Patent ID: 7532835

Claim:
A method for imaging device accounting, said method comprising: a) taking control of an imaging device (IDev) user interface (UI) with a remote computing device (RCD) application, wherein said RCD is remote to said IDev and said control is established through a user interface application programming interface (UI API), wherein said UI API allows input on said IDev UI to be intercepted and sent to said RCD application and said UI API allows UI display content sent from said RCD application to be displayed on said IDev UI; b) sending UI display content from said RCD to said IDev for display on said IDev UI via said UI API; c) receiving job configuration data, through said IDev UI and said UI API, at said remote computing device (RCD), for a job to be performed at said IDev; d) receiving pixel data, at said RCD from said IDev, for said job to be performed at said IDev; e) deriving detailed job parameters from said job configuration data and said pixel data at said RCD; f) calculating a job charge using said detailed job parameters at said RCD; g) accessing account data comprising accounting restrictions with said RCD; h) determining whether said accounting restrictions will allow said job to be executed based on said job charge; and i) sending a job authorization to said IDev UI when said job complies with said accounting restrictions.