Method and data processing system providing a pay-for-usage managed print service

#The present invention generally relates to printers.

#The traditional model for printing from computers has been that a customer purchases a hard copy device such as a printer from a vendor. When the printer runs out of consumable supplies, such as toner and paper for a laser printer, the requisite supplies are replaced. Originally, consumable supplies were purchased from the vendor of the printer. Later however, an active after-market grew up for providing consumable supplies, most notably, for the LaserJet® printer and BubbleJet® printer manufactured by Hewlett-Packard Company, Palo Alto, Calif.

#In addition to requiring consumable supplies, such as toner and paper, hard copy devices, such as printers, and their components, no matter how well constructed, wear out. For a long period of time, printers can be repaired. Again, printer repair was originally provided by the vendor, but subsequently an active after-market has emerged for printer repair. Finally, when the cost of repairing a printer exceeds its value, and printer replacement is required, in some instances, the printer is replaced with a remanufactured used printer, rather than a new printer.

#FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating a pay-for-usage system, in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention;

#FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the internal structure illustrating an exemplary laser printer as shown in FIG. 1;

#FIG. 3 is a block diagram illustrating the printer controller shown in FIG. 2;

#A pay-for-usage system results in a customer being charged for the actual number of pages printed by a hard copy device over a specified period of time. A strict pay-for-capacity system charges a customer for a specified capacity for printing. However, quite often customers will not print as many pages over a specified period of time as are possible for their contract capacity. The same type of hard copy device usage information collected for a pay-for-usage system can also be utilized in a pay-for-capacity system to reduce the cost to the customer by an amount based on unused capacity. The term “pay-for-usage” as used herein includes both the pay-for-usage and pay-for-capacity systems described above plus other alternatives that utilize actual hard copy device utilization information for billing purposes.

#A pay-for-usage system for hard copy devices such as printers is disclosed herein. Each hard copy device in the system accumulates its own usage information, such as how many pages have been printed and how much consumable supplies have been consumed. A snapshot of this information is then uploaded to an appliance server periodically and upon command. This information for each hard copy device is then consolidated with that of other hard copy device utilizing that appliance server, and the consolidated usage information is then uploaded to a server. Customers are then billed on a periodic basis as required, utilizing the hard copy device usage information collected such as the actual amount of pages printed and/or consumable supplies utilized.

#Since snapshots of the hard copy device usage information are uploaded electronically, it is not necessary for anyone to physically periodically inspect each hard copy device in this pay-for-usage system, as is necessary with similar photocopy systems. It also allows hard copy devices to be moved without potentially losing access to their usage information.