Patent Document

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION 
     This present application claims priority to U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/963,197, filed Sep. 25, 2001, which in return, claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 60/315,259, filed on Aug. 27, 2001. Both applications are hereby incorporated herein by reference. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     This invention relates to a vertical market and, more particularly, to a vertical market in which incentives to generate revenue are provided to those members of the market that enter into an agreement to exchange goods and services directly between each other. 
     A vertical market is a market that meets the needs of a particular industry; for example, a piece of equipment used only by semi-conductor manufacturers (as opposed to a horizontal market which is a market that meets a given need of a wide variety of industries—e.g., word processing software). In some instances, the members of the market buy and sell goods indirectly to and from each other through the third party. In these instances, the members of the vertical market lose potential revenues due to transaction costs, taxes, and other associated costs. To avoid the loss of these transactional costs, agreements may be reached among the members of a vertical market in which the members agree to trade directly with each other. In agreements such as these, the potential revenues due to transaction costs, taxes, and other associated costs may be saved. 
     It would be desirable to incentivize the members of a vertical market to participate in an agreement among the members of the vertical market, which agreement encourages participants to deal with participants of the market agreement. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     Therefore, it is an object of this invention to incentivize the members of a vertical market to participate in an agreement among the members of the vertical market. 
     This and other objects are accomplished in accordance with the principles of the present invention by providing systems and methods for using an incentive based vertical market. 
     A vertical market is provided in which entities that are active in a market enter into an agreement. Each of the participants of the agreement preferably owns a percentage of the goods and services exchanged within the market. The participants of the agreement may be encouraged or, on other words, incentivized—i.e., provided with incentives—to purchase and sell goods and services and, in turn, generate more revenue for the market. Such incentives may include, growth incentives, success incentives, and incentives based on services provided. 
     Portions of the revenues generated by all of the participants of the agreement may be paid to the participants based on percent-ownership of the market or based on some other suitable characteristic. The participants of the agreement are incentivized to generate revenue. These incentives may include the option to convert warrants, issued at the inception of the agreement, at the full conversion rate into ownership shares of the goods and services owned by the participants of the agreement. The warrants may be converted at a one-to-one ratio or some others suitable ratio. The warrants may also be converted at any conversion rate. 
     Warrants may be converted at the full conversion rate when, for example, a pre-determined amount of gross revenue is achieved within a certain amount of time—e.g., a rolling twelve-month period. In another suitable embodiment, an amount of warrants may be converted at the full conversion rate based on the ratio of gross revenue generated within a certain amount of time—e.g., a calendar year—over the target amount of gross revenue to be generated within a certain time—e.g., five years. Participants of the agreement may also be incentivized to exchange goods and services based on services provided. For example, participants may be entitled to fees of revenues for services they provide. Thus, the members of a vertical market are incentivized to participate in an agreement among the members of the vertical market. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES 
       Further features of the invention, its nature and various advantages will be more apparent from the accompanying drawings and the following detailed description of the preferred embodiments. 
         FIG. 1  is a block diagram of an illustrative trading system in accordance with the principles of one embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG. 2  is a flow chart of illustrative steps of an ownership processor in accordance with the principles of one embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG. 3  is a flow chart of illustrative steps of a growth incentive in accordance with the principles of one embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG. 4  is a flow chart of illustrative steps of a success incentive in accordance with the principles of one embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG. 5  is a flow chart of illustrative steps of incentives for services provided in accordance with the principles of one embodiment of the present invention. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     Members of a vertical market may enter into an agreement. The participants of the agreement may exchange goods and services directly with each other, thereby potentially reducing losses due to transaction costs, taxes, and other associated costs from dealing with third parties. 
     The participants of the agreement are incentivized—i.e., incentives are provided—to keep the terms in the agreement in order to generate revenue. Such an incentive may be a growth incentive. Growth warrants may be issued at the inception of the agreement. The growth warrants may be converted into ownership shares or some other suitable security, representing ownership in the goods and services owned by the participants of the agreement. The ownership shares may be converted at a one-to-one ratio, or some other suitable ratio. The growth warrants may be converted based on the growth of the market. 
     Another example of an incentive is a success incentive. Success warrants may also be issued at the inception of the agreement. The success warrants may be converted into ownership shares, or some other suitable security, at a one-to-one ratio, or some other suitable ratio. The success warrants may be converted based on the success of the market. 
     Participants may also be entitled to fees of revenues for services they provide. 
     An illustrative electronic trading system  100  of an incentive-based vertical market in accordance with the present invention is shown in  FIG. 1 . Illustrative trading system  100  may include an ownership processor  102 , a trading processor  104 , and several workstations  106 . Electronic trading system  100  may include any hardware, software, network infrastructure, or any other suitable components that may be used to effect transactions on or through the vertical market. 
     Workstations  106  may be used to effect transaction on or through the vertical market. Workstations  106  may be implemented on any suitable hardware. Suitable hardware may include personal computers, servers, or any other suitable hardware that includes a processor. Workstations  106  may be used by the participants of the agreement. For example, the workstation  106  labeled workstation A may be used by participant A. The workstation  106  labeled workstation B may be used by participant B. Although market  100  is shown with six workstations  106 , it is to be understood that market  100  may include any suitable number of workstations  106 . 
     The participants of the agreement may individually use workstations  106  to exchange and purchase goods and services. Transactions between participants may run on workstations  106  and may be handled by trading processor  104 . Trading processor  104  may include any suitable processor to process any suitable transaction. Trading processor  104  may be implemented on any suitable hardware such as a computer. 
     Ownership processor  102  may be any suitable equipment or device capable of tracking revenues, commissions, profits, dates, etc. Ownership processor  102  may be capable of determining a reward each participant of the agreement receives when certain events occur or thresholds are achieved. For example, ownership processor  102  may determine how many warrants each participant of the agreement can convert at a predetermined conversion rate when, for example, a threshold is achieved. 
     As shown in  FIG. 1 , information may be communicated between trading processor  104  and workstations  106  via communications paths  112 . Paths  112  may be any suitable communications paths. Paths  112  may be, for example, wired or wireless paths, and may be part of a communications network. As also shown in  FIG. 1 , ownership information may be communicated between ownership processor  102  and workstation  104  via delivery paths  114 . Delivery paths  114  may be any suitable communications paths. Delivery paths  114  may be, for example, wired or wireless paths, and may be part of a communications network. 
     As shown in the illustrative flow chart of  FIG. 2 , ownership processor  102  may make a determination based upon input information, and then transmit or output information based on that determination. At step  202 , ownership processor  102  may receive input information—e.g., dates, revenue information, transaction information, etc. This input information may be received from any suitable location such as trading processor  104 , workstations  106 , or any other suitable location. 
     At step  204 , ownership processor  204  may make a determination based upon the input information. Such a determination may be, for example, that a target revenue has been reached, how many warrants each participant may convert, or any other suitable determination. 
     At step  206 , ownership processor  102  may output information based on the determination. Ownership processor  102  may output this information to any suitable location such as trading processor  104  or workstations  106 . These illustrative steps are merely exemplary. Any suitable steps may be taken for ownership processor  102  to receive information, make a determination based on that information, and output information based on the determination. 
     In one suitable embodiment of the present invention, the amount of warrants that may be converted into ownership shares at the full conversion rate may be based on the growth of the market. An agreement based on a growth incentive may have a target gross revenue to be achieved by the end of the term of the agreement. Per the rules of the agreement, warrants may be converted into ownership shares at the full conversion rate based on the growth of the market—i.e., gross revenues—monthly, quarterly, semiannually, annually, or for any other predetermined period of time. 
     Upon the end of the predetermined period of time, a written certificate setting forth how many warrants may be converted into ownership shares at the full conversion rate may be prepared—e.g., by a Chief Financial Officer of a corporation of one of the participants—and delivered to the recordholders of the growth warrants. In another suitable approach, notification of how many warrants may be converted into ownership shares at the full conversion rate may be automatically delivered by ownership processor  102  to the recordholders of the growth warrants. At such a time, the growth warrants may be converted at the full conversion rate. Again, these examples are merely illustrative and other suitable approaches to converting ownership shares or other suitable securities may be implemented. The ownership shares, or other suitable securities may also be converted at a conversion rate other than the full conversion rate. 
     For the purpose of clarity, and not by way of limitation, the amount of warrants that may be converted into ownership shares (or other suitable securities) at the full conversion rate based on the growth of the market is demonstrated primarily in the context of annual periods. The amount of warrants that may be converted into ownership shares (or other suitable securities) at the full conversion rate each annual period based on the growth of the market will be described as the annual amount. The annual amount may be based on the gross revenue during each annual period. 
     The way to calculate the annual amount each annual period may be predefined per the arrangements of the agreement of the participants. The calculation of the annual amount may vary from annual period to annual period. For example, the annual amount of the first annual period of an agreement may be based on the gross revenues for that annual period. The annual amount of an annual period other than the first annual period of an agreement may be based on the gross revenue for the current annual period less the gross revenue of the preceding annual period. 
     For example, for the first annual period of an agreement, the annual amount may be calculated as follows: the gross revenue is divided by the target revenue—i.e., the target revenue to be achieved by the end of the term of the agreement—and multiplied by the amount of the growth warrants issued under the arrangements of the agreement. For example, if the gross revenue for the first annual period of an agreement is $50,000,000, the target revenue is $250,000,000 (over a period of six annual periods) and the amount of growth warrants that may be issued (over the period of six annual periods) is 5,000,000, then the annual amount for the first annual period is 1,000,000—i.e., ($50M/$250M)*5M=1M [the total annual periods does not form part of the equation to issue warrants]. Thus, 1,000,000 growth warrants may be converted at the full conversion rate into ownership shares (or some other suitable security). Ownership processor  102  may notify the participants of the agreement how many growth warrants each participant may convert into ownership shares (or some other suitable security) at the full conversion rate based on their percent ownership of the market or some other suitable determinant. 
     In subsequent annual periods of an agreement, the excess (if an excess exists) of the gross revenue over the immediately preceding annual period may be divided by the target revenue and multiplied by the amount of the growth warrants to calculate the annual amount for those subsequent annual periods. For example, if the gross revenue of the participants at the end of the second annual period of the agreement is $100,000,000, the gross revenue of the first annual period—i.e., the immediately preceding annual period—of the agreement is $50,000,000, the target revenue is $250,000,000, and the amount of warrants issued is 5,000,000, the annual amount for the second annual period of the agreement is 1,000,000—i.e., (($100M−$50M)/$250M)*5M=1M. 
     Under the arrangements of the agreement, an excess may be deemed to exist for each period of time—e.g., each annual period—if the gross revenues for that period of time exceed the highest gross revenue theretofore achieved for any similar period of time. For example, if the highest gross revenue during a calendar year of an agreement is $25,000,000, an excess will not be deemed until more than $25,000,000 is achieved during a subsequent calendar year. 
     Under the arrangements of the agreement, the annual amount may be deemed a fixed amount if a pre-determined amount of gross revenue is not achieved within a specified time frame. For example, the annual amount may be deemed to be zero until the gross revenues exceed $10,000,000 during a calendar year. 
     As shown in the illustrative flow chart of  FIG. 3 , the amount of warrants that may be converted into ownership shares (or other suitable securities) at the full conversion rate may be determined by ownership processor  102 . In this illustrative example, the amount of warrants that may be converted at the full conversion rate is determined annually. At step  302 , ownership processor  102  may determine whether or not the agreement is in the first annual period following inception. If the agreement is in the first annual period, ownership processor  102  may determine if there is an excess per the agreement of the participants. This may occur at step  304 . If there is not an excess, ownership processor  104  may determine that the annual amount is a pre-determined amount per the agreement of the participants. This may occur at step  306 . If, at step  304 , ownership processor  104  determined that there was an excess, the annual amount may be determined per the agreement of the participants at step  308 . For example, as shown in  FIG. 3 , the annual amount may be the gross revenue of the first annual period of the agreement divided by the target revenue multiplied by the amount of warrants issued per the agreement. This is merely an illustrative example. 
     If, at step  302 , ownership processor  104  determined that the agreement is not in the first annual period since inception, ownership processor  102  may determine if there is an excess per the agreement of the participants. This may occur at step  310 . If there is not an excess, ownership processor  104  may determine that the annual amount is a pre-determined amount per the agreement of the participants. This may occur at step  312 . If, at step  310 , ownership processor  104  determined that there was an excess, the annual amount may be determined per the agreement of the participants. This determination may occur at step  314 . For example, as shown in  FIG. 3 , the annual amount may be the gross revenue of the first annual period of the agreement divided by the target revenue multiplied by the amount of warrants issued per the agreement. 
     Upon the determination of the annual amount at steps  306 ,  308 ,  312 , and  314 , ownership processor  102  may notify the participants of the agreement of how many warrants may be converted at the full conversion rate (or some other rate). This may occur at step  316 . This determination, and method of determination, is merely for illustrative purposes and may be implemented in any suitable fashion. 
     In another suitable embodiment of the present invention, the amount of warrants that may be converted into ownership shares (or some other suitable security) at the full conversion rate (or some other rate) may be based on the success of the market. The participants of the agreement are incentivized to achieve targets—i.e., success incentives are provided per the agreement. Such a success incentive may be to reach a target gross revenue within a specified period of time—e.g., within a calendar year, a rolling six-month period, per quarter, etc. For example, when a target of $50,000,000 of gross revenue is achieved in any rolling twelve-month period, 1,000,000 shares of success warrants may be converted at the full conversion rate. 
     Upon achievement of a target, a written certificate setting forth such an achievement may be prepared—e.g., by a Chief Financial Officer of a corporation of one of the participants—and delivered to the recordholders of the success warrants. In another suitable approach, notification of the achievement of such an event may be automatically delivered by ownership processor  102  to the recordholders of the success warrants. 
     Ownership processor  102  may notify the participants of the agreement of how many success warrants each participant may convert into ownership shares (or some other suitable security) at the full conversion rate (or at some other rate) based on their percent ownership of the market. At such a time, the success warrants may be converted at the full conversion rate or any other suitable conversion rate. This example is merely illustrative. When any suitable target—e.g., revenue, time period, etc.—is achieved, an event—e.g., notification of ability to convert warrants at full conversion rate—may occur. 
     As shown in the illustrative flow chart of  FIG. 4 , a processor may measure, for example, the time, the date, gross revenue, or any other suitable value or event data. A calculation may be made based on these measurements to determine if an event or threshold has been met. If the threshold has not been met, another measurement of the time, date, gross revenue, etc. may be taken. In another suitable approach, measurements may be constantly and continuously taken. If the threshold has been met, the participants of the agreement may be rewarded for their success. Such a reward may be, for example, the ability to convert warrants into ownership shares at the full conversion rate. 
     At step  402 , a measurement of data may be made. This measurement may be the measurement of one of time, the date, revenues, any other suitable measurement, or any combination of the same to determine if the target has been reached. Such a measurement may be made by ownership processor  102 , trading processor  104 , or any combination thereof. At step  404 , ownership processor  102  may determine if a threshold for the value or event has been met. If a threshold has not been met, another measurement—e.g., at step  402 —may be taken. If a threshold has been met, ownership processor  102  may notify the participants of the agreement that a target has been reached. This may occur at step  406 . This example is merely illustrative of the principles of the invention. Any suitable approach to determine if a target has been reached and to notify the participants of such an event may be used. 
     Participants of the agreement may also be provided with incentives based on services provided. Such incentives may be, for example, fees of revenues for services they provide. For example, a participant that provides electronic transaction services may be entitled to a fee of revenues for, for example, utilization of that participant&#39;s services in support of voice assisted brokerage services, web-hosted services, and other electronic auction, reverse auction e-commerce and value added opportunities and any other similar services provided. These other services may be provided by another participant with systems and technology support provided by, or otherwise arranged, by the participant that provides the electronic transaction services. Such revenues may include fees, commissions, spreads, markups, charges or other similar amounts received by the other participant (e.g., the participant that does not provide electronic transaction services), directly or indirectly, in connection with these other services. These examples are merely illustrative. Any suitable participant may be entitled to a fee of revenues for providing any suitable service. 
     These fees may change during the pendency of the agreement. For example, in an agreement in which there is a participant that provides electronic transaction services and another participant that provides voice transaction services, and a voice transaction occurs during the first annual period of the agreement, the fee paid to the participant that provides electronic transaction services may be the net of the cost for salaries, bonuses and benefits paid to brokers employed by the participant that provides voice transactions services to provide, for example, voice-assisted brokerage services. During subsequent annual periods of the agreement, the fee that is paid to the participant that provides electronic transaction services may be a greater or lesser amount than the net of the cost for salaries, bonuses and benefits paid to brokers employed by the participant that provides voice transactions services to provide, for example, voice-assisted brokerage services. 
     Voice assisted brokerage services may include transactions involving a product of the market, or derivative thereof, including futures contracts and options on futures contracts involving a product of the market, or a derivative thereof, on or through the market in and through a broker or other human intermediary, in each case who is an employee of, or providing services to, the participant of the agreement that provides voice transactions services. 
     In those embodiments in which there is an information services transaction, a participant may be entitled to a fee of the information services revenues for providing the utilization of services in support of information services. Information services may include the provision and sale of information with respect to the market as a separate service not in connection with transactions by that participant on or through the market. 
     The flow chart of  FIG. 5  shows illustrative steps that may be used to determine which participants of the agreement are entitled to fees for certain services. At step  502 , trading processor  104  may determine if a transaction is an electronic transaction, a voice-assisted transaction, or an information services transaction. These examples are merely illustrative. Trading processor  104  may determine if a transaction is any kind of transaction. 
     If, at step  502 , trading processor  104  determines that a transaction is an information services transaction, trading processor  104  or ownership processor  102  may determine that a participant that provides the information service is entitled to revenues for the information service. This may occur at step  504 . 
     If, at step  502 , trading processor  104  determines that a transaction is an electronic transaction, trading processor  104  or ownership processor  102  may determine that a participant that provides the electronic transaction service is entitled to electronic transaction service revenues less fees for, for example, providing clearance, settlement, and fulfillment services. As shown, this may occur at step  506 . 
     If, at step  502 , trading processor  104  determines that a transaction is a voice transaction, trading processor  104  or ownership processor  102  may determine if the transaction is within the first annual period of the agreement. This may occur at step  508 . This time period is merely illustrative as is the requirement for a determination. Any suitable time period or occurrence of an event—e.g., reaching a target revenue—may be used as a factor in determining what steps ownership processor  102  or trading processor  104  take next. If trading processor  104  determines that the transaction is within the first annual period of the agreement, trading processor  104  may determine that a participant that provides electronic transactions services may be entitled to a fee of voice transaction revenues that is net of voice transaction service provider&#39;s cost for salaries, bonuses and benefits paid to brokers employed by the voice transaction service provider to provide voice-assisted brokerage services. This may occur at step  512 . If trading processor  104  determines that the transaction is not within the first annual period of the agreement, trading processor  104  may determine that a participant that provides electronic transactions services may be entitled to a fee of voice transaction revenues that is greater or lesser than the net of voice transaction service provider&#39;s costs. This may occur at step  510 . 
     Thus, systems and methods for using a bid/offer marketplace are provided. One skilled in the art will appreciate that the present invention can be practiced by other than the described embodiments, which are presented for purposes of illustration and not of limitation, and the present invention is limited only by the claims which follow.

Technology Category: 3