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.

Description:
FIELD  
       [0001]     This patent specification relates to a system and method for assisting users of image forming equipment such as copiers, printers, fax machines to acquire and replenish supplies such as toner, paper, etc.  
       BACKGROUND  
       [0002]     Image forming equipment typically uses supplies such as toner, ink, paper and others. They are often called consumables in the trade, as they get used up and need to be replenished from time to time in regular use of the equipment. Copiers, printers, and fax machines are some examples of such image forming equipment. One type use toner cartridges each including a photoconductive drum, a developing device to form a toner image, a cleaning device to remove residual toner from the drum, and other components, and typically print on cut sheets of paper. Other types use toner bottles or other printing methods, such as line printing and ink-jet printing.  
         [0003]     A user who needs to replace or add supplies may purchase them as needed or may take them from an inventory the user maintains, for which purchases from suppliers are made less frequently. For greater convenience, remote diagnostic systems are offered to connect equipment such as copiers to a service center via the public switched telephone network in order to automatically transmit status information about the image forming devices to the service center. Japanese Laid-Open Publications 8-152816 and 8-152817 discuss such systems. According to the publications, usage information regarding toner and paper for copiers is transmitted to the service center, and the service center manages an inventory of supplies at the user side based on the transmitted information. When the inventory gets depleted, the service center plans replenishment. In the publications, as understood, the entity that would send supplies to the user side is predetermined, and the system does not provide the user with information about other possible sources of relevant supplies.  
       SUMMARY  
       [0004]     In the known proposals discussed above, the system that keeps track of the need to replenish supplies at the user side does not help the user locate and contact other sources of the relevant supplies, which may meet the user&#39;s need better because they are closer, or offer better prices, or in some other way are more attractive to a user.  
         [0005]     In order to better serve users, they should be provided not only with information on when they should replenish supplies but also with a choice of suppliers, preferably selected for suitability to individual users and preferably together with information, such as pricing, to help users make informed choices. Meeting that goal is one of the objects of this patent specification. Other objects will become apparent from the detailed description of preferred embodiments below.  
         [0006]     In one non-limiting example, the system keeps checking equipment at a user side to determine if certain status conditions have occurred. In the case of a copier, the system can keep checking to see if toner has been depleted, if the copier has been out of certain size paper for more than a specified time period, if a tank for used toner has filled up, etc. Respective status signals are sent to a service center over communication links. Upon detecting a condition that calls for replenishing supplies at a user side, the service center interrogates a database of information regarding dealers/retailers to find among them businesses that can best satisfy the user&#39;s current need based on factors such as the relative locations of the user and the dealer/retailer, whether the potential supplier has in stock the particular supplies the user needs at the moment, etc. The service center then provides the user with a choice of potential suppliers matching the user&#39;s current needs,.together with information regarding those potential suppliers such as prices, locations, etc. As a result, the user can make an informed choice on which supplier to select, based on the supplied information and also based on the user&#39;s current needs, desires and constraints. A specific implementation of an example is disclosed in detail below. 
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING  
       [0007]      FIG. 1  illustrates in schematic form an embodiment in which a user side, a service center and retailers/dealers communicate through links such as the Internet and the public telephone network.  
         [0008]      FIG. 2  illustrates in simplified form one example of flow of information in the system of  FIG. 1 .  
         [0009]      FIG. 3  illustrates a control unit for an image forming apparatus.  
         [0010]      FIG. 4  illustrates a control unit of a service center.  
         [0011]      FIGS. 5   a  and  5   b  are flow charts illustrating steps of a process constituting a preferred embodiment.  
         [0012]      FIG. 6  illustrates an operation of a service center computer system related to receiving user status information, analyzing available information regarding users and suppliers, and transmitting analysis results to users.  
         [0013]      FIG. 7  illustrates information displays involved in communications between a user and a service center.  
         [0014]      FIG. 8  is a flowchart illustrating steps in automatically transmitting information from a user side to the service center. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS  
       [0015]     Referring to  FIG. 1 , three groups of entities are interconnected through communication links such as the Internet, the public telephone switched network, or some other link. They are a user side  100 , a service center  102 , and a retailer/dealer side  104 , communicating through Internet  106  and telephone lines  108 . As an overview, service center  102  automatically receives information from user side  100  regarding usage of supplies, and also receives information from retailer/dealer side  104  regarding suppliers and availability of supplies. Service center  102  analyzes such information and, as and when needed, supplies information to user side  100  that facilitates replenishment of supplies in a particularly effective way. In doing its analysis, service center  102  uses information collected in its database, and selects suppliers that are particularly appropriate to a user, given the user&#39;s location, equipment and current need for supplies. Typically, contractual arrangement exist between service center  102  and dealers/retailers as side  104 . Contractual arrangements can also exist between users at side  100  and service center  102 .  
         [0016]     User side  100  can include a number of image forming devices and other equipment communicating through Internet  106  and/or telephone link  108 . For example, user side  100  can include one or more copiers  110  communicating with telephone line  108  through a line adaptor  112  and a personal computer  114  communicating with copiers  110  and Internet  106 . User side  100  can further include printers such as  116  on a local area network  118  to which other devices can be attached, such as personal computers  120  and  122 , and which communicates with Internet  106  through a firewall  124 . User side  100  can still further include other image forming devices, such as a printer  126  communicating with phone line  108  through a line adaptor  128  and with a personal computer  130  that in turn communicates with Internet  106 .  
         [0017]     Service center  102  can include a local area network communicating with Internet  106  through a firewall  136  and servicing a number of devices, such as a service center computer system  136 , a personal computer  138 , a server  140  with a database storage  142 , and peripheral devices such as a printer  144  and a copier  146 . In addition, a home page server  148  and its database storage  150  can be provided at central service center  102 , communicating with Internet  106  directly, as illustrated, or through firewall  134 .  
         [0018]     Retailer/dealer side  104  typically comprises a number of local area networks such as  152  and  154  communicating with Internet  106  through respective firewalls  156  and  158 . Respective networks such as  152  and  154  are located at businesses that can provide supplies to users having image forming devices. Typically, many more suppliers are similarly connected in this system. As illustrated in the case of LAN  152 , a typical installation at such a business has a number of devices attached to the local area network, including personal computers  160  and  162 , a server  164  with database storage  166 , and a printer  168 . Network  154  can be similarly organized.  
         [0019]      FIG. 2  illustrates in simplified form an example of information flow in the system of  FIG. 1 . An image forming apparatus  200 , which can be one of devices such as copiers  110  in  FIG. 1 , sends status information through a link  201  to service center system  202  that can be the same or similar to system  136  in  FIG. 1 . The status information can include information on usage of supplies by device  200 , such as usage of toner, paper and/or other consumables, user contact information such as a user&#39;s e-mail address, and/or other information such as the model number of image forming apparatus  200 . A retailer/dealer  204 , which can be one of the entities as side  104  in  FIG. 1 , transmits retailer/dealer information that can include an identification of the retailer/dealer and its service capabilities, such as name, address, phone number, fax number, Home Page URL, territory, kinds of supplies available, such as toner, paper, toner cartridges, and so on that the retailer/dealer handles and/or has in stock, model numbers and/or names of available supplies, and model numbers and/or names of image forming equipment that can use such supplies. This information is stored in server  206  and its database  208  that communicate with retailer/dealer  204  and service center system  202  as illustrated, through a telephone line and of the Internet. Service center system  202  receives status information regarding image forming apparatus  200  and analyzes the information to select appropriate retailer/dealer information that matches the user&#39;s needs or desires, using database  208 . The selected information is automatically transmitted to the e-mail address that is in the status information received from the user, of is otherwise made available to the user. The user can then select a retailer or dealer among the retailers or dealers included in the information supplied thereto from service center system  202 . A similar flow of information is provided through Internet connection  210  for another user having a personal computer  212  and an image forming apparatus  214 .  
         [0020]      FIG. 3  illustrates schematically a control unit  300  of an image forming apparatus such as one of the copiers  110  in  FIG. 1 . Control unit  300  comprises an operation unit  302  that can include a display panel providing status indications in an image forming device such as a copier and manually operable keys (soft or hard keys) for the input of data by an operator, as well as associated circuiting to provide the functions described below. A copy/print sequence control  304  controls the image forming sequence of the image forming apparatus. When a start key is pressed in the case of a copier or a print request is sent from a personal computer in the case of a printer, control  304  appropriately controls various sections, as further described in  FIG. 5 .  FIG. 3  illustrates a paper end detector  306  that detects the end of, or the lack of paper for each size in the image forming apparatus and sends a paper end signal to an analyzer  308 . A counter  310  sends a count signal to analyzer  308 . Analyzer  308  checks whether the paper end status has continued for a predetermined count and, if it has, stores a paper end status a memory  312 . A toner end detector  314  detects the depletion of toner in a toner bottle or toner cartridge that includes at least one of a photoconductive drum, a developing device and a cleaning device. If a toner end condition is detected thereby, it also is stored in memory  312 . A used toner tank full detector  316  detects when a tank for used toner is full and, in response, stores a corresponding signal in memory  312 . The conditions stored in memory  312  are sent to a transmitter  318 , which transmits these conditions to service center system  136  ( 202 ) through a line adapter and the public phone line or through the Internet as earlier discussed.  
         [0021]      FIG. 4  illustrates a control unit of service center  102 . Service center system  400  can be similar to or the same as elements  136  and  202  earlier discussed and includes a receiver  402  that receives the status information transmitted from an image forming apparatus such as a copier  110 . The retailer/dealer information that is transmitted from a retailer/dealer such as at retailer/dealer side  104  is received through another receiver  404  and is stored in a database  416  that can be the same as or similar to database  142 . An analyzer  408  receives the status information and interrogates database  406  to find appropriate retailers or dealers based on the received status information. The found or selected information relating to the retailers or the dealers is stored in a memory  410  and is transmitted via a transmitter  412  to the e-mail address that is in the status information received at receiver  402 , or is otherwise transmitted to the user.  
         [0022]      FIGS. 5   a  and  5   b  illustrate steps in a process constituting a preferred embodiment. The process starts at the so-labeled step and, when a sequence control unit of an image forming apparatus (e.g., control  304  in  FIG. 3 ) receives a print request, as determined at step (S 1 ), the following step (S 2 ) checks whether or not a toner end condition has been detected. If the toner end condition has been detected, at step (S 3 ) control unit  304  of  FIG. 3  issues a control signal to provide a corresponding indication at unit  302 . Then, at step (S 4 ) the process checks whether a “Toner End Transmitted Flag” has been set. If the Flag has not been set, the control unit  304  sets at step (S 5 ) a “Toner End Transmit Request Flag.” If step (S 4 ) determines that the toner end condition has already been transmitted to service center  102 , and the toner end condition continues, step (S 4 ) sets a “Toner End Transmitted Flag.” If a Flag is set at step (S 4 ) or (S 5 ), sequence control unit  304  checks the paper end status.  
         [0023]     If the toner end condition is not detected at (S 2 ) and the “Toner End Transmitted Flag” is set, as determined at step (S 6 ), control unit  304  resets the Flag at step (S 7 ).  
         [0024]     Next, control unit  304  checks at step (S 8 ) if a paper end condition has been detected. If it has not been, and step (S 9 ) determines that a “Paper End Transmitted Flag” has been set, the unit  304  resets the Flag at step (S 10 ). If step (S 8 ) determines that a paper end condition is detected, unit  304  issues at step (S 11 ) a control signals to indicate the paper end on operation panel  302 .  
         [0025]     Then, unit  304  checks at step (S 12 ) if a “Paper End Transmitted Flag” has been set. If it has been set, unit  304  checks at step (S 20 ) if a full tank of used toner has been detected. If step (S 12 ) determines that the “Paper End Transmitted Flag” has not been set, unit  304  checks at step (S 13 ) if a “Counter Flag” has been set. If it has not been set, unit  304  sets it at step (S 14 ) and at step (S 15 ) starts a counting operation at counter  310 . Analyzer  308  determines at step (S 16 ) if counter  310  has counted a predetermined period of time, for example 2 hours and, if step (S 16 ) determines that the period has elapsed, unit  304  sets “Paper End Transmit Request Flag” at step (S 17 ) and resets the “Counter Flag” at step (S 18 ) and resets counter  310  at step (S 19 ).  
         [0026]     Unit  304  checks whether the used toner tank is full at step (S 20 ). If the full tank condition has been detected at step (S 20 ), control unit  304  issues a control signal to indicate the tank full condition on operation panel  302  at step (S 21 ). Then, unit  304  checks at step (S 22 ) if a “Full Tank Transmitted Flag” is set. If the full tank condition has already been transmitted to the service center  102  and the full tank condition continues, the “Full Tank Transmitted Flag” is set at step (S 22 ). If the Flag has not been set, control unit  304  sets a “Full Tank Request Flag” at step (S 23 ). If the full tank condition is not detected at step (S 20 ) and the “Full Tank Transmitted Flag” has been set, as determined at step (S 24 ), at step (S 25 ) control unit  304  resets the Flag. At step (S 26 ) unit  304  checks if other errors have been detected, e.g., errors that should preclude a printing operation. If unit  304  detects such an error, at step (S 27 ) it issues a control signal to indicate the error at operation panel  302  and to bar a printing operation. If unit  304  does not detect an error at step (S 26 ), at step (S 28 ) it issues a command to commence a printing operation and, when the printing operation has been completed, at step (S 29 ) issues a print end command.  
         [0027]     At step (S 30 ) in  FIG. 5-6  unit  304  checks if any Request Flags have been set. If such a Flag has been set, unit  304  reads status information from memory  312  and at step (S 31 ) transmits the status information to service center  102 . Unit  304  at step (S 32 ) resets the transmitted Request Flag, and at step (S 33 ) sets a Transmitted Flag of the status that has been transmitted. The “Return” step in  FIGS. 5   a  and  5   b  means return to the “start” step.  
         [0028]      FIG. 6  illustrates an operation of service center system  136  related to receiving status information regarding image forming equipment at user side  100  and transmitting retailer/dealer information to the image forming equipment. Referring to  FIG. 6 , analyzer  408  of  FIG. 4  checks at step (S 1 ) if it has received status information from an image forming device such as a copier  110 . If service center system  136  has received such status information, analyzer  408  checks what kind of status has been received. If analyzer  408  receives toner status, as determined at step (S 2 ), it interrogates database  406  to find the retailers or dealers who have toner bottles or toner cartridges that can be used for the image forming apparatus based on the copier&#39;s identity, e.g., model information that has been transmitted (S 3 ). If analyzer  408  does not find the appropriate retailers or dealers based on the model information, an error signal is stored in memory  410  (S 5 ). If analyzer  408  finds one or more appropriate retailers or dealers based on the model information (S 4 ), at step (S 6 ) it interrogates database  406  to find retailers or dealers who can service the user&#39;s address among the retailers or dealers selected per step (S 4 ). If at step (S 7 ) analyzer  408  finds appropriate retailers or dealers, it stores information regarding the selected retailers or dealers in memory  410 . If analyzer  408  at step (S 7 ) does not find retailers or dealers who can service a user&#39;s address, it stores information on all retailers or dealers that can service the user&#39;s image forming apparatus model in memory  410  (S 9 ).  
         [0029]     If the transmitted status is not toner information (S 2 ) or after storing the retailers/dealers information (S 8  &amp; S 9 ), analyzer  408  checks if it has received paper end status (S 10 ). If analyzer  408  has received paper end status (S 10 ), it interrogates database  406  to find retailers or dealers who can service the user&#39;s address (S 11 ). If analyzer  408  finds retailers or dealers who can satisfy the territory condition (S 12 ), information regarding the found retailers or dealers is stored in memory  410  (S 13 ). If analyzer  408  does not find retailers or dealers who can satisfy the territory condition (S 12 ), the information identifying all retailers or dealers stored in database  406  is stored in memory  410  (S 14 ).  
         [0030]     If the transmitted status is not paper end information (S 10 ) or after storing the retailers/dealers information (S 13  &amp; S 14 ), analyzer  408  checks if it has received full tank status (S 15 ). If analyzer  408  has received a full tank status (S 15 ), it interrogates database  406  to find retailers or dealers who have supplies of used toner tanks or toner cartridges that can be used for the user&#39;s image forming apparatus model (S 16 ). If analyzer  408  does not find retailers or dealers who satisfy the model condition (S 17 ), it stores an error signal in memory  410  (S 18 ). If analyzer  408  finds retailers or dealers who satisfy the model condition (S 17 ), analyzer  408  interrogates database  406  to find retailers or dealers who can service the user&#39;s address among the retailers or dealers that satisfy the model condition (S 19 ). If analyzer  408  finds retailers or dealers who satisfy the territory condition (S 19 ), the information on the found retailers or dealers who satisfy the model and territory conditions is stored in memory  410  (S 20 ). If analyzer  408  does not find retailers or dealers who satisfy the territory condition (S 19 ), the information on the retailers or dealers who satisfy the model condition is stored in memory  410  (S 21 ).  
         [0031]     Analyzer  408  checks if the retailer/dealer information is stored in memory  410  (S 22 ). If the retailer/dealer information is stored in memory  410  (S 22 ), the retailer/dealer information is transmitted to the user&#39;s e-mail address that is involved in the transmitted status information (S 23 ), or is transmitted to the user in some other way. The user information that can identify the user is stored in database  406  (S 24 ).  
         [0032]     According to the present embodiment, a user who receives the retailer/dealer information in this manner can conveniently identify a retailer or dealer who can provide the requisite supplies and can make an informed choice based on current needs and constraints. Referring to  FIG. 7 , when a user opens such e-mail, an ordering display is indicated on the user&#39;s personal computer. The user can input the quantity desired and can select a desired retailer/dealer by clicking the SELECT button. When the user clicks this button, selected retailer/dealer information is displayed. The user can order or cancel the selection by clicking the ORDER button or CANCEL button. If the user clicks the ORDER button, an ORDER number and the selected retailer/dealer information are displayed. The purchase order is transmitted to the selected retailer/dealer automatically and the supplies are delivered to the user.  
         [0033]     It is also possible to transmit a response that includes a selected retailer/dealer name, date when the user opens e-mail, and other information to the service center automatically.  FIG. 8  shows an operation at the service center system  136 . Referring to  FIG. 8 , if analyzer  408  receives the retailer/dealer information from a user (S 1 ), the retailer/dealer information that is transmitted from the user and date when the system  102  receives the information are stored in the database  406  (S 2  &amp; S 3 ).  
         [0034]     While the specific example described in detail above is an illustrative embodiment, many variations and additions are contemplated within the scope of this patent specification. For example, status conditions other than, or in addition to, those illustrated above can be monitored and transmitted from the user side to the service station. They can be analyzed at the service station in a way different from, or in addition to, those disclosed above. The suppliers (dealers/retailers) can supply to the service center information different than or in addition to that disclosed above, to enable the service center to select appropriate potential suppliers. The communications between the user side, the service center and the dealers/retailers can be over different channels and in different formats. Use can be made of home page  148  and its database  150  of  FIG. 1  for some or all of the information flow and analysis of the types discussed above.