Patent ID: 8040543

Claim:
An instruction file execution device for use with an instruction file and a usable credit amount, the device comprising: a receiver which receives the instruction file and the usable credit amount, the instruction file describing a job flow which defines linking of a plurality of jobs that are executed by a plurality of devices; a comparison section which compares an execution charge of a job that is to be executed within the instruction file execution device of the plurality of jobs included in the instruction file with the usable credit amount; a job execution section which, if the comparison section determines that the usable credit amount is greater than or equal to the execution charge, executes the job within the instruction file execution device, and if the comparison section determines that the usable credit amount is less than the execution charge, refunds charges for the job flow including jobs that have already been executed by other instruction file execution devices of the plurality of devices; and a sending section which, after execution of the job, calculates a new value of the usable credit amount by subtracting the execution charge from the usable credit amount, and which sends the new value of the usable credit amount and the instruction file to another instruction file execution device that executes a next job.