Patent ID: 7873553

Claim:
A method for enabling use of an imaging device account by multiple concurrent users, said method comprising: receiving, at a remote computing device (RCD), a user account identification (ID) from an imaging device for an imaging device account; receiving job configuration data for an imaging job at said RCD from said imaging device; calculating job charges at said RCD using said job configuration data; determining a job charge accuracy based on whether said job charges are accurately predicted; determining a concurrent user limit for said imaging device account based on said job charge accuracy and the accuracy of any pending jobs for said imaging device account; determining whether said concurrent user limit will be exceeded by approving said imaging job; if said concurrent user limit will not be exceeded by said imaging job: verifying that said job charges meet accounting restrictions for said account; applying said job charges to said account prior to authorization of said job; and authorizing said imaging device to execute said job when said job charges meet said accounting restrictions; and automatically modifying said job configuration to meet accounting restrictions when said job charges do not meet accounting restrictions; recalculating said job charges based on said modified job configuration; applying said recalculated job charges to said account prior to authorizing said modified job; and authorizing said modified job; and if said concurrent user limit will be exceeded by said imaging job: denying any further account access.