Patent ID: 8237977

Claim:
A system for maintaining imaging device (IDev) accounting data, said system comprising: a) a primary accounting server (PAS), said PAS comprising; i) a PAS sender for sending messages to an imaging device (IDev) and to a lightweight accounting back-up server (LABS); ii) a PAS receiver for receiving messages from said IDev; iii) an updater for updating a (primary IDev activity log (PIAL). b) an imaging device (IDev), said IDev comprising; i) an IDev sender for sending messages; ii) an IDev receiver for receiving messages from said Primary server and said LABS; and c) at least one LABS in communication with said IDev, said LABS comprising; i) a LABS receiver for receiving messages and data from said IDev and from said PAS; and ii) a LABS sender for sending messages to said IDev and to said PAS; d) wherein said IDev sends a record of its activity to said PAS when said PAS is available and said PAS maintains a primary IDev activity log (PIAL) when said PAS is available; e) wherein said IDev sends a record of its activity to said LABS when said PAS is not available and said LABs maintains a temporary IDev activity log (TIAL) when said PAS is not available; and f) wherein said PAS updates said PIAL with said TIAL data after a period of unavailability.