Patent ID: 6826547
Filing Date: 2004-11-30
Classification: B41J,B42C,B42P,B65H,G06F,G06K,G06Q,H04L,H04W

Abstract:
A method in a computer system for controlling the supply of a documents to a user, the system having a communication network, the document having an associated net effect, the net effect having either a positive, negative or zero value, the method including the steps of:(a) storing on a computer readable medium at least one user account associated with the user, the at least one user account having an account balance and a first threshold; (b) determining the balance of the at least one user account stored on the computer readable medium; (c) if the account balance of the at least one user account stored on the computer readable medium, as determined in step (b), is equal to or greater than the first threshold, the method further includes the steps of: (i) supplying the documents to the user via the communication network; and (ii) updating the account balance of the at least one user account based on the net effect of the document supplied; (d) if the account balance of the at least one user account stored on the computer readable medium, as determined in step (b), is less than the first threshold, the method further includes the steps of: (i) determining the net effect of the document and, if the net effect of the document is negative, the method further includes the steps of: (I) modifying the net effect of the document such that it has either a positive or zero value; (II) supplying the modified document to the user via the communication network; and (III) updating the account balance of the at least one user account based on the net effect of the modified document supplied.