Hardware pay-per-use

US8271400B2 · kind B2 · utility

Assignee

• HEWLETT-PACKARD DEVELOPMENT COMPANY, L.P. · US

Inventors

• Robert C. Lehr · Mountain View, US
• Arif Sardar · Hayward, US
• Matthew Lane · Mason, US
• Winthrop Reis · San Mateo, US
• Cynthia Alderson · Santa Clara, US
• Patrick Allaire · Fremont, US
• Richard Birrell · Gilroy, US
• Christopher K Buss · معلمی نژاد, US
• Paula Zimon Clawson · Los Gatos, US
• Michael Graf · Flower Mound, US
• Arthur F. Green · Los Altos, US
• Monica Lasgoity · Palo Alto, US
• Susan C. Neidhart · Mountain View, US
• Anthony Keith Towles · Garland, US
• Carol Uno · San Jose, US

Key dates

• Filing date: Jan 15, 2002
• Grant date: Sep 18, 2012
• Expiry date: Jan 4, 2030

Classification

• Technology area (CPC H): Electricity
• CPC primary: H04M2215/7072
• WIPO field: Telecommunications
• WIPO sector: Electrical engineering

Abstract

A hardware pay-per-use system and corresponding method allow computer system operators to tailor their hardware utilization to more closely match changing customer demands. The hardware pay-per-use system includes one or more hardware products and a metering mechanism coupled to at least one of the hardware products. The metering mechanism includes a hardware device separate from the hardware products. The metering mechanism acquires metrics data from the hardware products, the metrics data related to an operation at the hardware products. The metering mechanism determines data to report on the operation of the hardware products. A usage repository coupled to the metering mechanism receives the determined data and generates usage reports related to the operation of the hardware products.