Barter system and method

Abstract

 Present invention relates to a computer implemented method suitable for conducting bartered transactions managed by a Barter Organisation through a barter web site. The method provides barter members to buy and sell products by submitting or receiving money orders or barter credits respectively through the web. In particular, the method provides the barter members: to request the Barter Organisation to access at least one type of barter market on the web, to make available products and/or services, to receive credit guaranties and corresponding barter credits having consecutive serial numbers by the Barter Organisation, the barter credits being stored in a computer medium, to list and/or display on the web the products and/or services and barter credits corresponding to a value determined on the basis of the products and/or services, to take place on the web to bartered transactions by selling or buying products, to acquire the barter credits as the products and/or services are sold on the web and to use the barter credits for buying further products and/or services on the web. The invention also relates to a barter system and to a computer program product arranged to perform the barter method.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] Embodiments of the present method and system generally relate to a flexible, computer-implemented system for conducting bartered or barter transactions.

Background Art and Technical Problem

[0002] Barter or trade is a powerful tool that represents a solution for companies with available inventory or services. Most companies have surplus inventory, unsold goods, and unused labor. For instance, a hotel doesn't sell out every room on a daily basis and airlines don't typically fill each seat in the plane on every trip. Magazines may barter to fill advertising space. Restaurants use "barter" as a way to increase business during slow periods. Manufacturers may barter products to make space for new inventory.

[0003] So companies are able to accept payment in demand note instead of cash, and business maximizes their efficiency by increasing inventory turnover or billable hours. Using the demand notes earned, that company can purchase goods or services they want without paying cash. As known the Barter tool or barter is very useful as obtain a lot of benefits are possible through Barter Exchange, because for example:

1. Barter Generates New customers:
Allowing you to expand your market and maintain your cash paying customers. This is incremental business wherein customers bypass competing businesses to do business with you;

2. Barter Conserves Cash and increases Profits:
Barter creates new customers because buyers are motivated to pay with their products or services and save cash. Simply put - if you had to purchase a copier for $1000 - what would you rather do? Write a check or pay with an equal amount of your product/service at its normal selling price to a new customer? Most businesses prefer to trade and conserve cash.

3. Barter Moves Excess Inventory:
Retailers must keep their inventory moving. Each season, customers shop for the most current merchandise. Barter Business Unlimited will bring you buyers to move excess inventory, eliminating the advertising costs and heavy discounting otherwise needed to accomplish this.

4. Barter helps Manufacturers/Wholesalers:
Barter can be used for selling your surplus inventory, while helping you obtain the best possible prices for your products. Barter can allow you to maintain your current pricing integrity as well as upgrading your return on investment.

5. Barter increases Productivity by Filling Downtime And Unused Capacity:
Service Business: Increase billable hours! If you are not at 100% capacity twelve months a year and can handle new customers, barter can help you fill your idle time with new business opportunities.

6. Barter helps Manufacturers:
If you are currently operating at 90% capacity, going to 93% changes very little in the cost of production. Wouldn't it make sense to take on a new Barter customer to cover the cost of next year's product catalog?

7. Barter expands Your Customer Base:
Barter customers will bring you all of the cash referrals that your present clients bring. You will gain new cash paying customers too as long as you give your Barter customers the same great services and pricing as you offer everyone else.

Summary of the Invention

[0004] The object of the present invention is thus to meet the needs outlined above by providing a barter system that solves the above problems.

[0005] According to the present invention, such object is achieved by means of a barter system having the features set forth in the claims that follow.

[0006] The present invention also relates to a barter method as well as to a computer program product loadable in the memory of at least one computer and including software code portions for performing the steps of the method of the invention when the product is run on at least one computer. As used here, the reference to such a computer program product is meant as equivalent to the reference to computer readable medium containing instructions for controlling a system so as to coordinate execution of the method according to the invention. Reference to "at least one computer" is meant to highlight the possibility for the method of the invention to be carried out in a decentralized manner over a plurality of computers. Claims are an integral part of the teaching of the present invention.

[0007] According to a preferred embodiment of present invention the barter method provides barter members through a Barter Organization of a plurality of tools arranged for requesting the Barter Organisation to access at least one type of barter market on the web, making available products and/or services, receiving credit guaranties and corresponding barter credits having consecutive serial numbers by the Barter Organisation, the barter credits being stored in a computer medium, listing and/or displaying on the web the products and/or services and barter credits corresponding to a value determined by the products and/or services, taking place on the web to bartered transactions by selling or buying products, acquiring the barter credits as the products and/or services are sold on the web, and using the barter credits for buying further products and/or services on the web.

[0008] According to a further feature of present invention the barter method is implemented in a computer system comprising at least one server storing a common operating system and a software package arranged for managing the bartered transactions, at least a common Data Base, and a plurality of layers having each layered access protection for communicating each other and to the common Data Base.

[0009] Achieving success in lots of financial and business transactions and guarantee for a continual progress of a large volume depends on the volume of the involved capital. Various economic sectors, from those involved in civil engineering and infrastructure activities, to those active in industrial, agricultural, commercial, and service rendering sectors, are all entangled with the problem of providing cash and hard currency. That problem has resulted in halting the process of a broad spectrum of financial transactions in their passage through the narrow path of providing cash for acquiring raw material and other stuff they each need for pursuing their activities.
The system that we have invented would help to solve the cash problem for such projects.

[0010] This system which consists of active sectors in the different field of construction and industry would bring them to be in connecting together, and help each other to fulfill their needs for raw material, machinery and land.

[0011] According to the present invention, each member depending on the value of the asset he brings in would receive barter credit from the barter management for the same amount, and can do all of his transaction by the means of credit instead of cash.
Therefore a member can increase its credit by selling to the market, and can decrease its barter credit by purchasing from the market.

[0012] We relying on the experience of over two decades in Urban engineering, Infrastructure work, and Commercial activities through my five companies, have studied the effective factors in various economic activities in those fields and service rendering fields at times of economic blossoming and recession.
Those studies and my experience has led me to draw the conclusion that the combination of active factors and elements in those fields provide a great potential for conducting transaction in Barter Market .
Meanwhile, unmatched services and goods presented by the sellers, with those of the products at the disposal of the buyers, lead to lack of success in efforts aimed at conducting bilateral or multilateral Barter transactions in the country.
For those reasons, I decided to initiate a comprehensive mechanism that through a vast network would provide the opportunity for presentation of goods and services on the one hand, in return for the required goods and services on the other hand ( " k*m*n" matrix) , which have I named the goods, services and real state properties Barter Market.

[0013] In this virtual network the presenter of goods, services or real estate properties gains demand note or barter credits in the framework of a credit system. Then, taking advantage of that demand note (that is valid merely in Barter Market) they can in turn acquire the goods, services, or real estate properties they need from the other members of the market that have presented them.

[0014] In this way, the problem of unmatched goods and services presented for sale with the items presented by the buyer (that is the main problem in all old fashioned bartered transactions markets) is so easily solved. Meanwhile, due to the absence of cash and its involved restrictions in the system, we would not be witness to market recession problem, or the total halt in business transactions in such markets. An example for the seriousness of that problem is that even in case of constructing a residential complex, or a Urban development project, although the required budgets for such projects are always allocated to the purpose in advance, the continuation of them in later stages is often faced with shortage of monetary assets, and therefore halted temporarily, and in some occasions even for long periods. The proposed technology in future pages of this document, based on mobilization and organizing of the active parties involved in development plans and Urban construction activities, including the mass house producers on the one hand, and the procurers of construction materials and real estate owners on the other hand, in a bid to push forth effectively the huge scale Urban development plans under a competent Urban management, gathers them all under the supportive umbrella of a Barter Market.

[0015] According to the present invention, inventor has devised a comprehensive technological scheme for the establishment of such a Bartered Transactions Market. That scheme is also applicable in the country's other economic organs, such as the municipalities in any city (under the proposed name of the Barter Market), at the Stock Exchange Market (under the possible title of the 'Capital Provision Barter Market'), and at the other financial and economic organizations and foundations in any country.

Brief Description of Drawings

[0016] These and further features and advantages of the present invention will appear more clearly from the following detailed description of preferred embodiments, provided by way of non-limiting examples with reference to the attached drawings, in which components designated by same or similar reference numerals indicate components having same or similar functionality and construction and wherein:

Fig. 1 shows an example of system architecture according to present invention;

Fig. 2 shows a block diagram of the method implemented in the system architecture of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 shows a block diagram of the method implemented in the system architecture of Fig. 1 in more detail.

Detailed description of the preferred embodiments

Barter System

[0017] With reference to Fig. 1 a barter system 10 for implementing a barter market through a barter method is provided by an architecture based on layers.
In particular the system 10 comprises a common operating system 100, associated to a software package including a plurality of program modules, a plurality of layers communicating each other and a common Data Base 105. Preferably the common operating system and the associated software are stored in a server.
According to the preferred embodiment of present invention layers comprise a user interface layer (first layer) 110, a business facade layer (second layer) 120, a business logic layer (third layer) 130 and a data access layer (fourth layer) 140. The fourth layer is configured for accessing the common Data Base 105.
Each layer, preferably, comprises layered access protection.

[0018] Moreover, the software package is web-based and, therefore, as easily comprehensible by a technician in the field, is easily transferable over separate servers if there is a need to launching new bartered markets.

Software specifications

[0019] According to the preferred embodiment of present invention program modules are associated to the common operating system 100 for implementing the barter method.

[0020] In particular, in a first step 210 (Fig. 2) the barter method is arranged for operating:

1. Information Dissemination & Membership Admissions

[0021] Such a step comprises one or more of the following steps implemented, for instance, by corresponding modules stored in the system and arranged for

• filling out registration forms and for sending them to the barter company, possible both by the applicants personally, and by official or honorary agents of the barter company;
• online registration of applicants to the barter market via Internet;
• viewing, deleting, editing, or searching by system managers for files based on various factors, and capability of surveying the files forwarded by the applicants to the barter market (applicants);
• forwarding emails and messages within the web site for the applicants in order to establish the initial necessary business relations;
• defining and allocating identity codes and passwords for entered applicants (members) and for defining and regulating types of memberships within the barter system, with possibility of changing the codes by the members personally, and changing the types of memberships by the system managers.

[0022] In a second step 220 the barter method is arranged for operating:

2. Members registration and membership type assignment

[0023] Such a step comprises one or more of the following steps implemented, for instance, by corresponding modules stored in the system and arranged for
- confirmation of the information provided by the membership applicant and for defining the type of his/her memberships by the system managers;
- storing the applicant's information at the software;
- editing the stored information and the type of membership, for registering it at the system, and for issuing an invoice for the new member's membership charge;
- issuing the needed permit for allowing discounts in issuing a Proforma on the basis of the type of membership and a related tariff chart;
- printing the completed membership forms, in whose completion the software modules has contributed by choosing the membership type, the name and full identifications of the applicants, the related tariffs and the charges to be paid for bartered transactions, the validity period of the contract, and the contract number automatically;
- when the contract gets signed by the applicant, the information provided by the member would be loaded and activated on the information dissemination section and an ID certificate would be issued for him by the software modules as follows:

Rea1 entity ID Form (Document F7-1)
Membership Code:		Membership Type:
Address:		Contact phone:
Date of issuance:		City of birth:
Active in group:		Expiry date:
Head of Dept.'s signature & stamp		Head of Bartered Market's signature & stamp

Lega1 entity ID Form (Document F6-1)
Membership Code:		Membership Type:
Co./Institute Name		Reg. No.:
Reg. Date:		Man. Dir. Full Name
Representative's Full Name:		Representative's ID No.:
Representative's Contact phone:		Representative's Address:
email:		Representative's License No:
Company's Address:		Company's contact phone:
Date of issuance:		City of birth:
Active in group:		Expiry date:
Head of Dept.'s signature & stamp		Head of Bartered Market's signature & stamp

[0024] In a third step 230 the barter method is arranged for operating

3. Bonds presentation, evaluation and registration

[0025] Such a step comprises one or more of the following steps implemented, for instance, by manual operation and/or software modules stored in the system.
Keeping in mind that each member of the barter market is required to present bonds to be bartered, the process of evaluating the presented bonds (by the member in a bid to receive money orders) takes place fully manually and relying on cooperation of banks, or insurance companies, none of the details of this process is recorded in the software.
Only after the end of evaluating the bonds (regarded as acceptable by the banks and insurance companies that, for instance, have contracts with the Bartered Market) and in accordance with them, bank or insurance credit guarantees would be issued, and, according to the preferred embodiment of present invention, steps are provided for
- registering the bonds at the system according to the following table

Bond Registration Form:
Member's Code:
Credit Guarantee No.:		Date of Issuance:
Issuing Bank:		Value:
Type of Credit Guarantee:		Expiry Date:
Credit Guarantee's details:
Bond's details:

- registering charges paid to experts that evaluate the bonds as "spending" at the software, although they are not calculated by it.

[0026] As a matter of fact, in the process of registering the incomes gained from the evaluation of the bonds presented by the members, merely the charge, paid by the member for experts' evaluation of the bond, is registered as the system's incomes section, but the calculation of that cost and controlling its exact amount would not be conducted using this software.

[0027] In a fourth step 240 the barter method is arranged for operating

4- Money orders registration and delivery to members

[0028] Such a step comprises one or more of the following steps implemented, for instance, by corresponding modules stored in the system and arranged for
- registering a series of money orders that have still not been allocated to any certain member serially in one group. Those money orders would thus gain a group code number, used both in their delivery and in their transfers;
- delivering money orders to the certain member (member) equal to the credit guarantee amount. The full identifications of the money orders delivered to the member are registered at the system in a form as follows:

Credit allocation form to members
Receiving Member's Code:
Money Order No.:
From Serial Number:		To Serial Number:
Total Amount:		Date of Delivery:

[0029] Since the money orders thus issued are in fact barter credits allocated to members, in order to issue high amounts of them it is necessary to use consecutive serial numbers.
According to the preferred embodiment of present invention, in such a step software program modules are provided arranged for

• registering such consecutive serial numbers (series) simultaneously, and yet
• storing them at its Information Bank separately.

[0030] The amount of each money order or barter credit is thus saved in an exclusive dossier.

[0031] Further to the money orders delivery, steps are provided for:

• checking, when money orders are delivered to the member, to make sure that the money orders are being delivered to the member upon presentation of a valid guarantee, and
• controlling that the presented guarantee would be in the name of the member.

[0032] According to the preferred embodiment it is also controlled to make sure that the amount of the allocated money orders or barter credits equals the amount of the credit guarantee (guarantee), and does not exceed it.

[0033] More preferably, guarantee has an overdue date that should be a month after the overdue date of the money order, whereby the system checks that, too.

[0034] In a fifth step 250 the barter method is arranged for operating

5. registration of financial transactions & transfer of money orders' ownership within market

[0035] Such a step comprises one or more of the following steps or operations implemented, for instance, by corresponding modules stored in the system.

[0036] In particular, at the time when transactions take place between two members of the market in a first step 250-1 the following operations are conducted:

5.1.1 The price of the traded commodity and the details of the transactions are registered at the system;

5.1.2 The system issues two Proforma Invoices (P/Is), one for the buyer and the other one for the seller, in accordance with the type of the transaction and membership types of parties, as specified in related charts;

5.1.3 A Transactions Registration Department gets those Invoices signed by the buyer and the seller and delivers one to each, as follows:

Bartered Transaction Charge Payment Bill (For Buyer)
Buyer's ID Code:		Date of Issuance:
Membership Type:		Amount of Transaction:
Cash Amount:		Money Orders Amount:
Bartered Transaction Charge:		Bank Name & Account Code:
Payment Deadline:		System User's Code:
Head of Dept.'s Signature & Stamp		Head of Bartered Market's Signature & Stamp

Bartered Transaction Charge Payment Bill (For Seller)
Seller's ID Code:		Date of Issuance:
Cash Amount:		Money Order Amount:
Membership Type:		Amount of
		Transaction:
Bartered Transaction Charge:		Bank Name & Account Code:
Payment Deadline:		System User's Code:
Head of Dept.'s Signature & Stamp		Head of Bartered Market's Signature & Stamp

[0037] In a second step 250-2 the following operations are conducted:
5.2 - The two sides of the transaction (buyer and seller), after depositing the bartered deal's charges, deliver its bank receipt to the Transactions Registration Department. The Transactions Registration Department enters the bank receipt's identifications in the software, gets two approval documents for the buyer and the seller, and delivers the documents to them, as follows:

Bartered Charge Payment Confirmation Bill (For Buyer)
Buyer's ID Code:		Date of Payment:
Membership Type:		Amount of Transaction:
Cash Amount:		Money Orders Amount:
Bartered Transaction Charge:		Bank Name & Account Code:
Stamp and Signature of Transactions Registration Dept.		Document's Computer Code:
		Financial Department Code:

Bartered Charge Payment Confirmation Bill (For Seller)
Seller's ID Code:		Date of Payment:
Membership Type:		Amount of Transaction:
Cash Amount:		Money Order Amount:
Bartered Transaction Charge:		Bank Name & Account Code:
Stamp and Signature of Transactions Registration Dept.		Document's Computer Code:
		Financial Department Code:

[0038] In a third step 250-3 the following operations are conducted:
5.3 - After payment of the service charges by both sides, namely the buyer and the seller, the software enables the person in charge at the Transactions Registration Department to do the transfer operations of the money orders or barter credits from the name of the buyer into the name of the seller. Then the system would issue the transfer confirmation document as follows:

Subject		Name & ID Specifications			Membership Type			Identification Code		Service Charge Payment Bank Bill No.		Date
Title
Buyer (Transferor of Money Orders)
Seller (Receiver of Money Orders)
Acting Agent's Code								Middleman's Code
Observations

Detailed Chart of Traded Money Orders' Status
Serial Number	Amount (in rials)		Issuance Date			Overdue Issued in Date Name of			Former Owner's Name (according to endorsement)		Former Owner's Name (according to endorsement)
Transferor's Authorized Stamp & Signature							Receiver's Authorized Stamp & Signature
Head of Financial Department's Signature							Head of Bartered Stock Exchange Department's Signature					ID Code

[0039] The barter method is also shown in more detail in Fig. 3, in order to better clarify operation thereof already presented.

Ancillary functions

[0040] The barter method according to present invention further comprises a plurality of ancillary program modules useful to implement ancillary functions useful to the maintenance of the barter system.
As clearly understandable by a technician in the fields, such ancillary program modules are programs developed during the barter system design phase and preferably stored in the system server.
Preferably the ancillary functions comprise the following functions, that, for the sake of simplicity are numbered as a sequence of previous steps:

6. Process of Members Faults Registration & Fines Calculation

[0041] 6.1 - When a member of the Bartered Market violates certain rules such faults are registered by concerned departments at the system, too, and the system keeping in mind the type of membership and the type of the violation, in accordance with the related Tariffs Chart automatically calculates, by means of program modules, the amount of the fine to be paid and registers it at relative section of the Bartered Market's software system. At the time that the violator member would get engaged in a new transaction, or when he/she would intend to clear off his account with the market, the system would present, by means of program modules, a bill as follows for fine payment:

List of Member's Violations
Membership Code		Membership Type		Member's Name
Series	Violation Code	Date of violation	Extent of violation	Payable Amount	Violation Details
Total Amount
Payable from Bank Account Code					Bank Name:
Transaction Registration Official's Signature & Stamp

[0042] 6.2 - After the payment of the fine's amount by the violator member and presenting the relative bill to the concerned official at the Bartered Market, the system, by means of program modules, would issue a receipt conforming receiving the fine from the member, as follows:

Confirmation List for Paid Fines
Membership Code			Membership Type		Member's Name
Row	Payment Bill No.	Violation code	Date of Violation	Fine Amount	Payment Date	Violation Details
Registration Department Official's Signature & Stamp

7. Calculation & Registration of Side Expenses

[0043] The side expenses offered to the members by the Bartered Market, including advertisements' charges, websites' designing, expenses of publishing books by the market's Publications Department, banner costs, etc, may be calculated by applying a tariff chart, by means of specialised program modules

	Member's Identification
	Code
Row	Cost Title	Department Name	Amount	Date
Total Payable Amount
Registration Department Official's Signature & Stamp

8. Debit & Accredited Accounts

[0044] The software developed during the design phase of the barter method and system comprises a set of program modules usable by the Market's Financial Affairs Department for creating a debit and an accredited account for each member; such a set of program modules records the members debts to the system and to other members, and the amounts due to be paid to that member by them. Such a set is useful, because at the time when a member is clearing off his account with the market, both of those accounts should be empty. Also, the total amount of each member's debts and credits should be equal to the amount of his transactions at the market.

[0045] Moreover a set of program modules usable by the Market's Financial Affairs Department is provided that establishes a debit and an accredited account for the Management of the Bartered Market. Inside those two accounts the system, automatically, registers the entire debts and credits of the market to and from the members.

9 - Financial Accounts of Market's Middlemen and Agencies:

[0046] 9.1 - Further functions are provided in order that Middlemen of the Bartered Market, keeping in mind the roles they play in introduction of the Market to the public, get a percentage of the Market's income as their salary. The extent of that percentage depends on the type of the applicants' memberships.

[0047] 9.2 - Moreover, other functions are provided in order that Authorised Agencies of the Bartered Market, keeping in mind the roles they play in introduction of the Market to the public, get a percentage of the Market's income as their salary. The extent of that percentage depends on the type of the applicants' memberships.

10 - Possibility of Presenting Financial & Analytic Reports:

[0048] 10.1 - According to the preferred embodiment of the barter method and system, financial reports can be obtained from the software in a number of ways. They include, for example:

[0049] 10.1.1 - A list of each member's entire payments in the framework of bartered service charges;

[0050] 10.1.2 - A payment lists of each member, including the membership charge based on its type, and the periods of membership;

[0051] 10.1.3 - A payment lists of each member's fines, defined types of violations, the time when the violation occurred, and the amount of fines;

[0052] 10.1.4 - A payment lists of each member for charges of expert level consultations, the exact times of each, the amount of the charges, and the type of consultation given to the members;

[0053] 10.1.5 - Analytic diagrams on relations between the total amount of the transactions, the membership types, the times when they took place, and the groups of traded goods;

[0054] 10.1.6 - Analytic diagrams on relation between bartered service charges, the number of transactions, and the percentage of market's share;

[0055] 10.1.7 - Analytic diagrams on relation between the number of transactions and the extent of market's income;

[0056] 10.1.8 - Analytic diagram on relation between the number of transactions and the groups of goods;

[0057] 10.1.9 - Analytic Diagram on relations between the times and the numbers of transactions and their amounts;

[0058] 10.1.10 - Analytic diagram on the extent of market's total income and total amount of debts;

[0059] 10.1.11 - A list of payments made to market's agencies as their percentage right from the conducted deals and a separate such list for each agency;

[0060] 10.1.12 - A list of payments made to market's agencies as their percentage right for introducing members to the market, and such separate lists for each agency;

[0061] 10.1.13 - A list of payments made to middlemen as their percentage right from the conducted deals and a separate such list for each middleman;

[0062] 10.1.14 - A list of payments made to market's middlemen as their percentage right for introducing members to the market, and such separate lists for each middleman;

11 - Tariff charts & basic information for Financial & Accounting System:

[0063] 11.1 - Possibility of defining, by means of program modules, the charts for the system, including: the Tariff Chart for Membership Charges; the Tariff Chart for Bartered Services Charges, based on the type of the transactions, the percentage of cash and percentage of money order traded in the deal; possibility of cancelling, by means of program modules, a document inside the system and stating the reasons for cancelling it, registering backgrounds, doing calculations on accounting documents and recording the changes.

12 - Control & warning mechanisms:

[0064] The software is equipped with alarm and warning systems that issues written warnings in below mentioned situations to market managers, as for instance:

12.1 - On expiry date of membership periods of Market members;

12.2 - At the end of the payment periods for the charges for bartered services;

12.3 - At the end of the payment periods for membership and violation charges;

12.4 - On overdue dates for the Letters of Credit (L/Cs), money orders, and members' credit guarantees;

12.5 - Public announcement of the list of Proforma Invoices (P/I's) issued for the payments of the overdue memberships and bartered services charges that are not paid to the Market after the passage of certain pre-defined periods of time;

12.6 - Public announcement of the list of goods, and the names of the newly registered members after the approval of the system management;

12.7 - Issuing warnings addressed to certain members on lack of approval for their declared information of goods, or their membership, including the reasons why.

13 - Search possibilities

[0065] 13.1 - Modules are provided for categorising goods, services, and real estate properties presented at Barter Market:
This section is exclusively for the use of junior experts commissioned to supervise over the groups of presented goods, services, and real estate properties at the Barter Market. Such experts are either staffers of the Middlemen's Department or those of the Commerce Department. They can define the various groups of goods, service, or real estate properties presented at the Market.
For instance, the goods are categorised maximum up to three levels in tree diagrams and the members can define their presented goods and services at the 2nd and 3rd levels, but not at higher levels.

[0066] 13.2 - Modules are provided to Search and declare presented goods, services, and real estate properties:
The software provides the possibility for the Commerce Department and the Middlemen's Department managers to focus on a certain group of goods, and to present in a single list the entire group of buyers and sellers in that group. An example is shown in the following chart:

Subgroup's Name	Buyer's Name	Demand	Quantity of Demand	Details
Construction Material	Ali Ehsani	Cement	200 tons	I need the goods latest by ten days from now
Construction Material	Reza Sa'eidi	Cement & Stone	2,000 tons	I need the goods latest by a month from now

Subgroup's Name	Seller's Name	Presented Items	Presentable Quantity	Details
Construction Material	Mohammad Reza'ie	Cement & Stone	2,000 tons	Presentable on a 200 ton per day basis
Construction Material	Reza Akbari	Cement & Stone	4,000 tons	Presentable on a 100 ton per day basis, as of a month from now

[0067] 13.3 - The Commerce Department can decide about presentation of a good, a service, or a real estate property, or the demand for each, at one group, or at a number of related groups at the site simultaneously in a bid to propagate for them optimally.
The software enables the Commerce Department to clarify in which group, or groups the goods, services, or real estate properties presented by a member are located.

[0068] 13.4 - The Commerce Department can exclusively declare the presentation of a certain good by a member, or one demanded by another, at purchase, or sales sections of the site, or to inform the other members by sending them emails, or entering negotiations with them aimed at harmonising the buyers with the sellers.

[0069] 13.6 - The subsections of the Commerce Department can introduce the business potentials also in other ways. For instance, on presentation for wholesale of a large quality of iron rods they can put a notice on the site. The drafting and publication of such notices takes place merely by the Commerce Department and they have announcement and expiry dates, as well as defined ways of presentation and publication charge on the site.

[0070] 13.7 - When a member personally edits the information of the goods or services presented on the site, such information is automatically deactivated, and they are thus not visible for the other members.
Therefore, the system sends an alarm message to concerned officials at the Commerce Department, inclusive of the deactivated lists of the newly edited goods. Those alarm notices would be on till the confirmation of those lists.

13.8 - Grouping Market members

[0071] This section is exclusively for notice of the supervisor experts over the activities conducted in the Market.
Such experts are the staffers of the Commerce, or the Middlemen's departments and can define the various groups of goods, or services.
For instance, the members are categorised in maximum three levels in tree diagrams and are allowed to define themselves at the 2nd and 3rd levels, but not at higher levels.

14 - Tender & Lease Operations including:

[0072] Modules are provided, for example, to launch a tender mechanism for a certain commodity including at least in part the below mentioned possibilities:

• Announcing the beginning and expiry dates of the tender, or lease;
• Receiving the presented proposals;
• Declaring the highest and the lowest made proposals and registering the tender's records and backgrounds.

[0073] Further modules are, for example, provided to launch a lease for a certain product or service including at least in part the below mentioned possibilities:

• Announcing the beginning and expiry dates of the lease, or tender;
• Receiving the presented proposals;
• Declaring the highest and lowest proposals and registering the lease's, or tender's records and backgrounds.

15 - Management & Access Levels to Information:

[0074] In case of any software problem or any error in using the barter system by a client, all such cases are automatically recorded, by means of program modules, in the system's Information Bank under, for instance, an XML file, and then again, automatically emailed to a barter management service.
The error in application or usage of the system would thus be identified, by means of program modules developed during the design phase of the system, and the client would be informed and Guided for correcting it soon.

[0075] Modules are provided for granting various licenses for the members and users of the system, such as the Market's various middlemen and the managers to have dynamic observation over information alterations, or deletions in the system, keeping in mind, as already disclosed, the various accessibility levels, up to the level of information records.

System's Technical & Engineering Specifications

[0076] According to the preferred embodiment of present invention the system is designed in a dual usage mode.

[0077] A first usage mode is merely for the management or the financial and accounting departments, the members' access to such information is possible exclusively after obtaining the Market Management.

[0078] A second usage mode is directed to have rapid service rendering within the Market's Central Administrative Organisation, whereby such information needs to be active on the Intranet of the organisation.
Therefore the software is designed and launched in two separate levels.
A first level is put on the Internet, and is inclusive of information on the members and their goods, as well as the Market events.
A second level is put on the Intranet.
No part of the information on members' financial and accounting statuses are put on the first level.
The second level of the software is inclusive of the financial and accounting services for the Market members and the entire records on their payments and transactions. This section is merely activated on the Intranet of the organisation.
The standard for the flow of information between these two parts of the system is based, for instance, on the XPM Web Service and the entire exchange of information is controlled by the software.
Other languages and tools used for implementing the barter method comprise, for instance:

• Design Methodology: RUP
• Programming Space: C# in Microsoft Net Platform
• Technology: ASP.NET
• Information Bank Management Software: SQL Server 2000
• Software used in system design: Rational Rose, or, the Rational XDE for .Net

[0079] The software modules are stored on the system 10, preferably in a central server.

Software modules for managing the system

[0080] Barter system further to provide a barter method for implementing a barter market, comprises a set of program modules arranged for managing system resources and users.

[0081] In particular, the system comprises system management tools arranged for defining or organising:

• User Groups: Possibility to view, define, and change the user groups, such as the members, the managers, the middlemen, etc.
• Menus List: The list of the menus seen at the business office (this same form).
• Defining Access Levels: In order to define the access levels to a menu of the software it is necessary to choose it first. Then you should click the button next to it that is labelled "Access Level". A form would be opened in which the lists of the groups of users and the permits of each group for access to various parts of the system are mentioned. The user can tick mark, or remove the tick, and after making the necessary alterations, he/she should click the "Save changes" button.
• List of system's forms: The software provided the possibility to watch, to change, or to add the forms into the system. Each menu might have several sub-sections, or just a single form when clicked. In this part the names of the forms and the paths through which they can be accessed are loaded. Access to each form is possible through this list. Furthermore, each form can be opened through various menus, depending on its relations with them.
• News list: In this section it is possible to view the list of the entire news forwarded for the attention of the site management, to edit them, and to add and delete news. Each news item in this list has an "Active/De-Active" status button. The news whose status would be changed into De-Active would no longer be displayed at the site. Also the latest news would be displayed in descending order of their dates of entry at the site.
• List of system's users: The list of the system's entire users can be viewed at this section. The system's users can be, generally speaking, subdivided into two major groups: first the Market members, and second, the non-member users. In this form the head manager of the system can change the access code of any user. None of the users, even the mangers and the head manager, can view the access codes and the passwords of the users, which are stored and displayed at the system as dots (...).
• Personal/Legal IDs: When a member gets registered at the Bartered Market, either personally, or through the system manger, or a concerned system official, he gets an ID access code to the system. The ID access code of ach user is a serial number that is in accordance with his real (Personal = P), or legal (Company = C) identity that would be prefixed with a "P", or a "C" letter. Each member is also at the time of registration provided with a "Virtual Membership Code". If such individual's membership is approved by the system management, or an official that has access to the codes in the system, that code can be turned into an "Actual Membership Code". That is the code with which all files, documents and information on any Market member is marked, and identified.

[0082] Moreover the system comprises Members' Affairs management tools arranged for defining or organising:

• Members List: In this list the names of the entire members (guest trial members, honorary members, real members, virtual members ...) is included. Management over each member's status, such as approving his/her membership, rejecting it, activating a membership, etc. is handled with in this form.
• Entering a member's goods: When a members' membership at the market is confirmed he/she can personally enter the information of the goods, services, or real estate properties he wishes to put on sale at, or demand to acquire from the system. In addition to that, the system manager (or any other authorised system official) can through this form, and by clicking the icon titled "Member", view the member's old and new available commodities, and/or demands. Clicking the icon related to each good would enable you to see its details. It is also possible for the member to include maximum three pictures with each of the goods, services, or real estate properties he/she has put on sale. By clicking the approval icon for the entry of a new good the relative form would appear. Attention should be paid to the point that the fields asterisked with red marks in this form should be filled out by member, since otherwise the entered information would not be saved.
• Defining member's goods: A member whose membership is confirmed at the Market can personally enter the system and insert information on his possessions that are put for sale, or demands for goods, services, or real estate properties from the Market. In addition, the system manger, or any authorized member, can after entering this form click the "New Goods" icon and enter comments, or additional details on the presented goods, service, or properties, including three pictures. Clicking the "Confirm" icon after that would save the newly entered information. The red asterisks spaces, as said before, need to be filled out in this form, too, since otherwise the newly entered information will not be saved.
• Activities List: During the registration process of a new member he/she is also asked about the field of his activities and his answers in that respect would be entered in the relative form. The entries in this form, too, can be altered, or edited. The fields of activities are in fact related to the groups of goods, or services that the member presents for sale, or is in need of purchasing. Also the group of officials, or members authorized to enter alterations in this member's e-field can do so by clicking the related icon. By choosing member's icon, placing the mouse on "Activities" icon, and clicking it the list would be opened, inclusive of the entire activities, goods, and services presented by that member. In this list the user also has the possibility to check the similar goods, service, or properties presented by other members. For instance if you wish to view the goods within the "Commerce" field, you should choose that icon atop this list and click the "Search" icon.
  In that case the new list would merely include the commercial items. If you do not wish to see the changed page and want to return to the previous page, just click the "Ecs" button on the keyboard, or click the "Back" icon on the computer screen.
• List of Members' Violations: In this part the list of the entire members' violations are shown.
• List of members Money Order: In this section the list of entire members' money orders can be seen.
• List of members' goods: In this part the list of the entire goods described by members are put on display for all members.
  Members' Records: As we earlier discussed under the tile "Members' Lists" entry, all the activities conducted by each member, like transactions and violations, or those conducted that are related to him, such as registration, editing of presented information, and confirmation of membership, are recorded in the system and can be traced and if necessary, or reacted to at this section.

[0083] The system also comprises Goods Management tools arranged for defining or organising:

• Lists of Goods' Groups: In this part the entire groups of goods, services, and properties are listed in descending order.
• List of Goods, services & properties: In this section the entire goods, properties, and services presented at the market are included. The forms in this part can also be used for categorising the goods, services, and properties available at the Market.

[0084] In addition the system comprises Buying & Selling tools arranged for defining or organising:

• List of letter of credit (L/Cs): Under this icon the list of the entire Letter of Credit (L/Cs) formerly opened at the Market are recorded, and the new L/Cs, too, should be registered here.
• L/Cs' records: Any transaction conducted on an L/C is registered by the system and therefore can be traced. Such transactions can include registration, editing, etc.
• Conducted Transactions List: In this list the entire transaction conducted in the system can be observed.
• Brief records on Money Orders' transaction: As mentioned under the heading "Transactions", when a deal is finalised a number of money orders are often traded between the buyer and the seller. In this section the history of those transactions is recorded and can be traced. The form is in fact aimed at enabling the system management to trace any of its issued money orders at any given time.

Further system tools provided by the system comprise:

• Changing Passwords tools: In addition to the system manager, who is capable of changing the entire users' passwords, each user, or member, too, can after entering his/her electronic office, change their passwords. By pushing the "Change Password" icon, a window would be opened in which first the current and then the new password should be typed twice in order to change a password.
• Tenders and Leases' Management tools: The business manager at the system can define the bartered tenders and leases and those members that can launch a tender, or a lease proposals at the system can make their offer for the event. The System management would then organize the dates and other specification of such events and display their lists in order of deals' volumes.
• Search Engine tools: This site's search engine can in addition to conducting search within the categories of goods, groups, members, keywords, technical specifications, and presentations and demands, also search for combinations of words.

Any anonymous user, too, can take advantage of such services of the system. Yet, the users that enter the system using special passwords can be benefited from sensitive additional information.

BARTER MARKET OPERATION

[0085] According to the present invention by applying the above system architecture and the above barter method a barter market operation may be implemented of which an operation method is disclosed by means of the following non exhaustive example whereof the contents are:

(1) Defining a Modern Barter System

(2) Membership

(3) Documents of Bartered Transactions

(4) Methods of conducting Bartered Transactions

(5) Complementary Barter Markets:

(6) Charge for Bartered Services

(7) Expiry of Memberships & Exiting from the Market

(8) Objectives & Privileges of Launching Barter System

(1) Defining a Modern Barter System:

[0086] Modern bartered transactions take place within a system through which the involved individuals, companies, or institutes provide credit for themselves by selling their goods, services, or real estate properties, and then, they spend that credit in order to acquire their own requirements. Meanwhile, any member of our market can by presenting reliable and authentic guarantees acquire credits from the market management. Such credits have the guarantee of an insurance company, or a bank.
Using those credits their owners can acquire the goods, services, or real estate properties they need. All these transactions take place at a virtual market shaped by its real and legal members, and under the supervision of the management system already disclosed. The expansion of this market depends on the admission of potential new members, the field of whose activities would match those of the other members.

[0087] The distinction point between the "modern bartered transactions" and the other financial transactions is in this system's broad potentials for presenting sufficient assets to the buyers for purchasing goods, services, and real estate properties. Therefore, any organisation that would join this market can initially offer authentic guarantees and begin purchasing goods at the market; then it can sell those goods and gain more money credits or barter credits.

[0088] The other way to acquire barter credit for the newcomer is to wait initially for the sale of his/her goods; acquire barter credits for them as they get sold, and buy the good he/she needs using those barter credits.

[0089] All the above functions may be used, for instance, by means of the first step 210 of the barter method already disclosed.

(2) Membership:

[0090] Any real or legal entity wishing to buy, or sell goods, services, or real estate properties can become a member of the Bartered Transactions Market and get involved in deals at it.

[0091] Also in this case, the above function may be used, for instance, by means of the first step 210 of the barter method already disclosed.

(3) Documents of Barter Transactions

[0092] Money orders and/or barter credits are the documents of the barter transactions. They meanwhile serve as the means for paying the price of the deals and have the guarantees of the market management, as well as an authentic insurance company, or a bank that ensures their being cashed on, or after their overdue dates.
Meanwhile, when a deal is conducted between a seller and a buyer, the buyer pays the cost of the goods he/she buys, using money orders, and not cash, and the seller, too, accepts those money orders, in accordance with the trade laws and receives barter credits.
These money orders or barter credits are the authentic documents in all bartered transactions that take place at this virtual market. Choosing money orders as "The Documents" for conducting all bartered transactions is due to the fact that both the country's Trade Laws and the Geneva Trade Convention approve of their validity in such deals.
Any member can deposit a down payment at any of the reputable organisations that serve as the contractors of the Bartered Transactions Market and gain a guarantee from them, present that guarantee to the Market Management and get an equal amount to it in guaranteed barter credits.

[0093] All the above functions may be used, for instance, by means of the steps 2 to 4 (220-240) of the barter method already disclosed.

(4) Methods of conducting Bartered Transactions:

[0094] There are two ways for conducting a bartered transaction or barter transactions:
First Method: Any real or legal entity, after becoming a member of the Bartered Transactions Market, can present valid guarantees to the Market Management and obtain barter credits equal to the amount of those guarantees, with which they can purchase goods, services, or real estate properties. They can then during the due course of the time return the market's in-use barter credits to the Market Management and clear off their accounts.
Second Method: If a member would present his/her goods, services, or real estate properties at the Bartered Transactions Market, he/she would receive an equal amount to their value at the time of their sale from the buyer.
In that case he/she is not obliged to provide any guarantees for receiving those barter credits. The terms and conditions for buying and selling goods in this system, such as the total amount of a transaction, its time, its place, and the different commitments of the buyers and the sellers are met in accordance with the rules and regulations of the Bartered Transactions Market. Yet, the Market Management accepts no responsibility in any of those respects, and is merely obliged to provide authentic barter credits for the transactions and to approve of their authenticity at the time of conducting the deals.

[0095] All the above functions may be used, for instance, by means of the fifth step 250 of the barter method already disclosed.

(5) Complementary Barter Markets:

[0096] This invention (Barter system) is a broad and diversified virtual scene for presentation and purchasing of many types of goods, services, and real estate properties; for instance the disclosed barter method may be applied to different type of barter markets, as for example to a "Middle East Barter market or Iranian Barter market" functioning in a certain area, to a "Urban Development Barter Market" functioning exclusively in the field of civil engineering and building constructions, and to a "Bartered Transactions Capital Provision Stock Exchange" functioning in a certain market; such three market types may play complementary roles for one another. In particular, the existence, for instance, of these three bartered transactions markets, gives impetus to the companies to present their shares at the "Bartered Transactions Capital Provision Stock Exchange" more heartily and with greater certainty. They can thus also invest a part of their sales' incomes from bartered transactions at other complementary markets in a bid to provide the raw materials they require for their factories, etc.
This practice would meanwhile lead to increasing the bartered transactions' capital, as well as completing the chain of internal transactions among those three complementary markets. Those individuals who become members of one of these three markets can, for example, have activities at the Iranians Bartered Transactions Market, the Urban Development Bartered Market and the Bartered Transactions Capital Provision Stock Exchange, interchangeably.

(6) Charge for Bartered Services

[0097] The Market Management charges both sides of any bartered transaction a certain amount at the time of conducting the deals. Both the Buyers and the sellers, which are all members of the market, are obliged to pay that amount. So long as that charge is not properly covered the management would refrain from approving the authenticity of the money orders and/or barter credits used in that transaction.

[0098] All the above functions may be used, for instance, by means of the ancillary program modules of the barter method already disclosed.

(7) Expiry of Memberships & Exiting from the Market:

[0099] Any member of the Market can after the expiry of his/her membership period exit from the Bartered Transactions Market. Exiting from the Market has a prerequisite though, and that is clearing the outgoing member's account with the Market Management. Such members have to pay all their debts to the Market and to return all the barter credits they have received or their equal amount in cash to the Management in return for getting back their bank guarantees.
Thus, they can totally exit the Market. But if they would choose to renew their memberships at the Bartered Transactions Market for another certain period and continue conducting transactions at it, they would be welcome to do so.
All the above functions may be used, for instance, by means of the ancillary program modules of the barter method already disclosed.

(8) Objectives & Privileges of Launching Bartered Markets:

[0100] As above disclosed, the barter market implemented by the disclosed barter method advantageously is apt to expand establishment of commercial transactions, as for example international commercial transactions.

Summary

[0101] In summary, the barter method, on the basis of the program modules developed in the design phase, is arranged for allowing:

• Defining various types of barter markets;
• Surveying current status of barter markets;
• Analysing costs of launching and justifying its economic worth;
• Establishment of barter market organs;

[0102] Moreover the barter method, on the basis of the program modules developed in the design phase, provides for implementing:

• Directives; Rules and Regulations; Forms used at the barter market; Credit circulation;
• Executive directives of barter market;
• Presentation of services to barter market members.

[0103] Of course, obvious changes and/or variations to the above disclosure are possible, as regards components and connections, as well as details of the described construction and operation method without departing from the scope of the invention as defined by the claims that follow.

Claims

1. Computer implemented method suitable for conducting bartered transactions managed by a Barter Organisation through a barter web site, the bartered transactions including buying and selling products by submitting or receiving money orders or barter credits respectively through the web,
wherein the barter method provides barter members to

- request the Barter Organisation to access at least one type of barter market on the web;

- make available products and/or services;

- receive credit guaranties and corresponding barter credits having consecutive serial numbers by said Barter Organisation, said barter credits being stored in a computer medium;

- list and/or display on the web said products and/or services and barter credits corresponding to a value determined by said products and/or services;

- take place on the web to bartered transactions by selling or buying products;

- acquire said barter credits as said products and/or services are sold on the web; and

- use said barter credits for buying further products and/or services on the web.

2. Computer implemented method according to claim 1, wherein the step of receiving credit guaranties and corresponding barter credits further comprises

- receiving an identification number for each barter member.

3. Computer implemented method according to Claim 1 or 2 arranged for providing each of said members to

- receive fines following certain rules violations, the amount of said fines being stored in a corresponding section of the computer implementing the barter method.

4. Computer implemented method according to claims 1 to 3 arranged for providing each of said members to

- become member on the web of complementary barter markets, said complementary barter markets including different types of products and/or services;

- have interchangeably activities on any one of said complementary barter markets.

5. System suitable for implementing bartered transactions including buying and selling products and/or services between barter members by submitting money orders or barter credits managed by a Barter Organisation, said system comprising

- at least one server storing a common operating system (100) and a software package arranged for managing the bartered transactions,

- at least a common data base (105);

- a plurality of layers (110, 120, 130, 140) having each layered access protection for communicating each other and to the common data base;
said system further comprising

- program modules arranged for providing to request the Barter Organisation to access at least one type of barter market on the web;

- program modules arranged for making available products and/or services on the web;

- program modules arranged for providing to receive credit guaranties and corresponding barter credits having consecutive serial numbers by said Barter Organisation, said barter credits being stored in a computer medium;

- program modules arranged for listing and/or displaying on the web said products and/or services and barter credits corresponding to a value determined by said products and/or services;

- program modules arranged for providing to take place on the web to bartered transactions by selling or buying products;

- program modules arranged for providing to acquire said barter credits as said products and/or services are sold on the web; and

- program modules arranged for providing to use said barter credits for buying further products and/or services on the web.

6. System suitable for implementing bartered transactions according to claim 5, comprising

- program modules arranged for assigning an identification number to each barter member.

7. System suitable for implementing bartered transactions according to claim 5 or 6, comprising

- program modules arranged for assigning fines to the barter members on the basis of certain rules violation, the amount of said fines being stored on said server.

8. System suitable for implementing bartered transactions according to claims 5 to 7 comprising

- program modules arranged for configuring a plurality of barter markets, each including different types of products and/or services; and

- program modules arranged for exchange information among said plurality of barter markets.

9. Computer program product or set of computer program products loadable in the memory of at least one computer and including software code portions arranged to perform, when the product is run on at least one computer, the method according to any one of claims 1 to 4.

10. Computer program product as claimed in claim 9 embodied in a computer readable medium.

Drawing