Method and apparatus for managing stocks of consumption units in a system of document processing devices in a network

摘要

Method for managing stocks of consumption units associated with users in a system of document processing devices connected in a network wherein a plurality of stocks of consumption units is kept on each document processing device, each stock on a document processing device being associated with a user. The method comprises transferring through the network consumption units of a first stock kept on a first document processing device to a second stock kept on a second document processing device as a reaction to an emitted signal. Apparatus comprising a distribution function suited for managing through the network stocks of consumption units on a plurality of document processing devices, said stocks of consumption units being associated with a same user.