System and method to provide integrated device, user, and account information to users

• US 7,620,718 B2
• Filed: 02/13/2008
• Issued: 11/17/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 08/09/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Ricoh Americas Corporation (Ricoh Company Limited)
• Original Assignee: Ricoh Americas Corporation (Ricoh Company Limited), Ricoh Company Limited
• Inventors: Meyer, Christopher, Rhodes, Bob, Mimura, Makoto, Hosoe, Yasuhiko, Motoyama, Tetsuro
• Primary Examiner(s): VU, VIET DUY
• Application Number:
  US12/030,623
• Publication Number:
  US 20080147433A1
• Time in Patent Office: 643 Days
• Field of Search: 709/217, 709/219, 709/223, 709/224, 709/250
• US Class Current: 709/224
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/203 Inventory monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/00 Commerce
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0283 Price estimation or determination

Abstract

A system and method for managing and servicing a device communicatively coupled to a network, including: receiving device information, including alert information and status information, from the device over the network; storing the received device information; storing business context information, including contract management information, billing management information, and order management information related to managing and servicing the device; storing user access information, the user access information governing access to the stored device information and the stored business context information of the device by a plurality of users; and providing the stored device information and the business context information to a user of the plurality of users based on the stored user access information.

Claims

1. A method of managing and servicing at least one device communicatively coupled to a network with a monitoring apparatus, comprising:

receiving, at a network interface of the monitoring apparatus, device information, including at least one of alert information and status information pertaining to the device, from the at least one device over the network;

storing, in a digital depository, the received device information;

storing, in the digital depository, business context information, including contract management information that indicates which devices are covered by a contract with a service provider, and at least one of billing management information and order management information related to managing and servicing the at least one device;

storing, in the digital depository, user access information, the user access information governing access to the stored device information and the stored business context information of the at least one device by a plurality of users;

providing, at the monitoring apparatus, at least one of the stored device information and the business context information to a user of the plurality of users based on the stored user access information;

determining, at the monitoring apparatus, by interfacing with a digital system that stores the contract management information, whether the at least one device is to be serviced under the contract based on the contract management information that indicates which devices are covered by the contract;

automatically placing and processing, at the monitoring apparatus, a service call for the at least one device through a service management subsystem if the at least one device is to be serviced under the contract based on the contract management information; and

generating and sending, at the monitoring apparatus, a service quote to a sender of the device information if the at least one device is not to be serviced under the contract based on the contract management information.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

creating a usage report for the at least one device based on the stored device information.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the providing step comprises:

automatically sending, to said user, an electronic mail message including the usage report and the at least one of the stored device information and the business context information.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the providing step comprises:

providing, to said user, the usage report and the at least one of the stored device information and the business context information on a website.

5. The method of claim 2, wherein the usage report includes, for a predetermined period of time, at least one of print volume of the at least one device, information of service calls for the at least one device, supplies delivered during the predetermined period of time for the at least one device, and average response time for the service calls.

6. The method of claim 2, wherein a type of information included in the usage report is specified in a service contract covering the at least one device.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the providing step comprises:

receiving, over the network, an identification of said user;

determining, based on the user access information and the received identification, whether to provide the at least one of the stored device information and the business context information to said user.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the identification is a password.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a request for the at least one of the stored device information and the business context information from said user.

10. A system for managing and servicing at least one device communicatively coupled to a network, comprising:

means for receiving device information, including at least one of alert information and status information pertaining to the device, from the at least one device over the network;

means for storing the received device information;

means for storing business context information, including contract management information that indicates which devices are covered by a contract with a service provider, and at least one of billing management information and order management information related to managing and servicing the at least one device;

means for storing user access information, the user access information governing access to the stored device information and the stored business context information of the at least one device by a plurality of users;

means for providing at least one of the stored device information and the business context information to a user of the plurality of users based on the stored user access information;

means for determining, by interfacing with digital system that stores the contract management information, whether the at least one device is to be serviced under the contract based on the contract management information that indicates which devices are covered by the contract;

means for automatically placing and processing a service call for the at least one device through a service management subsystem if the at least one device is to be serviced under the contract based on the contract management information; and

means for generating and sending a service quote to a sender of the device information if the at least one device is not to be serviced under the contract based on the contract management information.

11. The system of claim 10, further comprising:

means for creating a usage report for the at least one device based on the stored device information.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the means for providing comprises:

means for automatically sending, to said user, an electronic mail message including the usage report and the at least one of the stored device information and the business context information.

13. The system of claim 11, wherein the means for providing comprises:

means for providing, to said user, the usage report and the at least one of the stored device information and the business context information on a website.

14. The system of claim 11, wherein the usage report includes, for a predetermined period of time, at least one of print volume of the at least one device, information of service calls for the at least one device, supplies delivered during the predetermined period of time for the at least one device, and average response time for the service calls.

15. The system of claim 11, wherein a type of information included in the usage report is specified in a service contract covering the at least one device.

16. The system of claim 10, wherein the means for providing comprises:

means for receiving, over the network, an identification of said user;

means for determining, based on the user access information and the received identification, whether to provide the at least one of the stored device information and the business context information to said user.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the identification is a password.

18. The system of claim 10, further comprising:

means for receiving a request for the at least one of the stored device information and the business context information from said user.

19. A computer readable storage medium encoded with instructions, which when executed by a monitoring apparatus causes the monitoring apparatus to implement a method of managing and servicing at least one device communicatively coupled to a network, comprising:

receiving, at a network interface of the monitoring apparatus, device information, including at least one of alert information and status information pertaining to the device, from the at least one device over the network;

storing, in a digita1 depository, the received device information;

storing, in the digital depository, business context information, including contract management information that indicates which devices are covered by a contract with a service provider, and at least one of billing management information and order management information related to managing and servicing the at least one device;

storing, in the digital depository, user access information, the user access information governing access to the stored device information and the stored business context information of the at least one device by a plurality of users;

providing, at the monitoring apparatus, at least one of the stored device information and the business context information to a user of the plurality of users based on the stored user access information;

determining, at the monitoring apparatus, by interfacing with a digital system that stores the contract management information, whether the at least one device is to be serviced under the contract based on the contract management information that indicates which devices are covered by the contract;

automatically placing and processing, at the monitoring apparatus, a service call for the at least one device through a service management subsystem if the at least one device is to be serviced under the contract based on the contract management information; and

generating and sending, at the monitoring apparatus, a service quote to a sender of the device information if the at least one device is not to be serviced under the contract based on the contract management information.

20. The computer readable storage medium of claim 19, wherein the method further comprises:

creating a usage report for the at least one device based on the stored device information.

21. The computer readable storage medium of claim 20, wherein the providing comprises:

automatically sending, to said user, an electronic mail message including the usage report and the at least one of the stored device information and the business context information.

22. The computer readable storage medium of claim 20, wherein the providing comprises:

providing, to said user, the usage report and the at least one of the stored device information and the business context information on a website.

23. The computer readable storage medium of claim 20, wherein the usage report includes, for a predetermined period of time, at least one of print volume of the at least one device, information of service calls for the at least one device, supplies delivered during the predetermined period of time for the at least one device, and average response time for the service calls.

24. The computer readable storage medium of claim 20, wherein a type of information included in the usage report is specified in a service contract covering the at least one device.

25. The computer readable storage medium of claim 19, wherein the providing comprises:

receiving, over the network, an identification of said user; and

determining, based on the user access information and the received identification, whether to provide the at least one of the stored device information and the business context information to said user.

26. The computer readable storage medium of claim 25, wherein the identification is a password.

27. The computer readable storage medium of claim 19, wherein the method further comprises:

receiving a request for the at least one of the stored device information and the business context information from said user.

28. A method of managing and servicing at least one device communicatively coupled to a network with a monitoring apparatus, comprising:

receiving, at a network interface of the monitoring apparatus, device information, including at least one of alert information and status information pertaining to the device, from the at least one device over the network;

storing, in a digital depository, the received device information;

storing, in the digital depository, business context information, including contract management information that indicates which devices are covered by a contract with a service provider, and at least one of billing management information and order management information related to managing and servicing the at least one device;

storing, in the digital depository, user access information, the user access information governing access to the stored device information and the stored business context information of the at least one device by a plurality of users, wherein the storing user access information includes storing, in correspondence with the user access information, information indicating which alert message each of the plurality of users is to receive;

providing, at the monitoring apparatus, at least one of the stored device information and the business context information to a user of the plurality of users based on the stored user access information;

determining, at the monitoring apparatus, by interfacing with a digital system that stores the contract management information, whether the at least one device is to be serviced under the contract based on the contract management information that indicates which devices are covered by the contract; and

sending an alert message,

wherein the sending includes

determining a subject matter of the alert message, and

determining which user of the plurality of users is to receive the alert message based on the information indicating which alert message each of the plurality of users is to receive.

31. The method of claim 28, further comprising:

creating a usage report for the at least one device based on the stored device information.

32. The method of claim 31, wherein the providing step comprises:

automatically sending, to said user, an electronic mail message including the usage report and the at least one of the stored device information and the business context information.

33. The method of claim 31, wherein the providing step comprises:

providing, to said user, the usage report and the at least one of the stored device information and the business context information on a website.

34. The method of claim 31, wherein the usage report includes, for a predetermined period of time, at least one of print volume of the at least one device, information of service calls for the at least one device, supplies delivered during the predetermined period of time for the at least one device, and average response time for the service calls.

35. The method of claim 31, wherein a type of information included in the usage report is specified in a service contract covering the at least one device.

29. A system for managing and servicing at least one device communicatively coupled to a network, comprising:

means for receiving device information, including at least one of alert information and status information pertaining to the device, from the at least one device over the network;

means for storing the received device information;

means for storing business context information, including contract management information that indicates which devices are covered by a contract with a service provider, and at least one of billing management information and order management information related to managing and servicing the at least one device;

means for storing user access information, the user access information governing access to the stored device information and the stored business context information of the at least one device by a plurality of users, wherein the means for storing user access information includes means for storing, in correspondence with the user access information, information indicating which alert message each of the plurality of users is to receive;

means for providing at least one of the stored device information and the business context information to a user of the plurality of users based on the stored user access information;

means for determining, by interfacing with digital system that stores the contract management information, whether the at least one device is to be serviced under the contract based on the contract management information that indicates which devices are covered by the contract; and

means for sending an alert message,

wherein the means for sending includes

means for determining a subject matter of the alert message, and

means for determining which user of the plurality of users is to receive the alert message based on the information indicating which alert message each of the plurality of users is to receive.

36. The system of claim 29, further comprising:

means for creating a usage report for the at least one device based on the stored device information.

37. The system of claim 36, wherein the means for providing comprises:

means for automatically sending, to said user, an electronic mail message including the usage report and the at least one of the stored device information and the business context information.

38. The system of claim 36, wherein the means for providing comprises:

means for providing, to said user, the usage report and the at least one of the stored device information and the business context information on a website.

39. The system of claim 36, wherein the usage report includes, for a predetermined period of time, at least one of print volume of the at least one device, information of service calls for the at least one device, supplies delivered during the predetermined period of time for the at least one device, and average response time for the service calls.

40. The system of claim 36, wherein a type of information included in the usage report is specified in a service contract covering the at least one device.

30. A computer readable storage medium encoded with instructions, which when executed by a monitoring apparatus causes the monitoring apparatus to implement a method of managing and servicing at least one device communicatively coupled to a network, comprising:

receiving, at a network interface of the monitoring apparatus, device information, including at least one of alert information and status information pertaining to the device, from the at least one device over the network;

storing, in a digital depository, the received device information;

storing, in the digital depository, business context information, including contract management information that indicates which devices are covered by a contract with a service provider, and at least one of billing management information and order management information related to managing and servicing the at least one device;

storing, in the digital depository, user access information, the user access information governing access to the stored device information and the stored business context information of the at least one device by a plurality of users, wherein the storing user access information includes storing, in correspondence with the user access information, information indicating which alert message each of the plurality of users is to receive;

providing, at the monitoring apparatus, at least one of the stored device information and the business context information to a user of the plurality of users based on the stored user access information;

determining, at the monitoring apparatus, by interfacing with a digital system that stores the contract management information, whether the at least one device is to be serviced under the contract based on the contract management information that indicates which devices are covered by the contract;

sending an alert message,

wherein the sending includes

determining a subject matter of the alert message, and

determining which user of the plurality of users is to receive the alert message based on the information indicating which alert message each of the plurality of users is to receive.

41. The computer readable storage medium of claim 30, wherein the method further comprises:

creating a usage report for the at least one device based on the stored device information.

42. The computer readable storage medium of claim 41, wherein the providing comprises:

automatically sending, to said user, an electronic mail message including the usage report and the at least one of the stored device information and the business context information.

43. The computer readable storage medium of claim 41, wherein the providing comprises:

providing, to said user, the usage report and the at least one of the stored device information and the business context information on a website.

44. The computer readable storage medium of claim 41, wherein the usage report includes, for a predetermined period of time, at least one of print volume of the at least one device, information of service calls for the at least one device, supplies delivered during the predetermined period of time for the at least one device, and average response time for the service calls.

45. The computer readable storage medium of claim 41, wherein a type of information included in the usage report is specified in a service contract covering the at least one device.