Other

Uniplast Industries, Inc.

The Great American Tool Company Inc.

Taheen Foundation LLC

Scott L Sullivan

David Leason

Robert J Hess

Allan Joel Goldman

Morris Relson

John R Anthon

Walter Slezak

James V Cox

Keith Alan Barber

Christopher James Koh

Justin French

A system and method for converting a rebate sponsor's offer into an instant credit or price reduction against a follow-on purchase. Rebate requests are obtained at a site on the Internet. The rebate request is tested to confirm that the at least one predetermined criterion has been satisfied. The person making the rebate request is enabled to make the follow-on purchase, with the rebate being converted into the instant credit or price reduction against the total price of the follow-on purchase. The follow-on purchase transaction is completed by charging that person for the purchase. The credit or price reduction can be conditioned on at least one predetermined criterion such as amount being spent on the follow-on purchase, the vendor from which the follow-on purchase is being made, and other criteria. The credit or price reduction can be redeemed in parts across a series of follow-on purchase transactions. In another aspect of the invention, consumers are advised of rebate offers. In this aspect, a server of a credit issuer receives purchase transaction details concerning an item purchase from a vendor, the item purchase is correlated with any rebate offer, and, in the event of a match, the consumer is advised by electronic mail that a rebate is available and can be converted into instant credit or price reduction on a follow-on purchase.

Rebate transaction system

Code processing for promotional games and the like. In a preferred application, a lottery ticket holder who has purchased a lottery ticket is encouraged to access a designated Internet site by rewarding access thereat on the condition that information visibly supported on the lottery ticket from a given drawing is input at an Internet site and a test indicates that the information so-input matches lottery numbers that were picked for that drawing. Access to predetermined Internet-based services or sites can also be had as an award to an individual for inputting an iconic code at a machine connected to the Internet if the input code tests as valid, with the code being marked so as to be usable only once. Preferably, the iconic code is input by click-selecting displayed icons one after another in an order that corresponds to that of a code provided to the individual. POS methods for code processing are also described.

Promotional campaign award validation methods through a distributed computer network

A hair decoration such as a kit comprises a series of beads connectable to one another and a set of appliqu&#xe9;s. At least a portion of the beads contains one or more lights inside which are in electrical communication with one another to permit power to be commonly supplied to the lights from a battery. One or more beads includes a mechanism for attaching the beads to hair. A light circuit is coupled to the light-containing beads to drive the lights. Appliqu&#xe9;s in the set of appliqu&#xe9;s are selectively applicable to the beads by a user, have a transmissivity, and are in a path of illumination of the lights. As a result, when the lights are driven by the light circuit, the lights shine and provide illumination in the path. The illumination can be direct or backlit. A method of decorating hair is also provided.

Customizable, illuminated hair beads

A folding knife includes a blade cavity defined by two liner plates into which a pivotal blade may reside. The blade, which is pivotally attached to liner plates at a pivot point, includes a tang having a recess that is parallel to the sides of the blade. A rod is pivotally secured to the blade within the recess. A spring is secured to either or both liner plates at one end and to the rod at the other end so that a pulling action is applied to the blade. The rod is attached to the blade with respect to the pivot point so that the action of the spring forces the blade into the blade cavity until the blade is rotated from the cavity past a critical point of angular displacement, after which the spring forces the blade to its fully open position. The invention further includes a variety of locking arrangements which ensure that once the blade reaches its fully open position, the blade will remain there until the user desires to close it.

Spring assisted folding knife

Method and identification system to keep track of individual pills dispensed to patients in a hospital by scanning a machine readable code assigned to each pill individually. The pills may be individually within single-pill containers. Inventory levels may be adjusted based on the scanning. Prior to dispensing the pills, a verification check may be performed.

Pill printing and identification

A pill imprinted with a micro barcode of encoded information pertaining to source identification and/or medical information pertaining to the contents of the pill. A device for reading the micro barcode on the pills and indicating what was read. The device may convey the pills in succession and sort them in accordance with the expiration date or type of medication.

Micro barcoded pill and identification/medical information retrieval system

A machine readable code on a label of a pill or imprinted directly thereon. The code may be used to track the identity of the pill for purposes of avoiding mix-up or trademark violations. The code has patterns whose resolution is too small for the unaided eye to discern.

A method for conducting a promotional game or lottery in which the awards are access to one or more predetermined internet-based services or sites. Validation codes are entered into a computer which is communicatively connected to the Internet and registered at a designated Internet site. Rewards and benefits are thereafter available to the individual at retail stores and Internet sites if the code previously had been registered at the designated Internet site.

Game or lottery with a reward validated and/or redeemed online

A vending machine that can dispense an item at multiple price points is described. The vending machine dispenses one or more items, each ordinarily having a predetermined price. The vending machine receives a proof-of-purchase (POP) identifier, and has a processor configured to permit at least one of the items in the machine to be dispensed for less than the predetermined price if the POP identifier was received. A method for enticing a further sale at one or more vending machines is also described in which a random customer is provided with a POP identifier in response to a purchase from a first vending machine. The POP identifier is thereafter received at a second vending machine that ordinarily vends each of its items at respective predetermined prices. A particular item is vended from the second vending machine for less than its predetermined price in response to at least one predetermined criterion such as the receipt of the POP identifier.

Vending machine

Garment hanger

A method for conducting a promotional game or lottery in which the awards are access to one or more predetermined internet-based services or sites. Validation codes are distributed to customers on game cards or purchase receipts. The validation code is entered into a computer which is communicatively connected to the internet, and a number of e-points are awarded if the input validation code matches one of a plurality of validation codes stored at a remote site. The e-points are a measure of an amount of a benefit which is spent like money or elapses like time in response to usage of a designated internet service or site. The greater the number of e-points, the greater the benefit conferred upon the player. The e-points are exchangeable for limited access to the designated sites or services on the internet. The magnitude of the e-point reward may be based upon purchase transactions made in a retail store. Also disclosed is a method for encouraging a customer to go online and visit one or more designated internet sites and thereafter receive a benefit at a store but only if the customer first registers the validation code at one or more of the designated internet site(s).

A child-resistant/senior-friendly container includes a cap assembly having a retainer that is adapted to thread onto the container, and an outer skirt loosely fitted around the retainer. The skirt includes at least one grasping member which is pivotal between a disengaged position wherein the skirt may freely rotate with respect to the retainer and an engaged position wherein the skirt engages the retainer. In the engaged position, both the skirt and the retainer may be rotated and removed from the container. The retainer cannot be rotated when the grasping member is located in the disengaged position. A handle may be attached to the skirt, between two opposing and pivotal grasping members so provide leverage in rotating the cap from the container when the grasping members are in the engaged position.

Growing community of inventors

Chappaqua, NY, United States of America

Scott L Sullivan