Patent ID: 7882029
Filing Date: 2011-02-01
Classification: G06Q

Abstract:
1. An electronic transaction recording system for accumulating data from a printer device, the system comprising: a billing policies database which includes billing policies for a printer device having an owner and a user; a billing manager which is implemented by a processor, coupled to the billing policies database and the printer device, and uses at least one of the billing polices to determine a cost of each operation performed on the printer device; a billing system which accumulates information on usage of the printer device by the user, generates an accounting of usage based on the information, and associates the accounting of usage with a predetermined unit of usage; and an account records database which stores account information of the user of the printer device in terms of the predetermined unit of usage; wherein the billing system periodically updates the account information of the user of the printer device and issues an accounting of costs to the user of the printer device, wherein the billing system credits the owner of the printer device an amount corresponding to the predetermined unit of usage of the printer device by the user, and wherein the billing system accumulates information on usage of the printer device by the owner of the printer device, and only bills the owner of the printer device for net usage of the printer device.