Abstract: An environmentally friendly method of loading nicotine onto cation exchange resins under anhydrous conditions is described. The method eliminates many of the processing problems that are associated with loading in aqueous media.

Abstract: An electronic fund-raising monetary contributions terminal and a method of inducing and facilitating the solicitation and making of hundreds of monetary contributions with the terminal at fund-raising drives, fund-raising sessions and events attended by a large number of potential contributors including cardholders of card records constituting pre-authorization by card issuing organizations for monetary transactions using their card records such as credit cards and debit cards. The terminal is self-powered and has a housing in the form of a case dimensioned for being held on the palm of a contributor and passed from one contributor to another for making successively individual monetary contributions by a multiplicity of contributors using respective pre-authorization cards. A card reader is provided on the housing for reading indicia on the card records presented to it for making monetary contributions and identifying the individual cardholder making a corresponding contribution.

Abstract: The invention provides a method of capturing monetary donations or monetary gifts made by donors or gift givers at points in time and space in which said donors or gift givers are optimally motivated to make said donations or gifts, said donations or gifts being the donation or gift perferences of respective donors or gift givers. The method comprises the steps of inputting a multiplicity of sequences of data comprised of monetary donations or monetary gifts. The monetary donations or monetary gifts are made by a plurality of said respective donors or gift givers consecutively free of input of information unrelated to said respective monetary donations or monetary gifts at a multiplicity of distinct sites where said donations and gifts are being received in one variant. The sequences or strings of data are temporarily captured at the multiplicity of distinct sites on a plurality of respective electronic devices physically located at said sites to obtain temporarily captured sequences.

Abstract: A method, apparatus and network for successively making contribution data inputs by a multiplicity of individual contributors in sequence is provided. The apparatus includes a portable, self-powered, contributor data input dependant, non-contributor external data source independent, electronic donations management terminal sized and weighted for manual passing thereof between successive contributors.

Abstract: An offering plate that permits an attender at a religious service to make a donation that consists of a cash donation acceptor, an envelope donation acceptor, a credit card donation processor, and/or a debit card donation processor. The offering plate associates a donation with an account of a member, tallies information regarding a number of donations, and stores information regarding a donation, and a plurality of donations. The offering plate is part of an offering plate network which consists of an offering plate, a clergy member's terminal, and a communication link between the offering plate and the clergy member's terminal. The offering plate network collects, analyzes, and displays statistical information.

Abstract: The present invention provides a method, device and system of monetary transaction processing. The method includes the steps of entering and recording on the portable, self-powered, hand held monetary transaction processing device a plurality of monetary commitments consisting of a numerical amount and indicia read from an information bearing card. The method includes the step of batch off-loading of the data from the portable, self-powered, hand held monetary transaction processing device to a second device. Recordation of a plurality of monetary transactions is uninterrupted by verification of validation and/or authorization.

Abstract: A method of streamlining, simplifying and inducing the giving of contributions or gifts by prospective contributors or gift givers, receiving and immediately capturing thereof upon receipt is provided. The method comprises the steps of providing a stimulus for evoking an impulse to make a monetary contribution or gift commitment. The stimulus is selected from the group consisting of an audio stimulus, a video stimulus, and an audio/visual stimulus. The method further consists of the step of spreading amidst a crowd of prospective contributors or gift givers a plurality of electronic contributions or gifts management devices for immediate capture of a string of data that includes successive monetary contributions or gifts and batch off-loading of the data from the contributions or gifts management device whereby recordation of each of the contributions is uninterrupted by a verification of validation and/or authorization.

Abstract: A method of streamlining the acknowledgment of a plurality of contribution or gift commitments includes the steps of dispersing through a crowd of prospective contributors or gift givers located at a plurality of remote locations a plurality of portable, self-powered devices for the entry of data consisting essentially of monetary contribution or gift commitments, automatically correlating the data with address data of respective contributors or gift givers making monetary contribution or gift commitments, and acknowledging the respective contribution or gift commitments from a remote data processing location from where the contribution or gift commitments were entered. A multiplicity of contribution or gift commitments made at a plurality of remote locations, to distinct gift recipients or fund-raising organizations are readily acknowledged.

Abstract: A method of and device for streamlining, simplifying and inducing the giving of contribution or gift commitments by contributors or prospective gift givers [, and receiving thereof upon receipt that] involves dispersing through a crowd of prospective contributors or gift givers a plurality of keyless, electronic contributions or gifts management devices for immediate entry of consecutive data comprising the identities of the contributors or gift givers making the monetary contribution commitments or monetary gift commitments, and device therefor. Optionally, the method and mode of operation of the device involves a plurality of gift recipients of the monetary contribution or monetary gift commitments, and further includes the step of supplanting a gift recipient or fund-raising organization with another gift recipient or fund-raising organization to which contribution or gift commitments are made.

Abstract: A cursor control unit for controlling the position of a cursor on a display that has a magnetic stripe or smart card reader for reading information from an information bearing credit or debit card. The cursor control unit has a device for communicating information for controlling the movement of the cursor and card information to a personal computer or work station. Optionally, the cursor control unit encrypts the card information read by a reader on the cursor control unit. The link is a wireless communication link(s), a hardwired communication link(s), or a combination thereof. A method of simplifying and safeguarding the entry of monetary transaction information from information bearing credit cards and debit cards is also provided. The method comprises the step of providing the individuals making monetary transactions with a cursor control unit for controlling the movement of a cursor.