System and method for transmitting information regarding supplies and suppliers for image forming equipment

• US 7,599,864 B2
• Filed: 02/02/2007
• Issued: 10/06/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 11/09/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ricoh Company Limited, Ricoh Corporation (Ricoh Company Limited)
• Original Assignee: Ricoh Company Limited, Ricoh Corporation (Ricoh Company Limited)
• Inventors: Uchida, Yuki, Ishijima, Hisashi, Kudara, Toshihiro
• Primary Examiner(s): FADOK, MARK A
• Application Number:
  US11/701,739
• Publication Number:
  US 20070136145A1
• Time in Patent Office: 977 Days
• Field of Search: 705/26, 705/27
• US Class Current: 705/26.7
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 15/5079 for maintenance
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 15/55 Self-diagnostics; Malfunction or lifetime display
• 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 30/0617 Representative agent
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0631 Item recommendations
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0633 Lists, e.g. purchase orders, compilation or processing

Abstract

A method and a system to help users of image forming equipment make informed decision on when to order supplied therefor and from which supplier. The equipment at the user side automatically sends status information to a service center that keeps a database of independent suppliers. The service center analyzes the automatically transmitted information from the user side and when it detects a need for supplies for specific equipment of a specific user, it analyzes a database of independent potential suppliers to generate a list of suppliers matching the particular detected need. The service center sends the list and information about the suppliers and supplies on the list to the user side, from which the supplies are ordered from one or more suppliers and delivered thereby to the user side.

Claims

1. A system for providing a user with supplies information for an image forming equipment, comprising:

an image forming equipment at a user side which includes a controller configured to provide status information for the image forming equipment through a network, the status information including (a) model information indicative of a model of the image forming equipment, (b) supplies usage information indicative of supplies usage status of the image forming equipment, and (c) an e-mail address; and

a supplies center computer connected through the network to the image forming equipment, and including a control unit configured through one or more programs of instructions executing on the control unit to include (i) a receiver configured to receive the status information of the image forming equipment, (ii) an analyzer configured to analyze the status information of the image forming equipment and find appropriate model information and retailer/dealer information in a database of suppliers information, and (iii) an email transmitter configured to send email to the email address included in the status information from the user side, the email including order information indicative of a plurality of choices for obtaining available supplies and for a user to select quantity and retailer/dealer information for the analyzed image forming equipment,

wherein said receiver of said supplies center computer is further configured to receive from the user side a final determination of supplies to be ordered and purchased for the image forming equipment, based on selection from the order information included in the e-mail.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein said analyzer analyzes the status information of the image forming equipment to determine supplies requiring ordering, and interrogates said database of suppliers information to obtain contact information of a plurality of retailers/dealers of said supplies requiring ordering.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein said analyzer utilizes said model information indicative of the model of the image forming equipment, for interrogating said database of suppliers information to obtain said contact information of said plurality of retailers/dealers.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein said email transmitter sends said email including said contact information of said plurality of retailers/dealers of said supplies requiring ordering, to said email address.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein said order information in the email enables the user to specify quantity, select a retailer/dealer and place an order automatically transmitted to the selected retailer/dealer.

6. A system for providing a user with supplies information for an image forming equipment, comprising:

a user side control unit configured to provide status information for image forming equipment, at the user side, said status information including (a) model information indicative of a model of the image forming equipment, (b) supplies usage information indicative of supplies usage status of the image forming equipment, and (c) an e-mail address; and

a service center control unit connected through a network to said user side control unit and configured through one or more programs of instructions executing on the service center control unit to include

(i) a receiver configured to receive the status information of the image forming equipment;

(ii) an analyzer configured to analyze the status information of the image forming equipment and find appropriate model information and retailer/dealer information in a database of suppliers information; and

(iii) an e-mail transmitter configured to send email to the email address included in the status information from the user side, the email including order information indicative of a plurality of choices for obtaining available supplies and for a user to select quantity and retailer/dealer information for the analyzed image forming equipment,

wherein said receiver of said service center control unit is further configured to receive from the user side a final determination of supplies to be ordered and purchased for the image forming equipment, based on selection from the order information included in the e-mail.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein said analyzer analyzes the status information of the image forming equipment to determine supplies requiring ordering, and interrogates said database of suppliers information to obtain contact information of a plurality of retailers/dealers of said supplies requiring ordering.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein said analyzer utilizes said model information indicative of the model of the image forming equipment, for interrogating said database of suppliers information to obtain said contact information of said plurality of retailers/dealers.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein said email transmitter sends said email including said contact information of said plurality of retailers/dealers, to said email address.

10. The system of claim 6, wherein said order information in the email includes user interface provisions for the user to specify quantity, select a retailer/dealer and place an order automatically transmitted to the selected retailer/dealer.

11. A method for providing a user with supplies information for an image forming equipment, comprising:

(a) receiving, at a supplies center control unit and through a network, status information for image forming equipment at a user side, said status information including (i) model information indicative of a model of the image forming equipment, (ii) supplies usage information indicative of supplies usage status of the image forming equipment, and (iii) an e-mail address; and

(b) analyzing, automatically through the supplies center control unit, the status information of the image forming equipment to find appropriate model information and retailer/dealer information in a database of suppliers information; and

(c) sending from the supplies center control unit an email to the email address included in the status information from the user side, the email including order information indicative of a plurality of choices for obtaining available supplies and for a user to select quantity and retailer/dealer information for the analyzed image forming equipment; and

(d) receiving by the supplies center control unit from the user side a final determination of supplies to be ordered and purchased for the image forming equipment, based on selection from the order information included in the e-mail.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

determining supplies requiring ordering through said analyzing in (b); and

interrogating said database of suppliers information to obtain contact information of a plurality of retailers/dealers of said supplies requiring ordering.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

utilizing said model information indicative of the model of the image forming equipment, to interrogate said database of suppliers information, to obtain said contact information of said plurality of retailers/dealers.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

sending said email including said contact information of said plurality of retailers/dealers of said supplies requiring ordering, to said email address.

15. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

inserting user interface provisions in said order information in the email for the user to specify quantity, select a retailer/dealer and place an order automatically transmitted to the selected retailer/dealer.