AQUA INDEX

• US 20090055294A1
• Filed: 08/20/2008
• Published: 02/26/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 08/21/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Aqua Index
• Original Assignee: Aqua Index
• Inventors: Shirazi, Yaacov
• Granted Patent: US 8,024,239 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/30
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/10 specially adapted for electronic funds transfer [EFT] systems; specially adapted for home banking systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0283 Price estimation or determination
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/00 Finance; Insurance; Tax strategies; Processing of corporate or income taxes
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/02 Banking, e.g. interest calculation or account maintenance credit or loans G06Q40/03
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/04 Trading; Exchange, e.g. stocks, commodities, derivatives or currency exchange
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/06 Asset management; Financial planning or analysis
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/10 Tax strategies
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/12 Accounting
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 90/00 Systems or methods specially adapted for administrative, commercial, financial, managerial or supervisory purposes, not involving significant data processing
• CPC Class Codes: Y02A 20/00 Water conservation; Efficient water supply; Efficient water use
• CPC Class Codes: Y02A 20/20 Controlling water pollution; Waste water treatment

Abstract

A method and system for computing a stable index value of a regulated substance by computing a virtual value of the substance based on the value of a freely marketed product of the substance. Particularly the invention may be applied to develop a stable investment instrument for investing in fresh water.

Claims

1. An investment instrument comprising:

a) a collateral, and

b) a virtual value of a substance of said collateral in at least one product.

2. The investment instrument of claim 1, wherein trade in said substance is regulated and said at least one product is a publicly traded commodity.

3. The investment instrument of claim 2, wherein said substance is fresh water.

4. The investment instrument of claim 2, wherein said at least one product includes at least one commodity of an agricultural commodity, a manufactured commodity and a fuel.

5. The investment instrument of claim 1 wherein said virtual value further depends on at least one factor selected from the group consisting of a quantity of said substance constituent in said at least one product, a quantity of said substance utilized to produce said at least one product, a quantity of an output from said at least one product and a quantity of a constituent of said at least one product.

6. The investment instrument of claim 1, where said virtual value further depends on at least one of a market weight of said at least one product and a quantity of said substance utilized in producing said at least one product.

7. A method of investing comprising the steps of:

a) calculating an index value of a substance, and

b) computing a virtual value of said substance in at least one product, and wherein said index value is at least partially dependent on said virtual value.

8. The method of claim 7, further including the step of:

c) acquiring a right to a collateral containing said substance, said acquiring according to said index value.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein trade in said substance is regulated and said at least one product is a publicly traded commodity.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein said substance is fresh water.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein said at least one product includes at least one commodity selected from the group consisting of an agricultural commodity, a manufactured commodity, and a fuel.

12. The method of claim 7 wherein said calculating includes at least one subsubstep selected from evaluating a quantity of said substance constituent in said at least one product, evaluating a quantity of said substance utilized to produce said at least one product, evaluating a quantity of said substance output from at least one product and evaluating a quantity of an output from said at least one product.

13. A method of trading a collateral comprising the steps of:

a) determining a market value of at lease a portion of the collateral based on an index value of a substance of the collateral, and

b) calculating said index value, wherein said index value is at least partially dependent on a virtual value of said substance in at least one product of said substance.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

c) marketing a right to said at least a portion of the collateral according to said market value.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein trade in said substance is regulated and said at least one product is a publicly traded commodity.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein said substance is fresh water.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein said at least one product is selected from group an agricultural commodity, a manufactured commodity, and a fuel.

18. The method of claim 13 wherein said virtual value further depends on at least one factor selected from the group consisting of:

a quantity of said substance constituent in said at least one product, a quantity of said substance utilized to produce said at least one product, a quantity an output from said at least one product and a quantity of a constituent of said at least one product.

19. A system to compute a value of a collateral comprising:

a) a memory configured to store a virtual value of a substance of the collateral, and

b) a processor configured for computing said virtual value of said substance in at least one product of said substance.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein said substance is a regulated commodity and said at least one product is a freely traded commodity.

21. The system claim 19, wherein said substance is fresh water.

22. The system claim 19, wherein said at least one product includes at least one commodity selected from the group consisting of an agricultural commodity, a manufactured commodity, and a fuel.

23. The system claim 19, wherein said memory is further configured to store at least one factor selected from the group consisting of:

a quantity of said substance in said at least one product, a quantity of said substance utilized to produce said at least one products and a quantity of an output produced by from said at least one product.

24. The system claim 19, wherein said processor is further configured to calculate an index value of said substance, said index value being at least partially dependent on said virtual value.