Patents by Inventor George W. Off

George W. Off 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).

  • Patent number: 6795809
    Abstract: A system for automatically distributing discount coupons or certificates in a retail store, conditioned on a preselected combination of present and past shopping behavior of a customer whose order is being processed at a checkout stand. Generation of a printable discount coupon can be based on any desired combination of customer-supplied data, obtained from a customer identification data base, past shopping activity, derived from data gathered during previous customer visits to the store, and present shopping activity, as evidenced by items identified in the current customer order. Collection of data pertaining to past behavior of customers is facilitated by filtering all sales transaction data at the point of sale. If all of the preselected conditions for generation of a coupon are satisfied, the coupon is generated and printed at the checkout stand.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 3, 1998
    Date of Patent: September 21, 2004
    Assignee: Catalina Marketing International, Inc
    Inventors: Michael R. O'Brien, George W. Off, Timothy L. Cherney, Gary M. Katz
  • Publication number: 20020002485
    Abstract: A system for automatically distributing discount coupons or certificates in a retail store, conditioned on a preselected combination of present and past shopping behavior of a customer whose order is being processed at a checkout stand. Generation of a printable discount coupon can be based on any desired combination of customer-supplied data, obtained from a customer identification data base, past shopping activity, derived from data gathered during previous customer visits to the store, and present shopping activity, as evidenced by items identified in the current customer order. Collection of data pertaining to past behavior of customers is facilitated by filtering all sales transaction data at the point of sale. If all of the preselected conditions for generation of a coupon are satisfied, the coupon is generated and printed at the checkout stand.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 3, 1998
    Publication date: January 3, 2002
    Inventors: MICHAEL R. O'BRIEN, GEORGE W. OFF, TIMOTHY L. CHERNEY, GARY M. KATZ
  • Patent number: 6321210
    Abstract: A system for automatically distributing discount coupons or certificates in a retail store, conditioned on a preselected combination of present and past shopping behavior of a customer whose order is being processed at a checkout stand. Generation of a printable discount coupon can be based on any desired combination of customer-supplied data, obtained from a customer identification data base, past shopping activity, derived from data gathered during previous customer visits to the store, and present shopping activity, as evidenced by items identified in the current customer order. If all of the preselected conditions for generation of a coupon are satisfied, the coupon is generated and printed at the checkout stand.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 12, 2000
    Date of Patent: November 20, 2001
    Assignee: Catalina Marketing International, Inc.
    Inventors: Michael R. O'Brien, George W. Off, Timothy L. Cherney
  • Patent number: 5832457
    Abstract: A system for automatically distributing discount coupons or certificates in a retail store, conditioned on a preselected combination of present and past shopping behavior of a customer whose order is being processed at a checkout stand. Generation of a printable discount coupon can be based on any desired combination of customer-supplied data, obtained from a customer identification data base, past shopping activity, derived from data gathered during previous customer visits to the store, and present shopping activity, as evidenced by items identified in the current customer order. Collection of data pertaining to past behavior of customers is facilitated by filtering all sales transaction data at the point of sale. If all of the preselected conditions for generation of a coupon are satisfied, the coupon is generated and printed at the checkout stand.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 3, 1995
    Date of Patent: November 3, 1998
    Assignee: Catalina Marketing International, Inc.
    Inventors: Michael F. O'Brien, George W. Off, Timothy L. Cherney, Gary M. Katz
  • Patent number: 5612868
    Abstract: A system for generating, in a retail store, a printable discount coupon image solely in response to a customer's action concerning the purchase of an item. The system includes at least one customer checkout terminal, a store controller, a file for storing the terms of at least one coupon deal in which a discount coupon image is generated upon the purchase of a triggering product. The system identifies the triggering product in the customer order, associates it with the coupon deal, and automatically generates data defining at least one discount coupon for a product, typically other than the triggering product, based on the details of the coupon deal, which are not communicated to the customer prior to processing the customer order.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 9, 1995
    Date of Patent: March 18, 1997
    Assignee: Catalina Marketing International, Inc
    Inventors: George W. Off, Michael C. Scroggie, Thomas L. Mindrum, Michael R. O'Brien
  • Patent number: 5173851
    Abstract: A system for creating discount coupons in response to the purchases of products. Improvements disclosed include the printing of a "negative" coupon in response to the failure to purchase a particular product, and the printing of a coupon in response to the purchase of multiple triggering items, either without limitation as to the identification of the items, or with the requirement that the items fall into a predefined trade group. Other features of the invention permit the use of instantly redeemable "coupons," such that an instant discount is applied to a customer bill rather than having a coupon printed, and the logging, without printing, of possible coupon printings for statistical purposes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 15, 1990
    Date of Patent: December 22, 1992
    Assignee: Catalina Marketing International, Inc.
    Inventors: George W. Off, Michael C. Scroggie, Thomas L. Mindrum, Michael R. O'Brien
  • Patent number: 4910672
    Abstract: A system for creating discount coupons in response to the purchases of products. Improvements disclosed include the printing of a "negative" coupon in response to the failure to purchase a particular product, and the printing of a coupon in response to the purchase of multiple triggering items, either without limitation as to the identification of the items, or with the requirement that the items fall into a predefined trade group. Other features of the invention permit the use of instantly redeemable "coupons," such that an instant discount is applied to a customer bill rather than having a coupon printed, and the logging, without printing, of possible coupon printings for statistical purposes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 4, 1987
    Date of Patent: March 20, 1990
    Assignee: Catalina Marketing Corporation
    Inventors: George W. Off, Michael C. Scroggie, Thomas L. Mindrum, Michael R. O'Brien