SYSTEM FOR INTERACTIVELY SELECTING AND ACTIVATING GROUPS OF ELECTRICALLY POWERED DEVICES

A system for interactively selecting and activating groups of electrically powered devices such as computer and computer peripheral devices. A preferred system includes computer and computer peripheral devices, an interactive video display and a controller. The computer and computer peripheral devices include a printer and at least two computers, each of the computers including a printer port. The computers include a controller interface computer which executes a controller interface software module to generate control signals including user interface control signals. The video display receives the user interface control signals and, in response to the signals, interactively prompts a user to provide user inputs to the controller interface computer. The user inputs include a designation of a selected group of devices from the plurality of electrically powered devices. The controller includes circuitry adapted to provide power to the selected group of devices and to selectively provide communication links between the electrically powered devices, such as a communication link between one of the printer ports and the printer, as determined by the control signals. A preferred system allows more than one user to simultaneously select, activate and use groups of electrically powered devices. The preferred system additionally includes mechanisms for receiving prepayment from the users and for providing the users with receipts.