Imaging documents with media bundled and used in packaging materials

Abstract

A business method includes imaging documents with an imaging device placed at a location. Media usage is monitored over a cellular network. Upon the media reaching a predetermined level, workers provide additional media. Workers exist in the “gig” economy and have preplaced media. No longer do users change or swap media in media trays. Packaging materials bundle the media. For use, only a portion of the packaging materials is opened thereby revealing an end of the media. Both the packaging materials and the exposed media are inserted into a reusable media shell in a manner making the media available for picking by the imaging device. Other embodiments are envisioned.

1 . A business method of imaging documents with an imaging device having a reusable media shell, comprising:
 placing the imaging device at a location;   monitoring over a cellular network media usage in the imaging device; and   upon the media usage reaching a predetermined level, dispatching a worker to deliver additional media for use in the imaging device, the media being bundled in packaging materials, whereby the worker opens only a portion of the packaging materials but not an entirety thereby revealing the media and inserts into the shell both the opened packaging materials and media.   
     
     
         2 . The business method of  claim 1 , further including collecting an entirety of the imaging device from the location and replacing the imaging device with a second imaging device having a toner level above the toner level in the collected imaging device. 
     
     
         3 . The business method of  claim 2 , further including monitoring the toner level over a cellular network. 
     
     
         4 . The business method of  claim 1 , wherein the location has a computing network, but not connecting the imaging device to the computing network. 
     
     
         5 . The business method of  claim 1 , preplacing the additional media with the worker for delivery upon notifying the worker of the predetermined level. 
     
     
         6 . The business method of  claim 1 , further including at the imaging device receiving imaging requests from users, the users making a payment for the imaging request, the imaging device being controlled at the location by a business under a contract with an entity owning or renting the imaging device to the business, wherein the business and the entity split the payment made by the users. 
     
     
         7 . The business method of  claim 1 , further including charging a fee for the media usage. 
     
     
         8 . The business method of  claim 7 , wherein the fee corresponds to a number of sheets of media. 
     
     
         9 . The business method of  claim 7 , wherein the fee corresponds to a subscription service. 
     
     
         10 . A business method of imaging documents with an imaging device having a reusable media shell, comprising:
 placing the imaging device at a location;   configuring the imaging device to receive imaging requests from users upon the users making a payment for the imaging requests;   splitting the payment between a first entity associated with the location and a second entity owning or renting the imaging device;   monitoring in the imaging device over a cellular network media usage associated with the imaging requests;   upon the media usage reaching a predetermined level, dispatching a worker to deliver additional media for use in the imaging device, the media being bundled in packaging materials;   the worker opening a portion of the packaging materials but not an entirety thereby revealing the media, whereby the worker inserts into the shell both the opened packaging materials and media;   monitoring in the imaging device over the cellular network toner level in the imaging device; and   upon the toner level reaching a predetermined low, dispatching the worker to collect an entirety of the imaging device from the location and replace the imaging device with a second imaging device having a toner level above the predetermined low.   
     
     
         11 . The business method of  claim 10 , further including notifying users on a mobile computing device of a lighting scheme on the imaging device indicating processing of one of the imaging requests associated with the payment.