Patent ID: 7624045

Claim:
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.