Reorder assistance notification of near end-of-life consumables and method

• US 7,106,460 B2
• Filed: 12/08/2000
• Issued: 09/12/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 12/08/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Inventors: Haines, Robert E., Harper, Mark A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Tran, Douglas Q.
• Application Number:
  US09/733,433
• Publication Number:
  US 20020073130A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,104 Days
• Field of Search: 358/1.13, 358/1.15, 358/1.1, 358/1.9, 358/1.3, 358/1.16, 358/502, 358/1.5, 358/437, 358/439, 358/1.12, 358/1.2, 358/1.6, 358/1.18, 358/403, 358/488, 358/1.14, 399/8, 709/224, 709/223, 710/228, 710/733, 710/34, 710/46
• US Class Current: 358/1.12
• 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 3/121 Facilitating exception or error detection and recovery, e.g. fault, media or consumables depleted
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1235 caused by end of consumables, e.g. paper, ink, toner
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1284 Local printer device
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/107 Computer-aided management of electronic mailing [e-mailing]

Abstract

A method of scheduling an event with respect to a hard copy output engine includes detecting a first status of a first portion of the hard copy output engine from a first sensor incorporated in the hard copy output engine and detecting a second status of a second portion of the hard copy output engine from a second sensor incorporated in the hard copy output engine. The method also includes composing an electronic message including the detected first and second status and transmitting the electronic message.

Claims

1. A method performed by a first hard copy output engine including a processor, the method comprising:

detecting a first status of a portion of the first hard copy output engine from a sensor incorporated in the first hard copy output engine;

receiving a second status detected by a separate, second hard copy output engine;

the first hard copy output engine processor composing an electronic message including both the detected first and second status;

the first hard copy output engine processor transmitting the electronic message over a network; and

automatically scheduling a preventative maintenance appointment by contacting a service technician with the electronic message.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein detecting a first status includes detecting a toner low or toner out status.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein detecting a first status includes detecting a future need for preventative maintenance to be performed on components of the first hard copy output engine.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein composing an electronic message includes composing the electronic message to include information chosen from a list consisting of:

percentage of remaining consumable, to whom assigned, blind carbon copy to, copy to, company addressed to, expected completion date, defer until, due date, duration, event address, expiration date, follow-up flag, importance, owner, priority, return receipt request status, remind beforehand, reminder, reminder override default, required attendee list, resources, sensitivity, date sent, start date, addressee, tracking status, consumables order list, maintenance items, malfunction and preventative maintenance items.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein detecting a first status includes detecting a first status from a list of status items consisting of:

toner out, toner low, preventative maintenance alerts, including cleaning or replacement of component parts, consumables orders and low or “

out of”

status for other consumables or need for other maintenance items.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the first and second hard copy output engines are chosen from a group consisting of:

facsimile machines, photocopiers and printers.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein transmitting the electronic message comprises transmitting an electronic message including a consumable order.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein composing an electronic message comprises adding the first and second status to a notification list.

9. The method of claim 3, wherein detecting a future need for preventative maintenance comprises logging hours of operation to determine when preventative maintenance on components of the first hard copy output engine is appropriate.

10. The method of claim 3, wherein detecting a future need for preventative maintenance comprises logging the number of pages handled to determine when preventative maintenance on components of the first hard copy output engine is appropriate.

11. A first hard copy output engine comprising a processor and a computer readable medium having computer readable code embodied therein to cause the processor to:

detect a first status of a portion of the first hard copy output engine from a sensor incorporated in the first hard copy output engine;

receive a second status detected by a separate, second hard copy output engine;

compose an electronic message, the message including both the detected first and second status;

transmit the electronic message over a network; and

automatically scheduling preventative maintenance appointments by contacting a service technician with the electronic message after a predefined period of time lapses.

12. The first hard copy output engine of claim 11, wherein the computer readable code configured to cause a processor to detect a first status includes computer readable code configured to cause the processor to detect a toner low or toner out status.

13. The first hard copy output engine of claim 11, wherein the computer readable code configured to cause a processor to detect a first status includes computer readable code configured to cause the processor to detect a future need for preventative maintenance to be performed on components of the first hard copy output engine.

14. The first hard copy output engine of claim 11, wherein the computer readable code configured to cause a processor to compose an electronic message includes computer readable code configured to cause the processor to compose the electronic message to include information chosen from a list consisting of:

percentage of remaining consumable, to whom assigned, blind carbon copy to, copy to, company addressed to, expected completion date, defer until, due date, duration, event address, expiration date, follow-up flag, importance, owner, priority, return receipt request status, remind beforehand, reminder, reminder override default, required attendee list, resources, sensitivity, date sent, start date, addressee, tracking status, consumables order list, maintenance items, malfunction and preventative maintenance items.

15. The first hard copy output engine of claim 11, wherein the computer readable code configured to cause a processor to detect a first status includes computer readable codeconfigured to cause the processor to detect a status chosen from a list of status items consisting of:

toner out, toner low, preventative maintenance alerts, including cleaning or replacement of component parts, consumables orders and low or “

out of”

status for other consumables or need for other maintenance items.

16. The first hard copy output engine of claim 11, wherein the computer readable code configured to cause a processor to detect a first status comprises computer readable code configured to cause the processor to detect a status of a hard copy output engine chosen from a group consisting of:

facsimile machines, photocopiers and printers.

17. The first hard copy output engine of claim 11, wherein the computer readable code configured to cause a processor to transmit comprises computer readable code configured to cause the processor to transmit an electronic message including a consumable order.

18. The first hard copy output engine of claim 11, wherein the computer readable code is configured to cause a processor to compose an electronic message is configured to cause the processor add the first and second status to a notification list.

19. The first hard copy output engine of claim 13, wherein the computer readable code configured to cause a processor to detect a future need for preventative maintenance is configured to cause the processor to log hours of operation to determine when preventative maintenance on components of the first hard copy output engine is appropriate.

20. The first hard copy output engine of claim 13, wherein the computer readable code configured to cause a processor to detect a future need for preventative maintenance is configured to cause the processor to log the number of pages handled to determine when preventative maintenance on components of the first hard copy output engine is appropriate.

21. A first hard copy output engine, the first the hard copy output engine comprising:

a sensor coupled to a portion of the first hard copy output engine, the sensor being configured to provide a first status of the portion; and

a processor coupled to the first sensor and configured to;

detect the first status;

receive a second status detected by a separate, second hard copy output engine;

compose an electronic message, the message including both the detected first and second status;

transmit the electronic message over a network; and

automatically scheduling a preventative maintenance appointment by contacting a service technician with the electronic message.

22. The first hard copy output engine of claim 21, wherein the processor configured to detect the first status includes a processor configured to detect a toner low or toner out status.

23. The first hard copy output engine of claim 21, wherein the processor configured to detect a first status includes a processor configured to detect a future need for preventative maintenance to be performed on components of the first hard copy output engine.

24. The first hard copy output engine of claim 21, wherein the processor configured to compose an electronic message includes a processor configured to compose the electronic message to include information chosen from a list consisting of:

percentage of remaining consumable, to whom assigned, blind carbon copy to, copy to, company addressed to, expected completion date, defer until, due date, duration, event address, expiration date, follow-up flag, importance, owner, priority, return receipt request status, remind beforehand, reminder, reminder override default, required attendee list, resources, sensitivity, date sent, start date, addressee, tracking status, consumables order list, maintenance items, malfunction and preventative maintenance items.

25. The first hard copy output engine of claim 21, wherein the processor configured to detect a first status includes a processor configured to detect a status chosen from a list of status items consisting of:

toner out, toner low, preventative maintenance alerts, including cleaning or replacement of component parts, consumables orders and low or “

out of”

status for other consumables or need for other maintenance items.

26. The first hard copy output engine of claim 21, wherein the processor configured to detect a first status comprises a processor configured to detect a first and second status of a hard copy output engine chosen from a group consisting of:

facsimile machines, photocopiers and printers.

27. The first hard copy output engine of claim 21, wherein the processor is configured to cause the processor add the first and second status to a notification list.

28. The first hard copy output engine of claim 21, wherein the processor is configured to log hours of operation to determine when preventative maintenance on components of the first hard copy output engine is appropriate.

29. The first hard copy output engine of claim 21, wherein the processor is configured to log the number of pages handled to determine when preventative maintenance on components of the first hard copy output engine is appropriate.