The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Nov. 13, 2001
Filed:
Apr. 29, 1999
Applicant:
Inventors:
Ken R. Powell, Athens, GA (US);
Kevin W. Hartley, Marblehead, MA (US);
Thomas M. Hintz, Indianapolis, IN (US);
Eleanor B. Maxwell, Crawford, GA (US);
Corey C. Snook, Meredith, NH (US);
Assignee:
SoftCard Systems, Inc., Watkinsville, GA (US);
Attorney:
Primary Examiner:
Assistant Examiner:
Int. Cl.
CPC ...
G06F 1/700 ; G06F 1/740 ; G06F 1/900 ;
U.S. Cl.
CPC ...
G06F 1/700 ; G06F 1/740 ; G06F 1/900 ;
Abstract
A system and method employing portable cards, carried by consumers, to monitor a commercial system. In one exemplary embodiment, when a consumer uses a card at a vending machine, the vending machine may write data, reflecting a condition of the vending machine, onto the card. Subsequently, when the consumer uses the card at another machine, the other machine may read the condition data from the card.