System and method to process an alert from a monitored device based on business context information

• US 20060031155A1
• Filed: 08/09/2004
• Published: 02/09/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 08/09/2004
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Ricoh Company Limited, Ricoh Corporation (Ricoh Company Limited)
• Original Assignee: Ricoh Company Limited, Ricoh Corporation (Ricoh Company Limited)
• Inventors: Motoyama, Tetsuro, Meyer, Christopher, Rhodes, Bob, Mimura, Makoto, Hosoe, Yasuhiko
• Application Number:
  US10/913,431
• Publication Number:
  US 20060031155A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/37
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/04 Trading; Exchange, e.g. stocks, commodities, derivatives or currency exchange

Abstract

A system and method for servicing a monitored device provided to a company, including: receiving, by a service provider over a network, a service alert regarding the monitored device; determining whether a business relationship exists between the company and the service provider for service of the monitored device; and responding to the service alert based on the determined business relationship. The method of determining whether a business relationship exists between the company and the service provider for service of the monitored device includes determining whether a bid for a contract between the company and the service provider is pending; and, if the bid for the contract is pending between the company and the service provider, responding to the service alert in a predetermined manner.

Claims

1. A method of servicing a monitored device provided to a company, comprising:

receiving, by a service provider over a network, a service alert regarding the monitored device;

determining whether a business relationship exists between the company and the service provider for service of the monitored device; and

responding to the service alert based on the determined business relationship.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the determining step comprises:

determining whether a bid for a contract between the company and the service provider is pending; and

if the bid for the contract is pending between the company and the service provider, responding to the service alert in a predetermined manner.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the determining step comprises:

determining whether a service contract between the company and the service provider exists, wherein the service contract covers the monitored device;

if the determining step determines that the service contract exists, retrieving information regarding the service contract from an account subsystem of the service provider;

determining, based on the retrieved information, whether the service contract authorizes a response to the service alert; and

if the preceding determining step determines that the service contract authorizes a response to the service alert, responding to the service alert according to the service contract.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the responding step comprises at least one of ordering a replacement part and scheduling a service call to the monitored device.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising:

sending a message to a key operator of the monitored device regarding a result of the responding step.

6. The method of claim 3, further comprising:

determining whether a message should be sent to a key operator of the monitored device in response to receiving the service alert.

7. The method of claim 3, further comprising:

if the determining step determines that the service contract does not exist, sending an advertising message to the company regarding responding to the service alert.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the sending step comprises:

sending an electronic mail message including web site information regarding placement of an order for a replacement part needed to respond to the service alert.

9. A system for servicing a monitored device provided to a company, comprising:

means for receiving, by a service provider over a network, a service alert regarding the monitored device;

means for determining whether a business relationship exists between the company and the service provider for service of the monitored device; and

means for responding to the service alert based on the determined business relationship.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the means for determining comprises:

means for determining whether a bid for a contract between the company and the service provider is pending; and

if the bid for the contract is pending between the company and the service provider, means for responding to the service alert in a predetermined manner.

11. The system of claim 9, wherein the means for determining comprises:

means for determining whether a service contract between the company and the service provider exists, wherein the service contract covers the monitored device;

if the means for determining determines that the service contract exists, means for retrieving information regarding the service contract from an account subsystem of the service provider;

means for determining, based on the retrieved information, whether the service contract authorizes a response to the service alert; and

if the preceding means for determining determines that the service contract authorizes a response to the service alert, means for responding to the service alert according to the service contract.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the means for responding comprises at least one of means for ordering a replacement part and means for scheduling a service call to the monitored device.

13. The system of claim 12, further comprising:

means for sending a message to a key operator of the monitored device regarding a result of the means for responding.

14. The system of claim 11, further comprising:

means for determining whether a message should be sent to a key operator of the monitored device in response to receiving the service alert.

15. The system of claim 11, further comprising:

if the means for determining determines that the service contract does not exist, means for sending an advertising message to the company regarding responding to the service alert.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the means for sending comprises:

means for sending an electronic mail message including web site information regarding placement of an order for a replacement part needed to respond to the service alert.

17. A computer program product having a computer readable medium storing instructions for servicing a monitored device provided to a company, comprising:

instructions for receiving, by a service provider over a network, a service alert regarding the monitored device;

instructions for determining whether a business relationship exists between the company and the service provider for service of the monitored device; and

instructions for responding to the service alert based on the determined business relationship.

18. The computer program product of claim 17, wherein the instructions for determining step compriss:

instructions for determining whether a bid for a contract between the company and the service provider is pending; and

if the bid for the contract is pending between the company and the service provider, instructions for responding to the service alert in a predetermined manner.

19. The computer program product of claim 17, wherein the instructions for determining step comprises:

instructions for determining whether a service contract between the company and the service provider exists, wherein the service contract covers the monitored device;

if the instructions for determining determine that the service contract exists, instructions for retrieving information regarding the service contract from an account subsystem of the service provider;

instructions for determining, based on the retrieved information, whether the service contract authorizes a response to the service alert; and

if the preceding instructions for determining determine that the service contract authorizes a response to the service alert, instructions for responding to the service alert according to the service contract.

20. The computer program product of claim 19, wherein the instructions for responding comprise at least one of instructions for ordering a replacement part and instructions for scheduling a service call to the monitored device.

21. The computer program product of claim 20, further comprising:

instructions for sending a message to a key operator of the monitored device regarding a result of the responding step.

22. The computer program product of claim 19, further comprising:

instructions for determining whether a message should be sent to a key operator of the monitored device in response to receiving the service alert.

23. The computer program product of claim 19, further comprising:

if the instructions for determining determines that the service contract does not exist, instructions for sending an advertising message to the company regarding responding to the service alert.

24. The computer program product of claim 23, wherein the instructions for sending comprise:

instructions for sending an electronic mail message including web site information regarding placement of an order for a replacement part needed to respond to the service alert.