Patent ID: 7856400
Filing Date: 2010-12-21
Classification: G06Q

Abstract:
1. A method for tracking printing device usage comprising: receiving, at a printing device, a plurality of print jobs; maintaining, for the printing device, a plurality of document type counters that includes a first document type counter and a second document type counter; wherein the first document type counter (a) corresponds to a first type of document and (b) tracks a number of documents of the first type that are printed at the printing device; wherein the second document type counter (c) corresponds to a second type of document that is different than the first type of document and (d) tracks a number of documents of the second type that are printed at the printing device; printing, at the printing device, the plurality of documents based on the plurality of print jobs; determining that a first print job of the plurality of print jobs is associated with the first type of document; in response to determining that the first print job is associated with the first type of document, the printing device incrementing the first document type counter; determining that a second print job of the plurality of print jobs is associated with the second type of document; and in response to determining that the second print job is associated with the second type of document, the printing device incrementing the second document type counter; wherein a customer uses the printing device; wherein an amount for a third party to bill the customer for usage of the printing device is determined, based at least in part on, for each document type counter of the plurality of document type counters, a number of documents, of a particular type that were printed at the printing device, indicated by said each document type counter.