US Patent 7499832 Control unit that manages the usage of electrical devices

A control unit is disclosed for controlling the usage of an electrical device, such as a television. The control unit maintains a plurality of time accounts for a plurality of users. The control unit, responsive to receiving a request to operate the electrical device from a user, identifies a time account for the user and begins decrementing time from the time account for the user when the electrical device is turned on. The control unit decrements time from the time account based on one or more desired algorithms. The algorithms as disclosed herein cause the control unit to continue decrementing time from the time account of the user even after the electrical device is shut off.