Method for reducing the cost of imaging for customers

• US 20040138945A1
• Filed: 01/15/2003
• Published: 07/15/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 01/15/2003
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Lexmark International Incorporated (Ninestar Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Lexmark International Incorporated (Ninestar Corporation)
• Inventors: Campbell, Michael Clark, Strunk, Timothy Lowell, Adkins, Christopher Alan, Ehlert, Jeffrey Ray
• Application Number:
  US10/342,496
• Publication Number:
  US 20040138945A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/14
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 15/5079 for maintenance
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 21/02 Counting the number of copies; Billing
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 2215/00109 Remote control of apparatus, e.g. by a host
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0222 During e-commerce, i.e. online transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0223 based on inventory
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0226 Incentive systems for frequent usage, e.g. frequent flyer miles programs or point systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0235 constrained by time limit or expiration date

Abstract

A method for reducing the cost of imaging for customers includes the steps of establishing an imaging reward threshold value; determining a rate of consumption of a supply item; comparing the rate of consumption with the imaging reward threshold value; and, based on an outcome of the comparing step, determining whether the customer qualifies to receive an imaging reward.

Claims

1. A method for reducing a cost of imaging to a customer, comprising the steps of:

establishing an imaging reward threshold value;

determining a rate of consumption of a supply item;

comparing said rate of consumption with said imaging reward threshold value; and

,

based on an outcome of said comparing step, determining whether said customer qualifies to receive an imaging reward.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of establishing a database for enrolling a customer'"'"'s participation in an imaging rewards program.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein said database is established at an e-commerce server.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of giving said customer an option to opt out of participating in an imaging rewards program providing said imaging reward.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising the step of enrolling at least one of said supply item and said customer in said imaging rewards program.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein if said customer qualifies for said imaging reward, then performing the step of providing to said customer information to encourage participation in an imaging rewards program.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein if said customer qualifies for said imaging reward, then performing the step of generating a notice to said customer that said customer can redeem said imaging reward.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein said rate of consumption is based on an amount of time required to use a specified amount of said supply item.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein said rate of consumption is based on an amount of time between acquisitions of said supply item.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein said rate of consumption is based on an amount of use of said supply item during a specified amount of time.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein said rate of consumption is based on a volume of said supply item acquired during a specified amount of time.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein said rate of consumption is based on a quantity of said supply item acquired during a specified amount of time.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein said step of determining said rate of consumption of said supply item is performed in an imaging apparatus.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein a discount is provided to said customer as a coupon that is printed at said imaging apparatus.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein said step of determining said rate of consumption of said supply item is performed in a host.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein a discount is provided to said customer as a coupon that is printed at an imaging apparatus associated with said host.

17. The method of claim 1, wherein said step of determining a rate of consumption of said supply item is performed in an e-commerce server.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein a discount is provided to said customer as a coupon generated at said e-commerce server and supplied to said customer.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein said coupon is supplied to said customer in one of an electronic form and a printed form.

20. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of determining a type of said imaging reward that said customer is qualified to receive.

21. The method of claim 1, wherein said imaging reward is a discount provided to said customer for the acquisition of an additional supply item.

22. The method of claim 1, wherein said imaging reward is at least one free supply item.

23. The method of claim 1, wherein said imaging reward is reward points, wherein said reward points can be accumulated and used to obtain a discount on a subsequent acquisition of at least one of an additional supply item or a new imaging apparatus.

24. The method of claim 23, wherein said acquisition is a purchase.

25. The method of claim 23, wherein said acquisition is a usage license.

26. The method of claim 1, wherein said imaging reward is an amount of an additional supply item that can be received for a fixed fee.

27. The method of claim 26, wherein said fixed fee is determined at a time of enrolling said customer for participation in an imaging rewards program.

28. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of, upon supply item renewal, automatically enrolling said customer for participation in an imaging rewards program.

29. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of determining an amount of said imaging reward.

30. The method of claim 1, wherein said imaging reward is unlimited printing for a fixed fee.

31. The method of claim 1, wherein said imaging reward is limited printing for a fixed fee.

32. A method for reducing a cost of imaging to a customer, comprising the steps of:

establishing a database accessible by an e-commerce server for enrolling a customer'"'"'s participation in an imaging rewards program;

enrolling said customer in said imaging rewards program with said database via said e-commerce server;

establishing an imaging reward threshold value;

determining a rate of consumption of a supply item for an imaging apparatus;

comparing said rate of consumption with said imaging reward threshold value; and

,

based on an outcome of said comparing step, determining whether said customer qualifies to receive an imaging reward.

33. The method of claim 32, wherein said step of determining said rate of consumption of said supply item is performed in a host.

34. The method of claim 32, wherein said e-commerce server communicates automatically with said imaging apparatus, and said step of determining said rate of consumption of said supply item is performed by said e-commerce server.

35. The method of claim 32, further comprising the step of determining a type of said imaging reward that said customer is qualified to receive.

36. The method of claim 32, wherein said imaging reward is a discount provided to said customer for the acquisition of an additional supply item.

37. The method of claim 32, wherein said imaging reward is at least one free supply item.

38. The method of claim 32, wherein said imaging reward is reward points, wherein said reward points can be accumulated and used to obtain a discount on a subsequent acquisition of at least one of an additional supply item or a new imaging apparatus.

39. The method of claim 38, wherein said acquisition is a purchase.

40. The method of claim 38, wherein said acquisition is a usage license.

41. The method of claim 32, wherein said imaging reward is in the form of an amount of an additional supply item that can be received for a fixed fee.

42. The method of claim 41, wherein said fixed fee is determined at a time of enrolling said customer for participation in said imaging rewards program.

43. The method of claim 32, wherein said customer is automatically enrolled for participation in said imaging rewards program upon loading a new supply item.

44. The method of claim 32, wherein said customer is automatically enrolled for participation in said imaging rewards program upon a purchase of at least one of a new imaging apparatus and a new supply item.