# US 8,543,478 B2 · System and method for identification of quasi-fungible goods and services, and financial instruments based thereon > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 8,543,478 B2 - Document ID: US8543478B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 10/921,744 - Filed: 2004-08-18 - Published: 2005-02-24 - Granted: 2013-09-24 - Earliest claimed: 2003-08-18 - Assignees: Gilbert Leistner - Applicants: Gilbert Leistner - Inventors: Gilbert Leistner - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US8543478B2 ## CPC - G06Q 40/04: Trading; Exchange, e.g. stocks, commodities, derivatives or currency exchange - G06Q 10/087: Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders - G06Q 10/10: Office automation; Time management - G06Q 20/102: {Bill distribution or payments} - G06Q 30/0631: {Recommending goods or services} - G06Q 40/00: Finance; Insurance; Tax strategies; Processing of corporate or income taxes - G06Q 40/06: Asset management; Financial planning or analysis - G06Q: INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY [ICT] SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE, COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL OR SUPERVISORY PURPOSES; SYSTEMS OR METHODS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE, COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL OR SUPERVISORY PURPOSES, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR ## Abstract A system for creating an underlying instrument for a financial product including selecting a reference item, selecting a specification of the reference item, evaluating the specification against alternatives to the reference item, determining interchangeability between the reference item and alternatives based on the evaluating of the specification in relation to the alternatives, where the determining of interchangeability is based on or includes determining at least one of quasi-fungibility and quasi-anti-fungibility. The method further including forming at least one set based on the determined interchangeability and at least one of determining a financial product and creating a financial product based on or including at least one of the set and at least one member of the set, the at least one of the set and at least one member of the set includes a potential underlying instrument for at least one of determining the financial product and creating the financial product. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A system for creating an underlying instrument for a financial product, the system comprising at least one apparatus comprising: i. at least one computer processor; ii. at least one computer memory operatively connected to the at least one processor; iii. at least one data storage device comprising at least one data store, wherein the at least one data storage device and the at least one data store can be queried by at least one processor of the at least one apparatus; and iv. at least one computer readable medium operatively connected to the at least one processor, said at least one medium comprising machine readable program code embodied therein for controlling the system and directing the system to form at least one set, wherein at least one of the set and at least one member of the set comprises a potential underlying instrument for at least one of determining a financial product and creating a financial product, the forming, the determining, and the creating comprising the steps of: selecting a reference item; selecting a specification of the reference item; evaluating the specification against one or more alternatives to the reference item; determining interchangeability between the reference item and the one or more alternatives to the reference item based on the evaluating of the specification in relation to the one or more alternatives to the reference item, wherein the determining of interchangeability is based on or comprises determining at least one of quasi-fungibility and quasi-anti-fungibility, wherein quasi-fungibility comprises a degree to which at least one of the one or more alternatives to the reference item is interchangeable with the reference item, and wherein quasi-anti-fungibility comprises a degree to which at least one of the one or more alternatives to the reference item comprises at least one of a concept, an attribute, a property, and an element anti to at least one of a concept, an attribute, and an element of the reference item; forming at least one set based on the determined interchangeability; and at least one of determining a financial product and creating a financial product based on or comprising at least one of the set and at least one member of the set. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1 wherein the reference item comprises an inventory and the step of forming the at least one set based on the determined interchangeability of the reference item and the at least one alternative to the reference item further comprises determining a second inventory based on or comprising at least one of the determined interchangeability, the set, and at least one member of the set, and wherein the determining and the creating of the financial product comprises at least one of determining the financial product and creating the financial product based on or comprising of the determined second. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1 wherein at least one of the reference item, the specification, and the at least one alternative to the reference item comprises time and the time comprises at least one of: i. at least one of a duration of a human-made event and a duration of an outcome of a human-made event; and ii. at least one of a duration of a natural event and a duration of an outcome of a natural event. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1 wherein the reference item, the specification, the at least one alternative to the reference item, and any combination thereof comprises at least one of: i. at least one of a human-made event and an outcome of a human-made event; and ii. at least one of a natural event and an outcome of a natural event. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1 further comprising determining at least one of a valuation of, a financial reserve of, a haircut for, a margin for, and a performance bond for the financial product, and wherein the determining of the at least one of a valuation, financial reserve, haircut, margin, and performance bond is based on or comprises at least one of the determined interchangeability, the set, and at least one member of the set. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1 wherein the specification comprises at least one of a use and an application of the reference item. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The system of claim 6 wherein the at least one of a use of the reference item and an application of the reference item comprises at least one of a use of time and an application of time, wherein the at least one of a use of time and an application of time comprises at least one of: i. a duration of at least one of a human-made event and an outcome of a human-made event; and ii. a duration of at least one of a natural event and an outcome of a natural event. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1 wherein the reference item consists of time. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1 further comprising representing at least one of the reference item, the one or more alternatives to the reference item, the at least one specification, the at least one set, at least one member of the set, and any combination thereof as a vector. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1 wherein at least one of the evaluating of the specification and the determining of interchangeability comprises applying a measuring function. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The system of claim 10 wherein the applying of a measuring function comprises applying a distance (metric) function. ### Claim 12 (depends on 10) The system of claim 10 wherein the measuring function comprises a norm. ### Claim 13 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1 wherein the determining of interchangeability is based on or comprises determining that the reference item and the at least one alternative to the reference item are at least one of non-fungible, at least quasi-fungible, at most quasi-fungible, totally fungible, non-anti-fungible, at most quasi-anti-fungible, at least quasi-anti-fungible and totally anti-fungible. ### Claim 14 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1 wherein the determining of interchangeability is based on or comprises determining the quasi-fungibility and quasi-anti-fungibility or determining the quasi-anti-fungibility of a reference item and at least one alternative to the reference item. ### Claim 15 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1 wherein the determining of interchangeability is based on or comprises at least one threshold of interchangeability, and wherein the threshold is based on or comprises at least one of quasi-fungibility and quasi-anti-fungibility. ### Claim 16 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1 wherein at least one of the evaluating and the determining is based on or comprises using at least one scale of interchangeability, and wherein the scale is based on or comprises at least one of quasi-fungibility and quasi-anti-fungibility. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The system of claim 16 wherein the scale of interchangeability, if normalized to a maximum value of 1, has a range of 1 to 0 for quasi-fungibility and has a range of 0 to −1 for quasi-anti-fungibility. ### Claim 18 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1 wherein at least one of the evaluating of the specification and the determining of interchangeability comprises applying a conditioner to at least one of the reference item, the specification, the one or more alternatives to the reference item, the at least one set, and at least one member of the at least one set; wherein the conditioner comprises at least one of an operator, a function, a transform, and a rule; wherein an action of the conditioner comprises at least one of emphasizing, modifying, transforming, and conditioning at least one of the reference item, the specification, the one or more alternatives to the reference item, the at least one set, and the at least one member of the at least one set. ### Claim 19 (depends on 18) The system of claim 18 wherein the application of a conditioner comprises applying at least one of an emphasis conditioner, a circumstance-based conditioner, a self-adaptive conditioner, a quasi-anti-fungibility conditioner, and a programmability conditioner. ### Claim 20 (depends on 18) The system of claim 18 comprising representing at least one of the reference item, the one or more alternatives to the reference item, the at least one specification, the at least one set, at least one member of the set, and any combination thereof as a vector. ### Claim 21 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1 wherein at least one apparatus of the system further comprises machine readable program code for controlling and directing at least one set generator, wherein at least one function of the set generator is to form the at least one set. ### Claim 22 (depends on 21) The system of claim 21 wherein the program code for controlling and directing the at least one set generator further comprises program code for controlling and directing at least one iterative metric space generator, wherein the control and direction of the iterative metric space generator in forming the at least one set comprises applying at least one metric function in at least one of the steps of evaluating the specification of the reference item against at least one alternative to the reference item and determining interchangeability between the reference item and the at least one alternative to the reference item. ### Claim 23 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1 wherein the financial product does not consist of at least one of a purchase transaction and a sale transaction in at least one of the reference item, an alternative to the reference item, the set, and at least one member of the set, and wherein the basis for the at least one of a purchase transaction and a sale transaction consists of quasi-fungibility. ### Claim 24 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1 wherein the financial product comprises a swap and the swap is based on or comprises at least one of the set and the at least one member of the set. ### Claim 25 (depends on 24) The system of claim 24 wherein the swap is based on or comprises a mesoeconomic swap. ### Claim 26 (depends on 24) The system of claim 24 wherein the swap is based on or comprises a macroeconomic swap. ### Claim 27 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1 wherein the financial product comprises an index and the index is based on or comprises at least one of the set and at least one member of the set. ### Claim 28 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1 wherein the financial product is an insurance product and the insurance product is based on or comprises at least one of the set and at least one member of the set. ### Claim 29 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1 wherein the financial product is based on or comprises at least one of an asset and a liability and at least one of the asset and the liability is based on or comprises at least one of the set and at least one member of the set. ### Claim 30 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1 wherein the financial product is based on or comprises a financing instrument and the financing instrument is based on or comprises at least one of the set and at lest one member of the set. ### Claim 31 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1 wherein the financial product is based on or comprises an equity instrument and the equity instrument is based on or comprises at lest one of the set and at lest one member of the set. ### Claim 32 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1 wherein the financial product is based on or comprises a debt instrument and the debt instrument is based on or comprises at least one of the set and at least one member of the set. ### Claim 33 (depends on 24) The system of claim 24 wherein the swap is based on or comprises at least one of quasi-fungibility and quasi-anti-fungibility between at least one of: i. the reference item and at least one alternative to the reference item; ii. at least two alternatives to the reference item; and iii. the set and at least two members of the set. ### Claim 34 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1 wherein the selection of the at least one specification comprises selecting a domain of interest and said domain directs the search for the at least one alternative to the reference item. ### Claim 35 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1 wherein at least one of the set and at least one member of the set is the financial product. ### Claim 36 (depends on 8) The system of claim 8 wherein the reference item consists of time and the time consists of at least one of: i. a duration of at least one of a human-made event and an outcome of a human-made event; and ii. a duration of at least one of a natural event and an outcome of a natural event. ### Claim 37 (depends on 36) The system of claim 36 wherein the human-made event comprises at least one of: i. at least one of a medical service, a medical process, or a medical treatment; ii. at least one of a medical event and an outcome of a medical event, and iii. at least one of a disease event and an outcome of a disease event. ### Claim 38 (depends on 36) The system of claim 36 wherein the human-made event comprises at least one of: i. a duration of a legal event and a duration of an outcome of a legal event; and ii. a duration of at least one of labor event and an outcome of a labor event. ### Claim 39 (depends on 36) The system of claim 36 wherein the natural event comprises at least one of a medical event and an outcome of a medical event. ### Claim 40 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1 further comprising the step of determining a flow based on or comprising the determined interchangeability of the reference item and the at least one alternative to the reference item, wherein the flow comprises at least one of: i. the reference item; ii. the at least one alternative to the reference item; iii. the set; and iv. at least one member of the set. ### Claim 41 (depends on 40) The system of claim 40 wherein at least one of the reference and at least one alternative to the reference item comprises at least one of a human-made event and an outcome of a human-made event. ### Claim 42 (depends on 40) The system of claim 40 wherein the reference item and at least one alternative to the reference item comprises at least one of: i. at least one person; and ii. at least one skill. ### Claim 43 (depends on 40) The system of claim 40 wherein the reference item and at least one alternative to the reference item comprises at least one of: i. at least one of a medical service, a medical process, and a medical treatment; and ii. at least one of a medical event and an outcome of a medical event. ### Claim 44 (depends on 40) The system of claim 40 wherein the reference item and at least one alternative to the reference item comprises at least one of: i. at least one of a legal event and an outcome of a legal event; and ii. at least one of a labor event and an outcome of a labor event. ### Claim 45 (depends on 40) The system of claim 40 comprising moving the flow. ### Claim 46 (depends on 40) The system of claim 40 comprising not moving the flow. ### Claim 47 (depends on 40) The system of claim 40 wherein the flow comprises digital representation of at least one of: i. the reference item; ii. the at least one alternative to the reference item; iii. the set; and iv. at least one member of the set. ### Claim 48 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1 further comprising machine readable code for controlling and directing the system to at least one of classify, organize, store, and retrieve data on at least one of: i) the reference item; ii) at least one alternative to the reference item iii) the set; iv) at least one member of the set; and v) at least one financial product based on the determined interchangeability. ### Claim 49 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1 further comprising machine readable code for controlling and directing the system to at least one of classify, organize, store, and retrieve at least one of: i) the reference item; ii) at least one alternative to the reference item iii) the set; and iv) at least one member of the set based on the determined interchangeability. ### Claim 50 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1 further comprising at least one of classifying, organizing, storing, and retrieving data on at least one of the reference item, at least one alternative to the reference item, the set, at least one member of the set, and at least one financial product based on the determined interchangeability. ### Claim 51 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1 wherein at least one of the reference item, the specification, the at least one alternative to the reference item, and any combination thereof comprises at least one of: i. at least one person; ii. at least one skill; and iii. at least one professional license. ### Claim 52 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1 wherein at least one of the reference item, the specification, the at least one alternative to the reference item, and any combination thereof comprises at least one of: i. at least one of a medical service, a medical process, or a medical treatment; ii. at least one of a medical event and an outcome of a medical event, and iii. at least one of a disease event and an outcome of a disease event. ### Claim 53 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1 wherein at least one of the reference item, the specification, the at least one alternative to the reference item, and any combination thereof comprises at least one of: i. at least one of a legal event and an outcome of a legal event; and ii. at least one of labor event and an outcome of a labor event. ### Claim 54 (depends on 4) The system of claim 4 wherein at least one of the natural event and the outcome of a natural event comprises at least one of: i. a biological phenomenon ii. a geological phenomenon; iii. a climate phenomenon; and iv. a seasonal tendency. ### Claim 55 (depends on 3) The system of claim 3 wherein the time further comprises at least one of: i. personnel time; ii. equipment time; and iii. manufacturing time. ### Claim 56 (depends on 3) The system of claim 3 wherein the time further comprises at least one of: i. a duration of at least one of a medical service, a medical process, or a medical treatment; ii. a duration of at least one of a medical event and an outcome of a medical event; iii. at least one of a duration of a disease event and a duration of an outcome of a disease event; and iv. a duration of a medical condition. ### Claim 57 (depends on 3) The system of claim 3 wherein the time further comprises at least one of: i. a duration of a legal event and a duration of an outcome of a legal event and ii. a duration of a labor event and a duration of an outcome of a labor event. ### Claim 58 (depends on 7) The system of claim 7 wherein the at least one of a use of time and an application of time further comprises at least one of: i. personnel time; ii. equipment time; and iii. manufacturing time. ### Claim 59 (depends on 7) The system of claim 7 wherein the at least one of a use of time and an application of time further comprises at least one of: i. a duration of at least one of a medical service, a medical process, or a medical treatment; ii. a duration of at least one of a medical event and an outcome of a medical event; iii. at least one of a duration of a disease event and a duration of an outcome of a disease event; and iv. a duration of a medical condition. ### Claim 60 (depends on 7) The system of claim 7 wherein the at least one of a use of time and an application of time further comprises at least one of: i. a duration of a legal event and a duration of an outcome of a legal event; and ii. a duration of a labor event and a duration of an outcome of a labor event. ### Claim 61 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1 wherein the reference item comprises a potential underlying instrument for a financial product. ### Claim 62 (depends on 4) The system of claim 4 wherein at least one of the human-made event and the outcome of the human-made event comprises at least one of: i. a biological phenomenon ii. a geological phenomenon; iii. a climate phenomenon; and iv. a seasonal phenomenon. ### Claim 63 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1 wherein at least two of the computers are linked in a network. ### Claim 64 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1 wherein at least two of the data stores are linked in a network.