Commodity Matching, Allocation, and Delivery

摘要

Potential buyers of commodities and potential sellers of commodities may be matched using a variety of criteria. By validating the commodities available for sale or other transaction and by verifying a potential purchaser of commodities, the traditional overhead associated in commodity transactions can be substantially reduced, thereby making the underlying commodities more favorable investment options or production inputs for participants. At least one computer, such as one or more server, implementing methods in accordance with the present invention may communicate with a plurality of participant computing devices to coordinate the buying, selling, delivery, retention, payments, and other transactions related to the buying, selling, and/or exchange of commodities. Commodities such as, but not limited to, metals, grains, and other substantially fungible materials may be bought, sold, and/or exchanged.

主权项

1. A system for matching buyers and sellers of commodities and allocating commodities, the system comprising:
a plurality of commodity storage facilities, each of the plurality of the plurality of commodity storage facilities maintaining a supply of at least a first type of a commodity; a record system that maintains records of the types and amounts of commodities maintained at each of the plurality of commodity storage facilities, the record system updatable to reflect the ownership of commodities and any commodities added to or removed from a commodity storage facility; a buyer verification system that validates the identity and available resources of a potential purchaser of commodities; a receiving module that verifies commodities entering into one or more of the plurality of commodity storage facilities; a matching engine that receives preferences and requirements of a potential purchaser and identifies what records in the record system of commodities available for purchase matches the preferences and requirements of the potential purchaser; and a payment module that transfers ownership of the identified commodities to the purchaser and transfers the resources paying for the purchaser to one or more seller of the commodities.