Method for investing working capital

• US 20050119958A1
• Filed: 09/20/2004
• Published: 06/02/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 04/26/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Lee Epstein
• Original Assignee: Lee Epstein
• Inventors: Epstein, Lee
• Granted Patent: US 8,538,847 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/35
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/00 Finance; Insurance; Tax strategies; Processing of corporate or income taxes
• 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

Abstract

A method of doing business comprises receiving an investment contract offer from a corporate investor specifying a principal amount and a maturation term. The investment contract offer is communicated to a plurality of securities dealers, each of whom may communicate an acceptance of the offer by providing an identification of the securities and a rate. At the end of a predetermined time period, a selection algorithm is used to select the most favorable or aggregation of most favorable acceptances to the corporate investor. In one embodiment of the invention, selection at the close of the predetermined time period is automatic acceptance and is communicated to the corporate investor and to the securities dealer having the selected acceptance.

Claims

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26. A method for using a device to facilitate short term investments of working capital by corporate investors, comprising:

determining a principal amount of working capital for investment;

determining a specific maturity term for said principal amount;

utilizing said principal amount and said specific maturity term to form an investment contract offer;

providing said investment contract offer in a device

coupling said device to a central server;

uploading said investment contract offer to said server from said device;

receiving at said device at least one transaction acceptance response to said investment contract offer from said central server, said central server providing said at least one transaction acceptance in response to receiving said at least one transaction acceptance response from at least one of a plurality of securities dealers; and

utilizing said central server to select said at least one transaction acceptance response.

27. A method in accordance with claim 26, wherein:

said at least one transaction acceptance response is accepted via said device.

28. A method of operating an Internet device in accordance with claim 26, comprising:

generating said investment contract offer for short-term debt instruments.

29. A method in accordance with claim 26, comprising:

registering a corporate investor using said device with said server prior to said corporate investor inputting said investment contract offer.

30. A method in accordance with claim 26, comprising:

receiving said transaction acceptance responses only from securities dealers who have previously registered with said server.

31. A method in accordance with claim 26, comprising:

creating an audit record; and

storing said audit record.

32. A method for facilitating placement of short term debt instruments by a securities dealer, comprising:

coupling a device accessible by said securities dealer to a central server;

receiving from said central server an investment contract offer from a corporate investor of working capital, said investment contract offer being formed in accordance with the steps of determining a principal amount to be invested, determining an investment term, and identifying a predetermined time during which transaction acceptance responses will be received for said investment contract offer;

identifying an investment instrument and a corresponding interest rate;

utilizing said identified investment instrument and corresponding interest rate to form a transaction acceptance response;

uploading from said device said transaction acceptance response to said central server during said predetermined period of time; and

receiving transaction confirmation from said central server.

33. A method in accordance with claim 32, comprising:

creating an audit record; and

storing said audit record.

34. A method in accordance with claim 32, comprising:

registering said securities dealer with said central server prior to inputting said transaction acceptance response.

35. A method in accordance with claim 32, comprising:

receiving from said central server an invoice at or after receiving said transaction confirmation.

36. A method to facilitate transactions between corporate investors desiring to invest working capital and securities dealers desiring to market short term instruments, said method comprising:

determining a principal amount of working capital for investment;

determining a specific maturity term for said principal amount;

forming an investment contract offer from said principal amount and said specific maturity term;

uploading said investment contract offer to a central server;

utilizing said central server to perform the following steps;

receiving said investment contract offer;

informing a plurality of securities dealers of said investment contract offer;

identifying a predetermined time period;

receiving from one or more securities dealers of said plurality of securities dealers one or more transaction acceptance responses via said central server during said predetermined time period, each said transaction acceptance response being formed by the steps of identifying an investment instrument and identifying a rate of return corresponding to said investment instrument;

communicating said transaction acceptance responses to said corporate investor;

selecting one of said transaction acceptance responses; and

communicating said selected transaction acceptance response to the securities dealer originating said selected acceptance response.

37. A method in accordance with claim 36, comprising:

billing said originating securities dealer a predetermined amount for facilitating said transaction.

38. A method in accordance with claim 36, comprising:

registering each of said securities dealers.

39. A method in accordance with claim 36, comprising:

creating an audit record.

40. A method of providing financial services, comprising:

identifying an amount of working capital;

identifying a desired maturation term;

forming transaction contract information from said amount of working capital and said desired maturation term;

utilizing one or more computers to receive transaction contract information from at least one corporate investor desiring to invest working capital;

identifying a predetermined period of time to accept transaction acceptance responses;

making said transaction contract information available to securities dealers for said predetermined period of time;

receiving transaction acceptance responses from a plurality of said security dealers in response to said transaction contract information, each said transaction acceptance response being formed by the steps of identifying a debt instrument, identifying a corresponding interest rate, and identifying a corresponding maturation date;

communicating said transaction acceptance responses to said at least one corporate investor;

selecting one of said transaction acceptance responses; and

communicating said selection of said one transaction acceptance response to one securities dealer of said plurality of securities dealers originating said selected transaction acceptance response.

41. A method in accordance with claim 40, wherein:

said selection of said one transaction acceptance response is initiated by said corporate investor.