METHODS AND SYSTEM FOR CONSUMABLE ORDER CREATION

• US 20110191198A1
• Filed: 01/29/2010
• Published: 08/04/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 01/29/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Xerox Corporation (Xerox Holdings Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Xerox Corporation (Xerox Holdings Corp.)
• Inventors: Iburg, Christopher Dale, Rise, James D., VanWinkle, James Parick, Deuth, Brent Stuart, Villarreal, Shanti, Carlson, Charles Robert
• Granted Patent: US 8,271,348 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/26.1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1204 resulting in reduced user or operator actions, e.g. presetting, automatic actions, using hardware token storing data
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1229 Printer resources management or printer maintenance, e.g. device status, power levels
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1239 Restricting the usage of resources, e.g. usage or user levels, credit limit, consumables, special fonts
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1285 Remote printer device, e.g. being remote from client or server
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0601 Electronic shopping [e-shopping]

Abstract

Systems and methods are presented for generating consumable orders for document processing devices and for verifying approved source consumable usage in document processing devices, in which a customer computer receives electronic reports from the devices and from these ascertains whether particular devices will need replacement consumables and also whether non-program consumable products are being used in particular devices. If a replacement will be required, the customer computer presents a proposed order to the customer via prompting content customizable by a reseller. The customer can then accept, modify, or reject the proposed order, and any accepted or modified order is forwarded to an account manager system for automatic placement for consumable shipment from a manufacturer or distributor. If the device has a non-program consumable installed, the customer computer notifies the account manager system and may warn the customer that continued usage may void one or more warranty extensions or other program incentive.

Claims

1. A system for generating consumable orders for document processing devices, the system comprising:

a tangible processing element operatively coupled with a network to communicate with at least one document processing device via the network, the device being registered to a customer account managed by an account manager system;

a consumable monitoring component operable by the processing element to receive electronic reports from at least one document processing device via the network, the consumable monitoring component operable by the processing element to determine whether a particular document processing device needs or will soon need a replacement consumable based at least partially on the electronic reports; and

an order generation component operable by the processing element to selectively prompt a user to place a proposed order for a replacement consumable if the consumable monitoring component determines that the particular document processing device needs or will soon need a replacement consumable, the order generation component being operable by the processing element in response to a user choice to proceed with an order, to provide order information to an account manager system for placing an order for a replacement consumable via the network.

2. The system of claim 1, where the order generation component is operable by the processing element to render order prompting content associated with a particular reseller when prompting the user to place a proposed order for a replacement consumable.

3. The system of claim 2, where the order generation component is operable by the processing element to allow the particular reseller to provide or modify the order prompting content.

4. The system of claim 3, where the order generation component is operable by the processing element to allow the user to modify the proposed order.

5. The system of claim 2, where the order generation component is operable by the processing element to allow the user to modify the proposed order.

6. The system of claim 2, where the consumable monitoring component is operable by the processing element to determine whether the particular document processing device is using a consumable from a source not associated with the customer account based at least partially on the electronic reports from the particular document processing device, and if so, to notify the account manager system via the network that the particular document processing device is using a consumable from a source not associated with the customer account.

7. The system of claim 1, where the consumable monitoring component is operable by the processing element to determine whether the particular document processing device is using a consumable from a source not associated with the customer account based at least partially on the electronic reports from the particular document processing device, and if so, to notify the account manager system via the network that the particular document processing device is using a consumable from a source not associated with the customer account.

8. The system of claim 1, where the order generation component is operable by the processing element to allow the user to modify the proposed order.

9. A system for verifying approved source consumable usage in document processing devices, the system comprising:

a tangible processing element operatively coupled with a network to communicate with at least one document processing device via the network, the device being registered to a customer account managed by an account manager system; and

a consumable monitoring component operable by the processing element to receive electronic reports from at least one document processing device via the network, the consumable monitoring component operable by the processing element to determine whether a particular document processing device is using a consumable from a source not associated with the customer account based at least partially on the electronic reports from the particular document processing device, and if so, to notify the account manager system via the network that the particular document processing device is using a consumable from a source not associated with the customer account.

10. The system of claim 9, where the consumable monitoring component is operable by the processing element, if the particular document processing device is using a consumable from a source not associated with the customer account, to warn the user that continued usage of the consumable from a source not associated with the customer account may void eligibility for at least one program incentive.

11. The system of claim 9, where the consumable monitoring component is further operable by the processing element to receive print consumption information from the electronic reports and to update the account manager system with device print consumption information.

12. A method for generating consumable orders for document processing devices, the method comprising:

communicating with at least one document processing device via a network, the device being registered to a customer account managed by an account manager system;

receiving electronic reports from the at least one document processing device via a network;

determining whether a particular document processing device needs or will soon need a replacement consumable based at least partially on the electronic reports;

using a customer computer, selectively prompting a user to place a proposed order for a replacement consumable if the particular document processing device needs or will soon need a replacement consumable;

in response to a user choice to proceed with an order, using the customer computer, providing (1105) order information to the account manager system via the network for placing an order for a replacement consumable.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising rendering order prompting content associated with a particular reseller when prompting the user to place a proposed order for a replacement consumable.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising allowing the particular reseller to provide or modify the order prompting content.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising allowing the user to modify the proposed order.

16. The method of claim 13, further comprising allowing the user to modify the proposed order.

17. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

determining whether the particular document processing device is using a consumable from a source not associated with the customer account based at least partially on the electronic reports from the particular document processing device; and

if the particular document processing device is using a consumable from a source not associated with the customer account, using a customer computer, selectively notifying the account manager system via the network that the particular document processing device is using a consumable from a source not associated with the customer account.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising, if the particular document processing device is using a consumable from a source not associated with the customer account, warning the user via a customer computer that continued usage of the consumable from a source not associated with the customer account may void eligibility for at least one program incentive.

19. The method of claim 12, further comprising allowing the user to modify the proposed order.

20. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

determining whether the particular document processing device is using a consumable from a source not associated with the customer account based at least partially on the electronic reports from the particular document processing device; and

if the particular document processing device is using a consumable from a source not associated with the customer account, using a customer computer, selectively notifying the account manager system via the network that the particular document processing device is using a consumable from a source not associated with the customer account.

21. The method of claim 20, further comprising, if the particular document processing device is using a consumable from a source not associated with the customer account, warning the user via a customer computer that continued usage of the consumable from a source not associated with the customer account may void eligibility for at least one program incentive.

22. A method for verifying approved source consumable usage in document processing devices, the method comprising:

communicating with at least one document processing device via a network, the device being registered to a customer account managed by an account manager system;

receiving electronic reports from the at least one document processing device via a network;

determining whether the particular document processing device is using a consumable from a source not associated with the customer account based at least partially on the electronic reports from the particular document processing device; and

if the particular document processing device is using a consumable from a source not associated with the customer account, using a customer computer, selectively notifying the account manager system via the network that the particular document processing device is using a consumable from a source not associated with the customer account.

23. The method of claim 22, further comprising, if the particular document processing device is using a consumable from a source not associated with the customer account, warning the user via a customer computer that continued usage of the consumable from a source not associated with the customer account may void eligibility for at least one program incentive.

24. The method of claim 22, further comprising:

receiving print consumption information from the electronic reports;

updating the account manager system with device print consumption information.