Method and system for shopping for a consumable for a device

• US 7,663,770 B2
• Filed: 01/25/2002
• Issued: 02/16/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 01/25/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Xerox Corporation (Xerox Holdings Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Xerox Corporation (Xerox Holdings Corp.)
• Inventors: Hayward, Ken, Krolczyk, Marc J., Campbell, Sarah E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Williams, Kimberly A
• Application Number:
  US10/055,189
• Publication Number:
  US 20030142338A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,944 Days
• Field of Search: 358/1.4, 358/1.14, 358/1.15, 399/12, 399/27, 399/8, 399/24, 347/50, 709/200, 709/204, 705/26, 705/27, 705/28, 705/29
• US Class Current: 358/1.15
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0601 Electronic shopping [e-shopping]

Abstract

A method for shopping for one or more consumables for a device includes requesting with the device the identity of at least one supplier for the at least one consumable for the device, identifying the supplier for the consumable based on the request, and displaying with the device the identified supplier. A system for shopping for one or more consumables for a device includes a requesting system, an identification system, and a display system. The requesting system with the device requests the identity of at least one supplier for the consumable for the device. The identification system identifies the supplier for the consumable based on the request. The display system with the device displays the identified supplier.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

requesting, with a peripheral printing device via a communications network connected to the peripheral printing device, identity of a plurality of suppliers for at least one consumable for the peripheral printing device;

receiving, at the peripheral printing device via the communications network, information identifying a plurality of suppliers for the at least one consumable in response to the request; and

indicating, with the peripheral printing device, one of the identified plurality of suppliers to submit an order for the at least one consumable to the indicated supplier based on the received information, via the communication network,

wherein the received information further comprises information identifying a quantity of the at least one consumable at each of the identified plurality of suppliers, and the method further comprising the step of displaying or printing each identified quantity of the at least one consumable.

2. The method as set forth in claim 1, further comprising indicating, at the peripheral printing device, when replacement of at least one of the consumables in the peripheral printing device is recommended, wherein the request is based on the indication of the recommended replacement.

3. The method as set forth in claim 1, wherein the received information further comprises information identifying a price of the at least one consumable at each of the identified plurality of suppliers, and the method further comprising the step of displaying or printing each identified price of the at least one consumable.

4. The method as set forth in claim 1, wherein the received information further comprises information identifying a location of each of the identified plurality of suppliers, and the method further comprising the step of displaying or printing each location of the identified plurality of suppliers.

5. The method as set forth in claim 1, further comprising:

processing the submitted order; and

supplying the at least one consumable for the peripheral printing device.

6. The method as set forth in claim 5, wherein the processing the submitted order further comprises receiving a payment for the at least one consumable.

7. The method as set forth in claim 1, comprising:

receiving the request, and

identifying the plurality of suppliers for the at least one consumable based on the received request.

8. The method as set forth in claim 7, further comprising retrieving information about the peripheral printing device making the request, wherein the identifying the plurality of suppliers is based on the retrieved information.

9. The method as set forth in claim 1, further comprising at least one of displaying said received identification information and printing said received identification information.

10. The method as set forth in claim 1, wherein the peripheral printing device is a device selected from a printer, a copy machine, and a facsimile machine.

11. A computer readable medium having stored thereon instructions for shopping for at least one consumable for a peripheral printing device which, when executed by at least one processor, cause the processor to perform the steps of:

requesting, with a peripheral printing device via a communications network connected to the peripheral printing device, identity of a plurality of suppliers for at least one consumable for the peripheral printing device;

receiving, at the peripheral printing device via the communications network, information identifying a plurality of suppliers for the at least one consumable in response to the request; and

indicating, with the peripheral printing device, one of the identified plurality of suppliers to submit an order for the at least one consumable to the indicated supplier based on the received information, via the communication network,

wherein the received information further comprises information identifying a quantity of the at least one consumable at each of the identified plurality of suppliers, and further comprising the step of displaying or printing each identified quantity of the at least one consumable.

12. The medium as set forth in claim 11, further comprising indicating, at the peripheral printing device, when replacement of at least one of the consumables in the peripheral printing device is recommended, wherein the requesting is based on the indication of the recommended replacement.

13. The medium as set forth in claim 11, wherein the received information further comprises information identifying a price of the at least one consumable at each of the identified plurality of suppliers, and further comprising the step of displaying or printing each identified price of the at least one consumable.

14. The medium as set forth in claim 11, wherein the received information further comprises information identifying a location of each of the identified plurality of suppliers, and further comprising the step of displaying or printing each location of the identified plurality of suppliers.

15. The medium as set forth in claim 11, further comprising:

processing the submitted order; and

supplying the at least one consumable for the peripheral printing device.

16. The medium as set forth in claim 15, wherein the processing the submitted order further comprises receiving a payment for the at least one consumable.

17. The medium as set forth in claim 11, comprising:

receiving the request, and

identifying the plurality of suppliers for the at least one consumable based on the received request.

18. The medium as set forth in claim 17, further comprising retrieving information about the peripheral printing device making the request, wherein the identifying the plurality of suppliers is based on the retrieved information.

19. The medium as set forth in claim 11, further comprising at least one of displaying said received identification information and printing said received identification information.

20. The medium as set forth in claim 11, wherein the peripheral printing device is a device selected from a printer, a copy machine, and a facsimile machine.

21. A system comprising:

a requesting system that requests, with a peripheral printing device via a communications network connected to the peripheral printing device, identity of a plurality of suppliers for the at least one consumable for the peripheral printing device;

a receiving system of the peripheral printing device that receives, via the communications network, information identifying a plurality of suppliers for the at least one consumable in response to the request;

an indication system, with the peripheral printing device, that indicates one of the identified plurality of suppliers; and

an ordering system, with the peripheral printing device, for submitting an order for the at least one consumable to the indicated supplier based on the received information, via the communication network,

wherein the received information identifies a quantity of the at least one consumable at each of the identified plurality of suppliers, wherein the indication system indicates the identified quantity of the at least one consumable.

22. The system as set forth in claim 21, further comprising an indication system that indicates at the peripheral printing device when replacement of one or more of the consumables in the peripheral printing device is recommended, wherein the request by the requesting system is based on the indication of the recommended replacement.

23. The system as set forth in claim 21, wherein the received information further comprises information identifying a price of the at least one consumable at each of the identified plurality of suppliers, and the indication system indicates each identified price of the at least one consumable.

24. The system as set forth in claim 21, wherein the received information further comprises information identifying locations of the identified plurality of suppliers, and the indication system indicates the locations of the identified plurality of suppliers.

25. The system as set forth in claim 21, further comprising an order processing system for processing the submitted order for the at least one consumable for the peripheral printing device.

26. The system as set forth in claim 25, wherein the processing system processes a payment for the at least one consumable.

27. The system as set forth in claim 21, comprising an identification system for receiving the request and identifying the plurality of suppliers for the at least one consumable based on the request.

28. The system as set forth in claim 27, further comprising a retrieval system that retrieves information about the peripheral printing device making the request, wherein the identification system identifies the plurality of suppliers based on the retrieved information.

29. The system as set forth in claim 21, wherein the system comprises at least one of a display for displaying received identification information and a printer for printing received identification information.

30. The system as set forth in claim 21, wherein the peripheral printing device is a device selected from a printer, a copy machine, and a facsimile machine.