Information processing apparatus, ordering system, and order management method

• US 9,020,847 B2
• Filed: 05/22/2012
• Issued: 04/28/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 05/27/2011
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Ricoh Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Ricoh Company Limited
• Inventors: Ishii, Yuichi
• Primary Examiner(s): Danneman, Paul
• Application Number:
  US13/477,318
• Publication Number:
  US 20120303493A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,071 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 705/28
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/08 Logistics, e.g. warehousing, loading or distribution; Inventory or stock management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions

Abstract

An information processing apparatus connected via a data communication channel to an electronic apparatus and a management apparatus. The information processing apparatus includes an apparatus status reception unit configured to receive, from the electronic apparatus, apparatus status information including error identifiers indicating errors detected at the electronic apparatus; an ordering unit configured to place error support orders corresponding to the error identifiers in the received apparatus status information to the management apparatus and to receive order results from the management server in response to the error support orders; and a message transmission unit configured to send a message indicating order status of the error support orders to the electronic apparatus based on the received order results and thereby request the electronic apparatus to display the order status.

Claims

1. An information processing apparatus connected via a data communication channel to at least one electronic apparatus and a server, the information processing apparatus comprising:

an apparatus status reception unit configured to receive, from the electronic apparatus, apparatus status information including an apparatus status detected at the electronic apparatus and an apparatus identifier for identifying the electronic apparatus;

an order management information storing unit configured to store order management information where order identifiers for identifying orders, error identifiers for identifying errors, and apparatus identifiers for identifying electronic apparatuses are associated with each other;

a determining unit configured, when the received apparatus status information includes error information indicating an error detected at the electronic apparatus and an order request, to determine an order item to be ordered;

an ordering unit configured to generate order information including the apparatus identifier and the error information in the received apparatus status information based on the determined order item and send the order information to the server;

an order identifier receiving unit configured to receive an order identifier from the server in response to the order information;

an order management unit configured to add an order record to the order management information, the order record including the order identifier received from the server, an error identifier corresponding to the error information, and the apparatus identifier that are associated with each other;

a message management information storing unit configured to store message management information where message content information is associated with error types;

a message content information obtaining unit configured to obtain the message content information corresponding to an error type of the error information from the message management information storing unit;

a message generating unit configured to generate a message including the obtained message content information and the order identifier; and

a message transmission unit configured to send the message to the electronic apparatus sending the apparatus status information and request the electronic apparatus to display the message.

2. The information processing apparatus as claimed in claim 1, further comprising:

a transmission management information storing unit configured to store transmission management information where the apparatus identifiers and the error identifiers are associated with each other;

a transmission message management unit configured to add a transmission record including the apparatus identifier of the electronic apparatus to which the message is sent and the error identifier corresponding to the message content information included in the message;

an order management information updating unit configured, when the received apparatus status information includes recovery information indicating recovery from the error detected at the electronic apparatus and an order status update request, to remove the order record corresponding to the apparatus identifier in the apparatus status information and the error identifier of the error indicated by the recovery information from the order management information stored in the order management information storing unit; and

a transmission management information updating unit configured to remove the transmission record corresponding to the apparatus identifier in the apparatus status information and the error identifier of the error indicated by the recovery information from the transmission management information stored in the transmission management information storing unit,

wherein the message generating unit is configured to identify, from the transmission management information, the error identifier corresponding to the apparatus identifier of the electronic apparatus sending the apparatus status information including the recovery information and generate a message indicating an updated order status based on the identified error identifier, and

wherein the message transmission unit is configured to send the message indicating the updated order status to the electronic apparatus sending the apparatus status information including the order status update request and request the electronic apparatus to display the message indicating the updated order status.

3. The information processing apparatus as claimed in claim 2, further comprising:

an order status monitoring unit configured to query the server about current status of the orders based on the order identifiers in the order management information,

wherein the order management information updating unit is configured to identify the order identifiers corresponding to errors that have been recovered based on results of the query sent from the server and remove order records corresponding to the identified order identifiers from the order management information.

4. The information processing apparatus as claimed in claim 3, wherein

the message generating unit is configured to generate messages indicating the updated order status based on the order management information after the order records are removed;

and

the message transmission unit is configured to send the generated messages to the corresponding electronic apparatuses and request the electronic apparatuses to display the messages.

5. The information processing apparatus as claimed in claim 2, further comprising:

a detailed order status request receiving unit configured to receive the apparatus identifier and a detailed order status request from the electronic apparatus;

a detailed order status obtaining unit configured to identify the order identifiers in the order management information corresponding to the received apparatus identifier and obtain detailed order status information corresponding to the identified order identifiers from the server; and

a detailed order status information transmitting unit configured to send the obtained detailed order status information to the electronic apparatus.

6. An ordering system, comprising:

at least one electronic apparatus;

a server; and

an information processing apparatus connected via a data communication channel to the electronic apparatus and the server,

wherein the information processing apparatus includes

an apparatus status reception unit configured to receive, from the electronic apparatus, apparatus status information including an apparatus status detected at the electronic apparatus and an apparatus identifier for identifying the electronic apparatus,

an order management information storing unit configured to store order management information where order identifiers for identifying orders, error identifiers for identifying errors, and apparatus identifiers for identifying electronic apparatuses are associated with each other,

a determining unit configured, when the received apparatus status information includes error information indicating an error detected at the electronic apparatus and an order request, to determine an order item to be ordered,

an ordering unit configured to generate order information including the apparatus identifier and the error information in the received apparatus status information based on the determined order item and send the order information to the server,

an order identifier receiving unit configured to receive an order identifier from the server in response to the order information,

an order management unit configured to add an order record to the order management information, the order record including the order identifier received from the server, an error identifier corresponding to the error information, and the apparatus identifier that are associated with each other,

a message management information storing unit configured to store message management information where message content information is associated with error types,

a message content information obtaining unit configured to obtain the message content information corresponding to an error type of the error information from the message management information storing unit,

a message generating unit configured to generate a message including the obtained message content information and the order identifier, and

a message transmission unit configured to send the message to the electronic apparatus sending the apparatus status information and request the electronic apparatus to display the message.

7. The ordering system as claimed in claim 6, wherein the information processing apparatus further includes

a transmission management information storing unit configured to store transmission management information where the apparatus identifiers and the error identifiers are associated with each other;

a transmission message management unit configured to add a transmission record including the apparatus identifier of the electronic apparatus to which the message is sent and the error identifier corresponding to the message content information included in the message;

an order management information updating unit configured, when the received apparatus status information includes recovery information indicating recovery from the error detected at the electronic apparatus and an order status update request, to remove the order record corresponding to the apparatus identifier in the apparatus status information and the error identifier of the error indicated by the recovery information from the order management information stored in the order management information storing unit; and

a transmission management information updating unit configured to remove the transmission record corresponding to the apparatus identifier in the apparatus status information and the error identifier of the error indicated by the recovery information from the transmission management information stored in the transmission management information storing unit,

wherein the message generating unit is configured to identify, from the transmission management information, the error identifier corresponding to the apparatus identifier of the electronic apparatus sending the apparatus status information including the recovery information and generate a message indicating an updated order status based on the identified error identifier, and

wherein the message transmission unit is configured to send the message indicating the updated order status to the electronic apparatus sending the apparatus status information including the order status update request and request the electronic apparatus to display the message indicating the updated order status.

8. The ordering system as claimed in claim 7, wherein the information processing apparatus further includes

an order status monitoring unit configured to query the server about current status of the orders based on the order identifiers in the order management information,

wherein the order management information updating unit is configured to identify the order identifiers corresponding to errors that have been recovered based on results of the query sent from the server and remove order records corresponding to the identified order identifiers from the order management information.

9. The ordering system as claimed in claim 8, wherein

the message generating unit is configured to generate messages indicating the updated order status based on the order management information after the order records are removed;

and

the message transmission unit is configured to send the generated messages to the corresponding electronic apparatuses and request the electronic apparatuses to display the messages.

10. The ordering system as claimed in claim 7, wherein the information processing apparatus further includes

a detailed order status request receiving unit configured to receive the apparatus identifier and a detailed order status request from the electronic apparatus;

a detailed order status obtaining unit configured to identify the order identifiers in the order management information corresponding to the received apparatus identifier and obtain detailed order status information corresponding to the identified order identifiers from the server; and

a detailed order status information transmitting unit configured to send the obtained detailed order status information to the electronic apparatus.

11. A method performed by an information processing apparatus connected via a data communication channel to at least one electronic apparatus and a server, the method comprising:

receiving, from the electronic apparatus, apparatus status information including an apparatus status detected at the electronic apparatus and an apparatus identifier for identifying the electronic apparatus;

storing, in the information processing apparatus, order management information where order identifiers for identifying orders, error identifiers for identifying errors, and apparatus identifiers for identifying electronic apparatuses are associated with each other;

when the received apparatus status information includes error information indicating an error detected at the electronic apparatus and an order request, determining an order item to be ordered;

generating order information including the apparatus identifier and the error information in the received apparatus status information based on the determined order item and sending the order information to the server;

receiving an order identifier from the server in response to the order information;

adding an order record to the order management information, the order record including the order identifier received from the server, an error identifier corresponding to the error information, and the apparatus identifier that are associated with each other;

obtaining message content information corresponding to an error type of the error information from message management information that is stored in the information processing apparatus and includes multiple sets of the message content information associated with error types;

generating a message including the obtained message content information and the order identifier; and

sending the message to the electronic apparatus sending the apparatus status information and requesting the electronic apparatus to display the message.

12. The method as claimed in claim 11, further comprising:

storing, in the information processing apparatus, transmission management information where the apparatus identifiers and the error identifiers are associated with each other;

adding a transmission record including the apparatus identifier of the electronic apparatus to which the message is sent and the error identifier corresponding to the message content information included in the message;

when the received apparatus status information includes recovery information indicating recovery from the error detected at the electronic apparatus and an order status update request, removing the order record corresponding to the apparatus identifier in the apparatus status information and the error identifier of the error indicated by the recovery information from the order management information;

removing the transmission record corresponding to the apparatus identifier in the apparatus status information and the error identifier of the error indicated by the recovery information from the transmission management information;

identifying, from the transmission management information, the error identifier corresponding to the apparatus identifier of the electronic apparatus sending the apparatus status information including the recovery information and generating a message indicating an updated order status based on the identified error identifier; and

sending the message indicating the updated order status to the electronic apparatus sending the apparatus status information including the order status update request and requesting the electronic apparatus to display the message indicating the updated order status.

13. The method as claimed in claim 12, further comprising:

querying the server about current status of the orders based on the order identifiers in the order management information; and

identifying the order identifiers corresponding to errors that have been recovered based on results of the query sent from the server and removing order records corresponding to the identified order identifiers from the order management information.

14. The method as claimed in claim 13, further comprising:

generating messages indicating the updated order status based on the order management information after the order records are removed; and

sending the generated messages to the corresponding electronic apparatuses and requesting the electronic apparatuses to display the messages.

15. The method as claimed in claim 12, further comprising:

receiving the apparatus identifier and a detailed order status request from the electronic apparatus;

identifying the order identifiers in the order management information corresponding to the received apparatus identifier and obtaining detailed order status information corresponding to the identified order identifiers from the server; and

sending the obtained detailed order status information to the electronic apparatus.