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

• US 6,832,250 B1
• Filed: 04/13/2000
• Issued: 12/14/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 04/13/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Lexmark International Incorporated (Ninestar Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Lexmark International Incorporated (Ninestar Corporation)
• Inventors: Rogers, Steven B, Landry, R Kent, Getler, Robert M, Coons, Thomas L
• Primary Examiner(s): Geckil, Mehmet B.
• Application Number:
  US09/548,318
• Time in Patent Office: 1,706 Days
• Field of Search: 709/223, 709/224, 709/225, 709/229, 709/10, 709/203
• 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 remotely storing usage data aggregated from at least one monitored asset associated with an enterprise, the method comprising the steps of:

aggregating usage data from at least one monitored asset associated with an enterprise wherein the aggregating step includes receiving usage data from at least one monitored asset associated with the enterprise;

storing the aggregated usage data in a local data store;

receiving, by a local server, a signal requesting transmission of stored usage data wherein said signal originates from one of the at least one monitored assets;

in response to the received signal transmitting by the local server the stored usage data from the local data store to a remote server;

receiving the stored usage data by the remote server; and

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 asset utilization report.

5. The method of claim 2, wherein the remote server generates the report based upon the usage data in the remote data store.

6. The method of claim 2, wherein the local server generates the report based upon the usage data in the remote data store.

7. The method of claim 2, wherein the local server generates the report based upon the usage data in the local data store.

8. The method of claim 1, and further comprising the steps of receiving from a requestor by the remote server a request for data associated with the enterprise 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 asset associated with the enterprise.

9. The method of claim 8, and further comprising the step of transmitting to the requester an asset utilization analysis for the at least one monitored asset associated with the enterprise based on the usage data in the remote store aggregated from the at least one monitored asset associated with the enterprise.

10. The method of claim 1, and further comprising the step of registering each monitored asset in the enterprise for which usage data is to be aggregated.

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

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

13. The method of claim 11, and further comprising the step of receiving by the local server 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.

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.

32. A system for remotely storing usage data aggregated from at least one monitored asset associated with an enterprise, the system comprising;

a) a local data store;

b) a remote data store;

c) a usage data aggregation system in communication with at least one monitored asset associated with an enterprise 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 asset associated with the enterprise; and

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

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

e) 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; and

wherein the local server processor performs the step comprising of transmitting the stored usage data from the local data store to the remote server in response to a signal requesting transmission of stored usage data that originates from one of the at least one monitored assets.

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 asset 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.

37. 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 local 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 associated with the enterprise 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 asset associated with the enterprise.

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 requester 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.