Self-adjusting order-assistance system

• US 20020073148A1
• Filed: 12/13/2000
• Published: 06/13/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 12/13/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Inventors: Haines, Robert E., Baumunk, Mary B.
• Granted Patent: US 7,043,523 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/204
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0641 Shopping interfaces

Abstract

A consumable order-assistance system is provided for computer peripheral devices. The system includes a personal computer, at least one computer peripheral device, and a user interaction site. The personal computer has a messaging system. The at least one computer peripheral device has a messaging system. The communication link signal couples the personal computer with a provider of a consumable for the computer peripheral device. The user interaction site is configured to receive a notification from the computer peripheral device via the messaging system of a need to order a consumable. The user interaction site is provided within one of: a single-connection environment as an end user interface; an unmanaged network environment as a workgroup administrator interface; and a server-based centralized network environment as a centralized system administrator interface. A method is also provided.

Claims

1. A consumable order-assistance system for computer peripheral devices, comprising:

a personal computer having a messaging system;

at least one computer peripheral device having a messaging system;

a communication link signal coupling the personal computer with a provider of a consumable for the computer peripheral device; and

a user interaction site configured to receive a notification from the computer peripheral device via the messaging system of a need to order a consumable;

wherein the user interaction site is provided within one of;

a single-connection environment as an end user interface;

an unmanaged network environment as a workgroup administrator interface; and

a server-based centralized network environment as a centralized system administrator interface.

2. The consumable order-assistance system of claim 1 wherein the personal computer and the computer peripheral device are connected with a bus, and wherein the user interaction site comprises a printer driver of the personal computer provided within a single-connection environment.

3. The consumable order-assistance system of claim 1 wherein the personal computer and the computer peripheral device are provided within an unmanaged network environment, the user interaction site comprises an embedded web server of the computer peripheral device, and the embedded web server generates and forwards a message to a user at the personal computer to prompt ordering of a consumable.

4. The consumable order-assistance system of claim 1 wherein the personal computer and the computer peripheral device are provided within a network environment having a central server, the user interaction site comprises a network administrator personal computer communicating with the server, and a network management application provided on the server generates and forwards a message to a network administrator.

5. The consumable order-assistance system of claim 1 wherein the user interaction site comprises a centralized administrator interface comprising a centralized purchaser, and wherein a centralized order-assistance tool of a network server delivers a notification to the centralized purchaser of a need to order a consumable.

6. The consumable order-assistance system of claim 1 wherein the user interaction site comprises a user interface of the personal computer.

7. The consumable order-assistance system of claim 1 wherein the user interaction site comprises a user interface for facilitating user access to the computer peripheral device to receive notification of a need to order a consumable for the computer peripheral device.

20. The method of claim 16 wherein the personal computer comprises a maintainer computer, the network environment comprises a managed, centralized network environment having a server, and the server sends a notification to the maintainer computer of a need to order a consumable.

8. A computer-implemented self-adjusting consumable order-assistance system which implements a program in which consumable components of computer peripheral devices are replenished, the system comprising:

a personal computer having a messaging system;

at least one computer peripheral device having a messaging system;

a communication link signal coupling the personal computer with a provider of a consumable; and

a user interface comprising an end user interaction interface, a workgroup administrator interface, or a centralized system administrator interface, the end user interaction interface including the personal computer configurable for interaction by a user that is exchanging information with a computer peripheral device associated with the personal computer, the workgroup administrator interface operative to manage one computer peripheral device at a time, and the centralized system administrator interface communicating with a server of a centralized network environment.

9. The system of claim 8 wherein the end user interaction system comprises a printer driver of the personal computer.

10. The system of claim 8 wherein the workgroup administrator interface comprises an embedded web server of the computer peripheral device.

11. The system of claim 8 wherein the centralized system administrator interface comprises a network management application usable by a network administrator.

12. The system of claim 8 wherein the end user interaction system is provided within a single-connection environment comprising the personal computer communicating with the computer peripheral device via a bus, and wherein a single user has dedicated access to the personal computer.

13. The system of claim 8 wherein the workgroup administrative interface comprises an embedded web server within the computer peripheral device, and wherein the embedded web server comprises an interface for the order-assistance system.

14. The system of claim 8 wherein the centralized system administrator interface comprises a centralized order-assistance tool, and wherein the centralized order-assistance tool is provided within a centralized network environment having a server.

15. The system of claim 8 wherein the computer peripheral device comprises an embedded web server, the personal computer and the computer peripheral device are provided within an unmanaged network environment, and the embedded web server initiates ordering of a consumable in response to a detected need to replenish the consumable.

17. The method of claim 16 wherein, when the presence of a parallel cable is detected, the network environment is determined to be a single-connection environment, the computer peripheral device interacts at an end user level.

18. The method of claim 16 wherein the network environment comprises a single-connection environment, the user interface site comprises an interface to a consumable order assistance computer program resident on the personal computer, and the program provides an order location to a user for purchasing a consumable.

19. The method of claim 16 wherein the computer peripheral device comprises an embedded web server, the network environment comprises an unmanaged network environment, and the embedded web server initiates ordering of a consumable in response to a detected need to replenish the consumable.

16. A method of providing order assistance, comprising:

providing a computer peripheral device, a personal computer having a communication link with a provider of a consumable, a messaging system extending between the computer peripheral device and the personal computer, and a user interaction site;

determining an environment in which the computer peripheral device and the personal computer are provided by detecting the presence of a parallel cable or the presence of a network environment;

for the case where the presence of a network environment is detected, further broadcasting a discovery protocol to detect the presence of a centralized order-assistance solution; and

based on the determined environment, providing the user interaction site in the form of;

a user interface when the network environment comprises a single-connection environment;

an embedded web server when the network environment comprises an unmanaged network environment; and

a centralized system administrator interface when the network environment comprises a server-based, centralized network environment.