System and method for automated projector lamp management

• US 7,377,658 B2
• Filed: 04/26/2005
• Issued: 05/27/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 04/26/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Dell Products LP (Dell Technologies Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Dell Products LP (Dell Technologies Inc.)
• Inventors: Layton, Jeffrey S., Jayaram, Subramanian
• Primary Examiner(s): Lee; Diane
• Assistant Examiner(s): Cruz; Magda
• Application Number:
  US11/114,968
• Publication Number:
  US 20060238722A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,127 Days
• Field of Search: 353/85, 353/121, 353/122, 315/159, 315/134, 315/307, 315/318.1, 362/458, 362/802, 345/30, 314/1
• US Class Current: 353/121
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 21/20 Lamp housings
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 21/206 Control of light source other than position or intensity
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 21/2086 Security or safety means in lamp houses
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 2206/00 Systems for exchange of information between different pieces of apparatus, e.g. for exchanging trimming information, for photo finishing
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0641 Shopping interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 362/802 Position or condition responsive switch

Abstract

An information handling system projector tracks lamp usage to generate a lamp order form for order of a replacement lamp when lamp usage is a predetermined usage. The lamp order form is automatically generated and displayed to include lamp usage and projector identification information so that a user need not manually input that information into an order form. A network module of the projector supports queries for lamp usage from a lamp management module running on an information handling system. A projector processor interfaced with the network module reads the lamp usage and projector identification information from firmware of the projector and provides the lamp usage and projector identification information to the lamp management module for automatic generation of the lamp order form display.

Claims

1. A method for managing replacement of information handling system projector lamps, the method comprising:

determining that lamp usage of a projector lamp is a predetermined usage associated with lamp end-of-life;

automatically collecting lamp order information;

preparing a lamp order form having the lamp order information; and

displaying the lamp order form for ordering a replacement lamp.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein determining that lamp usage of a projector lamp is a predetermined usage further comprises:

querying from an information handling system through a network to the projector for the lamp usage;

reading the lamp usage from firmware of the projector with a scalar of the projector; and

returning the lamp usage through the network to the information handling system.

3. The method of claim 2 further comprising:

reading projector identification information from firmware of the projector with the scalar of the projector; and

returning the projector identification through the network to the information handling system.

4. The method of claim 2 wherein the network comprises a wireless local area network.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein displaying the lamp order form further comprises presenting the lamp order form at an information handling system display.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein displaying the lamp order form further comprises presenting the lamp order form from the projector.

7. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

initiating a lamp order with the order form; and

communicating the lamp order form through the Internet to a lamp order site.