Usage-based billing and management system and method for printers and other assets

• US 20040225732A1
• Filed: 06/02/2004
• Published: 11/11/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 04/13/1999
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Landry R. Kent, Robert M. Getler, Steven B. Rogers, Thomas L. Coons
• Original Assignee: Landry R. Kent, Robert M. Getler, Steven B. Rogers, Thomas L. Coons
• Inventors: Coons, Thomas L., Landry, R. Kent, Rogers, Steven B., Getler, Robert M.
• Application Number:
  US10/858,626
• Publication Number:
  US 20040225732A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/224
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/04 Payment circuits
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/145 Payments according to the detected use or quantity
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/04 Billing or invoicing
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/0014 for vending, access and use of specific services not covered anywhere else in G07F17/00 meter-controlled dispensing of liquid, gas or electricity G07F15/00

Abstract

The present invention provides a method and system for remotely storing usage data associated with monitored assets of an enterprise. A typical system includes a local data store for storing usage data associated with monitored assets of an enterprise. A usage data aggregation system with access to the local data store is used to aggregate data from the monitored assets and to store the aggregated data in the local data store. A local server also with access to the local data store supports the transmission of the stored usage data from the local data store to a remote server. The system will also typically utilize a remote server having access to a remote data store. The remote server is utilized to receive the usage data transmitted by the local server. After receiving the data, the remote server stores it in the remote data store. The usage data residing in either the local data store or the remote data store is available for subsequent access, processing and analysis via the local server and the remote server respectively.

Claims

1. A method for transmitting usage data comprising the steps of:

a) aggregating usage data from at least one monitored device;

b) storing the aggregated usage data in a local data store;

c) transmitting by a local server the stored usage data from the local data store to a remote server;

d) receiving the stored usage data by the remote server; and

e) storing the received usage data in a remote data store.

2. The method of claim 1, and further comprising the step of generating a report based upon the usage data in the remote data store.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the generated report in the step of generating a report is a billing report.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the generated report in the step of generating a report is an device utilization report indicating the usage of the monitored device.

5. The method of claim 1, and further comprising the steps of receiving from a requestor by the remote server a request for data and, in response to the received request, transmitting to the requestor the usage data in the remote store aggregated from the at least one monitored device.

6. The method of claim 5, and further comprising the step of transmitting to the requestor an device utilization analysis for the at least one monitored device based on the usage data in the remote store aggregated from the at least one monitored device.

7. The method of claim 1, and further comprising the step of receiving by the local server a signal requesting transmission of stored usage data and wherein the step of transmitting the stored usage data occurs in response to the received signal requesting transmission.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the signal requesting transmission received in the step of receiving by the local server a signal requesting transmission originates from one of the at least one monitored devices.

9. The method of claim 1, and further comprising the step of registering each monitored device for which usage data is to be aggregated.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the step of aggregating further comprises the step of polling the usage data from each registered monitored device.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the step of polling occurs at periodic time intervals.

12. The method of claim 10, and further comprising the step of receiving by the local server a signal requesting transmission of stored usage data, wherein the step of transmitting the stored usage data occurs in response to the received signal requesting transmission and wherein the step of polling occurs upon receipt of the signal requesting transmission.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of aggregating comprises the step of receiving usage data from at least one monitored device.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the local data store in the step of storing the aggregated usage data is a flat file.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein the local data store in the step of storing the aggregated usage data is a database.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the local data store in the step of storing the aggregated usage data is a relational database.

17. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of storing the aggregated usage data comprises encrypting the aggregated usage data.

18. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of transmitting the stored usage data comprises the step of retrieving the stored usage data from the local data store.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the step of transmitting the stored usage data further comprises the step of encoding the retrieved data using a predetermined data format.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the predetermined data format used in the step of encoding the retrieved data is XML-based.

21. The method of claim 19, wherein the step of encoding the retrieved data using a predetermined format comprises the step of encoding the retrieved data in a comma separated text file.

22. The method of claim 18, wherein the step of transmitting the stored usage data further comprises the step of encrypting the retrieved data.

23. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of transmitting the stored usage data comprises the step of transmitting the stored usage data in the form of an HTTP response.

24. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of transmitting the stored usage data comprises the step of transmitting the stored usage data in the form of an HTTPS response.

25. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of transmitting the stored usage. data comprises the step of transmitting the stored usage data via an SSL connection.

26. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of transmitting the stored usage data occurs at periodic time intervals.

27. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of receiving the stored usage data comprises the step of decrypting the stored usage data.

28. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of storing the received usage data in a remote data store comprises transmitting the received usage data to the remote data store.

29. The method of claim 1, wherein the remote data store in the step of storing the received usage data is a database.

30. The method of claim 29, wherein the remote data store in the step of storing the received usage data is a relational database.

31. The method of claim 29, wherein the remote data store in the step of storing the received usage data is an object-oriented database.

37. The system of claim 3.2, wherein the local server processor performs the further step comprising of generating a report based upon the usage data in the local data store.

46. The method of claim 1 wherein said monitored device is physically separate and spaced apart from said local data store.

47. The method of claim 1 wherein said monitored device is at least one of a printer, facsimile machine or copier.

48. The method of claim 1 wherein said transmitting step includes transmitting the stored usage data over the Internet.

32. A system comprising;

at least one device to be monitored;

a local data store;

a remote data store;

a usage data aggregation system in communication with the at least one device to be monitored and the local data store, the usage data aggregation system comprising an aggregation processor for performing the steps comprising;

i) aggregating usage data from the at least one monitored device; and

ii) storing the aggregated usage data in the local data store;

a local server in communication with the local data store, the local server comprising a local server processor; and

a remote server in communication with the local server and the remote data store, the remote server comprising a remote server processor for performing the steps comprising;

i) receiving the stored usage data from the local server; and

ii) storing the received usage data in the remote data store;

wherein the local server processor performs the step comprising of transmitting the stored usage data from the local data store to the remote server.

33. The system of claim 32, wherein the remote server processor performs the further step comprising of generating a report based upon the usage data in the remote data store.

34. The system of claim 33, wherein the generated report is a billing report.

35. The system of claim 33, wherein the generated report is an device utilization report.

36. The system of claim 32, wherein the local server processor performs the further step comprising of generating a report based upon the usage data in the remote data store.

38. The system of claim 32, wherein the remote server processor performs the further steps comprising of receiving from a requestor a request for data and, in response to the received request, transmitting to the requestor the usage data in the remote store aggregated from the at least one monitored device.

39. The system of claim 32, wherein the local server processor performs the further steps comprising of receiving from a requestor a request for aggregated usage data and, in response to the received request, transmitting to the requestor the aggregated usage data in the local store.

40. The system of claim 32, wherein a single computer system hosts the usage data aggregation system and the local server.

41. The system of claim 40, wherein the single computer system further hosts the local data store.

42. The system of claim 32, wherein a single computer system hosts the usage data aggregation system and the local data store.

43. The system of claim 32, wherein a single computer system hosts the local server and the local data store.

44. The system of claim 32, wherein a single computer system hosts the remote server and the remote data store.

49. The system of claim 32 wherein said monitored device is physically separate and spaced apart from said local data store, said usage data aggregation system and said local server.

50. The system of claim 32 wherein said monitored device is at least one of a printer, facsimile machine or copier.

51. The system of claim 32 wherein said local server is configured to transmit usage data to said remote server over the Internet, and wherein said remote server is configured to receive usage data transmitted over the Internet.

45. A system for remotely storing usage data comprising:

at least one device to be monitored;

aggregation means for aggregating usage data from said at least one monitored device;

first storage means for storing the aggregated usage data, said first storage means being located locally relative to said at least one monitored device;

transmission means for transmitting the stored usage data from the first storage means;

reception means for receiving usage data from the transmission means; and

second storage means for storing the usage data from the reception means, said second storage means and said reception means being located remotely relative to said at least one monitored device and said first storage means.

52. The system of claim 45 wherein said monitored device is physically separate and spaced apart from said aggregation means and said first storage means.

53. The system of claim 45 wherein said monitored device is at least one of a printer, facsimile machine or copier.

54. The system of claim 45 wherein said transmission means is configured to transmit usage data to said remote server over the Internet, and wherein said reception means is configured to receive usage data transmitted over the Internet.