Patent ID: 7672880

Claim:
A system for automated accounting of document generating device usage comprising a plurality of document generating devices, each document generating device including: means adapted for receiving, from an associated accounting administrator via an associated data network, restriction data corresponding to a selected information filter; means adapted for acquiring usage data limited by the restriction data in accordance with the selected information filter, the acquired usage data being representative of usage of a document generating device in accordance with a selected one of a plurality of user accounts, wherein the acquired usage data includes, in accordance with the selected information filter, at least one of: copier usage data representative of a number of copies made in accordance with each of the plurality of user accounts, print usage data representative of a number of prints made in accordance with each of the plurality of user accounts, facsimile usage data representative of a number of facsimile transmissions made in accordance with each of the plurality of user accounts, and scanning usage data representative of a number of scanning images made in accordance with each of the plurality of user accounts; means adapted for receiving, from the associated accounting administrator via the associated data network, report period data corresponding to a selected timing for transmission of the acquired usage data; means adapted for locally storing the accumulated usage data from each of a plurality of document generating device operations as accumulated usage data; means adapted for locally storing received report period data; an interval counter adapted for outputting time data corresponding to a preselected reporting period interval; reporting means adapted for automatically periodically outputting, via the data network, the usage data to the associated accounting administrator in accordance with the report period data and the time data and without input from the associated accounting administrator so as to include a timed output of the accumulated usage data acquired during the preselected reporting period interval; means adapted for receiving a reset signal from the associated accounting administrator via the data network representative of a reset of at least a portion of accumulated usage data; and means adapted for resetting locally stored accumulated usage data to a previous state upon receipt of a reset signal.