Patent ID: 7684720
Filing Date: 2010-03-23
Classification: G03G,G06Q

Abstract:
1. A metered device comprising: a printing system for generating billable and non-billable electrostatographic images; a billing meter configured to store usage data related to the generation of the electrostatographic images; a processing unit configured to increment the billing meter for each billable and non-billable electrostatographic image generated by the printing system; a user interface for controlling the image capture device, the user interface being configured to enable interrogation of the processing unit; a service counter for storing usage data related to the generation of non-billable electrostatographic images, wherein the service counter is configured for editing by the processing unit through the user interface to credit the usage data stored on the billing meter; a network interface for transmitting the usage data stored on the billing meter to a billing service; and a memory for storing the usage data that is transmitted to the billing service, wherein the non-billable electrostatographic images are generated during (i) non-billable usage of the metered device or (ii) during servicing or repairing of the metered device; and wherein a user of the metered device is credited with on-the-spot service credits for the generated non-billable electrostatographic images via (i) a non-editable service credit counter for the non-billable usage of the metered device occurring during past or present billable cycles and (ii) an editable service credit counter for the servicing or repairing of the metered device for a current billing cycle.