Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR RECOMMENDING A TRANSACTION TO REPLACE
A DEVICE BASED UPON TOTAL COST OF OWNERSHIP
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[001] The present invention is directed to a system and method for
recommending a
transaction to replace a device based upon a total cost of ownership analysis.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[002] Electronic devices are continually getting "smarter" as greater
processing power
becomes available in smaller and smaller packages. With many types of
electronic devices now
ubiquitously part of personal and professional life, these devices occupy a
unique position in our lives.
They provide an easy-to-use, powerful tool that can be used to improve, and
even to introduce
paradigm shifts to how certain things are done. Listening to music is one
simple example. This
example alone presents endless opportunity for applications on a smartphone or
other user electronic
devices.
[003] It seems, however, that most of the productivity improvements
introduced through
devices like personal devices like the smartphone are personal, rather than
professional. It's easier to
find things like restaurants, stores, etc. using navigation features of a
smartphone. It's easier to keep
in touch through phone calls, text messaging, social network accounts like
Twitter and Facebook, and
email. It's easier to take and share pictures. And myriad other applications
that attempt to improve
personal life. Professional life has not been overlooked, but it seems that
the improvements here are
more limited in type, scope and impact. For example, it's also easier to keep
in touch professionally
through phone calls, text messaging and email. It's easier to maintain
professional contacts and to gain
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access to those contacts anytime, anywhere. It seems, however, that the
professional improvements
brought about through the portability and availabitlity of computer processing
power have not
presented a significant shift in how business is done. Professional
improvements seem to fall into the
category of improved efficnency, but certainly nothing considered to be at the
level of a paradigm shift.
There remain many opportunities for such improvements to professional life
that are possible with
more intelligent personal electronic devices like the smartphone.
[004] Electronic devices tend to be designed and configured for a paticular
purpose or
function. While electronic devices may be multi-function devices, e.g., a
multi-function printer, a
smart phone that can make phone calls, takes pictures and play music, the
function(s) are typically pre-
programmed, and a user of the device is limited to these pre-programmed
functions. However, because
an electronic device is preprogrammed for a particular function or functions
does not mean those are
the only functions the device is capable of performing. To the contrary, many
electronic devices are
capable of performing functions for which they are not programmed.
Unfortunately, a user is limited
to the preprogrammed and available functions of an electronic device unless
the user pays to upgrade
the device to enhance and/or expand its functionality. It is currently not
possible for a user, in real-
time, to use a personal electronic device like a smartphone to access and
control a target electronic
device in a way that changes the function or functionality of the target
device.
[005] Consider a multi-function printer ("MFP"), as one example. Although
this device is
configured to perform certain functions, e.g., print, scan, copy, email, it is
also able to perform
functions beyond these. For example, a typical MFP is capable of scanning a
document and sending
it via email by accessing an address book stored in the MFP provided that the
user is in front of the
MFP and directly controlling it. Thus it is possible for an MFP to email
documents using its own
address book and only using document it scans. These functions of the MFP, as
examples, are available
but limited by the preprogrammed configuration of the MFP.
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[006] In addition, an MFP has on-board intelligence beyond what is
necessary to control the
core functions of the printer. MFPs have networking functionality, enbabling
direct or wireless
connection to a newtork, and authorization functionality to prevent
unauthorized use of or access to
the MFP, as two examples.
[007] In addition to the above-noted shortcomings of the prior art, it is
also currently not
possible for one other than the MFP manufacturer or authorized service
personnel to access significant
types and amounts of data captured by an MFP, and use that data to
intelligently manage the use and
operation of the MFP. It is also currently not possible to create automatic
service events for an MFP
based upon usage data and most anticipated or most common service
requirements. It is also currently
not possible to remotely contruct and control custom operations for an MFP
such as, by way of non-
limiting example, a custom print job that involves a sequence of discrete
steps carried out by the MFP
with or without user interaction.
[008] We now consider a particular problem of note. Specifying a
replacement device using
prior art methods, systems, etc. is typically based on criteria provided by
the entity replacing the device
(e.g., IT professional, sales professional, small business owner, consumer,
etc.). It is rudimentary, at
best, and only considers device specifications and genrealized or assumed
usage requirements.
Consequently, any cost of ownership calculation for a proposed replacement
device will be based upon
generalities and assumptions ¨ not actual usage data. Whether a replacement
device is well-suited for
the user's actual usage requirements can only be deterrneined after-the-fact.
It's not uncommon for
devices to be over and/or under-specified because actual usage data is not
considered duing the
purchase, installation or replacement processes. In addition to resulting in
device purchases that may
not be well-suited for their actual uses, it is currently not possible to
calculate an accurate total cost of
ownership, as actual device usage data is not factored into that calculation.
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[009] A further shortoming of the prior art relates to the sales cycle
for devices. This process
is reactive on the part of the buyer, seller or both. For leased devices, the
sales process (i.e., the
replacement process) begins as the end of the lease term approaches. Either
the buyer (i.e., the device
owner/lessee) or seller reach out to the other to begin discussing replacement
devices. This dicussion
typically involves the needs/desires of the buyer as compared with the product
offerings of the seller.
Cost may be a factor in the discussion, but that is typically cost to
lease/buy, which is not a total cost
of ownership. While the cost of service via a service contract can be included
in the cost, this too fails
to accurately reflect a true total cost of ownership because it fails to
consider usage requirements based
upon actual usage data. Service cost calculations for a replacement device are
thus generalized and
innaccurate.
[0010] In addition, the prior art lacks a system and/or method for
brokering a transaction
between a current device owner/lessee and a potential buyer for that device
that matches the current
device with the potential buyer based upon device specifications and a total
cost of ownership of the
device that factors in actual usage data of the device and matches that actual
usage data to data provided
by the potential buyer about the buyer's usage requirements.
[0011] What is lacking in the prior art is a system and/or method that
addresses and/or
overcomes the above-described shortcomings of the prior art.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0012] The present invention is directed to solving the technical problem
of replacing a target
device with a replacement device based upon actual device usage data. In
accordance with
embodiments of the present invention, actual device usage data for the target
device is collected, stored,
analyzed and used to calculate a total cost of ownership ("TCO") for that
device. Based, at least in
part, on the TCO for the target device, the present invention is directed to
provide a recommendation
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to replace the target device with a replacement device that has a lower TCO
than the target device, or
preferably a TCO difference compared to the TCO of the target device that is
within a predefined
range. In either case, the TCO is calculated using actual usage data collected
from a currently installed
device. The present invention is further directed to a method and system for
brokering a transaction
between a seller/lessee of a target device and a potential buyer for a
replacement device having
specifications, including a TCO specification, that are the same as or similar
to those of the target
device. The method and system can thus match a buyer with a seller based upon
the buyer's usage
data - which is incorporated into the buyer's TCO specification ¨ and the
specifications of the device
being sold. It should be noted that although the examples described herein is
a buy/sell transaction, it
should be clear to a person skilled in the art from the disclosure provided
herein that the methods and
system are not limited in applicability to such a transaction, and other types
of transactions (e.g., lease)
are contemplated by and within the scope and spirit of the present invention.
[0013] By using actual device usage data, it is possible to identify,
specify, determine, etc. a
replacement device that is better-suited for the actual device usage (as known
from the collected device
usage data) than the target device, and that results in a lower total cost of
ownership. In accordance
with embodiments of the present invention, such a process is automated,
enabling acceleration of sales,
and optimization of device deployment and usage.
[0014] An embodiment of the present invention is directed to a method for
recommending a
transaction to replace a device based upon a total cost of ownership of the
device determined using
usage data of the device. The method comprises the steps of determining a
replacement device based
upon at least one of user input and the usage data of the device, determining
a total cost of ownership
of the replacement device based upon the usage data of the device, comparing
the total cost of
ownership of the replacement device and the total cost of ownership of the
device, and providing a
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recommendation for a transaction to replace the device with the replacement
device when the total cost
of ownership of the replacement device is less than or equal to the total cost
of ownership of the device.
[0015] The method according to this embodiment of the present invention
further comprises
the steps of receiving the usage data and causing the usage data to be stored
at a location remote from
the device.
[0016] The method according to this embodiment of the present invention
further comprises
the step of providing a data collection device capable of collecting usage
data from the device and
causing the usage data to be stored at the location remote from the device.
[0017] In accordance with this embodiment of the present invention, the
usage data of the
device comprises at least one of job usage, time of usage, device component
usage, or volume usage
data.
[0018] The method according to this embodiment of the present invention
further comprises
the step of creating a device usage profile based upon the usage data, the
device usage profile
containing a characteristic of the device.
[0019] In accordance with this embodiment of the present invention, a
replacement device
profile for at least one replacement device contains characteristics of the
replacement device, and the
step of determining a replacement device further comprises comparing the
device usage profile with
the replacement device profile and determining the replacement device when the
characteristic of the
replacement device contained in the replacement device profile is similar to a
characteristic of the
device contained in the usage device profile.
[0020] In accordance with this embodiment of the present invention, the
device is connectable
to a network, and the data collection device comprises a smart box connectable
to the network, the
smart box having a processor and memory storing general purpose software and
smart box special
purpose software.
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[0021] In accordance with this embodiment of the present invention, the
step of causing the
usage data to be stored comprises causing the usage data to be stored in
memory of a server remote
from the device.
[0022] In accordance with this embodiment of the present invention, the
server has server
special purpose software installed in server memory and configured to cause a
server processor to
perform at least one of the steps of determining a replacement device,
determining a total cost of
ownership of the replacement device, comparing the total cost of ownership, or
providing a
recommendation for a transaction to replace the device, is carried out by the
server special purpose
software.
[0023] The method according to this embodiment of the present invention
further comprises
the step of providing a user interface for display on a user device, the user
interface enabling a user of
the user device to access information about the device.
[0024] The method according to this embodiment of the present invention
further comprises
the step of collecting usage data of the device.
[0025] Another embodiment of the present invention is directed to method
for recommending
a transaction to replace a device based upon the total cost of ownership of
the device determined using
usage data of the device. The method of this embodiment comprises the steps of
receiving a target
total cost of ownership savings value, determining a replacement device based
upon one of user input
and the usage data of the device, determining a total cost of ownership of the
replacement device based
upon the usage data of the device, comparing the total cost of ownership of
the replacement device and
the total cost of ownership of the device, and providing a recommendation for
a transaction to replace
the device with the replacement device when the difference between the total
cost of ownership of the
replacement device and the total cost of ownership of the device is greater
than or equal to the total
cost of ownership savings value.
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[0026] The method according to this embodiment of the present invention
further comprises
the steps of receiving the usage data and causing the usage date to be stored
at a location remote from
the device.
[0027] The method according to this embodiment of the present invention
further comprises
the steps of providing a data collection device capable of collecting usage
data from the device and
causing the usage data to be stored at the location remote from the device.
[0028] In accordance with this embodiment of the present invention, the
usage data of the
device comprises at least one of type of job usage, time of usage, device
component usage, and volume
usage.
[0029] The method according to this embodiment of the present invention
further comprises
the step of creating a device usage profile based upon the usage data, the
device usage profile
containing a characteristic of the device.
[0030] In accordance with this embodiment of the present invention, a
replacement device
profile for at least one replacement device contains characteristics of the
replacement device, and the
step of determining a replacement device further comprises comparing the
device usage profile with
the replacement device profile and determining the replacement device when the
characteristic of the
replacement device contained in the replacement device profile is similar to a
characteristic of the
device contained in the usage device profile.
[0031] In accordance with this embodiment of the present invention, the
device is connectable
to a network, and the data collection device comprises a smart box connectable
to the network, the
smart box having a processor and memory having stored therein general purpose
software, and having
storable therein smart box special purpose software.
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[0032] In accordance with this embodiment of the present invention, the
step of causing the
usage data to be stored comprises causing the usage data to be stored in
memory of a server remote
from the device.
[0033] In accordance with this embodiment of the present invention, the
server has server
special purpose software installed in server memory and is configured to cause
a server processor to
perform at least one of the steps of determining a replacement device,
determining a total cost of
ownership of the replacement device, comparing the total cost of ownership,
and providing a
recommendation for a transaction to replace the device, is carried out by the
server special purpose
software.
[0034] The method according to this embodiment of the present invention
further comprises
the step of providing a user interface for display on a user device, the user
interface enabling a user of
the user device to access information about the device.
[0035] The method according to this embodiment of the present invention
further comprises
the step of receiving a target total cost of ownership from the user via the
user interface.
[0036] The method according to this embodiment of the present invention
further comprises
the step of collecting usage data of the device.
[0037] Another embodiment of the present invention is directed to a
method for facilitating a
transaction between a first user and a second user having a device having a
device characteristic. The
method of this embodiment comprises the steps of receiving a request from the
first user to acquire or
lease a device that includes a requested device characteristic, receiving an
indication from the second
user of a desire to replace the device, determining if the requested device
characteristic is the same as
or similar to the device characteristic, and providing a recommendation for a
transaction between the
first user and the second user to transfer the device from the second user to
the first user when the
requested device characteristic is the same as or similar to the device
characteristic.
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[0038] In accordance with this embodiment of the present invention, the
device characteristic
is a total cost of ownership of the device, and the requested device
characteristic is a total cost of
ownership of the requested device.
[0039] The method according to this embodiment of the present invention
further comprises
the step of providing the first user with access to a first interface via a
first user device, and providing
the second user with access to a second interface via a second user device.
[0040] In accordance with this embodiment of the present invention, the
step of receiving a
request from the first user comprises receiving a request from the first user
via the first interface, and
the step of receiving an indication from the second user comprises receiving
an indication from the
second user via the second interface.
[0041] Yet another embodiment of the present invention is directed to a
system configured to
recommend a transaction to replace a device based upon a total cost of
ownership of the device and
determined using usage data of the device, where transaction is initiated
using a user electronic device
that is connectable to a network. The system comprises a smart box connectable
to the network (the
smart box having a processor and memory having stored therein general purpose
software, and having
storable therein special purpose software), a server connectable to the
network and having a processor
and memory (the memory having stored therein server special purpose software
and a device usage
profile associated with the device), and a user device control installable on
or accessible by the user
electronic device, where the user device control enables a user of the user
electronic device to initiate
a transaction to replace the device. The smart box special purpose software is
configured to cause a
smart box processor to collect usage data of the device, and to cause the
usage data of the device to be
stored in the device usage profile. The server special purpose software is
configured to cause a server
processor to determine a replacement device based upon one of user input and
the usage data of the
device, determine a total cost of ownership of the replacement device based
upon the usage data of the
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device, compare the total cost of ownership of the replacement device and the
total cost of ownership
of the device, and provide a recommendation for a transaction to replace the
device with the
replacement device when the total cost of ownership of the replacement device
is less than or equal to
the total cost of ownership of the device.
[0042] Aspects of the present invention introduce a paradigm shift in the
way electronic
devices are specified and replaced by creating a user-centric environment that
provides access to usage
data for any device to stakeholders other than those traditionally having such
access, e.g., device
manufacturer, device supplier, device installer, device service personnel,
device sales rep, etc. The
inventive paradigm shift is thus from a device-centric environment, with
limited access to useful device
usage data, to a user-centric environment, with expanded access to such data.
In addition, the inventive
paradigm shift further enables a stakeholder to take control of the process
for replacing a device by
using the now accessible usage data of the device to identify or determine a
replacement device that is
better suited for the actual use to which the device is put, to calculate a
cost of ownership of the
replacement device based upon the usage data, to compare that cost of
ownership with a cost of
ownership of the currently installed device, and to recommend replacing the
currently installed device
with the replacement device when the cost of ownership of the latter is less
than the cost of ownership
of the former. The benefits of the present invention may include, but are not
limited to, identification,
determination, selection, and installation of a device that is matched with
the actual usage of that
device, reduction in operating expenses due to a lower cost of ownership for
installed devices,
acceleration of the sales process for replacement devices, stakeholder
satisfaction and confidence in
device selection, and reduction in sales costs due to potential elimination of
sales commissions.
[0043] Such an innovative and unconventional technological solution to
the technological
problem of specifying and replacing devices is not found in the prior art.
Advantageously, the user-
centricity created by the present invention places, in each unique user's
hands, the ability to effect such
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control over a device in accordance with that unique user's needs or desires.
And because of the
ubiquity of personal user electronic devices via which the present invention
may be utilized, the present
invention eliminates user learning curves for new user devices, integration
issues associated with
adding/replacing user devices, and restrictions on available functionality
from pre-configured user
devices.
[0044] The innovative and unconventional technical solution provided by
the present
invention also provides a stakeholder (i.e., business owner, device
manufacturer, device supplier,
device sales rep, etc.) with greater control over replacement of a device.
Certainly a business owner
prefers that business equipment (e.g., MFPs, computers, fleet vehicles,
warehouse machinery and
equipment, etc.) be properly specified. For example, a network of printers may
comprise various
different types, sizes, etc. of printers to accommodate various usage needs.
However, the different
printers are not specified based upon actual usage data for the business, but
rather on generalized
assumptions about usage or other factors that may not be relevant for this
particular business. The
present invention provides a significant improvement over prior art methods
and systems for device
selection and replacement in that the present invention enables a stakeholder
to collect and store usage
data for each device, and to use that usage data to specify, identify,
determine, select, etc. a device
having features, functionality, capacity, capabilities, etc. that match the
collected usage data for a
particular device. Thus, embodiments of the present invention provide a
stakeholder with the ability
to ensure that a device is optimal for the specific device requirements based
upon actual usage data.
In addition, embodiments of the present invention may preferably use actual
usage data to calculate
TCO, resulting in a more accurate TCO calculation, as well as one that
reflects the ownership cost of
a device based upon actual usage data.
[0045] Not only does the present invention use a conventional device in
an unconventional
way, embodiments of the present invention are tied to a specific structure,
connection and arrangement
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of components, purposefully structured, connected and arranged to achieve an
inventive technological
solution to a technological problem specific to electronic devices and systems
¨ the inability of a user
to control the replacement based upon actual usage data and based upon total
cost of ownership
comparisons that are also based upon actual usage data. The result is
optimization of device selection,
deployment and use because it is now based upon collected and analyzed actual
usage data. Whereas
the prior art, representing a device-centric environment, device usage data is
typically used by a
manufacture to monitor contract compliance and/or schedule maintenance, the
present invention
creates an environment that enables stakeholder access to usage data that can
be used on the one hand
by the device owner (or lessee) to evaluate device utilization, and on the
other hand by the manufacture
of the device (or a competitor of that manufacturer) to recommend a
replacement device better suited
and matched to the actual usage. In addition to who accesses usage data, how
that data is accessed is
also improved by the present invention. Specifically, the present invention
enables and facilitates
access to device usage data, in an embodiment, with a user electronic device
at an edge of a network
within which the devices are being used ¨ one such network edge being defined
from the perspective
of each unique user's electronic device looking inward into the network.
[0046] In accordance with embodiments of the present invention, a number
of advantages can
be realized. By recognizing that personal electronic devices are ubiquitous,
and by further recognizing
that for each such device, the user interface and use of the device can be
considered universal, i.e., it
is the same for each device within a category of devices, the present
invention provides universality in
its solution to the problems with the prior art discussed above. More
specifically, the present invention
advantageously recognizes that a user of a smartphone, for example, does not
encounter a learning
curve when additional features are added to the smartphone, or when the
smartphone is used in a new
way, as with the present invention. Rather, the introduction of new features
and functionality to the
user via the user's smartphone is relatively seamless. Thus, the present
invention enables a user to
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change the function and/or functionality of a target electronic device without
having to learn how to
use that device to perform the new/changed function.
[0047] The present invention also advantageously provides universality
across controllable
electronic devices. Regardless of the type of device, or of the manufacturer
of a device type (e.g., HP,
Dell, Canon, etc. for MFPs) to be accessed and controlled, the present
invention enables a user
electronic device to access and control an electronic device by separating the
user interface from the
target electronic device and placing it with the user on a platform with which
the user is familiar. The
present invention thus makes its technology frictionless, as the user need not
care or know about the
type of electronic device being accessed or controlled to realize the
advantages of the present invention.
[0048] The present invention also advantageously extends a periphery
about an electronic
device from in-fact proximity to the device, to a smart box connectable to the
electronic device over a
network, and to a user electronic device. In so doing, the present invention
not only places access to
and control over electronic devices to which the user desires to connect or
interact in the user's hand,
the present invention further makes such access and control user-centric. Thus
the present invention
introduces a paradigm shift from a device-centric world to a user-centric
world with respect to
accessing and controlling electronic devices in a way that enables the user to
collect and store usage
data for each device, and to use that usage data to specify, identify,
determine, select, etc. a device
having features, functionality, capacity, capabilities, etc. that match the
collected usage data for a
particular device. Thus, embodiments of the present invention provide a
stakeholder with the ability
to ensure that a device is optimal for the specific device requirements based
upon actual usage data.
In addition, embodiments of the present invention use actual usage data to
calculate TCO, resulting in
a more accurate TCO calculation, as well as one that reflects the ownership
cost of a device based upon
actual usage data. Prior to the present invention, device replacement was
straight-forward, initiated
reactively by the owner/lessee or seller (i.e., sales rep), and considered
only certain aspects about the
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device and its use ¨ generally, specifications considered by the owner/lessee
as compared with
perceived usage requirements, and costs. What was missing was a consideration
of actual usage data
as a measure of actual device usage, the total cost of ownership of the device
based upon actual usage
data, and recommendation of a replacement device based upon the foregoing.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0049] Embodiments of the present invention will now be described with
reference to the
following figures, wherein:
FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a system and network architecture in
accordance with
embodiments of the present invention;
FIG. 2 depicts a single board computer of a smart box in accordance with
embodiments of the
present invention;
FIG. 3 depicts the structure and function of a user device control in
accordance with
embodiments of the present invention;
FIG. 4 is a flow diagram of a smart box start-up and configuration process in
accordance with
embodiments of the present invention;
FIG. 5 is a flow diagram of a user electronic device start-up, configuration
and use process in
accordance with embodiments of the present invention;
FIG. 6 depicts the structure and function of special purpose software of a
server in accordance
with embodiments of the present invention;
FIGS. 7A ¨ 7J depict screen shots of interfaces provided by a user device
control on a user
device in accordance with embodiments of the present invention;
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FIG. 8A is a flow diagram of a method in accordance with embodiments of the
present
invention for recommending a transaction to replace a device that considers
actual device usage data
to calculate a total cost of ownership of the device;
FIG. 8B is a flow diagram of a method in accordance with embodiments of the
present
invention for recommending a transaction to replace a device that considers
actual device usage data
to calculate a total cost of ownership of the device;
FIG. 9 is a schematic diagram of a system for matching a buyer and a seller
for a device based
upon total cost of ownership of the device in accordance with embodiments of
the present invention;
FIGS. 10A ¨ 10J depict screen shots and interfaces of a CPQ tool in accordance
with
embodiments of the present invention; and
FIG. 11 is a flow diagram of a method for matching a buyer and a seller for a
device based
upon total cost of ownership of the device in accordance with embodiments of
the present invention.
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DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0051] The following describes exemplary embodiments of the present
invention. It should
be apparent to those skilled in the art from the disclosure provided herein
that the described
embodiments of the present invention are illustrative and not limiting, having
been presented by way
of example only. All features disclosed in this description may be replaced by
alternative features
serving the same or similar purpose, unless expressly stated otherwise.
Therefore, numerous and
various other embodiments are contemplated as falling within the scope and
spirit of the present
invention.
[0052] As used herein, the term "device" is used to describe anything
that is replaceable. In
preferred embodiments, a device is an electronic device that may be a singular
electronic device, or
one or more electronic devices connected or connectable via any means that can
communicate with
each other. This term is further used in an expansive way, intended to
encompass any type of known
or hereafter developed device usable in connection with, or suitable for
carrying out all or part of, the
present invention. In alternative embodiments, a device may be any device,
system or apparatus that
is replaced with some regularity and frequency. This includes, by way of non-
limiting example, any
type of business, industrial, commercial, residential, consumer, individual,
or personal device, system
or apparatus. In still other embodiments, the present invention is directed to
services of any type that
may be evaluated with some regularity and frequency.
[0053] As used herein, the phrase "personal electronic device" or "user
electronic device"
means, by way of illustration and not limitation, smartphoncs, tablets, mobile
computers, desk-top
computers, mobile Internet devices, laptops, wearable computers, calculator
watches, smartwatches,
head-mounted displays, personal digital assistants, enterprise digital
assistants, handheld game
consoles, portable media players, calculators, digital still cameras, digital
video cameras, personal
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navigation devices, and smart cards, or any other known or hereafter developed
personal electronic
device.
[0054] As used herein, the phrase "device transaction(s)" means any
instruction, command,
request, order, etc. provided by a user to access, manipulate, control, or
otherwise interact with an
electronic device.
[0055] Referring next to the drawings in detail, FIGS. 1 and 2
respectively depict a schematic
diagram of a system 100 and network architecture 200, and a single board
computer 122 of a smart
box 110 in accordance with embodiments of the present invention. The system
100 comprises a smart
box 110 having smart box special purpose software 112 storable in memory 126
comprising commands
or instructions that, when executed by a processor 124 cause the processor to
carry out aspects of the
present invention. In a preferred embodiment, the special purpose software 112
may be an API with
programmable functionality. The system 100 further comprises a server 130
having special purpose
software 132 comprising commands or instructions that, when executed by a
server processor cause
the server processor to carry out aspects of the present invention. The system
100 may comprise one
or more smart boxes 110, with the smart box(es) 110 and server 130 preferably
not co-located.
[0056] The smart box 110 is connectable to one or more devices 30
directly, via a private
network 12, and/or via a public network 10. Preferably, the smart box 110 and
devices 30 are part of
and/or connectable to a private network 12. The server 130 may be provided in
the private network
12, or in the public network 10. Alternatively, the smart box 110 may be part
of and/or connectable to
the public network 10, yet connectable to another smart box 110 or device 30
that are both part of a
private network 12.
[0057] A user device control 160 is installable on a user electronic
device 20 that is connected
or connectable to a private network 12 or a public network 10, and that is in
communication with
devices 30 through one or more smart boxes 110. The user device control 160 is
downloadable to the
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user device 20 from the server 130 and/or from another server. Embodiments of
the present invention
provide the user device control 160 at an edge 210 of the network, thus
placing the ability to control
the function or functionality of an electronic device in the hands of users at
the network edge 210.
[0058] The server 130 may be implemented, by way of non-limiting example,
at least in part
based on the machine learning platform provided by AMAZON WEB SERVICES (AWS)
cloud
computing and storage services. The server 130 carries out certain
administrative functions of the
present invention. For example, the server 130 communicates initially with a
smart box 110 when the
smart box 110 first connects to the network and comes on line. In this
capacity, licensing and
configuration data 134c previously saved as a data file 134 in server data
storage 136 is communicated
to the smart box 110 and usable by the smart box 110 for its initial
configuration. Further configuration
of the smart box 110 may be required and performed by an administrator, as
described in more detail
herein. The server 130 also communicates software updates to a smart box 110
as necessary, which
are stored as an update data file 134b. This communication occurs
automatically and is managed by a
scheduler on one or both of the server 130 and smart box 110. The server 130
is also a repository for
usage data and statistics for the devices 30 in the network 10, 12. The data
and statistics are acquired
from each device 30 by the smart box 110, and communicated thereby to the
server 130, where the
data and statistics are stored as usage data in a device usage profile 134a
for each device. A separate
device usage profile 134a is created for each device 30, and that file can be
used to intelligently use
and manage the device 30. The device usage profile 134 of each device may also
contain one or more
characteristics of the device such as, by way of non-limiting example, device
manufacturer, model
number, print/copy/fax capacity, purchase cost, maintenance cost, and various
other information about
the device, as would be obvious to a person skilled in the art from the
disclosure provided herein. The
server 130 also communicates initially with a user electronic device 20
through the user device control
160 to create an account for and authenticate the user, and to bring the user
electronic device 20 online.
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[0059] The server 130 has a processor and memory having stored therein
general purpose
software comprising commands or instructions executable by the server
processor for carrying out
basic functions of the server 130, and special purpose software 132 comprising
commands or
instructions executable by the server processor for carrying out aspects of
the present invention. This
configuration is also illustrated by FIG. 6. For example, the server special
purpose software 132 may
perform one or more of the inventive steps of determining a replacement device
based upon the usage
data of the device, determining a total cost of ownership of the replacement
de vice based upon the
usage data of the device, comparing the total cost of ownership of the
replacement device and the total
cost of ownership of the device, and providing a recommendation for a
transaction to replace the device
with the replacement device when the total cost of ownership of the
replacement device is less than or
equal to the total cost of ownership of the device. In an alternative
embodiment, where a target total
cost of ownership savings value is defined, the server special purpose
software 132 may perform one
or more of the inventive steps of determining a replacement device based upon
the usage data of the
device, determining a total cost of ownership of the replacement device based
upon the usage data of
the device, comparing the total cost of ownership of the replacement device
and the total cost of
ownership of the device, and providing a recommendation for a transaction to
replace the device with
the replacement device when difference between the total cost of ownership of
the replacement device
and the total cost of ownership of the device is greater than or equal to the
total cost of ownership
savings value. The just-described functionality of the server special purpose
software 132 may be
carried out by software installed and operational on the service 130, or on
another similar computing
device or system.
[0060] The server 130 data storage 136 may be part of or separate from
the server 130. A data
file 134 is created for each device 30 in the data storage 136 as one or more
files or databases.
Exemplary types or categories of files or databases created as a data file 134
are depicted in FIGS. 1
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and 6 and comprise data relating to electronic devices 30 such as usage data
in the form of a device
usage profile, updates and service tickets, and data relating to a user and
the smart box 110 and user
device control 160 such as licensing and configuration. For example, device
usage profile 134a for a
multi-function printer, for example, may comprise, by way of non-limiting
example, usage data about
the number and/or volume of print jobs, copy, job, fax jobs, and/or email jobs
carried out by the device
30. Such usage data may also comprise day, date, and time of usage, idle
time(s), data regarding the
MFP component usage, e.g., which paper tray, print cartridges, etc. Such usage
data is capturable by
the smart box 110, and may be transmitted thereby to the server 130 at
predetermined times. Such
usage data may currently be gathered and computed internally by the MFP, for
example, but may be
accessible only by the manufacturer or authorized service personnel of the
MFP. In addition, such
usage data are typically used to confirm compliance with device lease
agreements and/or to schedule
regular maintenance. Embodiments of the present invention capture that data
and transmit it to the
server 130 for storage and later use by others, such as, business owners,
network designer,
administrators, etc. responsible for the selection, deployment, payment and
usage of devices 30 such
as MFPs. Data files 134 may also comprise update data 134b for updates for one
or more devices 30
that are transmittable, downloadable, etc., from the server 130 to the device
30. Updates may include,
by way of non-limiting example, updates for general operation and function of
the smart box 110, and
updates for operation and function of inventive aspects of the smart box 110.
Data files 134 may
further comprise licensing and configuration data 134c that is unique for, and
specific to a particular
smart box 110. Licensing and configuration data 134c generally comprises
information provided by
an administrator of a smart box 110, for example, that is used to define
certain operational parameters
for the smart box 110, as well as data provided by the server 130. For
example, licensing and
configuration data 134c for a company may include the format of a user's
email, the number of users,
the number of electronic devices 30, identifiers for each device 30 (e.g., IP
address), codes specific to
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the company and/or a group or department within the company, an API key unique
to each smart box
110 that comprises a license ID and machine key, essentially a user name and
password for the smart
box 110, and other data and information that serve to define connection and
communication rules
between a smart box 110, the server 130, a user electronic device 20, and one
or more devices 30.
[0061] Data files 134 may also comprise service ticket data 134d
collected by the smart box
110 from the devices 30 with which it communicates. Service ticket data 134d
may be generated by a
user or by a device 30, indicative of a state of the device 30 that may
require intervention, e.g., paper
jam, toner cartridge replacement, etc.
[0062] In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the server
special purpose software
132 may comprise an application programming interface, or API, that functions
as a REST-based API
endpoint for communication with the smart box 110 and/or user electronic
device 20. Communication
between and among the various electronic devices may use java script object
notation. The API special
purpose software 132 is structured based upon sub-components that provide
microservices within the
API that may include, by way of non-limiting example, storing data received
from a smart box 110
about one or more devices 30, providing updates to a smart box 110, routing
service ticket requests,
and other selectively programmable microservices that may facilitate
communication between and
among smart boxes 110, user electronic devices 20, devices 30, and other
devices and systems, either
in the private network 12, the public network 10, or a combination of both.
For example, the server
special purpose software 132 may perform one or more of the inventive steps of
determining a
replacement device based upon the usage data of the device, determining a
total cost of ownership of
the replacement device based upon the usage data of the device, comparing the
total cost of ownership
of the replacement device and the total cost of ownership of the device, and
providing a
recommendation for a transaction to replace the device with the replacement
device when the total cost
of ownership of the replacement device is less than or equal to the total cost
of ownership of the device.
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In an alternative embodiment, where a target total cost of ownership savings
value is defined, the server
special purpose software 132 may perform one or more of the inventive steps of
determining a
replacement device based upon the usage data of the device, determining a
total cost of ownership of
the replacement device based upon the usage data of the device, comparing the
total cost of ownership
of the replacement device and the total cost of ownership of the device, and
providing a
recommendation for a transaction to replace the device with the replacement
device when difference
between the total cost of ownership of the replacement device and the total
cost of ownership of the
device is greater than or equal to the total cost of ownership savings value.
The special purpose
software 132 may additionally comprise a user device control 160 uploadable to
a user device 20 that
provides a user interface 700 (see, e.g., FIG. 7A), a configure ¨ price ¨
quote ("CPQ") tool (see, e.g.,
FIGS. 10A ¨ 10J), and other functionality described herein in accordance with
embodiments of the
present invention. While in a preferred embodiment the user device control 160
is an application
downloadable by; to a user electronic device from an app store, an alternative
embodiment provides the
user device control 160 downloadable from the server 30. Another alternative
embodiment of the
present invention provides the functionality of the user device control 160
via a cloud-based
application.
[0063] The smart box 110 generally functions as a universal controller
that manages and
controls communication by, between and among the various devices that comprise
the present
invention, as well as the various devices and documents with which the present
invention accesses,
manipulates, and/or controls. Communication by the user device 20 via the user
device control 160 is
received by or at least passes through the smart box 110. The smart box 110 is
thus able to, and does
in fact, capture much of the data and information created by use of the
present invention, including
data created by devices 30. The smart box 110 also functions as a sentry to
ensure secure device
transactions with electronic devices and electronic documents, and to further
provide a means to collect
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and store usage data for one or more devices 30. The special purpose software
112 of the smart box
110 functions to provide an API endpoint for the user device control 160. The
smart box 110 also
controls all user access to and control of devices 30.
[0064] With more specific reference to FIG. 2, the smart box 110
preferably comprises a single
board computer 122 having a central processing unit 114 comprising a processor
124 and memory 126
having stored therein general purpose software comprising commands or
instructions executable by
the processor to carry out basic functions of the smart box 110. For example,
basic functions of the
smart box 110 enable the smart box 110 to power up and communicate and control
communication
over a variety of interfaces 116, such as USB, Ethernet, video, audio, and
HDMI. Each smart box 110
may preferably be configured with dual Ethernet ports in order to communicate
with each of an
Ethernet-based private local area network 12 and a device 30. Each smart box
110 may employ its
Ethernet interface to monitor communications of its associated electronic
devices 30 via the private
network 12, provide instructions to be executed by the device 30, and retrieve
data from the device 30.
[0065] An exemplary single board computer 122 is available from the
Raspberry Pi
Foundation, model number Raspberry Pi 3 Model B+. This model is a credit card-
sized computer
powered by a Broadcom BCM2835 central processing unit (system-on-a-chip) 114
that includes a 32-
bit ARM1176JZFS processor 124, clocked at 700MHz, a Videocore IV Graphics
Processing Unit, and
256MB of random access memory 126. The single board computer 122 is powered by
a 5V AC charger
connectable to a micro USB port 118. It will be obvious to persons skilled in
the art and from the
disclosure provided herein that other single board computers may be
alternatively or additionally used
in connection with the present invention.
[0066] The smart box 110 further comprises special purpose software 112
storable in memory
126 comprising commands or instructions executable by the processor 124 that
enables the smart box
110 to carry out certain aspects of the present invention. In a preferred
embodiment, the special
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purpose software 112 is an API with programmable functionality. The API
special purpose software
112 is structured based upon sub-components that provide microservices within
the API that may
include, by way of non-limiting example, device data collection, device data
transmission (e.g., to a
server), copy, email, collect, and service, as well as other selectively
programmable functionality. Any
of the foregoing may be enhanced by voice-enabled or two-factor biometric
authentication aspects of
embodiments of the present invention. Each microservice may operate to call a
unique API path for
the desired functionality ¨ the path being to at least one of the smart box
110 and server 130. The
special purpose software 112 is selectively programmable and adaptable to
change/add/delete one or
more functions it provides. The special purpose software 112 is also
configured to collect usage data
for each device 30 with which a smart box 110 is connected, communicating,
etc., and to cause the
usage data to be stored at a location remote from the device 30, e.g., in
memory of the server 130 or
another server 150 such as an AWS Web Server. This aspect of the present
invention is in contrast to,
and is an improvement of the prior art, in which usage data is stored in
resident memory of the device
30, and/or communicated over a restricted and dedicated channel to only the
device manufacturer or
its authorized representative. In accordance with embodiments of the present
invention, device usage
data may now be accessible and usable by a larger universe of stakeholders.
[0067] A process 400 for initial configuration of the smart box 110 is
depicted in FIG. 4. As
an initial step, for example, a smart box 110 is pre-programmed with an API
key comprised of a license
ID and machine key, each unique to the smart box 110 and that together
function as a user name
(license ID) and password (machine key). Prior to a smart box 110 first use,
it is programmed with
certain data and information to enable it to connect to a server 130 upon
power-up and to effect a
handshake between the server 130 and smart box 110. The smart box 110
initially cycles through a
start-up sequence or process when power is first applied at step 402. The
general purpose software of
the smart box 110 establishes a connection over the network 10 or private
network 12 to the server 130
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at step 404 and transmits the API key to the server 130 ¨ communicating with
the server API 132. The
server API 132 is configured to detect and identify the smart box 110, and to
transmit configuration
data to the smart box 110, at step 406. The configuration data was previously
constructed as licensing
and configuration data 134c stored in data storage 134 of the server 130 based
upon information
provided by a systems administrator, for example. Configuration of the smart
box 110 is controlled
by the API special purpose software 112, and is set by the licensing and
configuration data file 134c.
Once the licensing and data configuration file 134c is installed on the smart
box 110, the smart box
110 is operational and ready to connect with devices 30 and carry out aspects
of the present invention.
[0068] Configuration updates for the smart box 110 may be transmitted by
the server 130 at
step 410 as update data 134b if updates are available, as determined by the
server 130 at step 408. The
server 130 and/or smart box 110 may be configured to transmit/receive regular
software updates. At
least one of the server API 132 and smart box API 112 ensures that the updates
are intelligently
communicated, ensuring that updates to the smart box 110 do not bypass
sequential updates, i.e.,
preventing an update from version 1.1 to version 1.9, where intermediate
versions contain important
updates that may or may not be included in the most recent update.
[0069] The user device 20 may be any electronic device capable of
carrying out aspects of the
present invention as disclosed herein. Preferred embodiments include, by way
of non-limiting
example, a smartphone, tablet or laptop. Other electronic devices 20 are also
disclosed herein, and are
thus contemplated by, and within the scope and spirit of the present
invention, as are any hereafter
developed electronic devices capable of carrying out aspects of the present
invention as disclosed
herein. A user desiring to utilize the present invention installs the user
device control 160 on a user
electronic device 20. The user device control 160 is preferably an app
downloadable to the user
electronic device 20 from an app store or from the server 130. Alternatively,
the user device control
160 may be a cloud-based application accessible by a user. Once the app is
installed or accessed the
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user can launch the user device control 160 to utilize aspects of the present
invention. Initially, a user
must configure his/her user device 20 to carry out aspects of the present
invention. With reference to
FIG. 5, a startup and configuration process 500 for a user electronic device
20 is depicted. The user
first downloads the user device control 160 from an app store or from the
server 130 to the user device
20, at step 502, and launches the user device control 160 at step 504. When
run, the user device control
160 provides a plurality of user interfaces that enable the user to utilize
aspects of the present invention.
The user device control 160 determines if the user is a new user at step 512,
in which case the user can
create an account on the server 130, step 506, and thereafter use the user
device control 160, smart box
110 and server 130 to access and control a device 30 in accordance with
embodiments of the present
invention. Returning users, as detected at step 512, can login at step 510 and
thereafter use the user
device control 160, smart box 110 and server 130 to access and control a
device 30 in accordance with
embodiments of the present invention. As depicted in FIGS. 7A ¨ 7J, the user
device control 160
provides a user interface and carries out certain inventive aspects of the
present invention.
[0070] When launched, the user device control 160 provides a user
interface 700 on a display
of the user electronic device via which the user can utilize aspects of the
present invention. The user
interface 700 comprises a plurality of screens, as depicted in FIGS. 7A ¨ 7J,
each of which provide a
user with access to aspects of the present invention. When launched, the user
device control 160
provides the user interface 700A depicted in FIG. 7A as a home screen via
which a user can either
select login (returning user) 702 or register (first-time user) 704. A first-
time user must select register
704, and will then be prompted to enter a unique Company Code 706 via the user
interface 700B
depicted in FIG. 7B. That information is transmitted to the server 130, which
creates an account for
the user if the information entered by the user matches information in the
licensing and configuration
data 134c. To validate the new user the server 130 transmits an email with a
temporary PIN to the user
email address, which queries the user to verify the mail by return response
that includes the temporary
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PIN and the permanent PIN. If the email address, temporary PIN and permanent
PIN match data on
the serve 130, the new user account is validated. Alternatively, a company my
permit self-validation
by empowering the administrator to indicate which of the users attempting to
register are authorized
users. If this is enabled, an administrator will have access to a list of
users attempting to register, and
can indicate (by check-box, for example) which users are authorized ¨ this
exchange occurring between
the server 130 and administrator, with the information regarding validated
users being captured and
stored by the server 130.
[0071] Returning users who select Login 702 on the user interface 700A of
FIG. 7A are next
presented with the user interface 700C depicted in FIG. 7C, and prompted to
enter an email address
708 and PIN 710. Once logged in, a user will be prompted as depicted in FIG.
7D as to whether that
user is proximate the device 30, in which case the user interface 700D
presents a prompt 712 to the
user. The user's login name and permanent PIN were previously stored on the
user electronic device
20 in a secure memory location only accessible with biometric information from
the user, e.g., a
fingerprint read by the user electronic device 20. The present invention
prevents unauthorized access
to the device 30 or other aspects of the present invention without biometric
authentication, when that
functionality is not native to the device 30.
[0072] Two-factor, biometric authentication may be selectively required
by, for example,
fingerprint authentication 714, in which case the user interface 700E depicted
in FIG. 7E will be
provided by the user device control 160. This aspect of the present invention
leverages certain
functionality native to the user electronic device 20 that may not be native
to the device 30 to cause
that device 30 to carry-out or utilize the user electronic device 20 native
functionality. In this case, the
user electronic device 20 is capable of carrying out two-factor authentication
using biometric data as
one factor, and embodiments of the present invention enable that function to
be used in connection
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with the device 30. As depicted in FIG. 7E, user interface 700E may prompt the
user to a biometric
authentication ¨ a finger print in this example ¨ via a touch sensor
fingerprint authentication 714.
[0073] Voice recognition functionality may be provided by embodiments of
the present
invention through interaction between an audio interface 170 of the user
electronic device 20, a
separate audio interface 170 proximate a device 30, and a voice recognition
server 150 such as, by way
of non-limiting example, IBM WATSON. This enables a user to carry out certain
aspects of the present
invention using audible commands. In an embodiment of the present invention, a
voice signature for
the user may be stored in the user account file 134e or otherwise in memory of
the server 130 or a web
server 150 capable of voice recognition. The verbal command entered by the
user though the user
device control 160 (via the audio interface 170) is captured (at least
temporarily) thereby enabling
comparison of the user's voice with the voice signature for that user
previously stored. A user invokes
this functionality with voice command captured or received by an audio
interface 170 such as a
speaker/microphone on the user electronic device 20, or a stand-alone
speaker/microphone, see, e.g.,
FIG. 1 and voice activation 760 interface of the user device control 160 in
FIG. 7F. Regardless of
which audio capture/reception device is used, receipt or detection of a
specific wake-up word or phrase
causes the voice recognition aspect of the present invention to change from an
inactive or passive state,
where audio is received by the audio interface 170 but no action is invoked in
response thereto, to an
active state, where audio is received by the audio interface 170 and causes
the smart box 110 to react
according to the content of the received audio. Thus, the audio interface 170
and voice recognition
aspect of the present invention does not capture all audio within range of the
audio interface 170, but
only audio that is preceded by the specific wake-up word or phrase.
[0074] After successful authentication, the user interface 700F depicted
in FIG. 7F provides
the user with a plurality of functions the user may select to access and
control a device 30. In one
embodiment, these functions include, by way of non-limiting example, copy 720,
email 730, collect
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740 and service 750. The user can also use voice activation 760 to log-in or
log-out 716. Each of these
functions maps to API commands within the user device control 160, and to the
smart box 110 which,
in turn, accesses and controls a device 30 to enable that device to perform or
respond to the selected
function. This aspect of the present invention leverages certain functionality
native to the user
electronic device 20 that may not be native to the device 30 to cause that
device 30 to carry-out or
utilize the native functionality. In this case, the user electronic device 20
is capable of responding to
audible commands, and embodiments of the present invention enable that
function to be used in
connection with the device 30, when that functionality is not native to the
device 30.
[0075] Operation and operational aspects of the present invention will
now be described, with
continued reference to the drawings. The present invention is largely addable
to existing private
networks 12 and public networks 10 without changes to either. As an initial
step, the smart box 110 is
pre-programmed for use in a specific network and network configuration, and to
know the credentials
of devices 30 in its network. Parameters for pre-programming the smart box 110
are provided, at least
in part, by a person or entity involved with the configuration, setup and
operation of aspects of the
present invention. For example, pre-programming parameters may include, by way
of non-limiting
example, IP addresses of each device 30 in the network to be accessed and
controlled by the present
invention. This information is saved as a licensing and configuration data
134c as a data file 134 in
data storage 136 of the server 130, and is also associated with a unique
company code that maps a
smart box 110 to the licensing and configuration data 134c. The smart box 110
is initially programmed
with an API key that includes a license ID and machine key unique to the smart
box 110. When the
smart box 110 is initially connected to the private or public network, 12, 10,
the smart box 110
communicates the API key to the server 130 as a user name or login ID and
password. The server 130
identifies the data file 134 for this smart box 110, and returns the licensing
and configuration data 134c
to the smart box 110. Once a smart box 110 has successfully logged into the
server 130, the server
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130 sends an email, text, or other communication to a destination previously
identified when
programming parameters were provided about the smart box 110. Typically, this
would be an email
address of a system administrator. In that email address a hyper-link is
provided that, when selected
by the administrator, connects the administrator to the smart box 110 as a
console, providing the
administrator with access to certain control functions for the smart box 110
and its configuration. For
example, once connected as console, the administrator will have access to a
pull-down menu on which
each device 30 that is accessible and controllable using the present invention
is identified. To enable
access and control of each device 30 by the smart box 110 and user device
control 160, the
administrator provides super-user credentials for each device 30. This enables
the smart box 110 and
user device control 160 to access a device 30 as a super-user (i.e., as an
administrator, service, tech,
manufacturer, etc.) and gain access to data captured and stored by/on the
device 30. Importantly, this
includes access to usage data which can be used by the present invention.
[0076] Once the smart box 110 is brought online and the devices 30 in its
network 12, 10 are
accessible and controllable, the smart box 110 sits in an idle state until a
user, using the user device
control 160, chooses to initiate a device transaction to utilize aspects of
the present invention; except
that the smart box 110 automatically and repeatedly collects device usage data
and causes that data to
be stored at a location remote from the device 30. A user initiating a device
transaction begins a
process through which the device 30 changes from a closed state to an open
state for this specific user.
Because access to and control of a smart box 110 is user-centric, so too is
control of devices 30. Thus,
one user's access to and control of a smart box 110 and device 30 does not
impact any other user's
access and control of the same smart box 110 and device 30. If a user is
denied access to a device 30,
that does not impact any other user's access to the same device 30.
[0077] In the case of voice activation 760, the smart box 110 may access
a voice recognition
service to receive, analyze, and parse the voice commend, and to return a
response to the smart box
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110 that is then in a format that is transmittable to and understandable by a
device 30, and that can
cause or enable the device 30 to perform the requested function. Referring
again to FIG. 1, a voice
command spoken by a user into the user's electronic device 20 is transmitted
by the user device control
160 to the smart box 110, which identifies the command as a voice command, and
transits it via a
secure connection to a voice recognition server 150, such as IBM WATSON or
AMAZON WEB
SERVICES ("AWS") platform. Communication between smart box 110 and voice
recognition server
150 is preferably Transport Layer Security (TLS) 1.2. Voice recognition may
alternatively be
implemented in a variety of other ways, including by means of the server 130
and data storage 136 in
combination with an associated smart box 110, or by another specialized server
and data storage.
[0078] Special purpose software in the form of an API 152 may be provided
on the voice
recognition server 150, and be configured with speech to text, natural
language processing ("NLP"),
and text to speech capabilities. The voice recognition server 150 returns non-
audio commands to the
smart box 110, for transmission thereby to the device 30.
[0079] In operation, a user can access the copy function of the present
invention via the user
interface 700F depicted in FIG. 7F, and by selecting Copy 720, after which the
user is presented with
the user interface 700G depicted in FIG. 7G. Via this user interface 700G the
user can control the
device 30 and cause it to carry out various device transactions associated
with using that device 30 for
copying a document.
[0080] In operation, a user can access the email function of the present
invention via the user
interface 700F depicted in FIG. 7F, and by selecting Email 730. The user
device control 160 then
presents the user interface 700H depicted in FIG. 71-1, enabling a user to use
the present invention to
cause a device 30, an MFP in this case, to send an email to a recipient
selected by the user without
access to the email list of the MFP. The present invention thus accesses data
and information native
to the user electronic device 20 or particular to the user, in this case, the
user's email address book 736.
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This enables the user to cause the device 30 to send an email to a recipient
that is not known to that
device 30. Thus, the present invention enables a user to access and control an
MFP to cause that MFP
to carry out a function different than the functions it is configured to carry
out. In addition, the present
invention further uses native technology of the user electronic device 20 to
leverage already existing
connections and permissions (e.g., login details) to facilitate access to
documents, services,
applications, etc., for various types of user accounts. For example, a user
need not enter login
credentials for access to files stored in a DROPBOX account in order to access
these files for use by
the present invention, in effect enabling the device 30 to access these files
without requiring the user's
login credentials.
[0081] As a universal controller, the smart box 110 also has the ability
to determine whether
a user is violating a predefined rule or attempting to initiate a device
transaction that would be
considered an anomaly. For example, for enterprise applications, email rules
may be defined regarding
peimitted and/or restricted email addresses. That information may be stored in
a data file 134 on the
server 130, in memory on the smart box 110, or both. When a user invokes the
email function and
attempts to email using the email user interface 700H of FIG. 7H, the smart
box 110 and/or server 130
can compare the email recipient against a white-list of permitted recipients,
or a black-list of restricted
recipients, to determine if the email should be sent.
[0082] In operation, a user can access the collect function of the
present invention via the user
interface 700F depicted in FIG. 7F, and by selecting Collect 740, which
provides user interface 7001
depicted in FIG. 71. This function enables a user to collect secure documents
at the device 30, in this
case the MFP, that can only be printed by the user.
[0083] The user interface 7001 for user access to the service function
750 is depicted in FIG.
7J. Via this interface 700 the user can submit service calls for the device 30
by entering a message 752
and indicating a priority level 754. This information is transmitted by the
user device control 160 via
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the API to the smart box 110, which, in turn transmits the service call to the
server 130. The server
130 access the service ticket data 134d database to determine the contact
rules for service tickets for
the subject device 30, and transmits the service call to the recipient
identified in the service ticket data
134d database for the subject device 30.
[0084] Any of the afore-discussed functions may also be accessed using
voice recognition via
the user interface 700F depicted in FIG. 7F, and selecting the microphone 760.
[0085] In some cases, the functions available to the user via the user
interface 700 provide
access to further functions. For example, copy 720 and email 730 functions may
provide an option to
charge a client or customer for use of the device 30. It is typical for law
firms and accounting forms,
for example, to charge clients for copies. In such cases, a code must be
entered designating the correct
charge-to entity before the device 30 can be used. The present invention
enables a user to access one
or more databases of such codes located on the server 130, a remote server or
other data storage device
that is not connected to and may not be in the same network as the device 30
being accessed and
controlled. The user interface 700G for the copy function 720 is depicted in
FIG. 7G, and includes a
"Bill To" pull-down menu 722 which provides the user with access to a database
of client codes
selectable by the user to designate a client to charge for use of the device
30. The client codes
accessible to the user via the pull-down menu have been previously mapped to
the user's account, thus
providing limited and user-specific information.
[0086] Similarly, the user interface 700H for the email 730 function is
depicted in FIG. 7H,
and includes a "Bill To" pull-down menu 732 which provides the user with
access to a database of
client codes selectable by the user to designate a client to charge for use of
the device 30. This user
interface 700H also includes a "Recipient" field 734 that can be populated
with one or more email
addresses selected from the user's contacts. While an MFP can be configured
and used to send email,
it is limited to the contacts programmed into the MFP. With the present
invention, the email function
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of an MFP is accessed and controlled in a way that enables the user to send
cmails from the MFP to
recipients in the user's contact list, or from a contact list that is not
known by the MFP or other device
30.
[0087] An aspect of the present invention provides the ability to
intelligently manage one or
more target electronic devices 30. As noted, the smart box 110 has super-user
access to data collected
and stored by a device 30. Such data may provide a variety of types of useful
information about usage
of the device 30 such as, for example, which paper trays are used most often,
time-based use of the
device 30, and other use and operational characteristics and data of the
device 30. In accordance with
embodiments of the present invention, the smart box 110, having access to this
data, may use this data
to intelligently control use of the device 30. For example, if an MFP has a
plurality of paper trays
configured for the same size paper, with one tray being a default tray, that
tray is likely to be used more
often than the others. As a result, parts of that tray are exposed to more use
than parts of the other
trays. Knowing this, the present invention can direct print, copy, etc.,
commands to effect a more
uniform use of the device 30. This will result in greater longevity for the
parts of the device 30, and a
reduction in service calls and repairs.
[0088] The present invention can also be used to automate certain service
conditions for a
device 30. For a type of device, like an MFP, there may be a finite set of
problems that occur with the
greatest frequency. Once this set of problems is identified, the smart box 110
can be configured to
automatically detect the occurrence of such a problem at a device 30 and
automatically create a service
call without the need for user involvement.
[0089] A licensing and data configuration file 134c may contain
information specific to this
user, including rules that define authorized and unauthorized features this
user is permitted to access,
and other rules defining permissible use by this use of the device 30. It is
thus possible for the smart
box 110 to initially flag a device transaction from a user, and to communicate
with the server 130 to
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determine whether the device transaction violates a rule for that user.
Information about user
permissions may also be contained in a user account file 134e. The user
account file 134e may contain,
inter alia, one or more permissions for that user that serve to define device
transactions that user is
peilititted to initiate. Such permissions may include, by way of non-limiting
example, times of day the
user is permitted to initiate a device transaction, type of device
transactions allowed, e.g., print, email,
document download, etc., size/frequency of a device transaction type, e.g.,
print jobs limited to not
more than 500 pages per week.
[0090] Server 130 may, for example, be configured as an artificial
intelligence-based analysis
engine capable of analyzing a risk level associated with the device
transaction based on data gathered
by a smart box 110 for similar device transactions made on the device 30 as
well as other similar
devices 30 (e.g., devices 30 in the same private network 12). The server 130
can thus determine
whether the device transaction is an anomaly or an exception, and if an
exception, whether the
exception has been or can be resolved. As noted, the smart box 110 functions
as a universal controller,
controlling user access to and use of devices 30. When a request for a device
transaction is received
by the smart box 110, it can determine if the device transaction is an
exception or anomaly that is out
of compliance with rules for the user. This can be determined by the smart box
110 alone, or together
with the server 130. From the information in the data storage 136 specific to
this user, e.g., in either
or both 134c and 134e files, and based upon the device transaction request
transmitted by the user
device control 160, the server 130 may transmit information back to the smart
box 110 providing a
disposition command with respect to the requested device transaction, e.g.,
indicating that the device
transaction has been executed or not.
[0091] In assessing a device transaction and determining whether it's an
exception or there is
a risk, server 130 will consider past experience with the requesting user, the
device 30, and other similar
devices 30, as well as other pertinent information that may be available to
the server 130 (for example,
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suspect production request patterns reported by other document production
centers), the server 130
may prepare a request disposition and transfer this information to the smart
box 110 to guide the
response of the smart box 110 to the document production request. For example,
the response
disposition may authorize the smart box 110 to instruct the device 30 to
proceed to fulfill the document
request in its entirety ("green light").
[0092] Alternatively, if the server 130 concludes that there is some risk
associated with the
document request or finds that the request will exceed document production
features and permissions
either for the user or the type of device transaction (for example,
excessively-high page counts), the
request disposition may instruct the smart box 110 to provide altered
instructions to the document
processing device ("yellow light"). For example, the request disposition may
instruct the smart box
110 to diminish the requested number of copies or rate of printing of copies
as would be expected in
response to the production request. Alternatively, the smart box 110 may be
instructed to forward the
document request to another smart box 110 associated with a device 30 that,
for example, has been
reserved and isolated for production requests identified as presenting some
risk.
[0093] Finally, if the server 130 concludes that the production request
presents a significant
risk or is well outside the limits of associated production features and
permissions, the request
disposition may call for the rejection of the production request ("red
light"). If the product request is
at least partially executed, the smart box 110 may preferably collect
execution information from the
device 30 providing details about the execution and/or information about the
current state and resources
available to the device 30. In any case, the device 30 is still available to
other users regardless of
whether a device transaction request by a particular user is denied.
[0094] Embodiments of the present invention are also directed to a system
and method for
recommending a transaction to replace a device based, at least in part, on a
total cost of ownership of
the device. Regardless of the type of device, how much it costs an owner of
the device over its lifetime,
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or for the time during which the owner is using the device is an important
factor in deciding whether
to buy, lease, replace, etc., the device. As noted above, the term "device" is
used herein broadly to
describe anything that is replaceable. In preferred embodiments, a device is
an electronic device that
may be a singular electronic device, or one or more electronic devices
connected or connectable via
any means that can communicate with each other. This term is further used in
an expansive way,
intended to encompass any type of known or hereafter developed device usable
in connection with, or
suitable for carrying out all or part of, the present invention. In
alternative embodiments, a device may
be any device, system or apparatus that is replaced with some regularity and
frequency. This may
include, by way of non-limiting example, any type of business, industrial,
commercial, residential,
consumer, individual, or personal device, system or apparatus. In still other
embodiments, the present
invention is directed to services of any type that may be evaluated with some
regularity and frequency.
[0095] As noted, an important factor when replacing a device is how much
the replacement
device will cost to own. This calculus is typically conducted based upon
certain assumption regarding
usage of the device and the replacement device - the assumptions being based
upon perceived usage
patterns for the device. Consequently, a calculated total cost of ownership
for the device and/or the
replacement device is imprecise at best, and guess-work at worst. In
accordance with embodiments of
the present invention a method and system for recommending a transaction to
replace a device is based,
at least in part, on actual data usage collected and stored for the devices
(for example, both target and
replacement). The method of the present invention recommends a transaction for
replacing a device
based upon total cost of ownership of the device by collecting usage data of
the device, storing the
usage data at a location remote from the device, determining a replacement
device based upon the
usage data of the device, determining a total cost of ownership of the
replacement device based upon
the usage data of the device, comparing the total cost of ownership of the
replacement device and the
total cost of ownership of the device, and providing a recommendation for a
transaction to replace the
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device with the replacement device when the total cost of ownership of the
replacement device is less
than or equal to the total cost of ownership of the device. In an alternative
embodiment of the present
invention, a method may be directed to recommending a transaction to replace a
device based upon the
total cost of ownership of the device by collecting usage data of the device,
storing the usage data at a
location remote from the device, receiving a target total cost of ownership
savings value, determining
a replacement device based upon the usage data of the device, determining a
total cost of ownership of
the replacement device based upon the usage data of the device, comparing the
total cost of ownership
of the replacement device and the total cost of ownership of the device, and
providing a
recommendation for a transaction to replace the device with the replacement
device when difference
between the total cost of ownership of the replacement device and the total
cost of ownership of the
device is greater than or equal to the total cost of ownership savings value.
Embodiments of the present
invention may also be directed to systems designed and configured to carry out
the methods of the
present invention.
[0096] Advantageously, the smart box 110 of the present invention may be
used to collect and
store usage data of a plurality of devices, including a device being replaced.
This is a substantial
improvement over the prior art, where usage data has only been made available
to a device
manufacturer and its authorized representatives, and then typically for
contract compliance and
maintenance. The present invention provides access to device usage data to
stakeholders to ownership,
use, service, etc., of the device. Such access enables stakeholders to use the
usage data to determine a
total cost of ownership of the device and the replacement device based upon
actual usage data, resulting
in a more accurate and useful TCO value. With the present invention,
stakeholders can assess whether
a device is suited for the needs of the environment within which it is
deployed. For example, a business
owner may determine whether a MFP is over or under-specified based upon the
actual use of the MFP
- not based upon assumptions, guess-work or conjecture, but based upon actual
usage data. Methods
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of the present invention also enable a stakeholder to select a replacement
device that is suited for the
actual usage of the replaced device. The inventive methods accelerate the
process for replacing devices
by enabling a recommendation for a transaction for a replacement device to be
triggered when a TCO
calculated for the replacement device is less than or equal to a TCO of the
current device, or
alternatively, when difference between the TCO of the replacement device and
the TCO of the current
device is greater than or equal to a predefined TCO savings value. A sales rep
need not wait until
expiration (or an approaching expiration) of an existing lease contract to
recommend a replacement
device. With the present invention, the sales rep can make a replacement
recommendation explicitly
based upon determined TCO values for the current device and replacement
device. In addition, the
sales/replacement process can be automated, obviating the need to pay sales
commissions.
[0097] Not only does the present invention use a conventional device in an
unconventional
way, embodiments of the present invention are tied to a specific structure,
connection and arrangement
of components, purposefully structured, connected and arranged to achieve an
inventive technological
solution to a technological problem specific to electronic devices and systems
¨ the inability of a user
to control the replacement based upon actual usage data and based upon total
cost of ownership
comparisons that are also based upon actual usage data. The result is
optimization of device selection,
deployment and use because it is now based upon collected and analyzed actual
usage data.
[0098] Referring next to FIGS. 8A and 8B, a method for recommending a
transaction to
replace a device based upon a total cost of ownership of the device in
accordance with an embodiment
of the present invention will now be discussed in greater detail. For ease of
discussion, the device to
be replaced will be referred to as the target device. At step 800, a smart box
110 in communication
with a target device 30 collects usage data of that device 30. Device usage
data may preferably be
collected automatically on a regular or periodic basis, or alternatively on an
episodic basis, where usage
data is collected upon request.
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[0099] Where the target device 30 is a MFP, usage data can include, by
way of illustration and
not limitation, data about the number and/or volume of print jobs, copy jobs,
fax jobs, and/or email
jobs carried out by the target device 30. Usage data may also comprise day,
date, and time of usage,
idle time(s), data regarding the MFP component usage, e.g., which paper tray,
print cartridges, etc. It
is readily conceivable that a variety of additional types of usage data may
alternatively or in addition
be collected, and as such these are within the scope and spirit of the present
invention. In addition, the
present invention is not limited to multi-function printers as "devices," nor
to electronic devices nor
any other restrictive or limiting interpretation of the word "device." The
present invention provides
the benefits and advantages discussed herein, and is useful for optimizing
device identification based
upon actual usage data and further based upon using that data to calculate and
compare a total cost of
ownership of an existing device to a total cost of ownership of one or more
replacement devices. The
present invention thus finds usefulness and practical application for
virtually any device, system,
apparatus, etc., that is replaceable by purchase or lease, typically with some
regularity and frequency
¨ a car or printer lease being just two illustrative, non-limiting examples.
[00100] The collected device usage data of the target device 30 may be
temporarily stored by
the smart box 110 in its resident memory, in data storage 136 of the server
130 ¨ in a device usage
profile 134a, or in a device usage profile 154a of data storage 156 of a cloud
server 150, at step 802.
The device usage profile 134a, 154a provides a form of specification for the
target device 30 in that
the profile contains characteristics of that device. For example, the device
usage profile may contain
characteristics such as actual usage data for the target device 30 relating to
certain useful components,
functions, parameters, etc. of that device. Using usage data for the target
device 30 from a device
usage profile 134a or 154a, the server special purpose software 132 can
identify one or more potential
replacement devices by comparing characteristics of the target device from the
device usage profile
with characteristics of one or more potential replacement devices from a
replacement device profile
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stored in server data storage 136, cloud server data storage 154, or where
otherwise accessible by the
server special purpose software 132. For example, the server special purpose
software 132 may
compare target device usage data that indicates a volume of print jobs for a
given time period for the
target device 30 with potential replacement devices capable of handling such a
volume of print jobs.
The server special purpose software 132 may compare all usage data or only
such usage data as defined
or selected by a stakeholder for a target device 30 with applicable
specifications and/or data for one or
more replacement devices. The server special purpose software 132 is thus able
to identify one or
more suitable replacement devices based upon the usage data of the target
device 30, at step 804. A
stakeholder can also provide input useful for identifying suitable replacement
devices, see, e.g., FIG.
10B. The server special purpose software 132 is next able to calculate a total
cost of ownership for
each of the one or more replacement devices, at step 806, again by considering
the usage data of the
target device 30, which provides data about actual usage of the target device
30 collected over time.
This data represent how the target device 30 is used, and thus is the best
source for calculating a total
cost of ownership of the target device and for a replacement device. At step
808, the server special
purpose software 132 compares the total cost of ownership of the target device
30 with that of the one
or more replacement devices. If the TCO of one of the replacement devices is
less than or equal to the
TCO of the target device 30, as determined at step 810, a recommendation is
generated and transmitted,
at step 812 to a stakeholder for a transaction to replace the target device 30
with a replacement device,
resulting in a TCO decrease and overall cost savings for the stakeholder. If
the TCO of one of the
replacement devices is not less than or equal to the TCO of the target device
30, as determined at step
810, the server special purpose software 132 loops to step 804 and continues.
[00101] In the context of the present invention, the term "recommendation"
may be embodied
in a number of different ways. For example, the present invention may provide
a recommendation in
the form of proposed terms and conditions for lease of the replacement device,
with this type of
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recommendation being communicated to a stakeholder decision-maker responsible
for replacing one
or more currently installed devices. A recommendation may be generated and
provided automatically
to one or more stakeholders, or it may be generated by an associate (who may
also be a stakeholder,
or not), who then provides the recommendation to one or more stakeholders. See
also FIG. 10J and
the disclosure herein associated therewith.
[00102] Referring next to FIG. 8B, a method for recommending a transaction
to replace a device
based upon a total cost of ownership of the device in accordance with an
embodiment of the present
invention will now be discussed in greater detail. At step 820, a smart box
110 in communication with
a target device 30 collects usage data of that device 30. This may be an on-
going process, where device
usage data is collected automatically on a regular or periodic basis, or it
may be episodic, where usage
data is collected upon request.
[00103] Where the target device 30 is a MFP, that usage data can include,
by way of illustration
and not limitation, data about the number andlor volume of print jobs, copy
jobs, fax jobs, and/or email
jobs carried out by the target device 30. Usage data may also comprise day,
date, and time of usage,
idle time(s), data regarding the MFP component usage, e.g., which paper tray,
print cartridges, etc. It
is readily conceivable that a variety of additional types of usage data may
alternatively or in addition
be collected, and as such these are within the scope and spirit of the present
invention.
[00104] The collected device usage data may be temporarily stored by the
smart box 110 in its
resident memory, in data storage 136 of the server 130 ¨ in a device usage
profile 134a, or in a device
usage profile 154a of data storage 156 of a cloud server 150, at step 822. A
stakeholder may enter a
target TCO savings value, at step 824, that may be stored as part of the
device usage profile 134a if
intended for a specific target device, or it may be stored in server data
storage 136 so as to be usable
for any target device. A target TCO savings value may be expressed as a
percentage savings, e.g., 10%
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less than the current TCO, or it may be expressed as a fixed dollar amount,
e.g., $100 per year, and
may be usable for any target device.
[00105] Using usage data for the target device 30 from a device usage
profile 134a or 154a, the
server special purpose software 132 identifies a replacement device by
comparing usage data of the
target device 30 with specifications for one or more potential replacement
devices ¨ such specifications
being stored in server data storage 136, cloud server data storage 154, or
where otherwise accessible
by the server special purpose software 132. For example, the server special
purpose software 132 may
compare target device usage data that indicates a volume of print jobs for a
given time period for the
target device 30 with potential replacement devices capable of handling such a
volume of print jobs.
The server special purpose software 132 may compare all usage data or only
such usage data as defined
or selected by a stakeholder for a target device 30 with applicable
specifications for one or more
replacement devices. The server special purpose software 132 is thus able to
identify one or more
suitable replacement devices based upon the usage data of the target device
30, at step 826. The server
special purpose software 132 is next able to calculate a total cost of
ownership of each of the one or
more replacement devices, at step 828, again by considering the usage data of
the target device 30,
which provides data about actual usage of the target device 30 collected over
time. This data represent
how the target device 30 is most likely to be used, and thus is the best
source for calculating a total
cost of ownership of the target device and for a replacement device. At step
830 the server special
purpose software compares the total cost of ownership of the target device 30
with that of the one or
more replacement devices. If the difference between the TCO of the replacement
device and the TCO
of the target device is greater than or equal to the TCO savings value, as
determined at step 832, a
recommendation is generated and transmitted, at step 834 to a stakeholder for
a transaction to replace
the target device 30 with a replacement device, resulting in a TCO decrease
and overall cost savings
for the stakeholder. If the difference between the TCO of the replacement
device and the TCO of the
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target device is not greater than or equal to the TCO savings value, as
determined at step 832, the server
special purpose software 132 loops to step 826 and continues.
[00106] With reference next to FIGS. 10A ¨ 10J, use of the present
invention with be further
discussed in the context of a user interface with aspects of the present
invention. Aspects of the present
invention may be utilized by a user (i.e., stakeholder) as a tool typically
referred to as CPQ ¨ configure,
price, quote ¨ that facilitates preparation of quotes for the sale and lease
of devices. In an embodiment
of the present invention, a CPQ tool is provided as an application on a
platform such as, by way of
non-limiting example, Salesforce, that enables building, installing and
running applications within the
Salesforce environment and platform. The CPQ tool embodiment of the present
invention is such an
application. As such, the CPQ tool provides a user with a plurality of user
interfaces for carrying out
a plurality of operations and functions of the present invention ¨
illustrative and non-limiting
exemplary interfaces being depicted in FIGS. 10A ¨ 10J. When the CPQ
application is launched or
accessed by a user on a user electronic device 20, a home screen 1000 as shown
in FIG. 10A may be
displayed. A user accesses the environment within which the CPQ tool is made
available (e.g.,
Salesforce.com) by logging in to that environment. For example, a company
having access to
Salesforce.com will have an account thereon, and can access certain features
and functionality of the
Salesforce.com environment via that account ¨ one such feature being the CPQ
tool of the present
invention. The Salesforce.com account "knows" certain information about an
account, and that
information is thus knowable by the CPQ tool and usable in connection with the
present invention.
For example, a typical user would be a stakeholder of a company, identified as
an Establishment 1002
having certain characteristics. Details about the Establishment may be
accessed and used by the CPQ
tool. A stakeholder may utilize the CPQ tool, identified as an Associate 1004
in FIG. 10A. General
details about a quote prepared using the CPQ tool may be entered in the Quote
Detail section 1006,
including, by way of illustrative, non-limiting example, a Quote Name, Status,
e.g., Open, Closed,
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Processing, and a Proposal Date. Once further details of a quote have been
provided by the stakeholder
through the CPQ tool, as described in further detail below, the stakeholder
may generate a proposal by
selecting the Generate Proposal button 1010.
[00107] Lease Options 1008 such as Leasing Company, Finance Option,
Finance Term, and
Down Payment can be populated after a stakeholder enters one or more product
configurations by
selecting the Configure a Product Now button 1012, which directs the
stakeholder to a product
configuration screen 1020, as depicted in FIG. 10B. As a first step a
stakeholder can select one or
more search criteria 1014, which will search a database and will display
products 1016 that match one
or more of the search criteria. The stakeholder can select one or more
products identified by the search
for use in generating a quote. In some cases, a product will require one or
more accessories, in which
case the lightbox 1032 of FIG. IOC will be displayed, requiring the
stakeholder to selected the required
accessory(ies). In addition to Required Accessories, which may be added via
the lightbox 1032 of
FIG. 10C, or by stakeholder selection of the Required Accessories button 1034
of FIG. 10E, optional
accessories may be added by selecting the Optional Accessories button 1036.
Stakeholder selection of
that button causes the CPQ tool of the present invention to display an
optional accessories lightbox
1060, as depicted in FIG. 10D, via which a stakeholder may select one or more
optional accessories of
the product to be used for generating a quote to replace the currently
installed product.
[00108] Upon selection of the required and optional accessory(ies) the
stakeholder is directed
to a Quote Configuration Screen 1030, depicted in FIGS. 10E and 10F. On the
screen the present
invention displays a Configuration quote 1042 for at least one product
previously selected by the
stakeholder. Included in the Configuration quote 1042 may be itemized costs
for the product, including
Price, Profit Margin, Analyst Fees, Shipping, Buyout (for currently-installed
product(s)), and Other
Costs, all of which are useful in calculating a total cost of ownership of the
selected product.
Additionally, fewer or other product cost data may be provided in accordance
with embodiments of
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the present invention, The Quote Configuration Screen 1030 also depicts cost
data for Service Options
1046, including Base Maintenance, Current Monthly Volume, Allowance Volume,
Allowance Cost
Per Copy (CPC), Total Allowance Cost, Volume Above Allowance, Overage CPC, and
Total Overage
Cost. Additional, fewer or other service option cost data may be provided in
accordance with
embodiments of the present invention. Product cost data and service option
cost data may be obtained
by the CPQ tool and present invention from any of a plurality of databases
accessible by the CPQ tool,
including a product/product specification database, a service agreement
database ¨ within which one
or more service agreements of the Establishment may be stored and accessed,
and other public and
private sources of information and data useful for carrying-out aspects of the
present invention. Cost
data used by the CPQ tool to prepare a Quote Configuration may be used to
calculate a TCO for the
proposed replacement product, as indicated at 1038 of FIG. 10F.
[00109] The present invention uses the usage data for the already
installed product (i.e., device),
as well as other relevant data such as lease and usage terms for that product,
and the cost data for the
proposed replacement product to calculate a TCO for that product. This TCO may
be compared with
a TCO for the currently installed product to determine which product is more
cost effective, and also
the timing for replacing the existing product with the proposed new product.
[00110] Once a stakeholder has completed a quote configuration, selection
of the Continue
button 1062 of FIG. 10E returns the stakeholder to the Home Page 1000 which
now presents a plurality
of Lease or Quote Options, as depicted in FIG. 10G, The plurality of Lease or
Quote Options 1008
enable the stakeholder to compare the monthly cost of the various Options to
determine which best fits
the particular circumstances. FIG. 101-1 depicts a second part of the Home
Page 1000 of FIG. 10G,
now configured based upon stakeholder input and further based upon usage data.
This figure shows a
Configuration 1042 for a specific Product (VersaLink...), Lease teini (24
months) and Type (FMV),
and projected profit, profit margin and monthly cost 1044 for that
Configuration. Selecting the gear
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button 1042a enables a stakeholder to change this Configuration. A stakeholder
can also add a new
configuration by selecting button 1054, and/or add data on currently installed
equipment by selecting
link 1056, in which case the lightbox 1052 of FIG. 101 is presented. The
lightbox 1052 contains a
plurality of fields for a stakeholder to enter information about the currently
installed equipment such
as, by way of non-limiting example, location, equipment name, price, service
name, and pull-down
menus for entering current volume, allowance volume, and overage CPC
information. A calculated
monthly TCO for the currently installed equipment will be displayed in the
lightbox 1052. Selecting
the Add Existing Equipment button 1052a returns the stakeholder to the home
page 1000 of FIGS. 10G
and 10H. At this point, a stakeholder has configured one or more proposed
replacement products,
selected a preferred option (e.g., lease, terms, etc.), and added any
currently installed products to the
CPQ tool. Selecting the Generate Proposal button 1000a will cause the Select a
Proposal lightbox
1050 to be displayed, via which a stakeholder can select a proposal in a user-
defined format for CPQ
tool to generate. Thus, the present invention provides a recommendation via
the proposal for a
transaction to replace a device. This proposal can be used to further discuss
replacement of the
currently installed products with the proposed new products, resulting in a
lower TCO based upon
actual usage data for the currently installed products.
[00111] In yet another embodiment of the present invention, usage data is
used as part of a
method for brokering a transaction between a current device owner/lessee and a
potential buyer for the
device. Referring next to FIGS. 9 and 11, a system and method for carrying out
this embodiment of
the present invention is disclosed and will be discussed in more detail. As
with other embodiments of
the present invention, collecting, storing and analyzing usage data of a
device in accordance with the
present invention enables stakeholders to exercise greater control over the
selection of a device in a
way that ensures that the device is optimized to the stakeholder's actual
usage. The present invention
not only works for device owners/lessees, and device manufacturers and
authorized personnel, but also
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for third parties interested in devices that are being replaced. This
embodiment of the present invention
is thus directed to a system and method for brokering a transaction with a
third party ¨ with the first
and second parties being the device owners/lessees, and the device
manufacturers and authorized
personnel. As with other embodiments, usage data from a target device is used
to calculate a total cost
of ownership of that device. Together with specifications for the target
device, the TCO is packaged
as an offering in a marketplace within which sellers and buyers can enter into
transactions. Similar to
other online marketplaces, the present invention facilitates a transaction
between a buyer and a seller
based upon certain criteria agreed upon between these two parties. In essence,
the buyer defines what
it wants to buy, and the seller defines what it wants to sell. When there is a
match, a transaction
between the seller and buyer for the target device is facilitated. However, by
using actual device usage
data to calculate a total cost of ownership, this embodiment of the present
invention provides a novel
and inventive improvement over the prior art. In other embodiments of the
present invention, a
recommendation is generated and transmitted to a stakeholder for a transaction
to replace a target
device with a replacement device that is better suited and specified for the
stakeholder's actual usage
of the device, as determined from device usage data, and that provides a lower
and/or improved total
cost of ownership. Likewise for this embodiment, except that the
recommendation additionally
identifies a potential buyer of the device being replaced based at least in
part upon that buyer's "buy"
criteria, including a desired cost of ownership.
[00112] In accordance with this embodiment of the present invention,
market place 900 of FIG.
9 enables any of a plurality of buyers 910 to purchase, lease or otherwise
acquire one or more devices
30 based upon a TCO of the devices 30, and a TCO specified by a buyer 910.
Using a user device 20
having a user device control 160 installed and operational therein, a buyer
910 may send a buy request
containing various characteristics of the device the buyer desires to acquire
or lease, e.g., type of
device, device specifications, TCO value or range, purchase, lease or
acquisition terms, etc., as a buy
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request 920 in the market place 900, as illustrated at step 1110 of FIG. 11.
The user device control 160
connects the buyer to the market place 900, which is enabled and facilitated
by the server 130 and
server special purpose software 132. As previously discussed, usage data from
a device 30 is collected
by a smart box 110 and stored in server memory as a device usage profile 134a,
154a. A
recommendation to replace a device, as in steps 812 of FIG. 8A and 834 of FIG.
8B, may be received
as an indication that a seller wants to replace a device, as in step 1120 of
FIG. 11. Alternatively, a
seller may indicated a desire to sell outside of the method of FIGS. 8A or 8B.
In either case, the seller
indication contains a characteristic of the device being offered for sale or
lease by the seller. In a
preferred embodiment, at least one of the characteristics of the buyer and
seller is a total cost of
ownership of the device being sought (for the buyer), and/or of the device
being sold (for the seller).
The server special purpose software 132 compares the characteristic contained
in a buy request 920
with a characteristic of the seller's device to deteimine if the
characteristics are similar or the same,
i.e., to determine if the buy request 920 can be satisfied by the device being
replaced, step 1130 of FIG.
11. In that case, the present invention provides a recommendation for a
transaction for the buyer 910
and device being replaced, step 1140 of FIG. 11. If the buyer accepts the
recommendation, the
transaction proceeds.
[00113] Although specific example embodiments have been described, it will
be evident that
various modifications and changes may be made to these embodiments without
departing from the
broader scope of the inventive subject matter described herein. Accordingly,
the specification and
drawings are to be regarded in an illustrative rather than a restrictive
sense. The accompanying
drawings that form a part hereof, show by way of illustration, and not of
limitation, specific
embodiments in which the subject matter may be practiced. The embodiments
illustrated are described
in sufficient detail to enable those skilled in the art to practice the
teachings disclosed herein. Other
embodiments may be utilized and derived therefrom, such that structural and
logical substitutions and
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changes may be made without departing from the scope of this disclosure. This
description, therefore,
is not to be taken in a limiting sense, and the scope of various embodiments
is defined only by the
appended claims, along with the full range of equivalents to which such claims
are entitled.
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