Method and arrangement for automatically ordering supplies which are consumed during usage of a device
AssigneeFrancotyp-Postalia GmbH
InventorGeorge G. Gelfer
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
In a method for automatic ordering of supply items for a device which are consumed during usage of the device and an arrangement for the implementation of the method, a predetermined consumption quantity for a supply item is monitored and is evaluated relative to threshold of the consumption quantity which occurs earlier than complete depletion of the supply item, a communication connection between the device and a remote data center is established and automatic generation and communication of an ordering message takes place, the ordering message including an identification code, identification of the ordering entity is made on the basis of the identification code, and the order of the supply item belonging to the device is determined and filled.
Claims39
A method for automatically ordering a supply item which is consumed during operation of a device, comprising the steps of:
- electronically monitoring, in a device, a consumption quantity associated with consumption of a supply item during operation of said device and repeatedly electronically comparing said consumption quantity to a threshold representing consumption of said supply item before complete depletion of said supply item;
- upon said consumption quantity reaching said threshold, automatically electronically generating an ordering message at said device representing an order for a requested supply item, and including an identification code in said ordering message, and only thereafter establishing a communication between said device and a data center and communicating said ordering message from said device to said data center;
- at said data center, electronically identifying, based on said identification code, an entity which has placed said ordering message;
- at said data center, electronically compiling a data bank containing respective identification codes for a plurality of different ordering entities, each ordering entity having at least one permissible supply item associated therewith;
- upon receipt of said ordering message at said data center, electronically conducting an ordering routine at said data center including searching said data bank to find the ordering entity associated with the identification code in the ordering message and filling said order only if said requested supply item conforms to said at least one permissible supply item, and otherwise not filling said order;
- and
- generating a confirmation message at said data center when said order is filled, and transmitting said confirmation message from said data center to said device.
An arrangement for ordering a supply item for a device, comprising:
- a device which, during operation, consumes at least one supply item;
- a monitor in said device for monitoring consumption of said supply item in said device and for generating a consumption quantity representing a degree of consumption of said supply item;
- a control unit supplied with said consumption quantity which recognizes, dependent on said consumption quantity, a need to order said supply item before said supply item is completely consumed, and which generates an ordering message representing an order for said supply item and establishes a communication to a remote data center for transmitting said ordering message to order said supply item from said data center;
- said control unit being adapted to receive a message from said remote data center indicating at said emote data center a check of authenticity of said ordering message has determined that said ordering message is not authentic and said control unit modifying operation of said device upon receipt of said message from said remote data center.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.