Patents by Inventor Sandra Cotten

Sandra Cotten 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: 7797191
    Abstract: This invention relates to the methods of coordinating and tracking product and service demonstrations. An event coordinator directs event operators to conduct a product or service demonstration event. The event coordinator provides event operators with cards, such as debit cards, credit cards, or smart cards, to purchase items needed for the demonstration. The event operator contacts a card administration system to activate the card. The card administration system verifies that the provided card ID and event ID are valid, and associates an authorized budget of the demonstration event with the card. The event operator then purchases items with the card, and conducts demonstrations. Event data is provided to the parties involved in the demonstration such as a product manufacturer or service provider, the event coordinator, a staffing agency, the event operator, and a retail store.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 17, 2005
    Date of Patent: September 14, 2010
    Assignee: Mass Connections, Inc.
    Inventors: Sandra Cotten, Caroline Nakken
  • Publication number: 20090083156
    Abstract: This invention relates to the methods of coordinating product and service demonstrations. An event coordinator directs event operators to conduct a product or service demonstration event. The event coordinator provides event operators with cards, such as debit cards, credit cards, or smart cards, to purchase items needed for the demonstration. The event operator contacts a card administration system to activate the card. The card administration system verifies that the provided card ID and event ID are valid, and associates an authorized budget of the demonstration event with the card. The event operator then purchases items with the card, and conducts demonstrations.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 28, 2008
    Publication date: March 26, 2009
    Applicant: MASS CONNECTIONS, INC.
    Inventors: Sandra Cotten, Caroline Nakken
  • Patent number: 7444305
    Abstract: This invention relates to the methods of coordinating product and service demonstrations. An event coordinator directs event operators to conduct a product or service demonstration event. The event coordinator provides event operators with cards, such as debit cards, credit cards, or smart cards, to purchase items needed for the demonstration. The event operator contacts a card administration system to activate the card. The card administration system verifies that the provided card ID and event ID are valid, and associates an authorized budget of the demonstration event with the card. The event operator then purchases items with the card, and conducts demonstrations.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 7, 2001
    Date of Patent: October 28, 2008
    Assignee: Mass Connections, Inc.
    Inventors: Sandra Cotten, Caroline Nakken
  • Publication number: 20060047551
    Abstract: Systems and methods coordinate the attributes of event personnel with the needs of particular promotional events. Event profiles for promotional events specify one or more desired attributes for event operators to staff the event. Employee profiles also record the attributes of a plurality of event personnel. The event profiles are compared with the employee profiles to identify those event operators who are qualified to staff the promotional events. Qualified event operators are then assigned to participate in the promotional events. Preferably, qualified event personnel can register for events using, for example, a web page. Preferably, event personnel are given an incentive to register using the web page. In particular embodiments, event personnel can use the same web page or can use a different web page to generate their respective employee profiles.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 23, 2004
    Publication date: March 2, 2006
    Inventors: Sandra Cotten, Caroline Nakken
  • Publication number: 20050222904
    Abstract: A system and methods are disclosed for incentivizing a customer to purchase goods and/or services at a later date through the use of a promotional purchase card. Some of the disclosed embodiments also gather consumer survey information for the customer. The card acquires value only after activation criteria have been satisfied, which may, by way of example, include a predetermined passage of time or the completion of one or more survey questions by the customer. The purchase card generally resembles a credit/debit card, having a sponsor name and logo, a card number, and a magnetic strip on the back of the card. In one embodiment, a retail store contracts with a promoter for a promotional purchase-card service comprising performing a promotion within the retail store. The promotional purchase-card service comprises selecting customers suitable for receiving the promotional purchase card that encourages the customers to answer one or more survey questions.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 31, 2004
    Publication date: October 6, 2005
    Inventors: Sandra Cotten, Caroline Nakken
  • Publication number: 20050192883
    Abstract: This invention relates to the methods of coordinating and tracking product and service demonstrations. An event coordinator directs event operators to conduct a product or service demonstration event. The event coordinator provides event operators with cards, such as debit cards, credit cards, or smart cards, to purchase items needed for the demonstration. The event operator contacts a card administration system to activate the card. The card administration system verifies that the provided card ID and event ID are valid, and associates an authorized budget of the demonstration event with the card. The event operator then purchases items with the card, and conducts demonstrations. Event data is provided to the parties involved in the demonstration such as a product manufacturer or service provider, the event coordinator, a staffing agency, the event operator, and a retail store.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 17, 2005
    Publication date: September 1, 2005
    Inventors: Sandra Cotten, Caroline Nakkan
  • Publication number: 20030229583
    Abstract: This invention relates to the methods of coordinating product and service demonstrations. An event coordinator directs event operators to conduct a product or service demonstration event. The event coordinator provides event operators with cards, such as debit cards, credit cards, or smart cards, to purchase items needed for the demonstration. The event operator contacts a card administration system to activate the card. The card administration system verifies that the provided card ID and event ID are valid, and associates an authorized budget of the demonstration event with the card. The event operator then purchases items with the card, and conducts demonstrations.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 7, 2001
    Publication date: December 11, 2003
    Inventors: Sandra Cotten, Caroline Nakken