1. A method for facilitating trading of securities over a computer system, comprising the steps of:
electronically receiving market data including prices for a security;
calculating with a first processor a reference price for said security based at least partially on said market data;
electronically storing said reference price in a computer readable medium;
electronically receiving a first order regarding said security from a first user, wherein said first order is a sell order that comprises a first price limit and a first quantity limit;
electronically storing said first order in a computer readable medium;
electronically receiving a second order regarding said security from a second user, wherein said second order is a buy order that is contra to said first order and comprises a second price limit that is less than said reference price and a second quantity limit;
electronically storing said second order in a computer readable medium;
comparing price aggression of said first order and said second order to said reference price; and
executing with a second processor a trade comprising said first order and said second order at a trade execution price different from said reference price, wherein said trade execution price complies with said first price limit and said second price limit, and wherein said trade execution price is calculated to minimize a difference between said reference price and said trade execution price and is based on said comparing price aggression of said first order and said second order to said reference price,
wherein said first and second processors may be the same processor.
2. A method as in claim 1, wherein said second user is allowed to increase price aggression only after the expiration of a predetermined period of time.
3. A method as in claim 1, wherein said reference price is based on recent market prices.
4. A method as in claim 1, further comprising displaying said reference price to one or more remotely located users by means of a graphic user interface.
5. A method for facilitating trading of securities over a computer system, comprising the steps of:
electronically receiving market data including prices for a security;
calculating with a first processor a reference price for said security based at least partially on said market data;
electronically storing said reference price in a computer readable medium;
electronically receiving a first order regarding said security from a first user, wherein said first order is a sell order that comprises a first price limit that is greater than said reference price and a first quantity limit;
electronically storing said first order in a computer readable medium;
electronically receiving a second order regarding said security from a second user, wherein said second order is a buy order that is contra to said first order and comprises a second price limit and a second quantity limit;
electronically storing said second order in a computer readable medium;
comparing price aggression of said first order and said second order to said reference price; and
executing with a second processor a trade comprising said first order and said second order at a trade execution price that is different from said reference price, wherein said trade execution price complies with said first price limit and said second price limit, and wherein said trade execution price is calculated to minimize a difference between said reference price and said trade execution price and is based on said comparing price aggression of said first order and said second order to said reference price,
wherein said first and second processors may be the same processor.
6. A method as in claim 5, wherein said second user is allowed to increase price aggression only after the expiration of a predetermined period of time.
7. A method as in claim 5, wherein said reference price is based on recent market prices.
8. A method as in claim 5, further comprising displaying said reference price to one or more remotely located users by means of a graphic user interface.
9. A method for facilitating trading of securities over a computer system, comprising the steps of:
electronically receiving market data including prices for a security;
calculating with a first processor a reference price for said security based at least partially on said market data;
electronically storing said reference price in a computer readable medium;
electronically receiving a first order regarding said security from a first user, wherein said first order is a buy order that comprises a first price limit that is less than said reference price and a first quantity limit;
electronically storing said first order in a computer readable medium;
electronically receiving a second order regarding said security from a second user, wherein said second order is a sell order that is contra to said first order and comprises a second price limit and a second quantity limit;
electronically storing said second order in a computer readable medium;
comparing price aggression of said first order and said second order to said reference price, and
executing with a second processor a trade comprising said first order and said second order at a trade execution price that is different from said reference price, wherein said trade execution price complies with said first price limit and said second price limit, and wherein said trade execution price is calculated to minimize a difference between said reference price and said trade execution price and is based on said comparing price aggression of said first order and said second order to said reference price,
wherein said first and second processors may be the same processor.
10. A method as in claim 9, wherein said second user is allowed to increase price aggression only after the expiration of a predetermined period of time.
11. A method as in claim 9, wherein said reference price is based on recent market prices.
12. A method as in claim 9, further comprising displaying said reference price to one or more remotely located users by means of a graphic user interface.
13. A method for facilitating trading of securities over a computer system, comprising the steps of:
electronically receiving market data including prices for a security;
calculating with a first processor a reference price for said security based at least partially on said market data;
electronically storing said reference price in a computer readable medium;
electronically receiving a first order regarding said security from a first user, wherein said first order is a buy order that comprises a first price limit and a first quantity limit;
electronically storing said first order in a computer readable medium;
electronically receiving a second order regarding said security from a second user, wherein said second order is a sell order that is contra to said first order and comprises a second price limit that is greater than said reference price, and a second quantity limit;
electronically storing said second order in a computer readable medium;
comparing price aggression of said first order and said second order to said reference price, and
executing with a second processor a trade comprising said first order and said second order at a trade execution price different from said reference price, wherein said trade execution price complies with said first price limit and said second price limit, and wherein said trade execution price is calculated to minimize a difference between said reference price and said trade execution price and is based on said comparing price aggression of said first order and said second order to said reference price,
wherein said first and second processors may be the same processor.
14. A method as in claim 13, wherein said second user is allowed to increase price aggression only after the expiration of a predetermined period of time.
15. A method as in claim 13, wherein said reference price is based on recent market prices.
16. A method as in claim 13, further comprising displaying said reference price to one or more remotely located users by means of a graphic user interface.
The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.
What is claimed is:
1. A humidity sensor comprising an insulating substrate, a pair of opposed electrodes disposed on the substrate and defining a gap therebetween, a silicon-containing undercoat layer lying on at least the gap, and a humidity sensitive thin film lying thereon,
said humidity sensitive thin film comprising a crosslinked product of a conductive polymer having ethylenically unsaturated groups and being physically bound to said undercoat layer through an interpenetrating polymer network.
2. A humidity sensor comprising an insulating substrate, a pair of opposed electrodes disposed on the substrate and defining a gap therebetween, a silicon-containing undercoat layer lying on at least the gap, and a humidity sensitive thin film lying thereon,
said humidity sensitive thin film comprising a crosslinked product of a polymer of the following formula (I) and being bound to said undercoat layer through covalent bonds having not undergone dehalogenation reaction,
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wherein A and B each are a divalent group,
Y1, Y2, Y3, Y4, Y5 and Y6 each are a monovalent group, at least one of Y1 to Y6 is a group terminated with an ethylenically unsaturated reactive group,
at least two of Y1, Y2, Y3, Y4, Y5, A and portions thereof adjoining the nitrogen (N) atom or at least two of Y4, Y5, Y6, B and portions thereof adjoining the nitrogen (N) atom, taken together, may form a ring with the nitrogen atom,
X is a halide ion, and
letter n is a number of 2 to 5,000.
3. The humidity sensor of claim 2 wherein said humidity sensitive thin film is physically bound to said undercoat layer through an interpenetrating polymer network.
4. The humidity sensor of claim 1 wherein said humidity sensitive thin film has a thickness of 0.1 to 20 m.
5. The humidity sensor of claim 2 wherein said polymer has the following formula (II) or (III):
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wherein A and B each are a divalent group,
each of R1, R2, R3, and R4 is an alkyl or alkenyl group,
R1 and R2, R1 and A or a portion of A, R2 and A or a portion of A, R3 and R4, R3 and A or a portion of A, R4 and A or a portion of A, R1 and R3, R1 and R4, R2 and R3, or R2 and R4, taken together, may form a ring with the nitrogen (N) atom,
L is a divalent group,
R is hydrogen or an alkyl group,
X is a halide ion,
n is a number of 2 to 5,000, and
R5 and R6 each are an alkyl or alkenyl group.
6. The humidity sensor of claim 2 wherein the divalent group represented by A is an alkylene, alkenylene or arylene group or a mixture thereof.
7. The humidity sensor of claim 2 wherein the divalent group represented by B is an alkylene, alkenylene or arylene group in which at least one of an oxy group (O) and a carbonyl group (CO) may intervene or a mixture thereof.
8. The humidity sensor of claim 2 wherein said polymer is obtained by reacting a diamine compound with a dihalogen compound to form an intermediate polymer and introducing an ethylenically unsaturated reactive group into the intermediate polymer at each end.
9. A method for preparing a humidity sensor comprising the steps of:
applying a silane compound containing at least a hydrolyzable group and an organic group having an unsaturated bond onto a substrate to form an undercoat layer,
applying a solution containing a conductive polymer having ethylenically unsaturated groups onto the undercoat layer, and
exposing the conductive polymer to radiation for crosslinking the polymer and bonding the polymer with the silane compound to thereby form a humidity sensitive thin film.
10. The method of claim 9 wherein the bond between the conductive polymer and the silane compound is due to covalent bonds by crosslinking between the ethylenically unsaturated groups and the unsaturated bonds.
11. The method of claim 9 wherein the radiation is ultraviolet radiation.
12. The method of claim 9 wherein said conductive polymer has the following formula (I):
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wherein A and B each are a divalent group,
Y1, Y2, Y3, Y4, Y5, and Y6 each are a monovalent group, at least one of Y1 to Y6 is a group terminated with an ethylenically unsaturated reactive group,
at least two of Y1, Y2, Y3, Y4, Y5, A and portions thereof adjoining the nitrogen (N) atom or at least two of Y4, Y5, Y6, B and portions thereof adjoining the nitrogen (N) atom, taken together, may form a ring with the nitrogen atom,
X is a halide ion, and
letter n is a number of 2 to 5,000.
13. The method of claim 9 wherein said silane compound has the following formula (IV):
X0n(CH3)3nSi-R0(IV)
wherein X0 is a hydrolyzable group, R0 is an organic group, and n is an integer of 1, 2 or 3.