Computer method and system for intermediated exchanges
First Claim
1. 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:
- (a) generating electronic opening messages from the participants to the intermediary, wherein the opening messages comprise digital data representing opening requests of the participants to buy and/or to sell amounts of one or more commodities, and wherein, for at least one commodity both buy and sell requests are generated by participants;
(b) generating electronic offer messages to the participants from the intermediary in response to received messages from said participants, wherein the content of the electronic offer messages are determined by the intermediary based on said received messages and comprise digital data representing offers to the participants respectively to buy and/or to sell amounts of one or more commodities requested in said opening messages by said participants respectively to be sold and/or bought, with each offer being less than or equal to the amounts represented in the corresponding opening request, and wherein, for at least one commodity, the offer messages comprise both buy and sell offers, and wherein, for said at least one commodity, the total of the amounts offered for sale in all the generated offer messages equals the total of the amounts offered for purchase in all the generated offer messages,(c) generating electronic counter-offer messages from the participants to the intermediary in response to received electronic offer messages, wherein the electronic counter-offer messages comprise digital data representing further requests to buy and/or to sell amounts of one or more commodities with each further request being less than or equal to the amounts represented in the corresponding opening request, wherein, for at least one commodity, the counter-offer messages comprise both buy and sell requests; and
(d) repeating steps (b) and (c), if necessary, until the last offer message to each participant from the intermediary is indicated in a responsive message to the intermediary from that participant to represent offered amounts of one or more commodities to buy and/or to sell in the exchange that are substantially satisfactory according to that participant'"'"'s individual exchange objectives,whereby the substantially-satisfactory offered amounts as negotiated through the intermediary determine an exchange of a plurality of commodities among a plurality of participants.
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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.
87 Citations
25 Claims
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1. 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) generating electronic opening messages from the participants to the intermediary, wherein the opening messages comprise digital data representing opening requests of the participants to buy and/or to sell amounts of one or more commodities, and wherein, for at least one commodity both buy and sell requests are generated by participants; (b) generating electronic offer messages to the participants from the intermediary in response to received messages from said participants, wherein the content of the electronic offer messages are determined by the intermediary based on said received messages and comprise digital data representing offers to the participants respectively to buy and/or to sell amounts of one or more commodities requested in said opening messages by said participants respectively to be sold and/or bought, with each offer being less than or equal to the amounts represented in the corresponding opening request, and wherein, for at least one commodity, the offer messages comprise both buy and sell offers, and wherein, for said at least one commodity, the total of the amounts offered for sale in all the generated offer messages equals the total of the amounts offered for purchase in all the generated offer messages, (c) generating electronic counter-offer messages from the participants to the intermediary in response to received electronic offer messages, wherein the electronic counter-offer messages comprise digital data representing further requests to buy and/or to sell amounts of one or more commodities with each further request being less than or equal to the amounts represented in the corresponding opening request, wherein, for at least one commodity, the counter-offer messages comprise both buy and sell requests; and (d) repeating steps (b) and (c), if necessary, until the last offer message to each participant from the intermediary is indicated in a responsive message to the intermediary from that participant to represent offered amounts of one or more commodities to buy and/or to sell in the exchange that are substantially satisfactory according to that participant'"'"'s individual exchange objectives, whereby the substantially-satisfactory offered amounts as negotiated through the intermediary determine an exchange of a plurality of commodities among a plurality of participants. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
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10. A computer implemented method for intermediating electronic exchange of a plurality of commodities among a plurality of participants comprising the steps of:
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(a) receiving from the participants (i) electronic opening messages, which comprise digital data representing opening requests of the participants to buy and/or to sell amounts of one or more commodities, and (ii) electronic counter-offer messages, which comprise digital data representing further requests of the participants to buy and/or to sell amounts of one or more commodities, with each further request being less than or equal to the amounts represented in the corresponding opening request, and (b) generating electronic offer messages to the participants, wherein the offer messages are generated in response to previously received opening messages and/or to previously received counter-offer messages, wherein electronic offer messages comprise digital data representing respective offers to the participants to buy and/or to sell amounts of one or more commodities corresponding to respective received requests to sell and/or to buy, with each offer being less than or equal to the amounts represented in the corresponding opening request, and wherein, for at least one commodity, the opening messages and the offer messages comprise requests to buy and requests to sell, and, for each commodity, the total of the amounts offered for sale in all the generated offer messages equals the total of the amounts offered for purchase in all the generated offer messages, and (c) repeating steps (a) and (b), if necessary, until the last offer message to each participant is indicated in a responsive message from that participant to represent offered amounts of one or more commodities to buy and/or to sell in the exchange that are substantially satisfactory according to that participant'"'"'s individual exchange objectives, whereby the substantially-satisfactory offered amounts determine an intermediated exchange of a plurality of commodities among a plurality of participants. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19)
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20. A computer implemented method for representing a participant in an intermediated exchange of commodities with at least one other participant, comprising the steps of:
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generating an electronic opening message to an intermediary, wherein the electronic opening message comprises digital data representing an opening request of the participant to buy and/or to sell amounts of one or more commodities; receiving an electronic offer message from said intermediary to respectively sell and/or buy amounts of one or more commodities in response to said electronic opening message and a corresponding electronic opening message from said at least one other participant; and generating one or more electronic counter-offer messages to the intermediary in response to said electronic offer message in accordance with the participant'"'"'s individual exchange objectives, wherein the electronic counter-offer messages comprise digital data representing (i) further requests to buy and/or to sell amounts of one or more commodities with each further request being less than or equal to the amounts represented in the corresponding opening request, or (ii) an indication that the amounts in a received offer message are substantially satisfactory to the participant, wherein each counter-offer message is generated in response to an electronic offer message, wherein an electronic offer message comprises digital data representing offers to the participant to buy and/or to sell amounts of one or more commodities in accordance with objectives of the intermediated exchange, with the offers being less than or equal to the amounts represented in the corresponding opening request, and whereby the substantially-satisfactory, offered amounts represent each participant'"'"'s objectives in the intermediated exchange. - View Dependent Claims (21, 22, 23, 24, 25)
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Specification