System for reporting status of and offering service to an image communication terminal

• US 7,180,620 B2
• Filed: 12/14/2001
• Issued: 02/20/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 01/19/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Ricoh Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Ricoh Company Limited
• Inventors: Shibata, Hiroshi
• Primary Examiner(s): Moore; David
• Assistant Examiner(s): BURLESON, MICHAEL L
• Application Number:
  US10/017,519
• Publication Number:
  US 20020097444A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,894 Days
• Field of Search: 358/402, 358/440, 358/1.15, 379/93.24, 709/223, 709/226, 709/206
• US Class Current: 358/1.15
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00007 relating to particular apparatus or devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00037 Detecting, i.e. determining the occurrence of a predetermined state H04N1/00031 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/0005 in service, i.e. during normal operation
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00079 remotely
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00127 Connection or combination of a still picture apparatus with another apparatus, e.g. for storage, processing or transmission of still picture signals or of information associated with a still picture
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00209 Transmitting or receiving image data, e.g. facsimile data, via a computer, e.g. using e-mail, a computer network, the internet, I-fax
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00344 with a management, maintenance, service or repair apparatus monitoring H04N1/00002

Abstract

A system for reporting status of and offering service to an image communication terminal is provided. The system includes an image communication terminal, a manager personal computer connected to the image communication terminal via a network, and a service center connected to the image communication terminal via the network. The image communication terminal includes a registering part for registering an e-mail address of the manager, an e-mail address of the service center and identification information of the image communication terminal, an e-mail controlling part for exchanging e-mails via the network and a status detecting part for detecting statuses of the image communication terminal.

Claims

1. A system for providing service to an image communication terminal, said system comprising:

a manager computer;

a service center; and

an image communication terminal connected via a network to said manager computer and to said service center, said image communication terminal including

a registering part for registering an e-mail address of said manager computer, an e-mail address of said service center and identification information of said image communication terminal, and

a status detecting part for detecting a status of said image communication terminal,

wherein said image communication terminal transmits to said service center a first e-mail including said identification information and status of said image communication terminal and said e-mail address of said manager computer,

when said service center receives said first e-mail from said image communication terminal, said service center generates a message in a home page of said manager computer, based on said first e-mail from said image communication terminal, and transmits a second e-mail, which includes a URL (uniform resource locator) of said home page, to said manager computer, and

said manager computer displays said message, based on the URL of the home page included in said second e-mail.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein said image communication terminal further includes a maintenance/failure detecting part for detecting necessity of maintenance or failure status of said image communication terminal,

wherein when said maintenance/failure detecting part detects a state where maintenance or repair is necessary, said first e-mail from said image communication terminal to said service center includes maintenance/failure status information, and

said service center in turn includes said maintenance/failure status information in said message generated in the home page of said manager computer.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein said service center further includes in said message generated in the home page of said manager computer, information indicating time and date when a service-person is available for performing maintenance or repair.

4. The system of claim 2, wherein said image communication terminal sends a third e-mail informing completion of maintenance/repair, and upon reception of said third e-mail said service center deletes the message informing said maintenance/failure status from the home page of said manager computer.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein said image communication terminal further includes a consumables detecting part for detecting a shortage status of consumables of said image communication terminal, and when said consumables detecting part for detects a shortage of one or more of the consumables, said first e-mail from said image communication terminal to said service center includes information indicating the shortage of said one or more of the consumables, and said service center in turn includes in said message generated in the home page of said manager computer, information for ordering said one or more of the consumables through the home page.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein after said one or more of the consumables are ordered utilizing the information in said message generated in the home page of said manager computer, said service center generates an additional message in the home page of said manager computer informing time and date of delivery of the ordered consumables.

7. The system of claim 5, wherein said image communication terminal sends a third e-mail informing replenishment of said consumables, and upon reception of said e-mail, said service center deletes the message informing said shortage status of consumables from the home page of said manager computer.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein said service center further includes in said message generated in the home page of said manager computer, new-product guide information.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein said service center also transmits said second e-mail to said image communication terminal.

10. A server apparatus connected via a network to a manager computer and to an image communication terminal, for providing service to said image communication terminal, said server comprising:

an e-mail service part configured to receive a first e-mail from said image communication terminal, extract, from said first e-mail, identification information and status information of said image communication terminal and e-mail address of said manager computer, and transmit a second e-mail to said e-mail address of said manager computer; and

a message posting service part configured to generate a message in a home page of said manager computer, based on said first e-mail from said image communication terminal,

wherein said second e-mail includes a URL (uniform resource locator) of said home page of said manager computer, allowing viewing of said message by utilizing the URL of the home page included in said second e-mail.

11. The server apparatus of claim 10, wherein when said first e-mail from said image communication terminal to said service center includes maintenance/failure status information, said message posting service part includes said maintenance/failure status information in said message generated in the home page of said manager computer.

12. The server apparatus of claim 11, wherein said message posting service part further includes in said message generated in the home page of said manager computer, information indicating time and date when a service-person is available for performing maintenance or repair.

13. The server apparatus of claim 11, wherein upon reception of a third e-mail informing completion of maintenance/repair, said message posting service part deletes the message informing said maintenance/failure status from the home page of said manager computer.

14. The server apparatus of claim 10, wherein when said first e-mail from said image communication terminal to said service center includes information indicating shortage of one or more of the consumables, said message posting service part includes in said message generated in the home page of said manager computer, information for ordering said one or more of the consumables through the home page.

15. The server apparatus of claim 14, wherein after said one or more of the consumables are ordered utilizing the information in said message generated in the home page of said manager computer, said message posting service part generates an additional message in the home page of said manager computer informing time and date of delivery of the ordered consumables.

16. The server apparatus of claim 14, wherein upon reception of a third e-mail informing replenishment of said consumables, said message posting service part deletes the message informing said shortage status of consumables from the home page of said manager computer.

17. The server apparatus of claim 10, wherein said e-mail service part also transmits said second e-mail to said image communication terminal.

18. A method for providing services via a network to an image communication terminal, said method comprising:

extracting from a first e-mail from said image communication terminal, identification information and status information of said image communication terminal and an e-mail address of a manager computer;

generating a message in a home page of said manager computer, utilizing the information from said first e-mail from said image communication terminal; and

transmitting a second e-mail to said e-mail address of said manager computer, wherein said second e-mail includes a URL (uniform resource locator) of said home page of said manager computer, allowing viewing of said message by utilizing the URL of the home page included in said second e-mail.

19. The method of claim 18, further comprising, when said first e-mail from said image communication terminal includes maintenance/failure status information, inserting said maintenance/failure status information in said message generated in the home page of said manager computer.

20. The method of claim 19, further comprising inserting in said message generated in the home page of said manager computer, information indicating time and date when a service-person is available for performing maintenance or repair.

21. The method of claim 19, further comprising, upon reception of a third e-mail informing completion of maintenance/repair, deleting the message informing said maintenance/failure status from the home page of said manager computer.

22. The method of claim 18, further comprising when said first e-mail from said image communication terminal includes information indicating shortage of one or more of the consumables, inserting in said message generated in the home page of said manager computer, information for ordering said one or more of the consumables through the home page.

23. The method of claim 22, further comprising after said one or more of the consumables are ordered utilizing the information in said message generated in the home page of said manager computer, generating an additional message in the home page of said manager computer informing time and date of delivery of the ordered consumables.

24. The method of claim 22, further comprising, upon reception of a third e-mail informing replenishment of said consumables, deleting the message informing said shortage status of consumables from the home page of said manager computer.

25. The method of claim 18, further comprising inserting in said message generated in the home page of said manager computer, new-product guide information.

26. The method of claim 18, further comprising transmitting said second e-mail to said image communication terminal.