System, method, apparatus and program for collecting and providing information

• US 20020049839A1
• Filed: 10/24/2001
• Published: 04/25/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 10/24/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ricoh Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Ricoh Company Limited
• Inventors: Nishida, Hiroshi, Misumi, Sachiko, Hanai, Atsushi, Torikai, Tatsuto, Kataoka, Keisuke, Hosoda, Hiroshi, Shinohara, Eiji, Nishiura, Takehiro, Miida, Tetsuya, Katagiri, Yayoi
• Granted Patent: US 7,340,501 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/224
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 15/5079 for maintenance
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 15/553 Monitoring or warning means for exhaustion or lifetime end of consumables, e.g. indication of insufficient copy sheet quantity for a job
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3013 where the computing system is an embedded system, i.e. a combination of hardware and software dedicated to perform a certain function in mobile devices, printers, automotive or aircraft systems testing or monitoring of control systems or parts thereof G05B23/02
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3055 Monitoring arrangements for monitoring the status of the computing system or of the computing system component, e.g. monitoring if the computing system is on, off, available, not available error or fault processing without redundancy G06F11/0703; error detection or correction by redundancy in data representation G06F11/08; error detection or correction by redundancy in operation G06F11/14; error detection or correction by redundancy in hardware G06F11/16
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/903 Querying for retrieval from the web G06F16/953
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1204 resulting in reduced user or operator actions, e.g. presetting, automatic actions, using hardware token storing data
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/121 Facilitating exception or error detection and recovery, e.g. fault, media or consumables depleted
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1229 Printer resources management or printer maintenance, e.g. device status, power levels
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1235 caused by end of consumables, e.g. paper, ink, toner
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1285 Remote printer device, e.g. being remote from client or server
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00344 with a management, maintenance, service or repair apparatus monitoring H04N1/00002
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99931 Database or file accessing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99933 Query processing, i.e. searching

Abstract

A transmission device sends status information representing status of a copier to a center through a PSTN. In the center, the status information of each copier is analyzed, and suggestion information selected based on a result of the analysis is provided to a terminal of the user of the copier concerned. In this case, the user is informed by an e-mail or through a Web page with using the terminal. The information includes: a suggestion to multiply the copier, replace the currently-used copier with a new copier, performance information regarding a model of the currently-used copier, information regarding a timing for replenishing/replacing an expendable supply (such as a toner unit, etc.), a suggestion to purchase the expendable supply, and the like.

Claims

1. An information system, comprising:

collection means for collecting product status information, the product status information representing a state of a product used by a customer,

storage means for storing product suggestion information, the product suggestion information representing a suggestion relating to the product used by the customer,

selection means for selecting product suggestion information stored in the storage means based on product status information collected by the collection means, and

presentation means for presenting to the customer the product suggestion information selected by the selection means.

2. An information system, comprising:

a transmitter configured to transmit product status information, the product status information representing a state of a product used by a customer,

a first storage unit configured to store customer information,

a second storage unit configured to store product suggestion information, the product suggestion information representing a suggestion relating to a product used by the customer,

a collector configured to collect and store product status information transmitted by the transmitter,

a selector configured to select product suggestion information stored in the second storage unit based on product status information collected by the collector, and

a provider configured to provide to the customer the product suggestion information selected by the selector.

3. The system of claim 2, comprising a center to which information is transmitted, the center comprising:

a receiver configured to receive a request signal from a customer, and

an authenticator configured to identify, based on customer information stored in the first storage unit, the customer sending the request signal,

wherein the selector selects product suggestion information based on product status information corresponding to the customer identified by the authenticator.

4. The system of claim 2, comprising a status analyzer configured to analyze product status information, wherein the selector selects product suggestion information based on an analysis performed by the status analyzer.

5. The system of claim 2, wherein the product is configured to perform a plurality of functions, the product status information comprises usage frequency information indicating the frequency with which at least one of the functions is performed, and the product status information is provided to the selector, enabling the selector to select product suggestion information based on the usage frequency information.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the selector selects product suggestion information suggesting a product that is configured to optimally perform functions having a relatively higher usage frequency.

7. The system of claim 2, wherein the product is configured to perform a plurality of functions, the product status information comprises usage frequency information indicating the frequency with which at least one of the functions is performed, and the selector selects product suggestion information based on the usage frequency information.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the selector selects product suggestion information suggesting how to use the product to perform functions having a relatively lower usage frequency.

9. The system of claim 2, wherein:

the product status information represents consumption of an expendable element,

the system comprises a consumption analyzer configured to analyze consumption of the expendable element, and

the selector selects product suggestion information based on an analysis performed by the consumption analyzer.

10. An information system, comprising:

an information collector configured to collect, via a communications network, product status information representing consumption of an expendable element in an image data processor,

a consumption analyzer configured to analyze consumption of the expendable element based on the collected product status information and to determine whether the expendable element should be at least one of replenished and replaced, and

a consumption indicator responsive to the consumption analyzer and configured to indicate to a user of the image data processor that the expendable element should be at least one of replenished and replaced based on the determination by the consumption analyzer.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the consumption indicator provides the user with information representing an order form for buying an expendable element.

14. The method of claim 13, comprising:

receiving, from a customer, a request signal for requesting product suggestion information,

identifying, based on stored customer information, the customer sending the request signal,

selecting product suggestion information based on product status information corresponding to the customer identified.

15. The method of claim 13, comprising analyzing the product status information and selecting product suggestion information based on analyzing the product status information.

16. The method of claim 13, wherein the product is configured to perform a plurality of functions, the product status information comprises usage frequency information indicating the frequency with which at least one of the functions is performed, and comprising the step of using the product status information to select product suggestion information based on the usage frequency information.

17. The method of claim 16, comprising the step of selecting product suggestion information suggesting a product that is configured to optimally perform functions having a relatively higher usage frequency.

18. The method of claim 13, wherein the product is configured to perform a plurality of functions, the product status information comprises usage frequency information indicating the frequency with which at least one of the functions is performed, and comprising the step of selecting product suggestion information based on the usage frequency information.

19. The method of claim 18, comprising the step of selecting product suggestion information suggesting how to use the product to perform functions having a relatively lower usage frequency.

20. The method of claim 13, wherein the product status information represents consumption of an expendable element and further comprising analyzing consumption of the expendable element and selecting product suggestion information based on analyzing consumption of the expendable element.

12. A information method, comprising:

collecting product status information, the product status information representing a state of a product used by a customer,

storing product suggestion information, the product suggestion information representing a suggestion relating to the product used by the customer,

selecting stored product suggestion information based on collected product status information, and

presenting to the customer the selected stored product suggestion information.

13. An information method, comprising:

storing customer information,

storing product suggestion information, the product suggestion information representing a suggestion relating to a product used by a customer,

collecting and storing product status information, the product status information representing a state of the product used by the customer,

selecting stored product suggestion information based on collected and stored product status information, and

providing to the customer, via a communications network, the selected stored product suggestion information.

21. An information apparatus, comprising:

a connector configured to connect the apparatus to a communications network,

a first storage unit configured to store customer information, the customer information comprising information regarding a customer and information regarding a product used by the customer,

a second storage unit configured to store product suggestion information,

a first receiver configured to control the connector and receive product status information, the product status information representing a state of the product used by the customer,

a third storage unit configured to store the product status information received by the first receiver,

a second receiver configured to control the connector and receive a request signal for requesting product suggestion information,

a customer-authentication unit configured to identify a customer sending the request signal received by the second receiver based on customer information stored in the first storage unit,

a status analyzer configured to retrieve from the third storage unit product status information of the product used by the customer specified by the customer-authentication unit and to analyze the retrieved product status information,

a selector configured to select from the second storage unit product suggestion information based on the analysis performed by the status analyzer, and

a transmitter configured to control the connector and transmit to the customer the product suggestion information selected by the selector.

22. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein

the product is configured to perform a plurality of functions,

the product status information comprises usage frequency information indicating the frequency with which at least one of the functions is performed,

the status analyzer analyzes status of functions having a relatively higher usage frequency, and

the selector selects product suggestion information suggesting a product that is configured to optimally perform functions having a relatively higher usage frequency.

23. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein

the product is configured to perform a plurality of functions,

the product status information comprises usage frequency information indicating the frequency with which at least one of the functions is performed,

the status analyzer analyzes status of functions having a relatively lower usage frequency, and

the selector selects product suggestion information suggesting how to use the product to perform functions having a relatively lower usage frequency.

24. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein

the product comprises an image data processor,

the apparatus comprises a product-information storage unit configured to store product information comprising information representing performance level of the image data processor,

the product status information represents an amount of process done by the image data processor,

the status analyzer analyzes whether the amount of process exceeds a first level for the image data processor based on the performance level of the image data processor, and

the selector selects the product suggestion information which suggests that the image data processor should be increased in number, when the status analyzer indicates that the amount of process exceeds the first level for the image data processor.

25. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein:

the product comprises an image data processor,

the apparatus further comprises a product-information storage unit configured to stores product information comprising information representing performance level of the image data processor,

the product status information represents the amount of process done by the image data processor,

the status analyzer analyzes whether the amount of process exceeds a first level for the image data processor based on the performance level of the image data processor, and

the selector selects the product suggestion information representing suggestion for upgrading the image data processor by replacing the image data processor with another image data processor which is configured to optimally perform the more frequently performed functions.

26. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein:

the product comprises an image data processor,

the product status information represents consumption of an expendable element in the image data processor,

the status analyzer analyzes the product status information to determine whether the expendable element should be replaced, and

the selector selects the product suggestion information indicating that the expendable element should be replaced, and another product suggestion information representing an order form for buying new expendable element.

27. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein:

the product comprises an image data processor,

the product status information represents consumption of expendable element in the image data processor,

the status analyzer analyzes the product status information to determine whether the expendable element should be replaced with a new expendable element, and

an ordering unit configured to controls the connector to transmit order information to a vendor of the expendable element, in a case where the result of analysis done by the status analyzer indicates that the expendable element should be replaced with a new expendable element.

28. A program which makes a computer act as the apparatus of claim 21.