# US 8,788,373 B2 · Call center integrated printing device consumable cabinet device service

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- Number: US 8,788,373 B2
- Document ID: US8788373B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 12/891,894
- Filed: 2010-09-28
- Published: 2012-03-29
- Granted: 2014-07-22
- Earliest claimed: 2010-09-28
- Assignees: Xerox Corporation
- Applicants: Jeremy Lee Reitz; Carl Robertson; Neeraj Wadhera
- Inventors: Jeremy Lee Reitz; Carl Robertson; Neeraj Wadhera
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US8788373B2

## CPC

- G06Q 10/087: Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders
- G03G 15/5079: {for maintenance}
- G06Q 10/0877: {by inventory control or reporting using inventory tracking or counting}
- G03G 15/553: {Monitoring or warning means for exhaustion or lifetime end of consumables, e.g. indication of insufficient copy sheet quantity for a job}
- G06Q 10/08726: {for replenishment processing, procedures, or recommendations using forecasting or optimisation}
- 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
- G03G: ELECTROGRAPHY; ELECTROPHOTOGRAPHY; MAGNETOGRAPHY

## Abstract

A system and method for tracking, controlling, and replenishing consumption of at least one consumable item in a printing system are disclosed. The system includes a first network and a printing device coupled to the first network. A cabinet device coupled to the first network stores and controllably dispenses the at least one consumable item.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A system for tracking, controlling, and replenishing consumption of at least one consumable item in a printing system comprising:
a first network;
a printing device coupled to the first network and consuming the at least one consumable item;
a cabinet device coupled to the first network that stores and controllably dispenses the at least one consumable item;
a management device coupled to the first network that receives a request to replenish a supply order for the at least one consumable item;
a second network, the second network in communication with the first network; and
a services device coupled to the second network, the services device being adapted to define an inventory of the cabinet device by creating a supply cabinet model being similarly configured to the cabinet device, the cabinet device model being adapted to virtually store at least one consumable item, the services device being further adapted to:
in response to receiving an alert of the request from the management device, determine whether the request is valid using the supply cabinet model for asset association to the cabinet device, and,
in response to determining a valid request, initiate a replenishment of the consumable item to the printing device from the cabinet device by adjusting a balance in the supply cabinet model and sending a message to a user indicating a location of the cabinet device dispensing the consumable item.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, wherein the cabinet device is a vending machine.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The system of claim 2, wherein the management device receives the request to replenish the supply order for at least one consumable item from the at least one printing system, the vending machine, or a combination thereof.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, further comprising a plurality of printing devices.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, wherein the management device receives a request to replenish a supply order for a plurality of consumable items.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, wherein the management device comprises a managing component in the form of software instructions stored in memory and which are executed by a processor of the management device.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, wherein the services device comprises a servicing component in the form of software instructions stored in memory and which are executed by a processor of the services device.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, wherein the services device defines a minimum and maximum quantity of the consumable item for the asset model.

### Claim 9 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, wherein the first network and the second network is selected from the group consisting of a local area network (LAN), a wide area network (WAN), a fax over internet protocol (FoIP) network, a PSTN, a WiFi network, and a combination thereof.

### Claim 10 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, wherein the consumable item is selected from the group consisting of paper, toner, a fuser module, a fuser web, staples, other consumables, and combinations thereof.

### Claim 11 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, wherein the consumable item is toner.

### Claim 12

A method for tracking, controlling, and replenishing consumption of at least one consumable item in a printing system comprising:
providing a printing device coupled to a first network, the printing device consuming the at least one consumable item;
providing a cabinet device coupled to the first network for storing and controllably dispensing the consumable item;
providing a management device coupled to the first network for receiving a request to replenish the at least one consumable item, and sending an alert of the request; and
providing a services device coupled to a second network wherein the second network is in communication with the first network,
defining by the services device an inventory of the cabinet device by creating a supply cabinet model being similarly configured to the cabinet device and virtually storing at least one consumable item in the supply cabinet model;
receiving at the services device the alert of the request;
determining at the services device whether a supply order of the consumable item is available in the cabinet device; and,
in response to determining that the supply order is available, adjusting a balance in the supply cabinet model and sending a message to a user indicating a location of the cabinet device dispensing the consumable item.

### Claim 13 (depends on 12)

The method of claim 12, wherein the cabinet device is a vending machine.

### Claim 14 (depends on 13)

The method of claim 13, wherein the management device receives the request to replenish at least one consumable item from at least one printing system, the vending machine, or a combination thereof.

### Claim 15 (depends on 12)

The method of claim 12, further comprising a plurality of printing devices.

### Claim 16 (depends on 12)

The method of claim 12, wherein the management device receives a request to replenish a supply order for a plurality of consumable items.

### Claim 17 (depends on 12)

The method of claim 12, wherein the services device defines a minimum and maximum quantity of the consumable item for the asset model.

### Claim 18

A system for tracking, controlling, and replenishing consumption of at least one consumable item in a printing system comprising:
a first network;
a plurality of printing devices coupled to the first network, each printing device consuming the at least one consumable item;
a vending machine coupled to the first network that stores and controllably dispenses the at least one consumable item;
a management device coupled to the first network that receives a request to replenish the at least one consumable item at a printing device;
a second network, the second network in communication with the first network; and
a services device coupled to the second network, the services device being adapted to define an inventory of the cabinet device by creating a supply cabinet model being similarly configured to the cabinet device, the cabinet device model being adapted to virtually store at least one consumable item, the services device being further adapted to:
in response to receiving an alert of the request from the management device, initiate a replenishment of the consumable item to the printing device from the vending machine by adjusting a balance in the supply cabinet model and sending a message to a user indicating a location of the cabinet device dispensing the consumable item.

### Claim 19 (depends on 18)

The system of claim 18, wherein the vending machine further comprises an authentication component configured to:
acquire the authentication code sent from the services device;
determine whether the acquired authentication code is accepted; and
in response to determining that the authentication code is accepted, withdraw at least one consumable item from the vending machine for the printing device.

### Claim 20 (depends on 18)

The system of claim 18, wherein the services device comprises a generating component in the form of software instructions stored in memory and which are executed by a processor of the services device.

### Claim 21 (depends on 18)

The system of claim 18, wherein the vending machine comprises an authenticating component in the form of software instructions stored in memory and which are executed by a processor of the services device.