Patents by Inventor Karla J. Alexander

Karla J. Alexander 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).

  • Method and apparatus for generating gift certificates
    Patent number: 5652421
    Abstract: An electronic gift certificate dispenser device for printing and dispensing a gift certificate purchased by a credit card. A consumer approaches the device and inserts a credit card into a magnetic card reader. The consumer chooses a retailer from a menu of participating retailers and enters the gift certificate value. The machine automatically verifies the credit card, causes the account to be debited and prints the gift certificate. A plurality of gift certificate dispensing devices can be connected in a network under the control of a central processing unit. Information regarding gift certificate purchases is transferred from the devices to the central processing unit to be collated and billed to credit card accounts. The central processing unit also informs merchants of the purchase of gift certificates that will be redeemed at their stores.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 7, 1995
    Date of Patent: July 29, 1997
    Assignee: The Gift Certificate Center, Inc.
    Inventors: William J. Veeneman, Karla J. Alexander, Phillip R. Brooks, Thomas J. Doyle, Robert H. Hamilton
  • Method and apparatus for generating gift certificates
    Patent number: 5500514
    Abstract: An electronic gift certificate dispenser device for printing and dispensing a gift certificate purchased by a credit card. A consumer approaches the device and inserts a credit card into a magnetic card reader. The consumer chooses a retailer from a menu of participating retailers and enters the gift certificate value. The machine automatically verifies the credit card, causes the account to be debited and prints the gift certificate. A plurality of gift certificate dispensing devices can be connected in a network under the control of a central processing unit. Information regarding gift certificate purchases is transferred from the devices to the central processing unit to be collated and billed to credit card accounts. The central processing unit also informs merchants of the purchase of gift certificates that will be redeemed at their stores.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 21, 1993
    Date of Patent: March 19, 1996
    Assignee: The Gift Certificate Center
    Inventors: William J. Veeneman, Karla J. Alexander, Thomas J. Doyle, Phillip R. Brooks, Robert H. Hamilton
  • Method and apparatus for generating gift certificates
    Patent number: 5243174
    Abstract: An electronic gift certificate dispenser device for printing and dispensing a gift certificate purchased by a credit card. A consumer approaches the device and inserts a credit card into a magnetic card reader. The consumer chooses a retailer from a menu of participating retailers and enters the gift certificate value. The machine automatically verifies the credit card, causes the account to be debited and prints the gift certificate. A plurality of gift certificate dispensing devices can be connected in a network under the control of a central processing unit. Information regarding gift certificate purchases is transferred from the devices to the central processing unit to be collated and billed to credit card accounts. The central processing unit also informs merchants of the purchase of gift certificates that will be redeemed at their stores.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 5, 1991
    Date of Patent: September 7, 1993
    Assignee: The Gift Certificate Center, Inc.
    Inventors: William J. Veeneman, Thomas J. Doyle, Karla J. Alexander, Robert H. Hamilton