Automated financial scenario modeling and analysis tool having an intelligent graphical user interface

• US 6,957,191 B1
• Filed: 02/03/2000
• Issued: 10/18/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 02/05/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Babcock & Brown LP A Delaware Limited Partnership
• Original Assignee: Babcock & Brown LP (Babcock & Brown International Pty Limited)
• Inventors: Moritz, Dennis D., Niemira, Thadeus H, Bewsher, Mark R, Lee, Luke, Collop, David J., Cohn, Stephen G., Belcsak, Ladislav V.
• Primary Examiner(s): Olszewski, Robert P.
• Assistant Examiner(s): GORT, ELAINE L
• Application Number:
  US09/530,040
• Time in Patent Office: 2,084 Days
• Field of Search: 705/36, 705/37, 705/38, 705/42, 705/35, 705/5, 715/700, 715/531
• US Class Current: 705/38
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/10 specially adapted for electronic funds transfer [EFT] systems; specially adapted for home banking systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/03 Credit; Loans; Processing thereof
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/04 Trading; Exchange, e.g. stocks, commodities, derivatives or currency exchange

Abstract

A financial scenario modeling and analysis tool, including a graphical user interface which enables a user of the tool to create a graphical model of a financial scenario, generally including at least one financial transaction, on a display screen, and an engine operable, in response to creation of the graphical model, to automatically generate information, such as financial or mathematical information, which at least partially models at leat a part of the financial scenario using information collected by the engine during creation of the graphical model. The graphical user interface enables the user to create party graphics respectively representing parties to the financial deal, and to generate financial instrument graphics representing financial instruments, wherein each financial instrument graphic connects two of the party graphics. The engine generates, in response to the creation of a graphical model, an instrument information, such as an object or template, for each of the instruments in the graphical model. The tool includes a natural date language and a formula language for use in modeling a scenario. The tool enables optimization of optimizable parameters defined in the scenario, and includes a user-friendly, book-like and CAD-like user interface.

Claims

1. A financial scenario model creation and analysis tool that provides computer-aided design for financial transactions, comprising:

a graphical user interface which enables a user of said tool to create a diagram of a financial scenario conceived by the user on a display screen, wherein said graphical user interface enables creation of said financial scenario diagram by enabling said user to;

define parties involved in the financial scenario and add the parties to the diagram on the display in the form of graphical party objects; and

define financial instruments involved in the financial scenario and add the financial instruments to the diagram in the form of graphical financial objects that each show a physical connection on the diagram between pairs of said graphical party objects in the diagram, wherein the user interface further enables the user to indicate a flow direction on the diagram between the pairs of said graphical party objects for an obligation related to the financial instrument connecting said pairs;

a software engine operable, in response to creation of the diagram of the financial scenario, to create a mathematical model for said financial scenario using data collected by said engine during the creation of said diagram by said user, wherein creation of said mathematical model includes creating variables and mathematical relationships between variables based on content of the diagram;

wherein said diagram and said mathematical model are linked within said tool, and said user interface enables the user to make changes to said graphical party objects and said graphical financial objects in said diagram, wherein when changes are made by the user to said diagram corresponding changes are made by said software engine to the mathematical model; and

further wherein said user interface enables said user to perform an analysis of the financial scenario using the created mathematical model by changing values for the created variables within the mathematical model and viewing a result determined by the mathematical model.

2. The financial scenario model creation and analysis tool of claim 1, wherein said graphical financial objects indicate a relationship, relative to said financial instrument represented thereby, between said pairs of said graphical party objects.

3. The financial scenario model creation and analysis tool of claim 1, wherein said mathematical modeling includes financial instrument information for each of the financial instruments added to said diagram, and said graphical user interface enables said user to view and edit said financial instrument information.

4. The financial scenario model creation and analysis tool of claim 1, wherein said graphical user interface enables said user to enter and define date information relating to said financial scenario for use by said engine, and further wherein said graphical user interface is operable to display said date information in graphical form on said display screen.

5. The financial scenario model creation and analysis tool of claim 4, wherein said tool enables said date information to be entered using a natural date language, said engine being operable to process said date information from said natural date language.

6. The financial scenario model creation and analysis tool of claim 5, wherein said natural data language is used in said tool to specify either a single date or a series of dates relating to said financial scenario, and further wherein expressions used in said natural date language to define a series of dates include a start date, a frequency and an ending date.

7. The financial scenario model creation and analysis tool of claim 6, wherein said tool enables a plurality of possible outcomes to be modeled based on different date information provided by said user.

8. The financial scenario model creation and analysis tool of claim 1, wherein said engine is operable, in response to said addition of said financial instruments to said diagram, to define roles for parties represented by said graphical party objects which are connected by said graphical financial objects, wherein said roles are used by said engine to define said parties interaction with said financial instrument represented by said graphical financial object.

9. The financial scenario model creation and analysis tool of claim 1, wherein said engine is operable to determine an optimal result for said financial scenario relative to at least one aspect of the scenario, and to calculate optimal values for variables relating to said financial instruments represented in said diagram based on said optimal result.

10. The financial scenario model creation and analysis tool of claim 1, wherein said tool is operable to determine an optimal result for said financial scenario represented by said diagram.

11. The financial scenario model creation and analysis tool of claim 10, wherein said graphical user interface is operable to display said optimal result to said user.

12. The financial scenario model creation and analysis tool of claim 1, wherein said engine is operable, in response to creation of each of said graphical party objects, to generate a party-specific template for containing specific information on said party, a graphical user interface enabling said user to edit said information in said party-specific template.

13. The financial scenario model creation and analysis tool of claim 1, wherein said graphical user interface includes a worksheet section which enables said user to input scenario information, wherein said engine is operable to use said scenario information when creating said mathematical model of said financial scenario.

14. The financial scenario model creation and analysis tool of claim 13, wherein said worksheet is a non-cell based calculation interface wherein references used in calculations are based on a hierarchical outline and not on a positional reference.

15. The financial scenario model creation and analysis tool of claim 14, wherein said worksheet includes a formula language for use in creating scenario information, said formula language including a library of predefined functions and keywords.

16. The financial scenario model creation and analysis tool of claim 15, wherein said engine is operable upon entry of said scenario information in said worksheet section to establish links between related scenario information and between scenario information and date information, thereby establishing a dependence therebetween, and further wherein said engine is operable to use said links when creating said mathematical model of said financial scenario.

17. The financial scenario model creation and analysis tool of claim 15, wherein said formula language further includes a library of predefined prefixes for use in creating said scenario information.

18. The financial scenario model creation and analysis tool of claim 13, wherein said tool includes a library of predefined worksheets for use in said worksheet section, said graphical user interface enabling said user to select said predefined worksheets from said library of pre-defined worksheets.