Methods and apparatus for managing pre-paid printing system accounts

US8332332B2 · kind B2 · utility

Assignee

• Xerox Corporation · US

Inventors

• Charles Robert Carlson · Beaverton, US
• James Patrick VanWinkle · West Linn, US
• Paul Ronald Herman · West Linn, US
• Shanti Villarreal · Wilsonville, US
• Brent R. Jones · Sherwood, US
• Ashok Murthy · Lexington, US
• Sara Kleiman · Portland, US
• Mark Simon Boyt · Virginia Water, GB

Key dates

• Filing date: Jan 29, 2010
• Grant date: Dec 11, 2012
• Expiry date: Mar 23, 2030

Classification

• Technology area (CPC G): Physics
• CPC primary: G06Q30/0601
• WIPO field: IT methods for management
• WIPO sector: Electrical engineering

Abstract

Methods and systems are presented for managing document processing device usage in which a customer accesses a management system to buy and pay for account credits, and to apply print units to specific managed device by conversion of account credits based on current pricing information for the specified account and the particular device at the time of the request.