US 7,321,867 B1 | ||
System and method for transmitting information regarding supplies and suppliers for image forming equipment | ||
Yuki Uchida, Wayne, N.J. (US); Toshihiro Kudara, River Edge, N.J. (US); and Hisashi Ishijima, Fort Lee, N.J. (US) | ||
Assigned to Ricoh Company, Ltd., Tokyo (Japan); and Ricoh Corporation, West Caldwell, N.J. (US) | ||
Filed on Nov. 09, 2000, as Appl. No. 9/710,329. | ||
Int. Cl. G06Q 30/00 (2006.01) |
U.S. Cl. 705—26 | 19 Claims |
1. A method for providing users with potential supplier information for obtaining supplies for image forming equipment, to
facilitate an informed choice for ordering supplies, said method comprising:
(a) storing in a computer database supplier information regarding potential suppliers, the supplier information for each potential
supplier including information indicative of supplies available from the supplier, and for each of said available supplies,
suitable equipment information indicative of specific image forming equipment that can use the available supply;
(b) receiving at a service center computer transmitted status information of user-side image forming equipment, said status
information including information identifying the user-side image forming equipment and information indicative of status of
selected supplies for the user-side image forming equipment;
(c) automatically analyzing, without request by a user, through the service center computer, when the status information regarding
the user-side image forming equipment is received at the service center computer, (i) the status information regarding the
user-side image forming equipment and the selected supplies for the user-side image forming equipment and (ii) the supplier
information including available supplies information and suitable equipment information retrieved from the database, to identify
one or more appropriate ones of the potential suppliers, the service center computer utilizing the available supplies information
and suitable equipment information to determine that a supplier is appropriate if the supplies needed by the user-side image
forming equipment are available from the appropriate supplier; and
(d) transmitting to the user side, contact information of the appropriate suppliers and information regarding price for specific
supplies available from the appropriate suppliers, said contact information and price information being retrieved from said
computer database.
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