AQUA INDEX

• US 20130024397A1
• Filed: 09/20/2012
• Published: 01/24/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 08/21/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Aqua Index Limited
• Original Assignee: Aqua Index Limited
• Inventors: Shirazi, Yaakov
• Granted Patent: US 10,552,806 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/36.R
• 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. A method of creating a stable index value for fresh water, comprising:

evaluating a quantity of fresh water physically contained in at least one product, the at least one product not being water;

storing the quantity on a computer;

evaluating a quantity of water utilized to produce the at least one product and storing the quantity of water utilized to produce the at least one product on a computer;

having a computer store data concerning a current price of the at least one product;

using a computer to determine a current index value of fresh water based on the current price of the at least one product and based on at least one of the quantity of said fresh water physically contained in said at least one product and the quantity of water utilized to produce the at least one product,

thereby creating a stable index value representing a stable price of fresh water.

2. A method of investing in accordance with the method of claim 1, further comprising determining a price of a financial instrument issuable for a particular amount of fresh water by using a computer processor to calculate the price from the index value of the fresh water and the particular amount of the fresh water;

and

issuing a financial instrument that identifies on its face a volume of fresh water, the price of the volume of fresh water being a function of the volume and the stable price of fresh water.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising using fresh water as collateral for the volume of fresh water on the face of the financial instrument.

4. A method of using fresh water as collateral in accordance with the method of claim 1, further comprising determining a market value of the collateral based on the stable index value of the fresh water.

5. A method of obtaining a stable price for fresh water by evaluating a quantity of fresh water associated with at least one commodity, comprising:

evaluating a quantity of fresh water physically contained in at least one commodity by physically evaluating the quantity of fresh water physically contained in the at least one commodity, the at least one commodity not being water;

storing the quantity on a computer;

having a computer store data concerning a current price of the at least one commodity;

using a computer to determine a current index value of fresh water based on the current price of the at least one commodity and based on the quantity of said fresh water physically contained in said at least one commodity,

thereby creating a stable index value representing a stable price of fresh water.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising

evaluating a quantity of water utilized to produce the at least one commodity;

storing the quantity of water utilized to produce the at least one commodity; and

using the computer to determine the current index based also on the quantity of water utilized to produce the at least one commodity.

7. The method of claim 5, further comprising

computing the current index value of fresh water based also on a market weight of each commodity of the at least one commodity.

8. The method of claim 5, further comprising using at least one food crop as the at least one commodity.

9. A method of investing in accordance with the method of claim 5, further comprising determining a price of a financial instrument issuable for a particular amount of fresh water by using a computer processor to calculate the price from the index value of the fresh water and the particular amount of the fresh water;

and

issuing a financial instrument that identifies on its face a volume of fresh water, the price of the volume of fresh water being a function of the volume and the stable price of fresh water.

10. A method of using fresh water as collateral in accordance with the method of claim 5, further comprising determining a market value of the collateral based on the stable index value of the fresh water.

11. A method of creating a stable index value for investing in fresh water, comprising:

evaluating a quantity of fresh water physically contained in at least one product, the at least one product not being water;

storing on a memory of a computer the quantity of the fresh water physically contained;

evaluating a quantity of water utilized to produce at least one product;

storing on a memory of a computer the quantity of the water utilized to produce;

having a computer obtain data concerning current prices of at least one product; and

determining an index value of the fresh water by using a computer to calculate the index value based on the current prices and based on at least one of

(i) the quantity of said fresh water physically contained; and

(ii) the quantity of said water utilized to produce.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising updating the data concerning current prices in real time.

13. A method of investing in accordance with the method of claim 11, further comprising determining a price of a financial instrument issuable for a particular amount of fresh water by using a computer processor to calculate the price from the index value of the fresh water and the particular amount of the fresh water;

and

issuing a financial instrument that identifies on its face a volume of fresh water, the price of the volume of fresh water being a function of the volume and the stable price of fresh water.

14. A method of using fresh water as collateral in accordance with the method of claim 11, further comprising determining a market value of the collateral based on the stable index value of the fresh water.

15. A method of obtaining a stable price for fresh water, comprising:

evaluating a quantity of water utilized to produce at least one product, the at least one product not being water;

storing the quantity on a computer;

having a computer store data concerning a current price of the at least one product;

using a computer to determine a current index value of fresh water based on the current price of the at least one product and based on the quantity of said water utilized to produce said at least one product,

thereby creating a stable index value representing a stable price of fresh water.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising

evaluating a quantity of fresh water physically contained in the at least one product;

storing the quantity of fresh water physically contained in the at least one product; and

using the computer to determine the current index based also on the quantity of fresh water physically contained in the at least one product.

17. A method of investing in accordance with the method of claim 15, further comprising determining a price of a financial instrument issuable for a particular amount of fresh water by using a computer processor to calculate the price from the index value of the fresh water and the particular amount of the fresh water;

and

issuing a financial instrument that identifies on its face a volume of fresh water, the price of the volume of fresh water being a function of the volume and the stable price of fresh water.

18. A method of using fresh water as collateral in accordance with the method of claim 15, further comprising determining a market value of the collateral based on the stable index value of the fresh water.

19. The method of claim 15, further comprising

computing the current index value of fresh water based also on a market weight of each product of the at least one product.

20. A method of creating a stable index value for investing in fresh water by evaluating a quantity of fresh water associated with at least one product, comprising:

(a) performing at least one of the following steps “

(i)” and

“

(ii)” and

storing the one or more quantities obtained thereby on a computer;

(i) evaluating a quantity of fresh water physically contained in at least one product, the at least one product not being water, and

(ii) evaluating a quantity of water utilized to produce the at least one product;

(b) performing a physical process on the at least one product and evaluating the amount of water that is an output of the physical process and storing the amount on a computer;

(c) having a computer store data concerning a current price of the at least one product;

using a computer to determine a current index value of fresh water based on the current price of the at least one product and the amount of water that is output from the physical process and based on at least one of (i) the quantity of said fresh water physically contained in said at least one product and (ii) the quantity of water utilized to produce the at least one product.

21. The method of claim 20, further comprising using a combustion of the at least one product as the physical process.

22. A method of investing in accordance with the method of claim 20, further comprising determining a price of a financial instrument issuable for a particular amount of fresh water by using a computer processor to calculate the price from the index value of the fresh water and the particular amount of the fresh water;

and

issuing a financial instrument that identifies on its face a volume of fresh water, the price of the volume of fresh water being a function of the volume and the stable price of fresh water.

23. A method of using fresh water as collateral in accordance with the method of claim 20, further comprising determining a market value of the collateral based on the stable index value of the fresh water.

24. A method of creating a stable index value for fresh water by evaluating a quantity of water associated with at least one product, comprising:

(a) performing at least one of the following

(i) evaluating a quantity of fresh water physically contained in the at least one product, the at least one product not being water, and storing the quantity on a computer;

(ii) evaluating a quantity of water utilized to produce the at least one product and storing the quantity of water utilized to produce the at least one product on a computer, and

(iii) performing a physical process on the at least one product and evaluating an amount of water that is an output of the physical process;

(b) having a computer store data concerning a current price of the at least one product;

(c) using a computer to determine a current index value of fresh water based on the current price of the at least one product and based on at least one of the quantity of said fresh water physically contained in said at least one product, the quantity of water utilized to produce the at least one product and the amount of water that is the output of the physical process,

thereby creating a stable index value representing a stable price of fresh water.

25. The method of claim 24, further comprising using a combustion of the at least one product as the physical process.

26. A method of investing in accordance with the method of claim 24, further comprising determining a price of a financial instrument issuable for a particular amount of fresh water by using a computer processor to calculate the price from the index value of the fresh water and the particular amount of the fresh water;

and

issuing a financial instrument that identifies on its face a volume of fresh water, the price of the volume of fresh water being a function of the volume and the stable price of fresh water.

27. The method of claim 26, further comprising using fresh water as collateral for the volume of fresh water on the face of the financial instrument.

28. A method of using fresh water as collateral in accordance with the method of claim 24, further comprising determining a market value of the collateral based on the stable index value of the fresh water.