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

• US 7,624,045 B2
• Filed: 10/18/2004
• Issued: 11/24/2009
• 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
• Application Number:
  US10/967,624
• Publication Number:
  US 20050065859A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,863 Days
• Field of Search: 705/26
• US Class Current: 705/26.8
• 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, including (i) model information indicative of a model of the image forming equipment and (ii) supplies usage information indicative of supplies usage status or the image forming equipment;

a supplies center computer which is connected to the image forming equipment through a network, including

at least one storage device configured to store information regarding supplies for each available image forming equipment;

a control unit configured through one or more programs of instructions executing on the control unit to receive the status information from the image forming equipment, and generate, and transmit to a specific email address, supplies information which is customized for the image forming equipment according to the status information from the image forming equipment and includes supplies availability information indicative of a plurality of recommended order or purchase options for available supplies specific to the image forming equipment at the user side.

2. The system as in claim 1, wherein said controller is a personal computer connected to, and communicating with, the image forming equipment.

3. The system as in claim 2, wherein said supplies center computer includes a server, and the server is connected to the personal computer through an internet.

4. The system as in claim 1, wherein the controller monitors the supplies usage status of the image forming equipment, detects a low supplies level, and communicates with the supplies center computer through the network to obtain supplies sources information from the supplies center computer.

5. The system as in claim 4, wherein the controller causes a low supplies level prompt to be displayed on a user side display, after the low supplies level is detected.

16. The system as in claim 1, wherein said supplies center computer is configured to receive (ruin said user side a final determination of supplies to be ordered and purchased for said image forming equipment that is selected from said supplies availability information.

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

maintaining and storing in a storage device at a user side, under control of a user side controller connected to the storage device, status information for an image forming equipment, the status information including (i) model information indicative of a model of the image forming equipment and (ii) supplies usage information indicative of supplies usage status of the image forming equipment;

transmitting, under control of the user side controller, from the user side through a computer network to a supplies center computer the status information for the image forming equipment; and

receiving a the user side, under control of the user side controller and through the computer network, from the supplies center computer supplies information which is customized for the image forming equipment according to the status information for the image forming equipment and includes supplies availability information indicative of a plurality of recommended order or purchase options for available supplies specific to the image forming equipment at the user side.

7. The method as in claim 6, further comprising displaying on a user side display the customized supplies information and providing, under control of the user side controller, a user interface for placing an order for specified supplies.

8. The method as in claim 6, further comprising:

monitoring, under control of the user side controller, the supplies usage information for the image forming equipment at the user side;

detecting, through a detector under control of the user side controller, a low supplies level of the image forming equipment;

transmitting a request for supplies information from the user side, under control of the user side controller and through the computer network, to the supplies center; and

receiving at the user side, under control of the user side controller and through the computer network, from the supplies center supplies sources information indicative of one or more sources of supplies, customized according to the status information for the image forming equipment.

9. The method as in claim 8, further comprising providing under control of the user side controller, a low supplies level prompt at the user side, after the low supplies level of the image forming equipment is detected.

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

storing in at least one supplies center storage device information regarding supplies for each available image forming equipment;

connecting a user side controller through a computer network to a supplies center computer;

receiving by the supplies center computer from the user side controller, through the computer network, status information regarding a user side image forming equipment, the status information including supplies usage information indicative of supplies usage status or the user side image forming equipment;

retrieving at least some of the information regarding supplies from said at least one supplies center storage device;

generating, by the supplies center computer, supplies information for the user side image forming equipment, by using the retrieved information regarding supplies and customizing the supplies information for the user side image forming equipment according to the status information regarding the user side image forming equipment; and

transmitting the supplies information for the user side image forming equipment from the supplies center computer to the user side controller,

wherein the supplies information for the user side image forming equipment includes supplies availability information indicative of a plurality of recommended order or purchase options for available supplies specific to the image forming equipment at the user side.

11. A method as claimed in claim 10, wherein said status information regarding the user side image forming equipment further includes at least one of (1) model information indicative of a model of the user side image forming equipment, and (2) model information indicative of supplies for the user side image forming equipment.

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

at least one storage device configured to store information regarding supplies for each available image conning equipment; and

a control unit connected through a computer network to a user side controller, and configured through one or more programs of instructions executing on the control unit to receive status information regarding a user side image forming equipment, the status information including supplies usage information indicative of supplies usage status of the user side image forming equipment,

wherein the control unit generates the supplies information for the user side image forming equipment by using the information regarding supplies retrieved from said at least one supplies center storage device and customizing the supplies information for the user side image forming equipment according to the status information regarding the user side image forming equipment, transmits the supplies information for the user side image forming equipment to the user side through the computer network, and

wherein the supplies information for the user side image forming equipment includes supplies availability information indicative of a plurality of recommended order or purchase options for available supplies specific to the image Forming equipment at the user side.

13. A supplies center system as claimed in claim 12, wherein said status information regarding the user side image forming equipment further includes at least one of (1) model information indicative of a model of the user side image forming equipment, and (2) model information indicative of supplies for the user side image forming equipment.

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

a connection device for connecting through a computer network to a user side;

a storage device for storing information regarding supplies for each available image forming equipment;

a reception device for receiving status information regarding a user side image forming equipment from the user side through the computer network, the status information including supplies usage information indicative of supplies usage status of the user side image forming equipment;

a data processing device for generating supplies information for the user side image forming equipment, by using the information regarding supplies retrieved from said at least one system storage device and customizing the supplies information for the user side image forming equipment according to the status information regarding the user side image forming equipment; and

a communication device for transmitting the supplies information for the user side image forming equipment through the computer network to the user side,

wherein the supplies information for the user side image forming equipment includes supplies availability information indicative of a plurality of recommended order or purchase options for available supplies specific to the image forming equipment at the user side.

15. A system as claimed in claim 14, wherein said status information regarding the user side image forming equipment further includes at least one of (1) model information indicative of a model of the user side image forming equipment, and (2) model information indicative of supplies for the user side image forming equipment.

17. The system as in claim 14, wherein said system is configured to receive from said user side a final determination of supplies to be ordered and purchased for said image forming equipment that is selected from said supplies availability information.