INFORMATION PROCESSING APPARATUS, ORDERING SYSTEM, AND ORDER MANAGEMENT METHOD

• US 20120303493A1
• Filed: 05/22/2012
• Published: 11/29/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 05/27/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ricoh Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Ricoh Company Limited
• Inventors: ISHII, Yuichi
• Granted Patent: US 9,020,847 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/28
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/08 Logistics, e.g. warehousing, loading or distribution; Inventory or stock management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions

Abstract

An information processing apparatus connected via a data communication channel to an electronic apparatus and a management apparatus. The information processing apparatus includes an apparatus status reception unit configured to receive, from the electronic apparatus, apparatus status information including error identifiers indicating errors detected at the electronic apparatus; an ordering unit configured to place error support orders corresponding to the error identifiers in the received apparatus status information to the management apparatus and to receive order results from the management server in response to the error support orders; and a message transmission unit configured to send a message indicating order status of the error support orders to the electronic apparatus based on the received order results and thereby request the electronic apparatus to display the order status.

Claims

1. An information processing apparatus connected via a data communication channel to an electronic apparatus and a management apparatus, the information processing apparatus comprising:

an apparatus status reception unit configured to receive, from the electronic apparatus, apparatus status information including error identifiers indicating errors detected at the electronic apparatus;

an ordering unit configured to place error support orders corresponding to the error identifiers in the received apparatus status information to the management apparatus and to receive order results from the management server in response to the error support orders; and

a message transmission unit configured to send a message indicating order status of the error support orders to the electronic apparatus based on the received order results and thereby request the electronic apparatus to display the order status.

2. The information processing apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the message transmission unit is configured to generate the message based on

order identifiers assigned by the management apparatus to the error support orders and received as the order results, and

display content information indicating the order status to be displayed by the electronic apparatus.

3. The information processing apparatus as claimed in claim 2, further comprising:

a storing unit configured to store management information that includes the display content information associated with the error identifiers,

wherein the message transmission unit is configured to

access the storing unit to obtain, from the management information, the display content information associated with the error identifiers included in the apparatus status information, and

generate the message that includes the order identifiers and the display content information obtained from the management information.

4. The information processing apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein

the apparatus status reception unit is further configured to receive, from the electronic apparatus, apparatus status information including recovery information indicating recovered errors detected at the electronic apparatus;

and

the message transmission unit is configured to send a message indicating updated order status of the error support orders to the electronic apparatus based on the recovery information in the apparatus status information, and thereby request the electronic apparatus to display the updated order status.

5. The information processing apparatus as claimed in claim 4, wherein the message transmission unit is configured to

identify uncompleted error support orders of the electronic apparatus that have not been completed based on the recovery information, and

generate the message indicating the updated order status based on the order identifiers of the uncompleted error support orders and the display content information associated with the error identifiers corresponding to the uncompleted error support orders.

6. The information processing apparatus as claimed in claim 4, further comprising:

a monitoring unit configured to query the management apparatus about current order status of the error support orders and identify uncompleted error support orders that have not been completed based on results of the query,

wherein the message transmission unit is configured to generate the message indicating the updated order status based on the order identifiers of the uncompleted error support orders and the display content information associated with the error identifiers corresponding to the uncompleted error support orders.

7. The information processing apparatus as claimed in claim 1, further comprising:

an obtaining unit configured to

receive a request to obtain detailed order status of the error support orders from the electronic apparatus,

obtain detailed order status information indicating the detailed order status from the management apparatus based on the received request, and

send the obtained detailed order status information to the electronic apparatus as a response to the request.

8. An ordering system, comprising:

an electronic apparatus;

a management apparatus; and

an information processing apparatus connected via a data communication channel to the electronic apparatus and the management apparatus,

wherein the information processing apparatus includes

an apparatus status reception unit configured to receive, from the electronic apparatus, apparatus status information including error identifiers indicating errors detected at the electronic apparatus,

an ordering unit configured to place error support orders corresponding to the error identifiers in the received apparatus status information to the management apparatus and to receive order results from the management server in response to the error support orders, and

a message transmission unit configured to send a message indicating order status of the error support orders to the electronic apparatus based on the received order results and thereby request the electronic apparatus to display the order status.

9. A method performed by an information processing apparatus connected via a data communication channel to an electronic apparatus and a management apparatus, the method comprising:

receiving, from the electronic apparatus, apparatus status information including error identifiers indicating errors detected at the electronic apparatus;

placing error support orders corresponding to the error identifiers in the received apparatus status information to the management apparatus;

receiving order results from the management server in response to the error support orders; and

sending a message indicating order status of the error support orders to the electronic apparatus based on the received order results and thereby requesting the electronic apparatus to display the order status.

10. The method as claimed in claim 9, wherein the message indicating the order status is generated based on

order identifiers assigned by the management apparatus to the error support orders and received as the order results, and

display content information indicating the order status to be displayed by the electronic apparatus.

11. The method as claimed in claim 10, further comprising:

obtaining, from management information stored in a storing unit of the information processing apparatus and including the display content information associated with the error identifiers, the display content information associated with the error identifiers included in the apparatus status information; and

generating the message that includes the order identifiers and the display content information obtained from the management information.

12. The method as claimed in claim 9, further comprising:

receiving, from the electronic apparatus, apparatus status information including recovery information indicating recovered errors detected at the electronic apparatus; and

sending a message indicating updated order status of the error support orders to the electronic apparatus based on the recovery information in the apparatus status information, and thereby requesting the electronic apparatus to display the updated order status.

13. The method as claimed in claim 12, further comprising:

identifying uncompleted error support orders of the electronic apparatus that have not been completed based on the recovery information; and

generating the message indicating the updated order status based on the order identifiers of the uncompleted error support orders and the display content information associated with the error identifiers corresponding to the uncompleted error support orders.

14. The method as claimed in claim 12, further comprising:

querying the management apparatus about current order status of the error support orders;

identifying uncompleted error support orders that have not been completed based on results of the query; and

generating the message indicating the updated order status based on the order identifiers of the uncompleted error support orders and the display content information associated with the error identifiers corresponding to the uncompleted error support orders.

15. The method as claimed in claim 9, further comprising:

receiving a request to obtain detailed order status of the error support orders from the electronic apparatus;

obtaining detailed order status information indicating the detailed order status from the management apparatus based on the received request; and

sending the obtained detailed order status information to the electronic apparatus as a response to the request.