Printer-based consumables price searching

• US 7,149,697 B2
• Filed: 11/04/2002
• Issued: 12/12/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 11/04/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Inventors: Wilkes, Boyd, Skurdal, Vincent C., Zerza, Wendy L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Hayes, John W.
• Assistant Examiner(s): NELSON, FREDA ANN
• Application Number:
  US10/287,944
• Publication Number:
  US 20040088178A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,499 Days
• Field of Search: 705 26- 27, 705/400, 705/1, 347/228
• US Class Current: 705/26.1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0283 Price estimation or determination
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0601 Electronic shopping [e-shopping]

Abstract

A printer comprising one or more consumables and a network connection searches a network connected via the network connection for pricing for the one or more consumables. A user is notified when pricing below a user-specified amount is found.

Claims

1. A printer, comprising:

one or more consumables;

a network connection;

a module operable to automatically connect to the network, automatically search the network via the printer'"'"'s network connection, automatically query plural price comparison shopping search engines, automatically control quality assurance by limiting the query to specific part numbers, specific domains, and specific vendors and automatically evaluate pricing from the limited query for the one or more consumables without a manual search request from a user; and

an order module configured to automatically order one or more consumables from the limited query that have prices within a predefined price range.

2. The printer of claim 1, wherein the module is further operable to notify a user of pricing search results.

3. The printer of claim 1, wherein the module operable to search searches the network for consumable prices below a user'"'"'s desired amount, and notifies the user when such a price is found.

4. The printer of claim 3, wherein the notification to the user comprises printing a notification.

5. The printer of claim 4, wherein the notification comprises an order form.

6. The printer of claim 3, wherein the notification to the user comprises a popup window on an attached computer.

7. The printer of claim 1, wherein the one or more consumables comprise a toner cartridge.

8. The printer of claim 1, wherein the one or more consumables comprise an inkjet cartridge.

9. The printer of claim 1, wherein the module operable to search a network for pricing searches the network for pricing when consumables within the printer reach a predetermined level.

10. The printer of claim 1, wherein the module operable to search a network via the printers network connection for pricing for the one or more consumables

searches for pricing for consumables that are currently available for order.

11. The printer of claim 1, wherein the network connection comprises a connection to another electronic device which is connected to a network.

12. The printer of claim 1, the module further operable to order one or more consumables based on searched pricing.

13. A printer controller comprising:

a connection to a network;

a module operable to automatically connect to the network, automatically search the network via the printers network connection, automatically query plural price comparison shopping search engines, automatically control quality assurance by limiting the query to specific cart numbers, specific domains, and specific vendors and automatically evaluate pricing from the limited query for the one or more consumables without a manual search request from a user; and

an order module configured to automatically order one or more consumables from the limited query that have prices within a predefined price range.

14. The printer controller of claim 13, the module further operable to notify a user of pricing search results.

15. The printer controller of claim 13, wherein the module operable to search searches the network for consumable prices below a user'"'"'s desired amount, and notifies the user when such a price is found.

16. The printer controller of claim 15, wherein the notification to the user comprises printing a notification.

17. The printer controller of claim 16, wherein the printed notification comprises an order form.

18. The printer controller of claim 15, wherein the notification to the user comprises a popup window on an attached computer.

19. The printer controller of claim 13, wherein the one or more consumables

comprise a toner cartridge.

20. The printer controller of claim 13, wherein the one or more consumables comprise an inkjet cartridge.

21. The printer controller of claim 13, wherein the module operable to search a network for pricing searches the network for pricing when consumables within the printer reach a predetermined level.

22. The printer controller of claim 13, wherein the module operable to search a network for pricing searches the network for pricing for consumables that are currently available for order.

23. The printer controller of claim 13, wherein the connection to a network comprises a connection to another electronic device which is connected to a network.

24. The printer controller of claim 13, the module further operable to order one or more consumables based on searched pricing.

25. A method of searching consumables pricing for a printer, comprising:

automatically connecting to a network, automatically searching the network via a network connection of the printer, automatically querying plural price comparison shopping search engines, automatically controlling quality assurance by limiting the query to specific part numbers, specific domains, and specific vendors and automatically evaluating pricing from the limited query for one or more consumables without a manual search request from a user; and

automatically ordering one or more consumables from the limited query that have prices within a predefined price range.

26. The method of claim 25, further comprising notifying a user of pricing search results.

27. The method of claim 25, further comprising:

determining whether the pricing for one or more consumables are below a user'"'"'s desired amount.

28. The method of claim 27, further comprising:

notifying the user when pricing below a user'"'"'s desired amount is found.

29. The method of claim 28, wherein notifying the user comprises printing a notification.

30. The method of claim 29, wherein the printing the notification comprises printing an order form.

31. The method of claim 28, wherein notifying the user comprises opening a popup window on an attached computer.

32. The method of claim 25, wherein the one or more consumables comprise a toner cartridge.

33. The method of claim 25, wherein the one or more consumables comprise an inkjet cartridge.

34. The method of claim 25, wherein searching the network for pricing for one or more consumables occurs when consumable levels within the printer reach a predetermined level.

35. The method of claim 25, wherein searching the network for pricing comprises searching the network for pricing for consumables that are currently available for order.

36. The method of claim 25, wherein the network connection of the printer comprises a connection from the printer to another electronic device which is connected to a network.

37. The method of claim 25, further comprising ordering one or more consumables based on searched pricing.

38. A machine-readable medium with instructions thereon, the instructions when executed operable to cause a printer controller to:

automatically connect to a network, automatically search the network via a network connection of the printer controller, automatically querying plural price comparison shopping search engines, automatically controlling quality assurance by limiting the query to specific part numbers, specific domains, and specific vendors and automatically evaluate pricing from the limited query for one or more consumables without a manual search request from a user; and

automatically ordering one or more consumables from the limited query having prices within a predefined price range.

39. The machine-readable medium of claim 38, the instructions when executed further operable to notify a user of pricing search results.

40. The machine-readable medium of claim 38, the instructions when executed further operable to:

determine whether the pricing for the one or more consumables is below a user'"'"'s desired amount.

41. The machine-readable medium of claim 40, the instructions when executed further operable to:

notify the user when pricing below a user'"'"'s desired amount is found.

42. The machine-readable medium of claim 41, wherein notifying the user comprises printing a notification.

43. The machine-readable medium of claim 42, wherein the printing the notification comprises printing an order form.

44. The machine-readable medium of claim 41, wherein notifying the user comprises opening a popup window on an attached computer.

45. The machine-readable medium of claim 38, wherein the one or more consumables comprise a toner cartridge.

46. The machine-readable medium of claim 38, wherein the one or more consumables comprise an inkjet cartridge.

47. The machine-readable medium of claim 38, the instructions when executed further operable to:

determine when consumables within a printer reach a predetermined amount; and

search a network via a network connection of the printer controller for pricing for one or more consumables when the consumables within the printer reach the predetermined amount.

48. The machine-readable medium of claim 38, wherein searching a network for pricing comprises for pricing searching for pricing for consumables that are currently available for order.

49. The machine readable medium of claim 38, wherein the network connection of the printer comprises a connection from the printer to another electronic device which is connected to a network.

50. The machine readable medium of claim 38, the instructions when executed operable to cause a printer controller to order one or more consumables based on searched pricing.