# US 2008/0189191 A1 · Method and apparatus for automated on-line printing service

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- Number: US 2008/0189191 A1
- Document ID: US20080189191A1
- Status: Published application
- Kind: A1
- Application number: 12/023,593
- Filed: 2008-01-31
- Published: 2008-08-07
- Earliest claimed: 2000-07-21
- Assignees: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
- Inventors: Alex ROCHE
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20080189191A1

## CPC

- G07F 17/26: for printing, stamping, franking, typing or teleprinting apparatus (ticket printing or the like apparatus G07F17/42)
- G06Q 30/06: Buying, selling or leasing transactions
- G06Q 30/0601: Electronic shopping [e-shopping]
- G06Q 30/0611: {Request for offers or quotes}
- G06Q 30/0613: {using intermediate agents}
- G06Q 30/0623: {by investigating goods or services}
- G06Q 30/0635: {replenishment orders; recurring orders}
- G06Q 30/0643: {graphically representing goods, e.g. 3D product representation}
- G07F: COIN-FREED OR LIKE APPARATUS (coin sorting G07D3/00; coin testing G07D5/00; {handling coins or paper currencies apart from payment activated apparatus G07D; payment architectures, schemes or protocols G06Q20/00})
- G06Q: INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY [ICT] SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE, COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL OR SUPERVISORY PURPOSES; SYSTEMS OR METHODS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE, COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL OR SUPERVISORY PURPOSES, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR

## Abstract

A method is provided for operating an on-line retailing operation for retailing of at least one print product to a customer. The print product is supplied by a print merchant operation that displays plural image items for remote viewing by a customer. The print merchant operation transacts a first type of order with the customer for supply of at least one print product, and transacts a second type order with the print merchant for fulfillment of the first type order.

## Claims

### Claim at position 1

1-31. (canceled)

### Claim 32

A method for automatic operation of an on-line print merchant for:
(i) allowing a plurality of content retailers to offer a plurality of print products from a plurality of content providers to retail customers and make a plurality of print product orders;
(ii) offering a direct service to business customers for generating and ordering print products out of their own content;
(iii) fulfilling print orders from content retailers according to item (i) above and from business customers according to item (ii) above via a plurality of print service providers each using print manager software, a plurality of printers and a plurality of couriers to deliver print products to retail and/or business customers;
said method comprising the steps of:
supporting a transaction of an order of a first type between a retail customer and one of said plurality content retailers for supply of at least one print product marketed by the print merchant to the retail customer;
transacting an on-line order of a second type between said one of said plurality of content retailers and said print merchant for fulfillment of said first type order by said print merchant or transacting an on-line order of a second type between said business customers and said print merchant for fulfillment of business customer orders by said print merchant; and
transacting an order of a third type between said print merchant and a selected one of a plurality print service providers for printing and shipping said at one print product to either said retail or business customer on the basis of the print product ordered by the retail or business customer pursuant to said second type order.

### Claim 33 (depends on 32)

The method as claimed in claim 32, wherein said step of supporting a transaction of an order of the first type comprises:
receiving a specification of said print products from said retail customer, said specification comprising data selected from the set including: media size; media type; number of copies; delivery name; delivery address; ink type.

### Claim 34 (depends on 33)

The method as claimed in claim 33, wherein said step of supporting at transaction of an order of the first type comprises receiving a specification of said print products from a customer terminal, in the form of an electronically transmitted data file.

### Claim 35 (depends on 32)

The method as claimed in claim 32, wherein said step of transacting an order of a second type comprises the steps: sending an order to said print merchant, specifying details of said print products; and receiving confirmation of said order from said print merchant.

### Claim 36 (depends on 35)

The method as claimed in claim 35, wherein said step of sending an order to a said print merchant comprises sending said order in the form of an electronically transmitted data file.

### Claim 37 (depends on 32)

The method as claimed in claim 32, further comprising the step of: receiving a price data from said print merchant.

### Claim 38 (depends on 32)

The method as claimed in claim 32, further comprising the step of: obtaining an electronic image data describing a said image item; said electronic image data obtained via a communications network; and electronically sending said electronic image data to said print merchant.

### Claim 39 (depends on 32)

The method as claimed in claim 32, further comprising the step of: storing an electronic contract data describing a contract between a content retailer operation and a print merchant operation.

### Claim 40 (depends on 39)

The method as claimed in claim 39 wherein said contract defines a relationship between said content retailer operation and said print merchant operation in respect of at least one of the following parameters; a definition of a print product; a special discount available to a content retailer operation; a plurality of prices for said print products.

### Claim 41 (depends on 39)

The method as claimed in claim 39 further comprising the step of calculating a price data according to said stored electronic contract.

### Claim 42 (depends on 32)

The method as claimed in claim 32, wherein said step of transacting an order of a second type with a said print merchant, comprises:
itemizing separately, for each of said plurality of print service providers:
a delivery price for delivery from said print service provider to a delivery address; and
a print price, for printing at least one print product, defined in said second order type.

### Claim 43 (depends on 32)

The method as claimed in claim 32, wherein said step of supporting a transaction of an order of the first type with said retail customer comprises: for each of a plurality of print products: displaying, at a computer terminal, a print product price and a separately itemized delivery cost for delivery of said print product.

### Claim 44 (depends on 32)

The method as claimed in claim 32, wherein print service provider operations comprise:
receiving an electronic order for at least one of said plurality of print products;
receiving electronically an image content data corresponding to said at least one of said plurality of print products;
transferring electronically said image content data to a printer device, and
printing an image content onto a print media to produce said print product in fulfillment of said order.

### Claim 45 (depends on 44)

The method as claimed in claim 44, wherein said print service provider operations further comprise the step of:
acknowledging receipt of said order by generation of an on-line message.

### Claim 46 (depends on 44)

The method as claimed in claim 44, wherein said print service provider operations further comprise the steps of:
generating a tracking message describing a status of production of said order within said print service provider; and
making said tracking message available on-line.

### Claim 47 (depends on 44)

The method as claimed in claim 44, wherein said print service provider operations further comprise the steps of:
arranging shipping of said print products to a delivery address specified in said order, by sending an electronic shipping message to a courier operation.

### Claim 48 (depends on 32)

The method as claimed in claim 32, wherein a print merchant operation occurs for matching a plurality of orders of the second type for print products, with a plurality of print service provider operations capable of fulfilling said order, said print merchant operation comprises the steps of:
receiving a request for an order identification; issuing an order identification in response to said request;
receiving a said order of a second type for supply of print products; acknowledging said order;
selecting a print service provider operation from said plurality of print service provider operations; and
placing an order of the third type with at least one said selected print service providers, for ordering supply of said print products.

### Claim 49 (depends on 48)

The method as claimed in claim 48 further comprising the steps of:
issuing a request to a remote computer entity, for download of image data content from said remote computer entity; and

### Claim 50

A method of operating a print service provider facility comprising:
receiving an electronic order for a plurality of print products;
receiving electronically an image content data; and transferring electronically said image content to a printer device, and
printing an image content onto a print media to produce said print product in fulfillment of said order.

### Claim 51 (depends on 50)

The method as claimed in claim 50, further comprising the step of:
acknowledging receipt of said order by generation of an on-line message.

### Claim 52 (depends on 50)

The method as claimed in claim 50, further comprising the steps of:
generating a tracking message describing a status of production of said order within said print service provider; and
making said tracking message available on-line.

### Claim 53 (depends on 50)

The method as claimed in claim 50, further comprising the steps of:
arranging shipping of said print products to a delivery address specified in said order, by sending an electronic shipping message to a courier operation.

### Claim 54

A method of operating a print merchant operation for matching a plurality of orders of a second type for print products, with a plurality of print service provider operations capable of fulfilling said order, said method comprising the steps of:
receiving a request for an order identification;
issuing an order identification in response to said request;
receiving an order of said second type for supply of print products;
acknowledging said order;
selecting a print service provider operation from said plurality of print service provider operations;
placing an order of a third type with at least one said selected print service provider, for ordering supply of said print products.

### Claim 55 (depends on 54)

The method as claimed in claim 54 further comprising the steps of:
receiving a request for a quotation for fulfilling said second type order;
generating a quotation for fulfilling said second type order;
sending said quotation for fulfilling said second type order to a content retailer remote computer entity.

### Claim 56 (depends on 54)

The method as claimed in claim 54 further comprising the steps of:
receiving a tracking message from said selected print service provider, containing data describing a status of printed products subject of said send type order; and
making said tracking message available to a computer entity originating said second type order.

### Claim 57 (depends on 54)

The method as claimed in claim 54 further comprising the steps of:
issuing a request to a remote computer entity, for download of image data content from said remote computer entity; and
receiving said image data content in response to said request.

### Claim 58 (depends on 54)

The method as claimed in claim 54 wherein in response to said event of receiving a said order of a second type, carrying out the steps of:
checking a time stamp of an identification code of said order against a predetermined timeout period;
if said time stamp is expired, rejecting said order;
if said time stamp is expired, notifying a sender of said order that said time stamp is invalid.

### Claim 59 (depends on 54)

The method as claimed in claim 54 further comprising the step of:
determining a quote to a content retailer operation in accordance with said stored electronic contract between said content retailer operation and said print merchant operation.

### Claim 60 (depends on 54)

The method as claimed in claim 54, wherein said step of selecting a print service provider operation from said plurality of print service provider operations is carried out by selecting a said print service provider operation on the basis of stored electronic contract data between said print merchant operation and said print service provider operation.

### Claim 61 (depends on 54)

The method as claimed in claim 54, wherein said step of selecting a print service provider operation from said plurality of print service provider operations comprises:
selecting a said print service provider on the basis of a final price, where the final price is itemized as a print price and a delivery price.

### Claim 62

At least one computer entity configured for:
receiving electronically, a plurality of orders of a second type, for supply of at least one print product; selecting a print service provider operation from a plurality of print service provider operations; and
placing at least one order of a third type with at least one selected said print service provider for ordering supply of said at least one print product.