# US 2001/0037270 A1 · System and method of providing invoice information

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- Number: US 2001/0037270 A1
- Document ID: US20010037270A1
- Status: Published application
- Kind: A1
- Application number: 09/784,648
- Filed: 2001-02-15
- Published: 2001-11-01
- Earliest claimed: 2000-04-26
- Inventors: William Melo; Ladon Harrison; Gregory Strockbine; Frederick Class; LLoyd Manglapus; James Keeler; Alistair Egan
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20010037270A1

## CPC

- G06Q 30/04: Billing or invoicing
- G06Q: INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY [ICT] SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE, COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL OR SUPERVISORY PURPOSES; SYSTEMS OR METHODS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE, COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL OR SUPERVISORY PURPOSES, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR

## Abstract

The disclosed system and method provides an invoice to a customer for the use of a device by the customer. Information representative of an amount of usage of the device by the customer is recorded and maintained. A process associated with a billing party is coupled to the device through a data communication network. An invoice is provided to a billing destination at a premises of the customer on a human-readable medium having an invoice amount based upon the amount of usage of the device by the customer and pre-established billing contract rules.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A system of providing billing information to a customer comprising:
circuitry to maintain usage information representative of cumulative customer usage associated with a device over a time period; and
processes associated with a billing party for transmitting a print job through a data communication network to a billing destination at a premises of the customer including commands for printing an invoice amount based upon the usage information and pre-established billing contract rules.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, wherein the device is coupled to the data communication network and the processes associated with the billing party transmit a poll signal through the data communication network to the circuitry to maintain the usage information,
wherein in response to a receipt of the poll signal, the circuitry to maintain the usage information transmits data representative of the cumulative customer usage to the processes associated with the billing party, and
wherein in response to receipt of the data at the processes associated with the billing party, the billing party determines the invoice amount based upon the usage information and the pre-established billing contract rules.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, wherein the billing destination is the device and the print job includes commands interpretable at the device encoded therein for:
retrieving the usage information from a memory associated with the device; and
determining the invoice amount based upon the retrieved usage information and the pre-established billing contract rules.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, wherein the circuitry to maintain the usage information is in a controller external to the device and the billing destination is the external controller.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, wherein the circuitry to maintain the usage information maintains information indicating usage for distinct accounts defined by the customer and wherein the invoice amount indicates a total invoice amount and portions thereof applied to each of the accounts.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, wherein the invoice amount is based upon a plurality of combined cost components, at least one of the cost components being based upon the usage information.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, wherein the billing party is one of an entity financing a lease of the device to the customer and an entity which is contracted to service the device.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, wherein the billing party is an entity contracted to service the device and the processes associated with the billing party determines a service schedule based upon the usage information.

### Claim 9

A device at a premises of a customer, the device comprising:
circuitry to maintain usage information representative of cumulative customer usage associated with the device over a time period; and
logic to determine an invoice amount based upon the usage information and pre-established billing contract rules;
logic to generate a print job of a document including the invoice amount for processing at a print engine associated with the device; and
logic to transmit data representative of the invoice amount to processes associated with a billing party.

### Claim 10 (depends on 9)

The device of claim 9, wherein the logic to transmit data representative of the invoice amount is configurable to transmit the invoice amount to processes associated with the billing party through a data communication network.

### Claim 11 (depends on 9)

The device of claim 9, wherein the logic to transmit data representative of the invoice amount is configurable to transmit the invoice amount to processes associated with the billing party through a phone modem.

### Claim 12 (depends on 9)

The device of claim 9, wherein the device maintains information indicating usage for distinct accounts defined by the customer and wherein the invoice amount indicates a total invoice amount and portions thereof applied to each of the accounts.

### Claim 13 (depends on 9)

The device of claim 9, wherein the invoice amount is based upon a plurality of combined cost components, at least one of the cost components being based upon the usage information.

### Claim 14 (depends on 9)

The device of claim 9, wherein the billing party is one of an entity financing a lease of the device to the customer and an entity which is contracted to service the device.

### Claim 15 (depends on 9)

The device of claim 9, wherein the billing party is an entity contracted to service the device and the processes associated with the billing party determine a service schedule based upon the usage information.

### Claim 16

A method of providing billing information to a customer, comprising:
maintaining usage information representative of cumulative customer usage associated with a device over a time period; and
transmitting a print job from processes associated with a billing party through a data communication network to a billing destination associated with the customer, the print job including commands for printing an invoice amount based upon the usage information and pre-established billing contract rules.

### Claim 17 (depends on 16)

The method of claim 16, wherein the device is coupled to the data communication network, the method further including:
transmitting a poll signal from the processes associated with the billing party to the device through the data communication network;
in response to a receipt of the poll signal, transmitting data representative of the cumulative customer usage from the device to the processes associated with the billing party; and
determining the invoice amount at the billing destination based upon the usage information in response to receipt of the data at the processes associated with the billing party, the billing party determining the invoice amount based upon the usage information and the pre-established billing contract rules.

### Claim 18 (depends on 16)

The method of claim 16, wherein the billing destination is the device and the print job includes commands interpretable at the device encoded therein for:
retrieving the usage information from a memory associated with the device; and
determining the invoice amount based upon the retrieved usage information and the pre-established billing contract rules.

### Claim 19 (depends on 16)

The method of claim 16, the method further comprising maintaining information indicating usage for distinct accounts defined by the customer and wherein the invoice amount indicates a total invoice amount and portions thereof applied to each of the accounts.

### Claim 20 (depends on 16)

The method of claim 16, the method further comprising determining the invoice amount based upon a combination of cost components, at least one of the cost components being based upon the usage information.

### Claim 21 (depends on 16)

The method of claim 16, wherein the billing party is one of an entity financing a lease of the device to the customer and an entity which is contracted to service the device.

### Claim 22 (depends on 16)

The method of claim 16, wherein the billing party is an entity contracted to service the device and the processes associated with the billing party determines a service schedule based upon the usage information.

### Claim 23 (depends on 16)

The method of claim 16, wherein the usage information is maintained at circuitry in the device.

### Claim 24 (depends on 16)

The method of claim 16, wherein the usage information is maintained at a controller which is external to the device.

### Claim 25 (depends on 16)

The method of claim 16, wherein the method further includes:
transmitting the usage information from one of the device and a controller external to the device to a proxy server associated with the billing party;
receiving the usage information relating to one or more devices at the proxy server; and
transmitting the usage information received at the proxy server to the processes associated with the billing party.