Consumable order-assistance system for computer peripheral device within a single connection environment and method for replenishing consumables

• US 6,529,692 B1
• Filed: 11/10/2000
• Issued: 03/04/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 11/10/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Company (HP Inc.)
• Inventors: Baumunk, Mary B., Goettemoeller, Jodi, Whaley, Sharon, Hinrichs, Kenley, Haines, Robert E., Harper, Mark A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Braun, Fred L.
• Application Number:
  US09/710,121
• Time in Patent Office: 844 Days
• Field of Search: 399/8, 399/24, 399/27
• US Class Current: 399/27
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/17566 Ink level or ink residue control
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 15/502 relating to the structure of the control menu, e.g. pop-up menus, help screens
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 15/5079 for maintenance
• 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 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00204 with a digital computer or a digital computer system, e.g. an internet server programmed control between transmitter and receiver or between image input and image output device H04N1/32561
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00344 with a management, maintenance, service or repair apparatus monitoring H04N1/00002
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00408 Display of information to the user, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0098 User intervention not otherwise provided for, e.g. placing documents, responding to an alarm

Abstract

A consumable order assistance system for a computer peripheral device includes a computer peripheral device, a personal computer, a user interface, and a communication link. The computer peripheral device has a consumable requiring periodic replenishment. The personal computer is signal coupled with the peripheral device. The user interface is provided on one of the computer peripheral device and the personal computer, and is operative to notify a user of a state of the consumable. The communication link signal couples the personal computer with a provider of the consumable for the peripheral device. The personal computer is operative to monitor the computer peripheral device to determine the state of the consumable, and to notify a user via the user interface of a need to replenish the consumable. A method for replacing consumables is also provided.

Claims

1. A consumable order assistance system for a computer peripheral device comprising:

a computer peripheral device having a consumable requiring periodic replenishment;

a personal computer signal coupled with the peripheral device and having processing circuitry configured to generate an order request for the consumable;

a user interface provided on one of the computer peripheral device and the personal computer and operative to notify a user of a state of the consumable; and

a communication link signal coupling the personal computer with a provider of the consumable for the peripheral device;

the personal computer operative to monitor the computer peripheral device to determine the state of the consumable, notify a user via the user interface of a need to replenish the consumable, and generate an order request for the consumable when a need has been identified to replenish the consumable.

2. The consumable order assistance system of claim 1 wherein the user Interface is provided on the computer peripheral device and is configured to deliver a consumable status message indicative of the need to order a replacement consumable.

3. The consumable order assistance system of claim 2 wherein the computer peripheral device comprises a printer having a display panel operative to display a consumable status message in the form of a toner low message to a user in response to a detected toner low condition.

4. The consumable order assistance system of claim 2 wherein the computer peripheral device generates a hard copy output including the state of the consumable and comprising a consumable supply page.

5. The consumable order assistance system of claim 1 wherein the user interface is provided on the personal computer, and wherein the computer peripheral device delivers a consumable status message to the personal computer.

6. The consumable order assistance system of claim 1 wherein the personal computer comprises processing circuitry configured to monitor the computer peripheral device to detect a status condition of a consumable of the computer peripheral device, wherein a preselected status condition indicates a need to replenish the consumable.

7. The consumable order assistance system of claim 1 wherein the computer peripheral device comprises a printer, and the status condition comprises a printer status condition including one of an ink supply low condition and a printer supply replenishment condition, wherein the printer status condition is provided to a user of the personal computer via the user interface.

8. The consumable order assistance system of claim 7 wherein the computer peripheral device comprises a laser printer operative to generate a toner low condition message, and the ink supply low condition corresponds with detection of toner supply below a threshold value.

9. The consumable order assistance system of claim 7 wherein the computer peripheral device comprises an ink jet printer, and the ink supply low condition corresponds with detection of ink supply below a threshold value.

10. The consumable order assistance system of claim 1 further comprising a local bus connected between the personal computer and the computer peripheral device operative to provide a single connection environment between the personal computer and the computer peripheral device.

11. A single connection order assistance system for a computer peripheral device within a single connection environment, comprising:

a personal computer signal coupled with the peripheral device in a single connection environment;

a user interface associated with the personal computer and operative to notify a user of a consumable state; and

a communication link connecting the personal computer with a provider of a supply of the consumable for the peripheral device;

wherein the personal computer monitors the consumable of the computer peripheral device to detect a need to replenish the consumable, the user interface notifies a user of a need to replenish the consumable, and the personal computer is configured to order a supply of the consumable in response to one of the detected need and an authorization from the user.

12. The system of claim 11 further comprising a computer peripheral device connected to the personal computer via a system (local) bus.

13. The system of claim 11 wherein the user Interface is provided by the personal computer, and is configured to enable a user to request status of the peripheral device to determine the consumable state.

14. The system of claim 11 wherein the user interface enables a user to order a replacement consumable following notification of the user that the consumable state indicates a need to order the replacement consumable.

15. The system of claim 11 further comprising a consumable provider connected to the personal computer via the communication link, wherein the personal computer generates a consumable order instruction and transmits the consumable order instruction to the consumable provider via the communication link in response to a detected change in the consumable state indicating a need to replenish the consumable.

16. The system of claim 11 wherein the personal computer comprises processing circuitry, wherein the personal computer is configured to detect a consumable state for a first consumable and a second consumable, and wherein the personal computer Is configured to generate a consumable order instruction for one of the first and second consumables in response to a detected state indicative of a need to replenish the one consumable.

17. The system of claim 16 wherein, in response to the detected state of the one consumable, the personal computer Is configured to review the state of a remaining one of the first and second consumables to determine if the remaining one of the consumables has a state indicative of an upcoming need to replenish the remaining one of the consumables.

18. The system of claim 17 wherein the personal computer is configured to generate a consumable order instruction for the one consumable and the remaining one consumable in response to detecting the state indicative of an upcoming need to replenish the one consumable, and further in response to detecting the state indicative of an upcoming need to replenish the remaining one of the consumables.

19. A method for replenishing a consumable for a computer peripheral device within a single connection environment, comprising:

providing a user interface, a personal computer coupled with the user interface, a computer peripheral device having a consumable that requires replenishment, and a communication link extending between the personal computer and a provider of the consumable to enable replenishment of the consumable;

detecting a state of the consumable for the computer peripheral device using the personal computer; and

comparing the detected state of the consumable with a predefined state indicative of a need to replenish the consumable;

when the compared detected state corresponds with the predefined state, generating an order request for the consumable for submission to the provider via the communication link.

20. The method of claim 19 further comprising forwarding, by the communication link, the order request to a provider of the consumable.

21. The method of claim 19 further comprising generating a notification signal when the compared detected state corresponds with the predefined state and delivering the notification signal to a user.

22. The method of claim 21 wherein generating a notification signal precedes generating an order request, and wherein the user, in response to receiving the generated notification signal, causes the order request to be generated and forwards the notification request using the personal computer via the communication link to the provider of the consumable.