System and method for transmitting information regarding supplies and suppliers for image forming equipment

• US 20050065859A1
• Filed: 10/18/2004
• Published: 03/24/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 11/09/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hisashi Ishijima, Toshihiro Kudara, Yuki Uchida
• Original Assignee: Hisashi Ishijima, Toshihiro Kudara, Yuki Uchida
• Inventors: Uchida, Yuki, Ishijima, Hisashi, Kudara, Toshihiro
• Granted Patent: US 7,624,045 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/26
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 15/5079 for maintenance
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 15/55 Self-diagnostics; Malfunction or lifetime display
• 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: G03G 2215/00109 Remote control of apparatus, e.g. by a host
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0617 Representative agent
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0631 Item recommendations
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0633 Lists, e.g. purchase orders, compilation or processing

Abstract

A method and a system to help users of image forming equipment make informed decision on when to order supplied therefor and from which supplier. The equipment at the user side automatically sends status information to a service center that keeps a database of independent suppliers. The service center analyzes the automatically transmitted information from the user side and when it detects a need for supplies for specific equipment of a specific user, it analyzes a database of independent potential suppliers to generate a list of suppliers matching the particular detected need. The service center sends the list and information about the suppliers and supplies on the list to the user side, from which the supplies are ordered from one or more suppliers and delivered thereby to the user side.

Claims

1-20. -20. (canceled).

21. A system for providing a user with supplies information for an image forming equipment, comprising:

an image forming equipment at a user side which includes a controller adapted to provide status information for the image forming equipment, including (i) model information indicative of a model of the image forming equipment and (ii) supplies usage information indicative of supplies usage status of the image forming equipment;

a supplies center which is connected to the image forming equipment, including

at least one storage device adapted to store information regarding supplies for each available image forming equipment;

a computer system adapted to receive the status information from the image forming equipment, and generate, and transmit to the image forming equipment, supplies information which is customized for the image forming equipment according to the status information from the image forming equipment and includes supplies availability information indicative of available supplies which can be ordered and purchased for the image forming equipment.

22. The system as in claim 21, wherein said controller is a personal computer connected to, and communicating with, the image forming equipment.

23. The system as in claim 22, wherein said supplies center computer system includes a server, and the server is connected to the personal computer through an internet.

24. The system as in claim 21, wherein the controller monitors the supplies usage status of the image forming equipment, detects a low supplies level, and communicates with the supplies center to obtain supplies sources information from the supplies center.

25. The system as in claim 24, wherein the controller causes a low supplies level prompt to be displayed on a user side display, after the low supplies level is detected.

26. A method for providing a user with supplies information for an image forming equipment, comprising:

maintaining and storing at a user side status information for an image forming equipment, the status information including (i) model information indicative of a model of the image forming equipment and (ii) supplies usage information indicative of supplies usage status of the image forming equipment;

transmitting from the user side through a computer network to a supplies center the status information for the image forming equipment; and

receiving at the user side from the supplies center supplies information which is customized for the image forming equipment according to the status information from the user side for the image forming equipment and includes supplies availability information indicative of available supplies which can be ordered and purchased for the image forming equipment.

27. The method as in claim 26, further comprising displaying at the user side the customized supplies information and providing user interface for placing an order for specified supplies.

28. The method as in claim 26, further comprising:

monitoring the supplies usage information for the image forming equipment at the user side;

detecting a low supplies level of the image forming equipment;

transmitting a request for supplies information from the user side to the supplies center; and

receiving at the user side from the supplies center supplies sources information indicative of one or more sources of supplies, customized according to the status information for the image forming equipment.

29. The method as in claim 28, further comprising providing at the user side a low supplies level prompt, after the low supplies level of the image forming equipment is detected.

30. A method for providing a user with supplies information for an image forming equipment, said method comprising:

storing in at least one supplies center storage device information regarding supplies for each available image forming equipment;

connecting a user side through a computer network to a supplies center;

receiving from the user side through a supplies center computer system status information regarding a user side image forming equipment, the status information including supplies usage information indicative of supplies usage status of the user side image forming equipment;

retrieving at least some of the information regarding supplies from said at least one supplies center storage device;

generating supplies information for the user side image forming equipment, by using the retrieved information regarding supplies and customizing the supplies information for the user side image forming equipment according to the status information regarding the user side image forming equipment; and

transmitting the supplies information for the user side image forming equipment to the user side,

wherein the supplies information for the user side image forming equipment includes supplies availability information indicative of available supplies which can be ordered and purchased for the user side image forming equipment.

32. A method as claimed in claim 30 or 31, wherein said status information regarding the user side image forming equipment further includes at least one of (1) model information indicative of a model of the user side image forming equipment, and (2) model information indicative of supplies for the user side image forming equipment.

31. A method for providing a user with supplies information for an image forming equipment, said method comprising:

storing in at least one supplies center storage device information regarding supplies for each available image forming equipment;

connecting a user side through a computer network to a supplies center;

receiving from the user side through a supplies center computer system status information regarding a user side image forming equipment, the status information including supplies usage information indicative of supplies usage status of the user side image forming equipment;

retrieving at least some of the information regarding supplies from said at least one supplies center storage device;

generating supplies information for the user side image forming equipment, by using the retrieved information regarding supplies and customizing the supplies information for the user side image forming equipment according to the status information regarding the user side image forming equipment; and

transmitting the supplies information for the user side image forming equipment to the user side,

wherein the supplies information for the user side image forming equipment includes (a) supplies availability information indicative of available supplies which can be ordered and purchased for the user side image forming equipment, and (b) at least one area for input of a quantity of the available supplies to be ordered and purchased and for ordering the input quantity of supplies.

33. A supplies center system for providing a user with supplies information for an image forming equipment, comprising:

at least one storage device adapted to store information regarding supplies for each available image forming equipment; and

a computer adapted to be connected through a computer network to a user side, and adapted to receive status information regarding a user side image forming equipment, the status information including supplies usage information indicative of supplies usage status of the user side image forming equipment,

wherein the computer generates the supplies information for the user side image forming equipment by using the information regarding supplies retrieved from said at least one supplies center storage device and customizing the supplies information for the user side image forming equipment according to the status information regarding the user side image forming equipment, transmits the supplies information for the user side image forming equipment to the user side, and

wherein the supplies information for the user side image forming equipment includes supplies availability information indicative of available supplies which can be ordered and purchased for the user side image forming equipment.

35. A supplies center system as claimed in claim 33 or 34, wherein said status information regarding the user side image forming equipment further includes at least one of (1) model information indicative of a model of the user side image forming equipment, and (2) model information indicative of supplies for the user side image forming equipment.

34. A supplies center system for providing a user with supplies information for an image forming equipment, comprising:

at least one storage device adapted to store information regarding supplies for each available image forming equipment; and

a computer adapted to be connected through a computer network to a user side, and adapted to receive status information regarding a user side image forming equipment, the status information including supplies usage information indicative of supplies usage status of the user side image forming equipment,

wherein the computer generates the supplies information for the user side image forming equipment by using the information regarding supplies retrieved from said at least one supplies center storage device and customizing the supplies information for the user side image forming equipment according to the status information regarding the user side image forming equipment, transmits the supplies information for the user side image forming equipment to the user side, and

wherein the supplies information for the user side image forming equipment includes (a) supplies availability information indicative of available supplies which can be ordered and purchased for the user side image forming equipment and (b) at least one area for input of a quantity of the available supplies to be ordered and purchased and for ordering the input quantity of supplies.

36. A system for providing a user with supplies information for an image forming equipment, comprising:

a connection device for connecting through a computer network to a user side;

a storage device for storing information regarding supplies for each available image forming equipment;

a reception device for receiving status information regarding a user side image forming equipment from the user side through the computer network, the status information including supplies usage information indicative of supplies usage status of the user side image forming equipment;

a data processing device for generating supplies information for the user side image forming equipment, by using the information regarding supplies retrieved from said at least one supplies center storage device and customizing the supplies information for the user side image forming equipment according to the status information regarding the user side image forming equipment; and

a communication device for transmitting the supplies information for the user side image forming equipment through the computer network to the user side,

wherein the supplies information for the user side image forming equipment includes supplies availability information indicative of available supplies which can be ordered and purchased for the user side image forming equipment.

38. A system as claimed in claim 36 or 37, wherein said status information regarding the user side image forming equipment further includes at least one of (1) model information indicative of a model of the user side image forming equipment, and (2) model information indicative of supplies for the user side image forming equipment.

37. A system for providing a user with supplies information for an image forming equipment, comprising:

a connection device for connecting through a computer network to a user side;

a storage device for storing information regarding supplies for each available image forming equipment;

a reception device for receiving status information regarding a user side image forming equipment from the user side through the computer network, the status information including supplies usage information indicative of supplies usage status of the user side image forming equipment;

a data processing device for generating supplies information for the user side image forming equipment, by using the information regarding supplies retrieved from said at least one supplies center storage device and customizing the supplies information for the user side image forming equipment according to the status information regarding the user side image forming equipment; and

a communication device for transmitting the supplies information for the user side image forming equipment through the computer network to the user side,

wherein the supplies information for the user side image forming equipment includes (a) supplies availability information indicative of available supplies which can be ordered and purchased for the user side image forming equipment, and (b) at least one area for input of a quantity of the available supplies to be ordered and purchased and for ordering the input quantity of supplies.