Computer method and system for intermediated exchange of commodities
First Claim
1. A computer system for electronic intermediated exchange of a plurality of commodities among a plurality of participants comprising:
- a. one or more computer-based machines;
b. a plurality of electronic agent (e-agent) computer programs running on at least one of said computer-based machines, wherein each said participant is associated with at least one of said e-agent computer programs, and each said e-agent computer program stores in an electronic memory digital data representing commodity exchange objectives of its associated participant; and
c. an electronic intermediary computer program running on at least one of said computer-based machines, wherein said intermediary computer program stores in an associated electronic memory digital data representing commodity exchange objectives of the intermediated exchange and exchanges electronic offer and electronic counter-offer messages with said e-agent computer programs;
wherein (i) said e-agent computer programs receive said electronic offer messages from said intermediary computer program, generate said electronic counter-offer messages according to said exchange objectives of said associated participants, and send said electronic counter-offer messages to said intermediary computer program, and (ii) said intermediary computer program receives said electronic counter-offer messages from said e-agent computer programs, generates said electronic offer messages according to said exchange objectives of said intermediated exchange, and sends said electronic offer messages to said e-agent computer programs.
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Accused Products
Abstract
In a preferred embodiment, this invention includes software processes distributed on one or more computer systems that exchange messages in order to facilitate an intermediated exchange of financial commodities between a plurality of participants. The messages are exchanged according to a preferred protocol that leads to a satisfactory exchange that meets the objectives of the participants, and that substantially maximizes in a fair manner the total amount of financial commodities exchanged. Optionally, the invention employs heuristic rules in association with the preferred protocol that adapt the protocol to the time and exchange requirements of financial commodities. In other embodiments, this invention is equally applicable to the exchange of any tangible or intangible commodities. In a general embodiment, this invention further includes a preferred message-exchange protocol for the construction of computer programs representing exchange participants and an intermediary. These constructed computer programs exchange messages such that a satisfactory intermediated exchange of commodities is substantially certain to be achieved.
1006 Citations
85 Claims
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1. A computer system for electronic intermediated exchange of a plurality of commodities among a plurality of participants comprising:
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a. one or more computer-based machines; b. a plurality of electronic agent (e-agent) computer programs running on at least one of said computer-based machines, wherein each said participant is associated with at least one of said e-agent computer programs, and each said e-agent computer program stores in an electronic memory digital data representing commodity exchange objectives of its associated participant; and c. an electronic intermediary computer program running on at least one of said computer-based machines, wherein said intermediary computer program stores in an associated electronic memory digital data representing commodity exchange objectives of the intermediated exchange and exchanges electronic offer and electronic counter-offer messages with said e-agent computer programs; wherein (i) said e-agent computer programs receive said electronic offer messages from said intermediary computer program, generate said electronic counter-offer messages according to said exchange objectives of said associated participants, and send said electronic counter-offer messages to said intermediary computer program, and (ii) said intermediary computer program receives said electronic counter-offer messages from said e-agent computer programs, generates said electronic offer messages according to said exchange objectives of said intermediated exchange, and sends said electronic offer messages to said e-agent computer programs. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44)
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45. A computer implemented method for an electronic intermediated exchange of a plurality of commodities among a plurality of participants comprising the electronic negotiation steps of:
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a. sending a plurality of electronic offer messages generated by an intermediary computer program to a plurality of e-agent computer programs, each e-agent computer program associated with and representing one of said participants, each said electronic offer message including digital data representing amounts of commodities offered to said e-agent computer programs by said intermediary computer program; b. sending a plurality of electronic counter-offer messages generated by said e-agent computer programs to said intermediary computer program, each said electronic counter-offer message including digital data representing amounts of commodities accepted by said e-agent computer program; and c. repeating steps (a) and (b) until the amounts of commodities in said electronic offer messages are substantially satisfactory to said e-agent computer programs, according to exchange objectives of said participants stored as digital data accessible to said e-agent computer programs, and to said intermediary computer program, according to objectives for said intermediated exchange stored as digital data accessible to said intermediary computer program. - View Dependent Claims (46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53, 54, 55, 56, 57, 58, 59, 60, 61)
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62. A computer implement method for representing a participant in an intermediated exchange of commodities, said intermediated exchange performed by an electronic negotiation with an intermediary computer program, said method comprising:
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a. receiving an electronic order message from a computer of said participant, said electronic order message including digital data representing the objectives of said participant for said intermediated exchange in order that e-agent computer program can represent said participant; b. receiving one of a plurality of electronic request messages from said intermediary computer program; and c. sending one of a plurality of electronic response messages to said intermediary computer program in response to said electronic request message, said electronic response message being (i) an electronic opening message, if said electronic request message was a query for an electronic opening message, said electronic opening message including digital data representing the maximum amounts of commodities that said e-agent computer program will exchange in said intermediated exchange, and (ii) an electronic counter-offer message, if said electronic request message was an electronic offer message, said electronic offer message including digital data representing amounts of commodities offered to said e-agent computer program by said intermediary computer program, said electronic counter-offer message including digital data representing amounts of commodities accepted by said e-agent computer program as determined according to exchange objectives, said accepted amounts being less than or equal to said offered amounts and being all equal to said offered amounts only if said offered amounts meet said exchange objectives. - View Dependent Claims (63, 64, 65, 66, 67, 68)
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69. A computer implemented method for an intermediated exchange of commodities among a plurality of participants, each participant represented by an e-agent computer program, said method comprising:
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a. sending electronic opening messages to an intermediary computer program from said e-agent computer programs, said electronic opening messages including digital data representing the maximum amount of each commodity that each e-agent computer program will exchange in said intermediated exchange; b. sending electronic offer messages by said intermediary computer program to said e-agent computer programs, each said electronic offer message including digital data representing amounts of commodities currently offered to each e-agent computer program, said amounts being determined so that for each commodity the amount being offered for sale by all the e-agent computer programs equals the amount being offered for purchase by all the e-agent computer programs; c. receiving electronic counter-offer messages by said intermediary computer program from said e-agent computer programs, each said electronic counter-offer message including digital data representing amounts of offered commodities accepted by each said e-agent computer program, said accepted commodity amounts being less than or equal to said offered commodity amounts; d. repeating steps (b) and (c), each repetition being a round of an electronic negotiation, until said e-agent computer programs accept all the amounts of commodities offered, said accepted amounts being final commodity amounts; and e. sending results electronic messages to computers of said participants, said electronic results messages including digital data representing said final commodity amounts. - View Dependent Claims (70, 71, 72, 73, 74, 75, 76, 77, 78, 79, 80)
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81. An order-manager computer system for electronic intermediated exchange of a plurality of commodities among a plurality of participants, said computer system comprising:
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a. one or more computer-based machines; b. a plurality of client-interface electronic processes running on one or more of said computer-based machines for communicating with computer-based machines of said participants in order to receive from said participants electronic order messages representing exchange objectives of said participants and to send to said participants electronic results messages representing the commodities exchanged in said intermediated exchange; c. an exchange-driver electronic process running on one of said computer-based machines for transferring said electronic order messages and said electronic results messages between said client-interface processes and an intermediary electronic process; d. an electronic database running on one of said computer-based machines for storing copies of said order and said electronic results messages, and, in event of process failure in said order-manager computer system, for retrieving said message copies in order to restart said failed process; and e. a plurality of e-agent electronic processes running on one or more of said computer-based machines, each said e-agent process for representing one of said participants according to said exchange objectives by generating electronic counter-offer messages sent to said intermediary process in response to electronic offer messages received from said intermediary process;
whereinf. said intermediary electronic process running on one of said computer-based machines for generating said electronic offer messages sent to said e-agent processes in response to said electronic counter-offer messages received from said e-agent processes, said exchange of offer and electronic counter-offer messages being according to a protocol for performing said intermediated exchange, and further for generating said electronic results messages when said intermediated exchange completes. - View Dependent Claims (82, 83, 84, 85)
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Specification