System and method to provide integrated device, user, and account information to users

• US 20060031777A1
• Filed: 08/09/2004
• Published: 02/09/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 08/09/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• 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
• Granted Patent: US 7,359,969 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/779
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/203 Inventory monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/00 Commerce
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0283 Price estimation or determination

Abstract

A system and method for managing and servicing a device communicatively coupled to a network, including: receiving device information, including alert information and status information, from the device over the network; storing the received device information; storing business context information, including contract management information, billing management information, and order management information related to managing and servicing the device; storing user access information, the user access information governing access to the stored device information and the stored business context information of the device by a plurality of users; and providing the stored device information and the business context information to a user of the plurality of users based on the stored user access information.

Claims

1. A method of managing and servicing at least one device communicatively coupled to a network, comprising:

receiving device information, including at least one of alert information and status information, from the at least one device over the network;

storing the received device information;

storing business context information, including at least one of contract management information, billing management information, and order management information related to managing and servicing the at least one device;

storing user access information, the user access information governing access to the stored device information and the stored business context information of the at least one device by a plurality of users; and

providing at least one of the stored device information and the business context information to a user of the plurality of users based on the stored user access information.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

creating a usage report for the at least one device based on the stored device information.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the providing step comprises:

automatically sending, to said user, an electronic mail message including the usage report and the at least one of the stored device information and the business context information.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the providing step comprises:

providing, to said user, the usage report and the at least one of the stored device information and the business context information on a website.

5. The method of claim 2, wherein the usage report includes, for a predetermined period of time, at least one of print volume of the at least one device, information of service calls for the at least one device, supplies delivered during the predetermined period of time for the at least one device, and average response time for the service calls.

6. The method of claim 2, wherein a type of information included in the usage report is specified in a service contract covering the at least one device

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the providing step comprises:

receiving, over the network, an identification of said user;

determining, based on the user access information and the received identification, whether to provide the at least one of the stored device information and the business context information to said user.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the identification is a password.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a request for the at least one of the stored device information and the business context information from said user.

10. A system for managing and servicing at least one device communicatively coupled to a network, comprising:

means for receiving device information, including at least one of alert information and status information, from the at least one device over the network;

means for storing the received device information;

means for storing business context information, including at least one of contract management information, billing management information, and order management information related to managing and servicing the at least one device;

means for storing user access information, the user access information governing access to the stored device information and the stored business context information of the at least one device by a plurality of users; and

means for providing at least one of the stored device information and the business context information to a user of the plurality of users based on the stored user access information.

11. The system of claim 10, further comprising:

creating a usage report for the at least one device based on the stored device information.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the means for providing comprises:

means for automatically sending, to said user, an electronic mail message including the usage report and the at least one of the stored device information and the business context information.

13. The system of claim 11, wherein the means for providing comprises:

means for providing, to said user, the usage report and the at least one of the stored device information and the business context information on a website.

14. The system of claim 11, wherein the usage report includes, for a predetermined period of time, at least one of print volume of the at least one device, information of service calls for the at least one device, supplies delivered during the predetermined period of time for the at least one device, and average response time for the service calls.

15. The system of claim 11, wherein a type of information included in the usage report is specified in a service contract covering the at least one device

16. The system of claim 10, wherein the means for providing comprises:

means for receiving, over the network, an identification of said user;

means for determining, based on the user access information and the received identification, whether to provide the at least one of the stored device information and the business context information to said user.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the identification is a password.

18. The system of claim 10, further comprising:

means for receiving a request for the at least one of the stored device information and the business context information from said user.

19. A computer program product having a computer readable medium storing instructions for managing and servicing at least one device communicatively coupled to a network, comprising:

instructions for receiving device information, including at least one of alert information and status information, from the at least one device over the network;

instructions for storing the received device information;

instructions for storing business context information, including at least one of contract management information, billing management information, and order management information related to managing and servicing the at least one device;

instructions for storing user access information, the user access information governing access to the stored device information and the stored business context information of the at least one device by a plurality of users; and

instructions for providing at least one of the stored device information and the business context information to a user of the plurality of users based on the stored user access information.

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

instructions for creating a usage report for the at least one device based on the stored device information.

21. The computer program product of claim 20, wherein the instructions for providing comprise:

instructions for automatically sending, to said user, an electronic mail message including the usage report and the at least one of the stored device information and the business context information.

22. The computer program product of claim 20, wherein the instructions for providing comprise:

instructions for providing, to said user, the usage report and the at least one of the stored device information and the business context information on a website.

23. The computer program product of claim 20, wherein the usage report includes, for a predetermined period of time, at least one of print volume of the at least one device, information of service calls for the at least one device, supplies delivered during the predetermined period of time for the at least one device, and average response time for the service calls.

24. The computer program product of claim 20, wherein a type of information included in the usage report is specified in a service contract covering the at least one device

25. The computer program product of claim 19, wherein the instructions for providing comprise:

instructions for receiving, over the network, an identification of said user;

instructions for determining, based on the user access information and the received identification, whether to provide the at least one of the stored device information and the business context information to said user.

26. The computer program product of claim 25, wherein the identification is a password.

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

instructions for receiving a request for the at least one of the stored device information and the business context information from said user.