Electrophotography – Machine operation – Accounting
Patent
1998-10-23
2000-04-18
Smith, Matthew S.
Electrophotography
Machine operation
Accounting
377 8, 399 24, 399 27, G03G 2102
Patent
active
060525479
ABSTRACT:
The invention accurately meters usage of an electrophotographic printer/copier (EPC) by counting the number of pages that are ejected to an output bin of the EPC and incrementing a user charge value accordingly. Further, the invention determines a toner parameter value that is related to an amount of toner used on each page and bases the user charge value, at least in part, on such toner parameter value. The toner parameter value is preferably determined by counting a number of pixels that are imaged on a page. The invention further utilizes a non-volatile memory to maintain copies of usage total values, while concurrently storing such usage total values on a disk memory. If an attempt is made to substitute a different disk memory in the EPC, usage parameter values are updated thereon through use of values stored in the nonvolatile memory.
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Cuzzo Clint S.
Meade, II W. K.
Hewlett--Packard Company
Smith Matthew S.
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