Method and data processing system providing a pay-for-usage managed print service
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A method of providing a pay-for-usage print service, said method comprising:
- accumulating a usage count for a first hard copy device;
transmitting a first snapshot of the usage count for the first hard copy device to a first appliance server; and
transmitting the first snapshot of the usage count from the first appliance server to a server.
2 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A pay-for-usage system for hard copy devices such as printers charges for actual pages printed. A pay-for-capacity system charges for a specified capacity potentially reduced by unused capacity. A pay-for-capacity or pay-for-usage system includes hard copy devices coupled to an appliance server via an internal network. Printer usage information is accumulated in these hard copy devices, periodically uploaded to the appliance server, and later forwarded to a data repository or database server across a nonsecure network such as the Internet. The customer is then billed based on this usage information.
-
Citations
20 Claims
-
1. A method of providing a pay-for-usage print service, said method comprising:
-
accumulating a usage count for a first hard copy device;
transmitting a first snapshot of the usage count for the first hard copy device to a first appliance server; and
transmitting the first snapshot of the usage count from the first appliance server to a server. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
-
-
11. A appliance server capable of providing a pay-for-usage print service comprising:
a computer instruction storage medium containing computer instructions for;
receiving a first snapshot of a usage count from a first hard copy device; and
transmitting the first snapshot of the usage count from the first hard copy device in a message to a server. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19)
-
20. A computer readable medium having computer readable instructions for
receiving a first snapshot of a usage count from a hard copy device; - and
transmitting the first snapshot of the usage count from the hard copy device in a message to a server.
- and
Specification