Susan C Neidhart

US Patent:

8271400, Sep 18, 2012

Filed:

Jan 15, 2002

Appl. No.:

10/045151

Inventors:

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

Assignee:

Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. - Houston TX

International Classification:

G06F 17/00

US Classification:

705400

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.