, by which the call level management application can receive client or registered user input directed to establishing, setting, or defining their intended target price, value, or level for the asset / product under consideration, for instance, relative to a current or most-recent price, value, or level for this asset / product.

FIG. 5 A illustrates a representative call level setting GUI 1500 in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure. In an embodiment, the call level setting GUI 1500 includes a slider bar 1510 that is slidably displaceable relative to or across portions of the call level setting GUI 1500 (e.g., relative to or across the portions of the display of the registered user device 300 on which the call level setting GUI 1500 is presented). In various embodiments, the slider bar 1510 is initially presented at a predetermined starting or default location within the call level setting GUI 1500 (e.g., corresponding or generally corresponding to a central or middle region of the call level setting GUI 1500, or a midpoint of a portion thereof that is configured / configurable for receiving touch based, pressure based, gesture based, position based, and/or other type of user input). The slider bar 1510 includes a first price, value, or level display portion 1512 in which a present target price, value, or level for the asset / product under consideration is displayed. Initially, the present price, value, or level for the asset / product under consideration is set to the current or most-recent price, value, or level for this asset / product, as obtained by the call level management application by way of communication with an appropriate asset / product price, value, or level database 500. In FIG. 5A, the asset / product under consideration is a forex currency pair, namely, USD-EUR, and the present target price, value, or level for this currency pair is initially set to 0.78742, which is equal to the current or most-recent USD-EUR price, value, or level as obtained from the asset / product price, value, or level database 500. In response to user input such as touch (and/or another type of user input, such as a user gesture or user speech, depending upon the type(s) of user interface(s) supported by a given client or registered user device 300), the slider bar 1510 can be displaced, moved, or slid at least bidirectionally in predetermined directions relative to or across portions of the call level setting GUI 1500 (e.g., along a first axis, such as up or down, or in some embodiments left or right, away or toward its starting location), toward and to a maximum positive direction displacement limit or position of the slider bar 1510 away from its starting / default location, or toward and to a maximum negative direction displacement limit or position of the slider bar 1510 away from the starting / default location. FIGs. 5B and 5C illustrate a representative manner in which the slider bar 1510 can be displaced upwards and downwards across portions of the call level setting GUI 1500. FIG. 5B illustrates representative positive direction displacement of the slider bar 1510 toward a positive direction displacement limit or position, and FIG. 5C illustrates representative negative direction displacement of the slider bar 1510 toward a negative direction displacement limit or position. Concurrent with the displacement of the of the slider bar 1510 in a predetermined direction toward or to a given location on the call level setting GUI 1500, the call level management application updates the present target price, value, or level for the asset / product under consideration relative to the current or most recent price, value, or level obtained for this asset / product from the asset / product price, value, or level database 500, such that:

(a) as the slider bar 1510 is progressively moved in a first direction (e.g., upwards, towards a first extremity or a top portion of the call level setting GUI 1500), (i) the present target price, value, or level for this asset / product is progressively increased, (ii) the slider bar's visual appearance (e.g., its color) is changed or updated (e.g., to deeper shades of green to indicate more positive deviation away from the current or most recent price, value, or level for the asset / product), and (iii) and the slider bar's first price, value, or level display portion 1512 is progressively or continuously updated to indicate such increase in the present target price, value, or level for the asset / product; and

(b) as the slider bar 1510 is progressively moved in a second direction (e.g., downwards, toward a second extremity or a bottom portion of the call level setting GUI 1500), (i) the present target price, value, or level for the asset / product under consideration is progressively decreased, (ii) the slider bar's visual appearance (e.g., its color) is changed or updated (e.g., concurrent with the slider bar's motion, to deeper shades of red to indicate more negative deviation away from the current or most recent price, value, or level for this asset / product), and (iii) the slider bar's first price, value, or level display portion 1512 is progressively, concurrently, or continuously updated to reflect such decrease in the target price, value, or level for this asset / product.

Additionally, in multiple embodiments, after the slider bar 1510 has been displaced away from its starting position, the call level setting GUI 1500 presents a starting line 1520 indicative of the starting position of the slider bar 1510, and dynamically presents or updates along the starting line 1520 the current or most recent price, value, or level 1522 for the asset / product under consideration obtained from the asset / product price, value, or level database 500. Moreover, during or in association with the displacement of the slider bar 1510, the call level setting GUI 1500 can present a percentage difference 1513 between the present target price, value, or level for the asset / product under consideration, and its current or most recent price, value, or level obtained from an asset / product price, value, or level database 500.

Thus, during displacement of the slider bar 1510 in a positive direction toward the positive direction displacement limit or the negative direction toward the negative direction displacement limit, the call level setting GUI 1500 respectively dynamically establishes a visual association between (a) the current position of the slider bar 1500 on the call level setting GUI relative to the starting line 1520 and/or the positive direction displacement limit or the negative direction displacement limit; (b) the visual appearance of the slider bar 1500, such as the slider bar's color and/or shading, in a manner that visually conveys a more positive or a more negative change in the present target price, value, or level based upon the slider bar's position relative to the starting line 1520; and (c) the present target, price, value, or level shown in the slider bar's first display portion 1512. With respect to the aforementioned one-to-one mappings or injective functions, in various embodiments, prior to, during, or in association with the client's or registered user's interaction with the call level setting GUI 1500 to establish, set, or define a call level for a given asset / product, the call level management application identifies a mapping or function corresponding to this asset / product, in accordance with which the present target price, value, or level can be determined in a manner correlated with or based upon (a) the current display space position of a predetermined portion of the slider bar 1510 (e.g., a vertical midpoint of the slider bar 1510) relative to the starting line 1520 and/or the slider bar's maximum positive displacement direction limit or maximum negative displacement direction limit; as well as (b) the current or most-recent price of the asset / product and/or (c) a previously determined or preceding present target price, value, or level for a previous or preceding display space position of the slider bar 1510. As a result, concurrent with user displacement of the slider bar 1510 relative to the starting line 1520 and/or a given displacement direction limit, the call level management application automatically determines the present target price, value, or level in accordance with the mapping / function corresponding to the asset / product, such that the present target price, value, or level is linearly or nonlinearly scaled relative to a previously determined or preceding (e.g., immediately preceding) present price, value, or level determined for the asset / product as the slider bar 1510 is progressively displaced away from its starting position. As a representative example to aid understanding, an individual having ordinary skill in the relevant art will recognize that the forex pair USDHKD (i.e., price, value, or level of the Hong Kong dollar relative to the US dollar) represents a managed currency, which has traded around a narrow price band centered around 7.75 for many years, and which has been allowed to go higher than but typically not significantly below 7.75. Historically, the time periods during which the USDHKD price has been below 7.75 are generally much shorter than the time periods during which the USDHKD price has been above 7.75. This means that the historical USDHKD price distribution is asymmetric or skewed. Hence, a possible range of present target prices, values, or levels that USDHKD can exhibit can readily rise significantly above (e.g., relatively far or far above) 7.75, but may not or is unlikely to fall significantly below 7.75 (e.g., depending upon central bank policy). FIG. 5D illustrates a representative first mapping between or function of slider bar display space position relative to its starting position and a possible range of USDHKD present target prices, where the first mapping is based upon or derived from historical USDHKD price data. As indicated in FIG. 5D, the slider bar's starting display space position corresponds or maps to an initial or default USDHKD present target price of 7.75. For slider bar display space positions in a positive displacement direction away from the slider bar's starting position, corresponding to USDHKD present target prices above 7.75, the first mapping establishes a linear relationship between slider bar display space positions and USDHKD present target prices, up to a USDHKD present target price greater than 9.0. For slider bar display space positions in a negative displacement direction away from the slider bar's starting position, corresponding to present USDHKD target prices below 7.75, the first mapping establishes a nonlinear relationship between the slider bar display space position and USDHKD present target prices, down to a USDHKD price above 6.0. Therefore, as a registered user moves the slider bar 1510 further away from its starting position in the positive displacement direction, the call level management application determines by way of the first mapping the USDHKD present target price as a linear function of the slider bar's displacement away from its starting position, relative to the initial USDHKD present target price of 7.75. As the client or registered user moves the slider bar 1510 further away from its starting position in the negative displacement direction, the call level management application determines by way of the first mapping the USDHKD present target price as a nonlinear function of the slider bar's displacement away from its starting position, relative to the initial USDHKD present target price of 7.75.

In view of historical central bank policy and corresponding historical USDHKD prices, at any given time actual or current USDHKD prices are more or much more likely to be above 7.75 than below 7.75. Additionally, USDHKD prices below 7.75 typically fall within a very narrow range or lower bound away from 7.75, whereas USDHKD prices above 7.75 fall within a comparatively much larger range or upper bound relative to 7.75. The first mapping establishes multiple distinct levels of granularity for the USDHKD present target price depending upon or as a function of displacement of the slider bar 1510 in the positive or negative displacement direction relative to its starting position. Such multiple levels of granularity include a finest granularity level for USDHKD present target prices slightly or somewhat below 7.75; a fine or generally fine granularity level for USDHKD present target prices above 7.75, and a coarse (e.g., increasingly coarse) granularity level for USDHKD present target prices approaching or falling below approximately 7.5.

In view of the foregoing, an individual having ordinary skill in the relevant art will also understand that the call level management application can alternatively utilize a second mapping or function as shown in FIG. 5D, which is based upon or established in accordance with historical USDHKD price percentage changes. The second mapping establishes a linear relationship between USDHKD present target price percentage change and the slider bar's displacement in the positive displacement direction away from its starting position; and a nonlinear relationship between USDHKD present target price percentage change and the slider bar's displacement in the negative displacement direction away from its starting position in a manner analogous to that shown in FIG. 5C. As with the first mapping, the second mapping establishes multiple distinct granularity levels for the USDHKD present target price depending upon or as a function of displacement of the slider bar 1510 in the positive or negative displacement direction relative to its starting position, where such multiple granularity levels are analogous or counterparts to those described above with respect to the first mapping.

With reference again to FIGs. 5A - 5C, in several embodiments the call level setting GUI 1500 also provides a set of increment and decrement controls 1530a,b configured for adjusting the present target price, value, or level of the asset / product in accordance with a fine / finest granularity or minimum price, value, or level change for the asset / product in response to user input such as touch. As a result, the registered user can displace the slider bar 1510 to a given or desired location on the call level setting GUI 1500 (e.g., a particular display screen location that is, on a relative basis, vertically above or below the starting line 1520), and selectively touch or tap an increment or decrement control 1530a,b to precisely adjust or fine tune the present target price, value, or level for the asset / product, in accordance with a fine increment / decrement amount (hereafter simply increment amount, as a decrement is simply a negative increment) for the asset / product. The call level management application can automatically establish the fine increment amount in accordance with the type and nature of the asset / product under consideration, and the manner in which the price, value, or level of asset / product is quoted or specified / defined / stated in accordance with contract specifications or standard / conventional usage. For instance, for a given equity asset / product, the call level management application can automatically establish the fine increment amount as USD $0.01; for a particular forex asset / product, the call level management application can establish the fine increment amount as 0.0001 in accordance with its base currency; and for a sporting event score, the call level management application can establish the fine increment amount as 1.

In addition to the foregoing, the call level setting GUI 1500 can be responsive to user input upon the slider bar 1510 that is maintained or which remains at a constant position on the slider bar 1510 for a minimum predetermined period of time. In response to such user input, the call level setting GUI 1500 presents an expiration selection interface 1540. FIG. 5F is an illustration of a representative expiration selection interface 1540 provided in association with or by the call level setting GUI 1500 in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure. In an embodiment, the user can optionally select or specify an expiration time / date / period for the call level being defined by way of laterally sliding their finger across the expiration selection interface 1540 such that a menu of selectable expiration times / dates / periods laterally or horizontally scrolls individually selectable expiration times / dates / periods across the call level setting GUI 1540. Such selectable expiration times / dates / periods can include, for instance, one day, one week, one month, one year, or forever / GTC. In response to user input directed to a given expiration time / date / period that is laterally positioned within a central or center region of the call level setting GUI 1540, this centrally disposed expiration time / date / period is selected as the call level's expiration time / date / period. Also in addition to the foregoing, in several embodiments the call level setting GUI 1500 is responsive to brief lateral / horizontal user input (e.g., one or more swipes) across the slider bar 1510, which results in the presentation of one or more additional / adjunctive prices, values, or levels for the asset / product under consideration by way of lateral / horizontal scrolling of the first price, value, or level display portion 1512 away from a central portion of the slider bar 1510, concurrent with lateral / horizontal scrolling of a second and possibly one or more other / additional price, value, or level display portions 1514 toward and to the central portion of the slider bar 1510, in which an additional / adjunctive current price, value, or level for the asset / product is displayed. Depending upon embodiment details, the call level management application can obtain each additional / adjunctive current price, value, or level by way of communication with the call level management server's asset / price database 420, or an external asset / product price, value, or level database 500. The nature of any given additional / adjunctive current price, value, or level depends upon the categorical type of asset / product under consideration. For a financial asset / product such as an equity asset / product, additional / adjunctive prices, values, or levels can correspond to, include, or be one or more of a PE ratio, a trading volume, or a bid or ask price, value, or level or a spread therebetween. FIG. 5G illustrates a representative lateral / horizontal scrolling of the first price, value, or level display portion 1512 away from the central lateral / horizontal portion of the slider bar 1510, and corresponding simultaneous lateral / horizontal scrolling of a second price, value, or level display portion 1514 corresponding to a PE ratio 1515 for a selected equity asset / product (AAPL) toward the central portion of the slider bar 1510. FIG. 5H illustrates the second price, value, or level display portion 1514 laterally / horizontally disposed at the slider bar's central lateral / horizontal position, and the selected equity asset/s current PE ratio 1515 displayed therein.

The display of one or more additional / adjunctive prices, values, or levels for the selected asset / product can aid client or registered user definition of a target price, value, or level for the asset / product. Additionally or alternatively, in some embodiments, once a particular additional / adjunctive price, value, or level is presented in the central portion of the slider bar 1510, the slider bar 1510 is once again responsive to user input directed to vertically displacing the slider bar 1510 relative to the positive displacement direction or the negative displacement direction (e.g., vertically up or down, respectively) such that the user can establish a call level for the additional / adjunctive price, value, or level of this asset / product, in a manner analogous or essentially identical to that described above. For instance, FIG. 51 illustrates user displacement of the slider bar 1510 in the positive displacement direction for purpose of establishing or defining a representative target PE ratio for a selected equity asset (AAPL).

After the client or registered user has established a desired or intended target price, value, or level for the asset / product under consideration, or a desired or intended additional / adjunctive target price, value, or level for this asset / product, the call level management application sets or defines the call level for the asset / product, including the user established target price, value, or level or additional / adjunctive target price, value, or level, in response to user selection of a set call level button 1580.

In several embodiments, the call level management application in association with the call level management server 100 are configured for generating, storing, and managing a predetermined maximum or limited number of active call levels for any given registered user (e.g., each registered user), or particular categorical types of registered users. A predetermined default maximum number of active call levels can be freely provided simply as a result of user registration with the call level management server 100. Thus, a registered user can be allocated a maximum of k free active call levels on a default basis (for instance, k can be between 1 and 5, e.g., k = 2, 3, or 4) following their successful registration with the call level management server 100. In order to increase their number of active call levels beyond the default or their current maximum, the call level management application can require registered users to undertake certain actions, such as adding e-mail addresses to the call level contact list corresponding to an active or desired active call level, and/or sharing information relating to the call level management application and/or services provided in association therewith on one or more social media sites.

The call level management application can inform the registered user when they have reached or are attempting to exceed the default or their current maximum number of active call levels, and can selectively increase the registered user's maximum number of active call levels in response to user input or actions, as further described below. In a number of embodiments, after the registered user has selected the set call level button 1580 as part of a call level definition process, the call level application checks whether they have reached or are attempting to exceed the default or their current maximum number of active call levels.

FIG. 6A is an illustration of a representative call level limit GUI 1600 provided by the call level application program in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure. The call level limit GUI 1600 includes a message informing the registered user that their maximum limit of active call levels has been reached, and additional active call levels can be established or defined in response to social media sharing actions and/or the addition of electronic / computing destinations to one or more call level contact lists on the part of the registered user. The call level limit GUI 1600 further can provide a contact list button 1610 and a number of social media sharing buttons 1620a,b by which the registered user can respectively add e-mail addresses to the contact list for a call level under consideration (e.g., a call level that the registered user intends to define, and for which the registered user has selected the set call level button 1580), or post information relating to the call level management application and/or services provided in association therewith on corresponding social media sites.

In response to registered user selection of the contact list button 1610, the call level management application can present a contact list addition interface 1620, for instance, in a manner illustrated in FIG. 6B. The contact list addition interface 1620 can include a set of text boxes 1622a,b configured for receiving user input directed to the name and e-mail address of an individual who is not registered with the call level management server 100, in a manner readily understood by an individual having ordinary skill in the relevant art. The contact list addition interface 1620 can also include a set of check boxes 1624 responsive to user input for selecting one or more contact groups that are to include the added e-mail address. If no contact group is selected, the contact list corresponding to this call level can store the added e-mail address separately from any contact group. After the registered user has entered and saved a new entry in the call level contact list corresponding to the call level under consideration, the call level management application can increment the registered user's maximum number of active call levels by m (for instance, m can equal 1 - 3, e.g., 1 or 2).

In response to registered user selection of a social media button 1620 of the call level limit GUI 1600, the call level management application can present a social media sharing interface 1650, for instance, in a manner illustrated in FIG. 6C. The social media sharing interface 1650 can include standard or default information 1652 (e.g., promotional information) about the call level management application or services provided in association therewith, and possibly a visual presentation 1654 corresponding thereto; and a text box 1656 configured for receiving registered user input such as comments or remarks about the call level management application or services provided in association therewith.

The social media sharing interface 1650 further includes a post button 1660. In response to registered user selection of the post button, the call level management application logs into an external social media service or site 800 identified by the social media sharing interface 1650 on behalf of the registered user, and posts the standard / default information 1652, possibly the visual presentation 1654, and any registered user comments or remarks 1658 corresponding to the external social media service or site 800 under consideration, such that this posted information 1652, 1654, 1658 can be presented on a web page 1670 corresponding to the external social media service or site 800. The call level management application additionally increments the registered user' s maximum number of active call levels by n (for instance, n can equal 1 - 3, e.g., 1 or 2). After an active call level has been defined and stored for a given asset / product, the call level management server 100 monitors the relevant asset / product price, value, or level database(s) 500 on a real time, near-real time, or periodic basis (e.g., depending upon the asset / product under consideration) to determine whether the call level has been triggered. If not, this active call level simply remains active until (a) an expiration time / date / period previously designated or selected by the registered user to whom this call level corresponds has been reached; (b) the call level expires as a result of an inherent or contractually defined expiration time / date / period for the type of asset / product under consideration (e.g., a forex, futures, or commodity contract having a predetermined expiration or first notice date; or a sporting event that is completed on a specified or predetermined date); or (c) the client or registered user deletes this active call level.

In several embodiments, in response to an active call level being triggered, the call level management server 100 can communicate with one or more client or sponsor content provider systems 600 to obtain adjunctive information such as sponsored content for this triggered call level. The client or sponsored content can correspond to, include, or be, for instance, professional or recognized commentaries, opinions, and/or forecasts relating to the asset / product under consideration. The adjunctive information can be selected or retrieved in accordance with the type of asset / product under consideration; the client's or registered user's profile and/or call level history; and/or other factors (e.g., user preferences). The call level management server 100 further generates a current asset / product environment snapshot, such as a current market snapshot, corresponding to this triggered call level, where the current asset / product environment snapshot includes the adjunctive information obtained from the sponsor content provider system(s) 600.

The call level management server 100 communicates a notification corresponding to the triggered call level, as well as its corresponding current asset / product environment shapshot, to the client or registered user corresponding to this triggered call level. The call level management server 100 also communicates the current asset / product environment snapshot to each destination specified in the call level contact list corresponding to this triggered call level. In certain embodiments, the call level management server 100 communicates the current asset / product environment snapshot to a web page corresponding to the client or registered user, and which can be provided by way of the internal / call level centric social media service 900. In specific embodiments, the call level management server 100 can additionally or alternatively communicate the current asset / product environment snapshot (e.g., on a selective / selectable basis) to one or more other electronic / computing destinations, for instance, corresponding to an account for the client or registered user provided by an image hosting service. FIG. 7 is a schematic illustration of a representative current asset / product environment shapshot 1700 in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure, which is a representative current market snapshot for a triggered USD-EUR call level. This snapshot 1700 includes a heading 1702 that identifies the asset / product under consideration; a market price, value, or level chart (e.g., a daily or weekly chart) 1710 for this asset / product; a market statistics section 1720 for this asset / product, which can include statistics, data, or visual representations thereof for a percent change (e.g., an annual change), a relative monthly change, a trading volume, a current market capitalization, and/or other information for this asset / product; and a number of client or sponsored content 1730a,b sections corresponding to one or more sponsored content providers 600a,b. Each client or sponsored content section 1730a,b can include an identifier or logo 1732a,b corresponding to a client or sponsor; commentary, remarks, or analysis 1734b provided by the client or sponsor, and/or a link thereto; and possibly a social media follow button 1736 in response to the selection of which the client or sponsor can be followed by the registered user. Multiple client or sponsored content sections 1730 can be provided in a scrollable format, in a manner readily understood by an individual having ordinary skill in the relevant art.

In addition to the foregoing, in multiple embodiments the call level management application can generate a secondary current asset / product environment snapshot corresponding to a given active call level in response to user selection of the active call level, for instance, by way of registered user input directed to the dashboard 1300 of FIG. 3C. The secondary current asset / product environment snapshot can include at least a subset of the information contained in the current asset / product environment snapshot of FIG. 7 (e.g., the secondary current asset / product environment snapshot can omit some or all sponsored content). Following its generation, the call level management application can present the secondary current asset / product environment snapshot to the client or registered user as part of a GUI associated with, linked to, or provided by the dashboard 1300.

In response to client or registered user selection of the dashboard's social button 1304, the call level management application presents a social / sharing management GUI 1800, for instance, in a representative manner illustrated in FIG. 8A. The social / sharing management GUI 1800 can include a featured strategists interface 1810 that presents information about particular featured or recognized asset / product strategists (e.g., in response to user input directed to laterally / horizontally scrolling the contents of the featured strategists interface 1810) whose strategies, opinions, and/or commentary may be of interest to the client or registered user. In response to client or registered user selection of a follow button 1812, a currently displayed strategist is added to a follow list corresponding to the user. Each of the registered user's followed strategists can be identified (e.g., by way of an icon) in a follow list interface 1820.

For any given strategist identified in the follow list, client or registered user selection of the followed strategist can result in the presentation of a web page provided by the internal / call level centric social media service 900 for the followed strategist. Such a web page can include asset / product environment snapshots corresponding to the followed strategist's own triggered call levels, and possibly the followed strategist's opinions or commentary corresponding thereto. By way of the internal / call level centric social media service 900, the client or registered user can post feedback (e.g., remarks) directed to the followed strategist's asset / product environment snapshots and/or opinions / commentary, and in several embodiments registered users can post feedback directed to other registered users' feedback corresponding to the followed strategist. Additionally, in some embodiments the internal / call level centric social media service 900 supports web pages corresponding to clients or registered users who are not featured strategists, in a manner analogous or generally analogous to that for featured strategists.

The social / sharing management GUI 1800 also includes a contact list management button 1840, the selection of which by the client or registered user results in the presentation of a contact list management interface 1850, such as that shown in representative form in FIG. 8B. The contact list management interface 1850 is responsive to user input directed to registered user definition, selection, and/or management of one or more contact groups, and the addition of e-mail addresses thereto or the deletion of e-mail addresses therefrom, such as by way of a contact group selection interface 1860 and a contact list sharing button 1865. In certain embodiments, the contact list management interface 1850 can present contact groups and contact group contents in accordance with a standard type of hierarchical / nested folder representation, in a manner readily understood by an individual having ordinary skill in the relevant art.

In several embodiments, a call level management system 10 exists in association with, supports, or provides a call level management Application Program Interface (CLM API) by which client systems, devices, and/or information processing resources (e.g., hardware and software / program instruction resources) can communicate with the call level management system 10 for providing particular types of call level management services / functions to and/or on behalf of clients. In such embodiments, the call level management system 10 can be a remote or cloud-based system providing scalable, dynamically allocatable / allocated computing resources, and the call level management system 10 can receive and process commands from and exchange information with essentially any type of external or third party system, device, or electronic / computing / processing resource that communicates with the call level management system 10 in accordance with call level management API specifications and protocols to thereby support or provide call level definition, monitoring, notification, and/or other call level related services / functions. The CLM API can be an open API by which essentially any type of system, platform, or device (e.g., one or more servers, trading platforms, web apps, or software robots) can send requests to and receive information from the call level management system 10. The CLM API enables the provision of call level management services to or on behalf of clients, and further can facilitate or enable the creation of associated or adjunctive services, such as news or market information distribution services based upon internal database contents and possibly currently active call levels.

Individuals having ordinary skill in the relevant art will recognize that such a call level management system 10 can thus provide call level management infrastructure as a service (CLM IaaS) to and/or on behalf of clients, and hence can provide call level management as a service (CLMaaS) to and/or on behalf of clients by way of the CLM API. Such a call level management system 10 can host standard, client selected, client customizable / customized, and/or client defined / generated call level management applications and associated call level management GUIs for and/or on behalf of clients, where such call level management applications and call level management GUIs are generated in accordance with CLM API specifications or protocols.

In view of the foregoing, a call level management system 10 configured for providing CLM IaaS can provide standard as well as customizable / customized sets or suites of call level management services / functions to a wide or very wide variety of external or third party systems, devices, or processing resources, for instance, electronic / computing destinations such as computer systems and/or electronic devices corresponding to or operated by clients such as banks, brokerages, financial product exchanges, government agencies, supra-national agencies, non-profit organizations, and other types of institutions, organizations, or entities. As a result, any given client (e.g., a particular bank or brokerage) can utilize or access the call level management system 10 as an interface, resource, and/or enabling intermediary by which one or more sets or suites of standard and/or client-related, client-centric, or client-specific call level management services / functions are enabled for provision to (a) authorized client-internal systems, devices, entities, parties, or personnel (e.g., electronic / computing systems, devices, or destinations associated with particular client stakeholders, employees, and consultants); and/or (b) authorized client-external systems, devices, entities, parties, affiliates / associates, and/or customers (e.g., electronic / computing systems, devices, or destinations associated with authorized client customers, or possibly authorized members of the public).

Stated analogously or equivalently, by way of the call level management API, call level management system clients can access or utilize a call level management system 10 in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure for providing particular sets or suites of call level management services / functions to client-authorized systems, devices, entities, parties, personnel, affiliates / associates, and/or customers. As a result, with respect to a pool of multiple or many call level management system clients, any given call level management system client under consideration need not develop or maintain their own call level management system 10, but rather the call level management system 10 can serve as an intermediary (e.g., a cloud based intermediary) by which call level management cloud computing infrastructure / resources and particular types of call level management services / functions (e.g., standard and/or client-specific call level management services / functions) can be provided to and/or on behalf of the client.

FIG. 9 is a schematic illustration showing aspects of a call level management system 10 configured for providing CLM IaaS 2000 to clients in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure. In the embodiment shown, the call level management system 10 provides CLM IaaS 2000 to clients by way of a client management system 2100; a database management system 2200; and a data monitoring and cloud resource optimization system 2300, each of which can be a virtualized cloud based resource. In association with providing CLM IaaS 2000, the call level management system 10 can communicate with various types of public and private servers and databases, including client cloud servers / databases 3000 and client local servers / databases 3100, to obtain current or most-recent asset / product data (e.g., real time or near-real time asset / product data) for monitoring or tracking client related or client-defined call levels. The call level management system 10 can additionally communicate client call level notifications and possibly adjunctive information to client cloud and/or client local hardware and/or software resources, such as client cloud servers / databases 3000 and client local servers / databases 3100, when the target price, value, or level of any given call level associated or linked with or defined by the client has been reached. The call level management system 10 can further communicate with mobile device APIs 4000 and software widgets 4100 (e.g., in accordance with the CLM API and/or protocols supported thereby) to provide call level notifications to particular electronic / computing destinations for and/or on behalf of any given client, such as mobile devices (e.g., smartphones) and/or third party electronic / computing systems or devices corresponding to client stakeholders, employees, customers, or others when the target price, value, or level of a call level associated or linked with or defined by the client or the client stakeholder, employee, customer, or other party has been reached. In at least some embodiments, the call level management IaaS 2000 can additionally communicate with mobile device APIs 4000 and software widgets 4100 to support or enable the provision of call level management GUIs to users of at least some electronic / computing destinations, systems, or devices.

FIG. 10 is a schematic illustration showing further aspects of a call level management system 10 configured for providing CLM IaaS in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure. In an embodiment, the client management system 2100 is configured for communicating with particular client-side resources 5000 such as client-based or client related databases 5100 and external data APIs and client data monitoring processes 5110, and is further configured for communicating with client side software resources 5200 such as chart generators 5210, social media sites / discussions / forums 5220, and hierarchical categorization modules 5230 by way of one or more front-end APIs 2150, which can form portions of the CLM API. The hierarchical categorization modules 5230 can gather information (e.g., news / press releases, analyst opinions, buy / sell horizons, and/or other information) relating to assets / products for which active call levels are defined, such that this information can be selectively communicated to particular electronic / computing destinations. In some embodiments, one or more hierarchical categorization modules 5230 can communicate with or form portions of the call level management system 10. The client management system 2100 can include a client command / order management / processing system 2110 configured for receiving, processing, and responding to client or client-side commands or orders; a chron allocator 2120 configured for determining or aiding the determination for each asset / product for which active call levels exist how frequently to monitor external data sources for and update internal databases with current or most-recent asset / product prices, values, or levels (e.g., based upon a categorical asset / product type and historical or recent price, value, or level volatility); and a client call level monitoring and notifications system 2130 configured for managing client or client-side call level monitoring operations and the distribution of call level notifications to and/or on behalf of clients.

The database management system 2200 is configured for receiving real time and non-real time data from client-related databases 5100 as well as a variety of third-party data sources 2050 (e.g., client-independent third-party data sources 2050, or data sources 2050 that are not directly associated with or owned by clients), for instance, Xignite, financial asset / product exchanges, and/or other data sources or databases, and is configured for ensuring data quality and storing quality data in one or more call level management system databases 2210. The database management system 2200 can further be configured for processing data in accordance with a categorical type of data under consideration, such as by way of a forex module 2220 configured for processing forex asset / product data, an equity module 2230 configured for processing equity asset / product data, a bond module 2240 configured for processing bond asset / product data, a futures module 2250 configured for processing futures asset / product data, and/or one or more other types of modules (e.g., a real estate module, a weather information module, a sports event module, etc..) configured for processing other categorical types of data.

The data monitoring and cloud resource optimization system 2300 is configured for managing the allocation of cloud resources (e.g., in an efficient / optimized / optimal manner) for performing call level monitoring processes for each client in accordance with particular call level management IaaS resource allocation criteria or factors, such that call levels for which current or most-recent asset / product prices, values, or levels are relatively far from their target prices, values, or levels and/or which are relatively stable or which exhibit low levels of asset / product price, value, or level volatility with respect to one or more time periods are monitored or tracked less frequently than call levels that are currently close or very close to their target prices, values, or levels, and/or which currently, recently, or historically exhibit volatile or highly volatile asset / product prices, values, or levels. Depending upon embodiment details, for a current pool of client call levels that are to be monitored / tracked across each client, such call level management IaaS resource allocation criteria or factors can include at least some of:

(a) a monitoring / tracking frequency parameter or tag corresponding to an asset / product type or designation associated with each call level under consideration (e.g., each currently active call level associated with a client);

(b) historical asset / product price, value, or level volatility for the asset / product corresponding to each call level under consideration;

(c) current and/or recent weekly, daily, and/or hourly profile or range of the price, value, or level for the asset / product corresponding to each call level under consideration;

(d) a time zone and/or geolocation tag corresponding to the asset / product corresponding to each call level under consideration, which can indicate the time period(s) (e.g., trading sessions) during which prices, values, or levels of the asset / product can change, or are likely to exhibit the greatest or most- frequent changes (or correspondingly, which can indicate the time period(s) during which prices, values, or levels of the asset / product are least likely to exhibit large or frequent changes); and

(e) the number of call levels under consideration that are currently near or very near their target price, value, or level, for instance, the number of active client related call levels that are currently within j% (e.g., 10%) and/or the number of active client related call levels that are currently within k% (e.g., 3% or 5%) of their target price, value, or level.

Based upon at least some or each of the foregoing criteria, the data monitoring and cloud resource optimization system 2300 can dynamically allocate cloud based resources to the client call level monitoring and notification system 2130 to thereby efficiently support or enable the provision of call level monitoring and management services / functions to and/or on behalf of clients. The client management system 2100 receives and/or enables the establishment / definition and/or management of client or client related call levels, such as by way of one or more front-end APIs 2150, which can form portions of the CLM API. The client call level monitoring and notification system 2130 monitors or tracks call levels corresponding to each client, and provides or distributes call level notifications for each client or client related call level in the event that such call level's target price, value, or level has been reached or hit. Call level notifications can be distributed by way of a front-end API 2150 to one or more client or client-side or client-related hardware and/or software resources such as particular application programs or apps executing on client- side electronic / computing systems or devices (e.g., associated with client stakeholders, employees, and/or customers).

Individuals having ordinary skill in the art will recognize that a call level management system 10 configured for providing CLM IaaS and CLMaaS by way of a CLM API can support or provide GUIs by which client or client related call levels can be established / defined and managed, and by which call level notifications can be distributed to particular electronic / computing destinations (e.g., client related e-mail addresses, social media accounts / sites / discussions / forums, mobile telephone numbers, IP addresses, and/or web pages) and/or visually presented to and/or on behalf of clients. Portions of such GUIs can be similar, analogous, essentially identical, or identical to or based upon the GUIs described above with respect to FIGs. 2A - 8B, and can further be customizable / customized in accordance with client requests, specifications, or requirements. Thus, a call level management system 10 in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure can be configured for providing on-demand CLM IaaS to multiple clients and supporting client related CLMaaS by way of a CLM API. As a representative example to aid understanding, a brokerage firm can be a client of such a call level management system 10. By way of a set of GUIs, for instance, which includes a dashboard, authorized individuals or professionals (e.g., employees or consultants / contractors) representing or associated with the brokerage firm such as brokers working for and/or on behalf of the brokerage firm can interact with their dashboard and communicate with the call level management system 10 to establish or define call levels for a variety of assets / products, for instance, in one or more manners described herein (e.g., such as by way of a call level setting GUI 1500 similar, analogous, or essentially identical to that described above, which can form a portion of or be accessible from the broker's dashboard).

In several embodiments, by way of their dashboard, a broker can communicate with the call level management system 10 to manage their call levels (e.g., add new call levels, delete inactive call levels, etc .), as well as push real time asset / product environment updates (e.g., market updates) and possibly commentary or adjunctive information to electronic / computing destinations associated with particular brokerage firm customers, such as customers who follow the broker's call levels, for instance, in a manner indicated in FIG. 11A. Additionally, in some embodiments the broker can communicate with the call level management system 10 to send customized push updates corresponding to one or more call levels (e.g., where for any given call level, such an update can indicate how close the call level's target price, value, or level currently is to being reached, triggered, or hit) to electronic / computing destinations (e.g., e-mail addresses, social media accounts, mobile telephone numbers, IP addresses) corresponding to particular brokerage firm customers. The pushed updates can be accessible to these brokerage firm customers by way of a GUI presented on customer electronic / computing devices, for instance, an asset / product environment shapshot 1700 (e.g., a current market snapshot 1700) presented on such brokerage firm customers' smart phones, laptop computers, desktop computers, etc...in a manner indicated in FIG. 1 IB. Such a GUI can include a graphical call button 1750 by which the brokerage firm customer can directly call the broker under consideration, and/or a graphical trade / order button (e.g., a "trade now" or "order now" button, not shown) by which the brokerage firm customer can select / define and issue a trade or order relating to the asset / product under consideration to the brokerage firm. Additionally, this or another GUI can provide at least some of automated live broker or customer asset / product portfolio monitoring capabilities; automated data and event announcements relating to particular assets / products or asset / product categories (e.g., for which active call levels exist); and special news or opinion pieces relating to broker call levels.

A call level management system 10 configured for providing CLM IaaS can provide dynamically allocated cloud computing infrastructure to and/or on behalf of multiple clients simultaneously (e.g., dozens, hundreds, or thousands of clients), for supporting or providing call level management services to clients or authorized client users. Such services include call level definition, call level monitoring / tracking, and call level notification services that involve the distribution and/or sharing (e.g., via social media) of call level notifications and call level related information.

Aspects of particular embodiments of the present disclosure address at least one aspect, problem, limitation, and/or disadvantage associated with exiting systems and methods for automatically tracking or monitoring the prices, values, or levels of assets / products. While features, aspects, and/or advantages associated with certain embodiments have been described in the disclosure, other embodiments may also exhibit such features, aspects, and/or advantages, and not all embodiments need necessarily exhibit such features, aspects, and/or advantages to fall within the scope of the disclosure. It will be appreciated by a person of ordinary skill in the art that several of the above-disclosed systems, apparatuses, components, processes, or alternatives thereof, may be desirably combined into other different systems, apparatuses, components, processes, and/or applications. In addition, various modifications, alterations, and/or improvements may be made to various embodiments that are disclosed by a person of ordinary skill in the art within the scope of the present disclosure.

Claims

1. A computer based system for managing call levels, each call level defining a logical association between (i) a system client or user, (ii) an asset / product, and (iii) a target price, value, or level corresponding to the asset / product, the system comprising:

a cloud based call level management system configured for providing call level management Infrastructure as a Service (CLM IaaS) to and/or on behalf of multiple clients, the call level management system comprising:

a database management system configured for receiving real time and/or non- real time data from client databases and/or client-independent third-party data sources;

a client order management system configured for receiving and processing commands for establishing and managing call levels for and/or on behalf of clients; and

a data monitoring and cloud resource optimization system configured for dynamically managing allocation of cloud computing resources for performing call level monitoring processes for and/or on behalf of each client.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the data monitoring and cloud resource optimization system is configured for dynamically managing allocation of cloud computing resources for performing call level monitoring processes in accordance with one or more of the following criteria:

(a) a monitoring / tracking frequency parameter or tag corresponding to an asset / product type associated with each active call level;

(b) historical asset / product price, value, or level volatility for the asset / product corresponding to each active call level;

(c) a current and/or recent weekly, daily, and/or hourly range of the price, value, or level for the asset / product corresponding to each active call level;

(d) a time zone or geolocation tag associated with the asset / product corresponding to each active call level, which is indicative of one or more time periods during which prices, values, or levels of the asset / product are likely to exhibit greatest or most- frequent changes; and (e) a number of active call levels that are currently within a predetermined or programmably selected percentage of their target price, value, or level.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the call level management system comprises a monitoring and notification system configured for:

automatically monitoring each active call level associated with each client with respect to whether the target price, value, or level corresponding to the active call level has been reached; and

automatically generating and distributing a set of notifications for each active call level associated with each client when the target price, value, or level corresponding to the active call level has been reached,

wherein for each client, the monitoring and notification system is configured for distributing the set of notifications to a set of electronic / computing destinations comprising a set of e- mail addresses, a set of social media accounts, a set of mobile telephone numbers, and/or a set of web pages.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein for a first asset / product corresponding to a first active call level associated with a first client, the monitoring and notification system is further configured for distributing:

first active call level updates indicating to how close the target price, value, or level corresponding to the first active call level currently is to being reached;

first asset / product market updates; and/or

first asset / product commentary

to particular electronic / computing destinations associated with the first client.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the monitoring and notification system is configured for pushing the first active call level updates, the first asset / product market updates, and/or the first asset / product commentary to the particular electronic / computing destinations in response to user input received from an authorized individual representing the first client.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the particular electronic / computing destinations associated with the first client correspond to customers of the first client.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the particular electronic / computing destinations are accessible to the customers of the first client by way of electronic / computing devices associated with the customers of the first client, and wherein each of the electronic / computing devices provide a graphical user interface (GUI) by which the customers of the first client can directly contact the authorized individual representing the first client or place an order with the first client corresponding to the first asset / product.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the client order management system is configured for communicating with a call level setting GUI by which a call level associated with a client can be defined, wherein the call level setting GUI is configured for displaying a current or most- recent price for the asset / product corresponding to the call level, wherein the call level setting GUI comprises a slider bar that is bidirectionally displaceable relative to portions of the call level setting GUI in response to user input for adjusting a present target price, value, or level for the asset / product upwards or downwards, and wherein the slider bar displays the present target price, value, or level for the asset / product as the slider bar is displaced in response to user input.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the slider bar's visual appearance progressively changes in a first manner as it is displaced further from a starting position in a target price, value, or level increment direction, and progressively changes in a distinct second manner as it is displaced further from the starting position in a target price, value, or level decrement direction.

10. The system of claim 8, wherein the call level setting GUI increments or decrements the present target price, value, or level corresponding to the asset / product in accordance with at least one mapping function by which the present target price, value, or level corresponding to the asset / product is scaled in a manner correlated with a current display space position of the slider bar away from a starting position.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the mapping function defines a level of granularity for scaling the present target price, value, or level corresponding to the asset / product.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the mapping function defines a nonlinear scaling of the present target price, value, or level corresponding to the asset / product across at least a portion of the slider bar's displacement range.

13. The system of claim 8, wherein the call level setting GUI is further configured for setting an expiration date, time, or period for the call level, and/or is configured for setting an additional or adjunctive target price, value, or level corresponding to the asset / product.

14. A computer based method for managing client call levels, each client call level defining a logical association between (i) a client and/or an authorized individual associated with the client, (ii) an asset / product, and (iii) a target price, value, or level corresponding to the asset / product, the method comprising:

providing a cloud based call level management system configured for providing call level management Infrastructure as a Service (CLM IaaS) to multiple clients, the call level management system comprising:

a data monitoring and cloud resource optimization system configured for dynamically managing allocation of cloud computing resources for performing call level monitoring processes for and/or on behalf of clients. receiving or establishing client call levels by way of the call level management system;

determining whether the target prices, values, or levels corresponding to client call levels have been reached; and

for each client call level having a price, value, or level that has been reached, distributing notifications to particular electronic / computing destinations.

15. The method of claim 15, wherein the particular electronic / computing destinations comprise a set of e-mail addresses, a set of social media accounts, a set of mobile telephone numbers, a set of IP addresses, and/or a set of web pages.

16. The system of claim 14, further comprising dynamically allocating cloud computing resources for performing client call level monitoring processes in accordance with one or more of the following criteria:

(a) a monitoring / tracking frequency parameter or tag corresponding to an asset / product type associated with each active call level associated with each client; (b) historical asset / product price, value, or level volatility for the asset / product corresponding to each active call level associated with each client;

(c) a current and/or recent weekly, daily, and/or hourly range of the price, value, or level for the asset / product corresponding to each active call level associated with each client;

(d) a time zone or geolocation tag associated with the asset / product corresponding to each call level associated with , which is indicative of one or more time periods during which prices, values, or levels of the asset / product are likely to exhibit greatest or most-frequent changes; and

(e) a number of client call levels that are currently within a predetermined or programmably selected percentage of their target price, value, or level.

17. The method of claim 14, wherein for a first asset / product corresponding to a first call level associated with a first client the method further comprises:

distributing first call level updates indicating to how close the first call level's target price, value, or level currently is to being reached;

distributing first asset / product market updates; and/or

distributing first asset / product commentary

18. The method of claim 17, wherein distributing the first call level updates, the first asset / product market updates, and/or the first asset / product commentary to the particular electronic / computing destinations occurs in response to user input received from an authorized individual representing the first client.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the particular electronic / computing destinations associated with the first client correspond to customers of the first client.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the particular electronic / computing destinations are accessible to the customers of the first client by way of electronic / computing devices associated with the customers of the first client, and wherein the method further comprises providing a graphical user interface (GUI) by which the customers of the first client can directly contact the authorized individual representing the first client or place an order with the first client corresponding to the first asset / product.

21. The method of claim 14, further comprising providing a call level setting GUI by which a call level associated with a client can be defined, and wherein the call level setting GUI is configured for displaying a current or most-recent price for the asset / product corresponding to the call level, and the call level setting GUI comprises a slider bar that is bidirectionally displaceable relative to portions of the call level setting GUI in response to user input for adjusting a present target price, value, or level for the asset / product upwards or downwards, and wherein the slider bar displays the present target price, value, or level for the asset / product as the slider bar is displaced in response to user input.

22. The method of claim 21 , further comprising progressively changing the slider bar's visual appearance in a first manner as it is displaced further from a starting position in a target price, value, or level increment direction, and progressively changing the slider bar's visual appearance in a distinct second manner as it is displaced further from the starting position in a target price, value, or level decrement direction.

23. The system of claim 8, further comprising incrementing or decrementing the present target price, value, or level corresponding to the asset / product in accordance with at least one mapping function by which the present target price, value, or level corresponding to the asset / product is scaled in a manner correlated with a current display space position of the slider bar relative to the call level setting GUI.

24. The method of claim 24, wherein the mapping function defines a level of granularity for scaling the present target price, value, or level corresponding to the asset / product.

25. The method of claim 24, wherein the mapping function defines a nonlinear scaling of the present target price, value, or level corresponding to the asset / product across at least a portion of the slider bar's displacement range.

26. The system of claim 18, further comprising setting an additional or adjunctive target price, value, or level corresponding to the asset / product by way of the call level setting GUI.