Server apparatus, data processing apparatus, consumable management method, and memory medium and program therefor
First Claim
1. A server apparatus capable of managing, through internet, customer information utilizing a data processing apparatus for managing toner cartridge information obtained by communication with a printing apparatus capable of recognizing a mount state and a replacement state of a toner cartridge mounted thereon, the server apparatus comprising:
- management means for managing the customer information by obtaining said toner cartridge information managed by said data processing apparatus;
estimation means for calculating a demand estimate for the toner cartridge by analyzing said toner cartridge information in the customer information managed by said management means;
generation means for generating plural toner cartridge volume discount menus respectively different for the customers, based on the demand estimate for the toner cartridge calculated by said estimation means; and
informing means for informing said data processing apparatus of the plural toner cartridge volume discount menus generated by said generation means.
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Accused Products
Abstract
The invention provides a server for managing, for each user, purchase result, replacement result and frequency of use of a consumable used in an office equipment, and capable, in managing the purchase result of the user, of providing a system of managing the kind and the amount of the consumable in detail and providing a discount service for the purchase of the consumable different for each user according to the managed information, or a system of managing the state of use of the consumable for each user, calculating the demand estimate for the consumable specific to each user according to the managed state of use and providing a discount service to the user according to the calculated demand estimate.
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Citations
36 Claims
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1. A server apparatus capable of managing, through internet, customer information utilizing a data processing apparatus for managing toner cartridge information obtained by communication with a printing apparatus capable of recognizing a mount state and a replacement state of a toner cartridge mounted thereon, the server apparatus comprising:
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management means for managing the customer information by obtaining said toner cartridge information managed by said data processing apparatus;
estimation means for calculating a demand estimate for the toner cartridge by analyzing said toner cartridge information in the customer information managed by said management means;
generation means for generating plural toner cartridge volume discount menus respectively different for the customers, based on the demand estimate for the toner cartridge calculated by said estimation means; and
informing means for informing said data processing apparatus of the plural toner cartridge volume discount menus generated by said generation means. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
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11. A data processing apparatus capable of informing a server apparatus, through internet, of toner cartridge information obtained by communication with a printing apparatus capable of recognizing a mount state and a replacement state of a toner cartridge mounted thereon, the data processing apparatus comprising:
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memory means for collecting and storing the toner cartridge information based on toner cartridge control information informed from said print apparatus;
transfer means for transferring said toner cartridge information stored in said memory means to said server apparatus;
obtaining means for obtaining a toner cartridge volume discount menu informed from said server apparatus;
display control means for causing a display unit to display for browsing the toner cartridge volume discount menu obtained by said obtaining means;
designation means for designating the toner cartridge volume discount menu displayed for browsing by said display control means; and
issuing means for issuing a request for purchase of the toner cartridge volume discount to said server apparatus, according to the designation by said designation means.
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12. A toner cartridge management method for use in a server apparatus capable of managing, through internet, customer information utilizing a data processing apparatus for managing toner cartridge information obtained by communication with a printing apparatus capable of recognizing a mount state and a replacement state of a toner cartridge mounted thereon, the method comprising:
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a management step of managing the customer information by obtaining said toner cartridge information managed by said data processing apparatus;
an estimation step of calculating a demand estimate for the toner cartridge by analyzing said toner cartridge information in the customer information managed by said management step;
a generation step of generating plural toner cartridge volume discount menus respectively different for the customers, based on the demand estimate for the toner cartridge calculated by said estimation step; and
an informing step of informing said data processing apparatus of the plural toner cartridge volume discount menus generated by said generation step. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21)
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22. A toner cartridge management method for use in a data processing apparatus capable of informing a server apparatus, through internet, of toner cartridge information obtained by communication with a printing apparatus capable of recognizing a mount state and a replacement state of a toner cartridge mounted thereon, the method comprising:
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a memory step of collecting and storing the toner cartridge information based on toner cartridge control information informed from said print apparatus;
a transfer step of transferring said toner cartridge information stored in said memory means to said server apparatus;
an obtaining step of obtaining a toner cartridge volume discount menu informed from said server apparatus;
a display control step of causing a display unit to display for browsing the toner cartridge volume discount menu obtained by said obtaining step;
a designation step of designating the toner cartridge volume discount menu displayed for browsing by said display control step; and
an issuing step of issuing a request for purchase of the toner cartridge volume discount to said server apparatus, according to the designation by said designation step.
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23. A computer readable memory medium storing a program for causing a server apparatus capable of managing, through internet, customer information utilizing a data processing apparatus for managing toner cartridge information obtained by communication with a printing apparatus capable of recognizing a mount state and a replacement state of a toner cartridge mounted thereon, the program comprising:
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a management step of managing the customer information by obtaining said toner cartridge information managed by said data processing apparatus;
an estimation step of calculating a demand estimate for the toner cartridge by analyzing said toner cartridge information in the customer information managed by said management step;
a generation step of generating plural toner cartridge volume discount menus respectively different for the customers, based on the demand estimate for the toner cartridge calculated by said estimation step; and
an informing step of informing said data processing apparatus of the plural toner cartridge volume discount menus generated by said generation step. - View Dependent Claims (25)
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24. A computer readable memory medium storing a program for causing a data processing apparatus capable of informing a server apparatus, through internet, of toner cartridge information obtained by communication with a printing apparatus capable of recognizing a mount state and a replacement state of a toner cartridge mounted thereon, the program comprising:
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a memory step of collecting and storing the toner cartridge information based on toner cartridge control information informed from said print apparatus;
a transfer step of transferring said toner cartridge information stored in said memory means to said server apparatus;
an obtaining step of obtaining a toner cartridge volume discount menu informed from said server apparatus;
a display control step of causing a display unit to display for browsing the toner cartridge volume discount menu obtained by said obtaining step;
a designation step of designating the toner cartridge volume discount menu displayed for browsing by said display control step; and
an issuing step of issuing a request for purchase of the toner cartridge volume discount to said server apparatus, according to the designation by said designation step. - View Dependent Claims (26)
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27. A server for providing a user with a discount service based on a result of purchase of a consumable, comprising:
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identification means for identifying said user and a data processing apparatus based on specifying information for specifying the user and the data processing apparatus, transmitted through a predetermined communication channel;
management means for storing and managing a result of purchase for each user in memory means;
discount information memory means for storing discount information corresponding to the result of purchase for each kind of consumable; and
transmission means for transmitting discount information, calculated by calculation means for calculating the discount information for a user identified by identification means, by referring, in said discount information memory means, to the result of purchase of said user read from said management means, to the data processing apparatus identified by said identification means through said predetermined communication channel. - View Dependent Claims (28, 29, 30)
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31. A consumable management method by a server for providing a user with a discount service based on a result of purchase of a consumable, the method comprising:
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an identification step of identifying said user and a data processing apparatus based on specifying information for specifying the user and the data processing apparatus, transmitted through a predetermined communication channel;
a readout step of reading, from a memory, a result of purchase including at least the kind and the amount of the consumable for the user identified by said identification step; and
a calculation step of calculating discount information according said read kind and amount of the consumable. - View Dependent Claims (32, 33, 34, 35, 36)
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Specification