Electrical computers and digital processing systems: multicomput – Remote data accessing
Reexamination Certificate
1999-09-16
2003-09-30
Coulter, Kenneth R. (Department: 2142)
Electrical computers and digital processing systems: multicomput
Remote data accessing
C709S220000, C709S224000, C710S008000, C399S008000, C399S010000, C399S024000, C399S027000, C399S049000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06629134
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to web based user support for a computer peripheral. In particular, the invention relates to a computer program that responses to a particularized sensed condition in a peripheral by accessing a corresponding particularized URL (universal resource locator) address.
2. Description of Related Art
Personal computers and their peripherals are now affordable to small offices and home offices (SOHO) resulting in a large number of computers and computer peripherals installed at diverse locations. The operators of these SOHO computers, in general are less experienced in the repair and maintenance of computers and peripherals than they are in the practice their particular trade or business (e.g., carpet installer, accountant, etc.). Therefore, many manufacturers of computers and peripherals provide toll free “hot line” telephone numbers (e.g., 800 numbers) so a SOHO computer operator can call for help. This is an economic burden on the manufacturer.
Manufacturers typically maintain a database of information to support the repair and maintenance of their products. A SOHO computer operator, or even a professional computer technician, can call a help line to speak to an operator that accesses the database to answer particularized questions (e.g., “how do I change an ink cartridge?”). Manufacturers have prepared user friendly computer interfaces so their help line operators can easily access the requested information (e.g., by product type, detected error condition, etc.).
Some manufactures have built their database in an HTML format (hypertext markup language format) that may be accessed over the Internet by a browser in a computer. HTML is a format that is widely used to present information at Internet web sites. However, finding the correct HTML formatted page still requires a skilled operator. Some web sites are designed with better navigation aids (i.e., linking “buttons”) than other sites. However, a minimum familiarity with web pages and links is still required.
Known computer peripherals (e.g., a combination fax, copier, printer and scanner workstation) provide some user assistance as part of the peripheral itself. At a minimum, the peripheral will have some lights (e.g., light emitting diodes known as LEDs or equivalent) that indicates one or more error conditions). More common is a small LCD (liquid crystal display) that indicates a wider variety of error conditions. Typically, a user reads an error code from the LCD, looks up the error code in a peripheral user's manual, and then calls the manufacturer's toll free help line for an explanation of the code or instructions on what to do to fix the problem.
FIG. 1
depicts a typical known peripheral
10
connected to a known computer
30
over a bus
32
. Peripheral
10
includes sensors
12
to detect conditions (e.g., paper tray empty). Sensors
12
and machine state flags
14
(e.g., warm up or not ready) describe the state of the machine. Firmware
16
reads the state of the machine and forms an error code number. Code handler
22
of user interface
20
receives the error code and causes it to be displayed on status monitor
24
of user interface
20
.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is an object to the present invention to provide enhanced user support information. It is a further object of the present invention to automatically access the enhanced user support information using a server address defined by a peripheral indicia and by a peripheral condition.
These and other objects are achieved in a method that provides support to a user of a computer peripheral that includes sensing a peripheral indicia and a peripheral condition at a computer and registering the peripheral and downloading from a server additional information about the peripheral based on the peripheral indicia and the peripheral condition. The peripheral indicia includes any of a model number, a part number, a serial number, a date of manufacturer and a configuration indicia and the peripheral condition includes either an error code or a code indicative of a consumable reaching a predetermined threshold or both. Registering the peripheral is performed by launching a communications browser to connect to the server. This method accesses the server at an address defined by the peripheral condition, and the server provides the browser with additional information about the peripheral condition.
REFERENCES:
patent: 4496237 (1985-01-01), Schron
patent: 4961088 (1990-10-01), Gilliland et al.
patent: 5016171 (1991-05-01), Connolly et al.
patent: 5281999 (1994-01-01), Edmunds
patent: 5283613 (1994-02-01), Midgley, Sr.
patent: 5305199 (1994-04-01), Frick
patent: 5572292 (1996-11-01), Chatani et al.
patent: 5636032 (1997-06-01), Springett
patent: 5794094 (1998-08-01), Boockholdt et al.
patent: 5799157 (1998-08-01), Escallon
patent: 5802420 (1998-09-01), Garr et al.
patent: 5809375 (1998-09-01), Owens, Jr. et al.
patent: 5828864 (1998-10-01), Danknick et al.
patent: 5835817 (1998-11-01), Bullock et al.
patent: 5896497 (1999-04-01), Halstead
patent: 5901286 (1999-05-01), Danknick et al.
patent: 5968138 (1999-10-01), Clough
patent: 5983369 (1999-11-01), Bakoglu et al.
patent: 5999761 (1999-12-01), Binder et al.
patent: 6000773 (1999-12-01), Murray et al.
patent: 6003078 (1999-12-01), Kodimer et al.
patent: 6005579 (1999-12-01), Sugiyama et al.
patent: 6016409 (2000-01-01), Beard et al.
patent: 6018719 (2000-01-01), Rogers et al.
patent: 6023593 (2000-02-01), Tomidokoro
patent: 6045206 (2000-04-01), Igval
patent: 6065824 (2000-05-01), Bullock et al.
patent: 6106088 (2000-08-01), Wafler
patent: 6141507 (2000-10-01), Sawada
patent: 6151707 (2000-11-01), Hecksel et al.
patent: 6158837 (2000-12-01), Hilton et al.
patent: 6170007 (2001-01-01), Venkatraman et al.
patent: 6233408 (2001-05-01), Allen
patent: 6233409 (2001-05-01), Haines et al.
patent: 6264301 (2001-07-01), Helterline et al.
patent: 6271928 (2001-08-01), Bullock et al.
patent: 6289371 (2001-09-01), Kumpf et al.
patent: 6293144 (2001-09-01), Froger et al.
patent: 6295423 (2001-09-01), Haines et al.
patent: 6302527 (2001-10-01), Walker
patent: 6312106 (2001-11-01), Walker
patent: 6321258 (2001-11-01), Stollfus et al.
patent: 6333790 (2001-12-01), Kageyama
patent: 0 838 768 (1998-04-01), None
patent: 0 843 229 (1998-05-01), None
patent: WO 99/06910 (1999-02-01), None
patent: WO 99/17210 (1999-04-01), None
IBM Technical Disclosure Bulletin—“Disk Drive with Embedded Hyper-Text Markup Language Server”; vol. 38, No. 12, Dec. 1995.
Search report dated May 6, 2002 for Application 00307970.4-1238 (4 pages).
IDOC's Linking the Worlds of Print and Electronic Media, Sep. 11, 1998.
Hayward Ken
Krolczyk Marc J.
Marchionda Dawn M.
Coulter Kenneth R.
Nguyen Hai
Ryan Andrew D.
Xerox Corporation
LandOfFree
Context sensitive web-based user support does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.
If you have personal experience with Context sensitive web-based user support, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Context sensitive web-based user support will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-3072832