Lease arrangements for providing computer equipment
First Claim
1. A method in a computer system for providing computer equipment to a customer, comprising:
- receiving an indication of an available piece of the computer equipment;
updating a database to indicate a lease of the computer equipment to the customer in return for a payment from the customer corresponding at least in part to a length of time the customer leases the computer equipment;
receiving an indication from the customer that the lease is terminated after an arbitrary, customer-selected time period has elapsed, without incurring a penalty to the customer; and
updating the database to indicate that the computer equipment is received ii back from the customer.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A system and method in a computer system for providing computer equipment to customers. The method can include combining components of the computer equipment and leasing the computer equipment to a customer in return for a payment from the customer corresponding at least in part to the length of time the customer leases the computer equipment. The method can further include receiving an indication from the customer that the lease is terminated after an arbitrary, customer-selected time period has elapsed, and without incurring a penalty to the customer. The computer equipment can then be received back from the customer and re-leased or sold to another customer. At least one of the computer components can be leased from a component vendor by receiving the computer component from the vendor and paying the vendor at predetermined intervals a periodic vendor payment. The vendor payment can correspond to the cost of the computer component multiplied by an interest rate factor and divided by a total number of predetermined intervals that elapse until a value of the component is zero. The method can further include continuing to pay the periodic vendor payment after the total number of predetermined intervals has elapsed (for example, if the computer equipment is still leased to a customer), or paying the vendor for a remaining value of the computer component (for example, if the computer equipment in which the component is installed is sold to a customer). Accordingly, the method can provide flexibility to customers who may wish to return computer equipment at an arbitrary point in time. The method can benefit vendors because they may receive periodic payments that, when compiled, exceed the value of the leased component.
47 Citations
33 Claims
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1. A method in a computer system for providing computer equipment to a customer, comprising:
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receiving an indication of an available piece of the computer equipment;
updating a database to indicate a lease of the computer equipment to the customer in return for a payment from the customer corresponding at least in part to a length of time the customer leases the computer equipment;
receiving an indication from the customer that the lease is terminated after an arbitrary, customer-selected time period has elapsed, without incurring a penalty to the customer; and
updating the database to indicate that the computer equipment is received ii back from the customer. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
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11. A method for providing computer equipment to a customer, comprising:
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leasing at least one component of the computer equipment from a vendor by receiving the component from the vendor and paying the vendor a periodic vendor payment;
installing the component in the computer equipment; and
leasing the computer equipment to a customer in return for payment from the customer corresponding at least in part to the length of time the customer leases the computer equipment. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15, 17, 18, 20, 21)
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16. A method in a computer system for providing computer equipment to a customer, comprising:
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updating a database to indicate that at least one component of the computer equipment is leased from a vendor, the lease including receiving the component from the vendor and paying the vendor a periodic vendor payment;
receiving an indication that the component is installed in the computer equipment;
updating a database to indicate that the computer equipment is leased to a customer in return for a payment from the customer corresponding at least in part to a length of time the customer leases the computer equipment; and
updating a database to indicate that the computer equipment is received back from the customer and the lease with the customer is terminated after an arbitrary, customer-selected period of time has elapsed without penalty to the customer.
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19. A method for providing computer equipment to customers, comprising:
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leasing at least one component of the computer equipment from a vendor by receiving the component from the vendor and paying the vendor a periodic vendor payment;
installing the component into the computer equipment;
leasing the computer equipment to a first customer by providing the computer equipment to the first customer and receiving a first customer payment corresponding at least in part to a length of time the computer equipment is leased by the first customer;
receiving the computer equipment back from the first customer after an arbitrary customer-selected period of time has elapsed without penalty to the customer;
ceasing to receive the first customer payment;
purchasing the component from the vendor;
selling the computer equipment to a second customer, or leasing the computer equipment to the second customer by providing the computer equipment to the second customer and receiving a second customer payment corresponding to a length of time the computer equipment is leased by the second customer while continuing to pay the vendor the periodic vendor payment.
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22. A method for obtaining computer equipment, comprising:
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leasing the computer equipment from a leasing entity by receiving the computer equipment from the entity and paying to the entity at least one periodic payment corresponding at least in part to a length of time the computer equipment is leased from the entity; and
returning the computer equipment to the entity without penalty after an arbitrary period of time has elapsed. - View Dependent Claims (23, 24, 25, 26, 28, 29)
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27. A method in a computer system for providing computer components to a component assembler, comprising:
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updating a database to indicate receiving from the assembler a commitment to lease at least a selected number of computer components;
updating a database to indicate leasing each computer component to the assembler, the leasing including providing the computer components to the assembler and receiving a plurality of periodic payments from the assembler; and
indicating continued periodic payments from the assembler for at least one of the components after having received total payments from the vendor for the computer component at least equal to an initial value of at least one computer component.
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30. A computer-readable medium, the contents of which perform a method for tracking computer leasing information, the method comprising:
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tracking an identity of a piece of computer equipment;
tracking lease payments made by a customer leasing the piece of computer equipment;
receiving an indication that the customer has terminated the lease of the computer equipment at an arbitrary, customer-selected point in time; and
ceasing to track lease payments made by the customer without incurring penalty to the customer for terminating the lease at the arbitrary, customer-selected point in time. - View Dependent Claims (31)
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32. A computer system for tracking computer leasing information, comprising:
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an identity tracker capable of tracking an identity of a piece of computer equipment;
a lease payment tracker capable of tracking lease payments made by a customer leasing the piece of computer equipment; and
a termination tracker capable of receiving an indication that the customer has terminated the lease of the computer equipment at an arbitrary customer-selected point in time without incurring a penalty to the customer for terminating the lease at the customer-selected point in time. - View Dependent Claims (33)
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Specification