Patent ID: 8738481

Claim:
A remote management system, comprising: a plurality of imaging apparatuses; and a central managing apparatus configured to manage the plurality of imaging apparatuses, wherein the plurality of imaging apparatuses and the central managing apparatus are connected to mutually communicate with each other, wherein each of the plurality of imaging apparatuses notifies the central managing apparatus of one or more counter values of one or more users, one of said counter values corresponding to a number of images processed by a corresponding one of said users at one of the plurality of imaging apparatuses, and the central managing apparatus stores data associating a counter value with a price per count, obtains, according to the stored data, a price per count of one of said users based on a total counter value, said total counter value being a sum of said counter values for said one of said users notified by the plurality of imaging apparatuses, obtains a price per count of one of the plurality of imaging apparatuses, based on a total counter value of said one of the imaging apparatuses, according to the stored data, and determines a fee to be charged to said one of the users according to the price per count of said one of the plurality of imaging apparatuses, the price per count of said one of said users, and said total counter value of said one of said users.