Patents by Inventor Christine O. Adkinson

Christine O. Adkinson has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Facilitating returns of merchandise purchased from other sources
    Patent number: 6536659
    Abstract: A method for handling goods returned by customers of a plurality of different merchants. Merchants who have authorized return of merchandise transmit data identifying the customer and the merchandise to be returned to a central return facility for inclusion in a database. Customers of these merchants package the merchandise to be returned and are provided with a return authorization shipping label by the central return facility. This label includes a scannable bar code identifying the merchant and the customer. After the merchandise is received at the central returns facility, the scannable bar code is scanned so that the merchandise can be sorted by merchant, and the merchandise is then inspected to determine if the merchandise authorized for return has been received. If so, the appropriate merchant is advised, and the customer is electronically credited for the return of the merchandise.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 15, 2000
    Date of Patent: March 25, 2003
    Assignee: Returns Online, Inc.
    Inventors: O. Shannon Hauser, Billy H. Snipes, Stephen S. Sugiyama, Christine O. Adkinson
  • Facilitating returns of merchandise purchased from other sources
    Patent number: RE42177
    Abstract: A method for handling goods returned by customers of a plurality of different merchants. Merchants who have authorized return of merchandise transmit data identifying the customer and the merchandise to be returned to a central return facility for inclusion in a database. Customers of these merchants package the merchandise to be returned and are provided with a return authorization shipping label by the central return facility. This label includes a scannable bar code identifying the merchant and the customer. After the merchandise is received at the central returns facility, the scannable bar code is scanned so that the merchandise can be sorted by merchant, and the merchandise is then inspected to determine if the merchandise authorized for return has been received. If so, the appropriate merchant is advised, and the customer is electronically credited for the return of the merchandise.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 23, 2005
    Date of Patent: March 1, 2011
    Assignee: Newgistics, Inc.
    Inventors: O. Shannon Hauser, Billy H. Snipes, Stephen S. Sugiyama, Christine O. Adkinson