Abstract:
A financial institution, such as a bank, issues numerous uniquely coded travelers checks to various individual entities in exchange for value received. The holder of each travelers check in entitled to receive a certain average rate of income from the dollar-value represented by that check; which average rate of income would generally be proportional to prevailing interest rate as well as to the dollar-value represented by the check. To avoid the relatively high transaction costs associated with periodic payments of a relatively modest income to the holder of each of numerous individual checks, a statistical method is used. By way of this statistical method, a relatively few of the numerous uniquely coded travelers checks are randomly chosen at the end of each of a continuous sequence of time periods, and all the income attributable to all the issued travelers checks for the associated time period is then paid to the holders of the relatively few travelers checks chosen for that time period.

Description:
RELATED APPLICATION 
     This application is a continuation of Ser. No. 305,543filed Feb. 3, 1989 now abandoned which is a continuation-in-part of Ser. No. 118,000 filed Nov. 9, 1987, now abandoned. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The present invention relates to travelers checks and a system for making such travelers checks more valuable to the holders thereof. 
     2. Description of Prior Art 
     Travelers checks constitute familiar financial instruments. A person desiring to purchase one or more travelers checks simply goes to the local bank, signs a form, and obtains the desired travelers check(s). 
     The business of issuing travelers checks is a highly profitable one for the issuing entity. This is so for the main reason that, on the average, the issued travelers checks remain un-redeemed for a substantial period of time; during which time the issuing agency derives interest income from the cash having been tendered for the issued but not-yet-redeemed checks. 
     For instance, American Express Company of New York, N.Y.--which is the largest issuer of travelers checks in the USA--reportedly carries a float of several billion dollars resulting from issued by as-yet-unredeemed travelers checks. At an interest rate of 10% p.a., a profit of several hundred million dollars per year is indicated. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     Objects of the Invention 
     A general object of the present invention is the provision of a system for issuing and administering travelers checks that would represent increased value for the holders of such checks. 
     A more specific object is the provision of a system for providing travelers checks that yield interest to the holders thereof, yet without incurring substantial transaction costs. 
     These as well as other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following description and claims. 
     Brief Description 
     A financial institution, such as a bank, issues a large number of uniquely coded travelers checks to various individual entities in exchange for values received. Each travelers check is identified as representing a specific monetary value. The holder of each travelers check in entitled to receive a certain average rate of income from the dollar value represented by that check; which average rate of income would generally be proportional to prevailing interest rate as well as to the dollar value represented by the check. 
     To avoid the relatively high transaction costs associated with periodic payments of a relatively modest amount of income to the holders of each of the numerous uniquely coded travelers checks, a statistical method is used. By way of this statistical method, a relatively few travelers checks are randomly chosen at the end of each of a continuous sequence of time periods, and all the income attributable to all the issued travelers checks for the associated time period is then paid to the holders of the relatively few travelers checks chosen for that time period. 
     Thus, each holder of a travelers check will, on a probabilistic basis, receive an income from that check. 
     As a result, a travelers check becomes a much more attractive financial instrument: attractive to hold for the relatively high probabilistic yield as well as for the convenience generally associated with a travelers check. 
     More particularly, subject travelers checks and system comprise the following key steps and component parts: 
     (1) a central issuing entity operative, in return for value received, to issue to each of various individual entities a number of uniquely coded travelers checks, thereby in total having issued a large number of such checks; 
     (2) a utilization entity functionally connected with the central issuing entity and operative to utilize the values received by this central issuing entity and to generate a rate of income of additional values, this rate of income cumulating and providing for a disbursement fund; and 
     (3) a random-choice and disbursement entity functionally connected with the central issuing entity, the utilization entity, and the various individual entities, the random-choice and disbursement entity being operative for each of plural time periods to randomly choose one of the large number of uniquely coded travelers checks and to make a relatively large disbursement from the disbursement fund to the individual entity holding the chosen check. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING 
     FIGURE 1 diagrammatically illustrates the preferred embodiment of the invention. 
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     Details of Construction 
     FIGURE 1 is a combination systems-process diagram that illustrates the system operative to effectuate the process of the present invention. 
     In FIGURE 1, numerous individual entities are identified as IE1, IE2 . . . IEx . . . IEn; each of which numerous individual entities--at one time or another--is operationally connected with a check-issuing entity CIE as well as with a statistical disbursing entity SDE. The check-issuing entity CIE is operationally connected with an income-generating entity IGE and a utilization entity UI as well as with the statistical disbursing entity SDE. 
     Details of Operation 
     Numerous individual entities (IE1/IE2/IEx/IEn) will, at one time or another, interact with the check-issuing entity CIE in such manner as to convey to it one or more units of value in exchange for one or more uniquely coded travelers checks. Each such uniquely coded travelers check is identified in a manner that reflects the amount of value for which it was exchanged. 
     The check-issuing entity CIE keeps account of all the uniquely coded travelers checks exchanged by it in return for values received from the various individual entities; and transmits information with respect to key characteristics of these travelers checks, such as identification code and value denominations, to the statistical disbursing entity SDE. 
     The check-issuing entity CIE conveys to the utilization entity UE the values it has received in exchange for travelers checks; while it receives a flow of income from the income-generating entity IGE. At least part of this flow of income is conveyed to the statistical disbursing entity SDE to be placed into a disbursement fund. 
     Periodically and repeatedly, preferably once each week, the statistical disbursing entity SDE randomly selects the identification codes of a relatively few of the numerous issued travelers checks and accredits each chosen identification code with a substantial amount of funds from the disbursement fund. Thereafter, the statistical disbursing entity arranges to inform the holders of the issued travelers checks with respect to the chosen identification codes and the amount of funds accredited thereto. 
     Upon verification to such effect, each holder of a travelers check bearing one of the chosen identification codes is entitled to obtain from the statistical disbursing entity the total amount of funds accredited to the identification code of that check. 
     Thus, the process of randomly choosing a few identification codes and making a substantial disbursement to each of the holders of the travelers checks bearing the chosen codes is carried out on a substantially continuous basis; which means that each individual travelers check represents a continuously repeating opportunity to receive a substantial disbursement of funds. 
     In the preferred embodiment, the rate of funds disbursed by the statistical disbursing entity to the holders of travelers checks is such as, on the whole, to represent a fair return on the values exchanged therefor; which is to say that, on a statistical basis, each travelers check, regardless of its denomination, earns an interest substantially commensurate with its face value as well as with the currently prevailing interest rate. 
     The value associated with a travelers check might be as low as equivalent to about $10.00. To cost-effectively permit the holders of such low-value travelers checks to gain a relatively high rate of return, only one out of one million travelers checks would be chosen each week; and the chosen one-in-a-million check would receive the total interest earned by the funds received for one million such low-value checks for one week. At an annual interest rate of 10%, the weekly earnings on one million such low-value checks would be about $20,000; which would then be the pay-out associated with the one low-value travelers check chosen each week. 
     Of course, with respect to travelers checks of higher value, correspondingly higher pay-outs, and/or higher chances for being chosen for pay-outs, would prevail. 
     Additional Comments 
     (a) To a person of ordinary skill in the arts most nearly relevant hereto, it will be clear that all the functions associated with the various functional blocks of the systems-process block diagram of FIGURE 1 may be performed by automatic means, such as by way of pre-programmed computer and dispenser means. For instance, an automatic teller machine may accept small dollar amounts from an individual entity or person and issue to him receipts and/or travelers checks in exchange therefor--each receipt and/or travelers check having a unique identification code. 
     Alternatively, some or all of the various functions may be accomplished by persons of ordinary skills by simply following clearly specifiable procedures. 
     (b) It is expected that the check-issuing entity will, by way of the utilization entity, invest the revenues received from the sale of travelers checks in various large blocks of income-producing financial instruments, such as large-denominations government bonds, shares of corporate capital stock, shares of or in mutual funds, etc. 
     (c) The income-generating entity (IGE) and the utilization entity (UE) may be one and the same, namely one or more profit-producing organizations, such as industrial corporations, mutual funds, etc. The flow of income to the money-issuing entity (MIE) would then come from the profits of those profit-producing organizations. 
     (d) After a very large number of travelers checks have been issued, to provide for an increased level of perceived value (such as by providing for a significant degree of lottery-like excitement), one of the periodically chosen identification codes would be accredited with a particularly high pay-out, such as several million dollars. This increased pay-out would be counter-balanced by somewhat reduced pay-outs to the other chosen identification codes. 
     (e) It is anticipated that the travelers checks will be of at least two different types. One type would permit the individual owner to be specifically identified; another type would be in the form of bearer certificates requiring special coded identification for redemption by the bearer. 
     (f) It is also anticipated that subject Dividend-Paying Travelers Checks may be furnished in a version that is, in effect, pre-endorsed and usable as cash. As such, they would expectedly become widely accepted: becoming as liquid and tradeable as ordinary money. In effect, they would constitute interest-bearing money. 
     Hence, it would be reasonable to expect that a large number of people would simply prefer to convert all of their available cash funds into such Dividend-Paying Travelers Checks. 
     (g) In case the holder of a travelers check with a chosen identification code chooses not to or otherwise fails to collect the funds accredited to that chosen identification code, the probability of that particular identification code being chosen in the future will be adjusted upward by a factor equal to the factor by which the amount of uncollected funds exceeds the value of the chosen travelers check. 
     More particularly by way of example, if a given travelers check is valued at the equivalent of $10, and if at one point in time that check were chosen to be accredited with an amount of $2000, then--for as long as the accredited amount remains uncollected--this particular check would partake in future random choosings with a probability of being chosen that is 201 higher than it was before. 
     (h) The process herein described in connection with travelers checks may also be applied to situations wherein the funds supplied by the various individual entities (individuals) are not represented by a physical check or certificate means. Rather, the process and system is also applicable to situations where the money provided by an individual is simply turned over to the check-issuing entity (or its similar) in return for some form of receipt and placed in an account held in the name of that particular individual. Interest and/or dividends would then be paid to this individual on a statistical basis; and such interest and/or dividends would then simply be accredited to his account. 
     Thus, the process and system herein described is applicable to such situations as: 
     (1) Paying interest on passbook or similar bank savings accounts; 
     (2) Paying interest on balances in credit and/or debit card accounts; 
     (3) Paying interest on balances in personal and/or small company checking accounts; 
     (4) Disbursement of dividends payable on small lots of corporate capital stock; 
     (5) Payments of dividends and/or interest on accounts with stock brokers and/or mutual funds; 
     (6) Paying interest/dividends on outstanding money orders, not-yet-redeemed checks; etc. 
     In all these situations, by using the principle of paying dividends and/or interest by way of a statistical distribution method, a basic value to each account holder is virtual elimination of the relatively high transaction costs associated with small transactions, thereby permitting higher effective interest and/or dividends to be paid to the account holder while at the same time eliminating all the detailed record-keeping otherwise incumbent upon him. In addition, a high degree of lottery-like excitement is provided. 
     (i) One very important feature of the Dividend-Paying Travelers Checks herein described is that they need not be redeemable. That is, they can be made to function perfectly well without the mechanism of redemption. 
     This fact permits the operation associated with issuing travelers checks to include many more options in terms of investments suitable as underlayment of the requisite dividend payments. 
     With non-redeemable travelers checks, the value of the travelers check would be entirely based on its dividend-paying feature; which would imply that an issued travelers check will have a value that would be determined by a market mechanism, somewhat like a stock certificate. In other words, the value of such a travelers check would be apt to fluctuate somewhat; but, as long as dividend payments are upheld, it would clearly have a value. 
     By maintaining the dividend payments at a substantially constant level, the market value of such a travelers check would fluctuate with the interest rate. 
     By increasing (or decreasing) the dividend payments in accordance with the inflation rate, the market value (in dollars) of such a travelers check would increase (or decrease) accordingly. 
     By increasing the dividend payments at a rate higher than the inflation rate, the market value of such a travelers check would increase at a rate higher than inflation. 
     In any case, its utility as a travelers check would be maintained: its trading value would simply be established by market mechanisms. 
     Of course, the price of a travelers check from the issuer would also be determined by market mechanisms. 
     (j) It is believed that the present invention and its several attendant advantages and features will be understood from the preceding description. However, without departing from the spirit of the invention, changes may be made in its form and in the construction and interrelationships of its component parts, the form herein presented merely representing the preferred embodiment.