JP2007058461A - Charge estimation system, charge estimation method, and computer program - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To previously estimate a charge for multiple jobs combined of a plurality of jobs. <P>SOLUTION: Instruction statements in which contents of jobs are described are previously registered. When a user select an instruction statement in which contents of a combination of a plurality of jobs are described, estimate data closest to parameter setting states are selected out of history data by jobs stored in a device for the respective jobs described in the instruction statement and summed up, and the result is reported to the user as a multi-job total charge estimate. The user can grasp how much the jobs cost in total before job activation. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2007,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a charging estimation system and a charging estimation method for estimating a fee charged when a service is provided by a service providing apparatus, and a computer program. In particular, the present invention uses a network printer, a multifunction copying machine, or the like. The present invention relates to a charging estimation system, a charging estimation method, and a computer program that estimate in advance a fee charged when a job is performed.

  More particularly, the present invention relates to a billing estimation system, billing estimation method, and computer program for estimating in advance a charge to be charged when performing a multi-job in which a plurality of jobs are combined. The present invention relates to a charging estimation system, a charging estimation method, and a computer program that perform flexible calculation and estimate calculation by a simple operation of a user.

  It has been a long time since image forming services such as copying, printing, and facsimile transmission have become established in society at convenience stores and print labs. Recently, a variety of services have been provided using network printers and multi-function copiers. In combination with such a background, there is an increasing number of cases where multi-jobs using a plurality of single jobs are used. For example, a job for receiving a document or content via a network and a job for facsimile transmission of the received data are combined.

  On the other hand, the user wants to obtain printed materials quickly and inexpensively, and needs to estimate the fee charged at the time of service implementation. When there are a plurality of businesses that provide image forming services, it is desirable to estimate the fees for each business in advance and compare them to place an order at a business or store that is more suitable in terms of fees and location.

  For example, in printing via a network, a proposal has been made for a print mediation system that predicts required time, fee, etc. by referring to past history data associated with predetermined parameters such as the amount of content data (for example, , See Patent Document 1). However, since the charge amount is predicted only for each job in the system, the charge amount cannot be estimated for a multi-job that combines network reception and facsimile transmission.

  When performing multi-job estimation, the user must determine which job estimate should be selected and manually add the estimated results of each selected job. This is convenient for knowing the total job estimate. Is not good.

JP 2002-304276 A

  An object of the present invention is to provide an excellent billing estimation system, billing estimation method, and computer program capable of estimating in advance a fee charged when a job is performed using a network printer, a multifunction copying machine, or the like. There is to do.

  A further object of the present invention is to provide an excellent charging estimation system, charging estimation method, and computer program capable of estimating in advance a fee charged when performing a multi-job in which a plurality of jobs are combined. It is in.

  A further object of the present invention is to provide an excellent charging estimation system, charging estimation method, and computer program capable of flexibly combining a plurality of jobs and performing estimation calculation with a simple operation of a user.

  The present invention has been made in consideration of the above problems, and a first aspect thereof is a fee charged when performing a multi-job consisting of a combination of a plurality of jobs in an image forming processing apparatus having a multi-function function. A billing estimation system that estimates the job contents in advance, an instruction sheet storage means for registering and storing instructions describing the job operation contents, and an instruction interpretation means for interpreting the operation contents of each job described in the instructions; Job execution control means for controlling the execution of each job in the image forming processing apparatus according to the operation content obtained by interpreting the instruction, and history data including the parameter setting status and the charged fee when the job is executed The job history data storage means created and stored in step 2 and the performance similar to the job parameter setting status described in the instructions. Estimate data calculation means for selecting the data charge as estimate data, adding the estimate data selected for each job and outputting it as multi-job estimate data, and estimate data notifying means for notifying the user of the multi-job estimate data A charge estimation system characterized by comprising:

  Recently, coupled with the fact that a variety of services have been provided using network printers and multi-function copiers, the number of cases where multi-jobs that combine multiple single jobs are increasing. ing. However, conventionally, the charge amount is estimated only for one job, and the charge amount cannot be estimated for a multi-job that combines network reception and facsimile transmission.

  On the other hand, in the billing estimation system according to the present invention, an instruction sheet describing the job contents is registered. Further, history data including the parameter setting status when the job is executed and the charged fee is created and stored for each job. Then, when the user selects an instruction describing the contents of a combination of multiple jobs, the estimated data closest to the parameter setting status for each job described in the instruction is obtained for each job stored in the device. By selecting from the history data and adding the estimated data selected for each job, it is possible to carry out multi-job total accounting estimation. Since the user is notified of the accounting estimate, the user can grasp how much the fee is required for the job before starting the job.

  According to a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided a computer system for performing a process for estimating in advance a fee charged when performing a multi-job consisting of a combination of a plurality of jobs in an image forming processing apparatus having a multi-function function. A computer program written in a computer-readable format to be executed by the computer system, an instruction storage procedure for storing an instruction describing the operation content of the job for the computer system, and an instruction selected by the user An instruction interpretation procedure for interpreting the operation content of each job described in the above, a job execution control procedure for controlling the execution of each job in the image forming processing device according to the operation content obtained by interpreting the instruction, and a job For each job, the history data including the parameter setting status and charged fee when When the job history data storage procedure to be created and stored and the instruction sheet are selected, the history data fee similar to the job parameter setting status described in the instruction sheet is selected as the estimated data, and for each job A computer program that executes an estimated data calculation procedure for adding selected estimated data and outputting the estimated data for a multi-job, and an estimated data notification procedure for notifying the user of the estimated data for the multi-job. .

  The computer program according to the second aspect of the present invention defines a computer program described in a computer-readable format so as to realize predetermined processing on a computer system. In other words, by installing the computer program according to the second aspect of the present invention in the computer system, a cooperative action is exhibited on the computer system, and the accounting estimate according to the first aspect of the present invention. The same effect as the system can be obtained.

  According to the present invention, it is possible to provide an excellent billing estimation system, billing estimation method, and computer program capable of estimating in advance a fee charged when a job is performed using a network printer, a multifunction copying machine, or the like. can do.

  In addition, according to the present invention, there are provided an excellent charging estimation system, a charging estimation method, and a computer program capable of estimating in advance a fee charged when performing a multi-job in which a plurality of jobs are combined. be able to.

  According to the billing estimation system according to the present invention, it is possible to flexibly combine a plurality of jobs by using instructions in an image forming processing apparatus that provides multi-functions such as scanning, printing, facsimile, and e-mail. In addition, the user can perform the estimation calculation only by performing a simple operation of selecting a desired instruction.

  Other objects, features, and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from more detailed description based on embodiments of the present invention described later and the accompanying drawings.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

  FIG. 1 schematically shows a hardware configuration of an image forming apparatus 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention. The image forming apparatus 100 is a multifunction machine that is installed and used by a business operator in, for example, a convenience store or a print laboratory, and has a multifunction function such as scanning, printing, facsimile, and e-mail. The image forming apparatus 100 also has a charging estimation function for estimating in advance a fee charged when performing a multi-job in which a plurality of jobs are combined. Details of this point will be described later. .

  A CPU (Central Processing Unit) 101 is a central controller that comprehensively controls the operation in the apparatus 100, and controls programs under an execution environment provided by the operating system, such as copying, facsimile transmission / reception, and network printing. The main control is performed regarding various service providing operations and billing processing for compensation associated with the service provision. The service providing operation is executed by interpreting an instruction describing job operation contents such as parameter setting status. In addition, as a charging process, a fee charged when a job is performed can be estimated in advance. The CPU 101 is interconnected with each device in the apparatus 100 via the bus 102.

  A ROM (Read Only Memory) 103 is composed of a read-only semiconductor memory device, and each control program for executing a service providing operation such as copying, facsimile transmission / reception, and network printing, or fixed data is permanently written therein. ing. Of course, the ROM 103 can also be configured using a device capable of electrically rewriting stored data, such as a flash memory, and the program and fixed data may be updated as necessary.

  A RAM (Random Access Memory) 104 is composed of a rewritable semiconductor memory device, and is used for program operations such as loading a control program to be executed by the CPU 101 from the ROM 102 and temporarily storing work data being executed. Used as system memory. The RAM 104 can be used as a page memory for image processing.

  NVRAM (Non-Volatile RAM) 105 is composed of a rewritable memory such as a flash memory that does not lose its stored contents even in a non-powered state, and stores security data, other nonvolatile data, image quality adjustment, various setting parameters, and the like. Used to store.

  The HDD 106 is a large-capacity external storage device composed of a magnetic recording type fixed disk. The HDD 106 stores image data read from a document, stores various histories at the time of service execution, and further installs a program to be executed by the CPU 101. Used to do.

  The image processing unit 107 performs various kinds of image processing such as expansion / compression processing and image quality adjustment on image data read from a document or image data downloaded via a network.

  The multi-function device 100 shown in FIG. 1 includes a display unit 110 including a liquid crystal display as a user interface 109 and a hardware key such as a start / stop / ten key (or a touch panel that also functions as the display unit 110). A unit 111 is provided, and these are connected to the bus 102 via a UI interface. However, the CPU 101 may be configured to directly control the user interface 109 without using the UI interface 108.

  Various external devices and network interfaces are bus-connected via the communication interface 112.

  The LAN interface 113 connects the MFP 100 to the network according to a predetermined protocol such as 10/1000 Base-T. A wireless LAN can also be included. For example, when an instruction sheet is input from a client PC or a portable terminal via a network or a pre-registered instruction sheet is selected, the multifunction peripheral 100 interprets the operation content of the job described in the instruction sheet. Corresponding jobs such as copying, facsimile transmission / reception, content search and other content processing, and network printing are executed.

  The IC card read / write device is connected to the bus 102 via the RS232C or other serial interface 114, and can collect charges from the electronic money information stored in the IC card.

  A USB (Universal Serial Bus) interface 115 conforms to, for example, USB 1.1 or USB 2.0, and can be used when locally connected to a personal computer or the like.

  The modem 116 is a modem that performs mutual conversion between signals on the computer and signals on the public line. The modem 116 connects to a public line such as a facsimile, and performs normal facsimile transmission / reception, time designation transmission, and other various facsimiles. Provide functionality.

  The coin kit 117 has a receiving port for receiving cash such as coins and banknotes, a cash storage unit for storing the cash inserted through the receiving port, a counter for the amount charged and collected after counting the amount of the input and the remaining amount And a display unit for displaying the remaining amount or the amount currently collected.

  The device interface 118 is configured by, for example, RS422, and various devices constituting the image forming apparatus such as a reading device unit 119 that reads an image from a document and a printing device unit 120 that prints and outputs an image on a sheet are connected to the bus 102. Implement an interface protocol for connection.

  The reading device unit 119 is generally configured by a combination of a platen on which a document is placed and a scan for reading an image, and may be an automatic document reading device. The read image is appropriately subjected to image processing in the image processing unit 107 and output to the printing apparatus unit 120 or stored in the HDD 106.

  The printing apparatus unit 120 includes, for example, an electrophotographic print engine unit. The electrophotographic process includes a plurality of sub-processes such as charging of an electrophotographic photosensitive member, exposure of a scanned original image, development, that is, toner superimposition on the photosensitive member, toner transfer and fixing on a sheet, and cleaning of the photosensitive member.

  When the sheet printed by the printing apparatus unit 120 is discharged, it is stored in the discharged sheet storage unit 121. The discharge sheet storage unit 121 can also be configured using a general discharge tray.

  FIG. 2 schematically shows a software configuration for controlling operations on the multifunction peripheral. As shown in the figure, the control software includes a job execution layer, a functional module layer, a middleware layer, and a general-purpose operating system (OS) layer.

  The job execution layer includes a group of processes (jobs) provided to the user such as copying, facsimile transmission / reception, and scanner.

  The functional module layer is a collection of functional modules that perform the above-described request processing for each job, communication processing with a user interface, image processing for realizing a job, processing for notifying a remote device of various states, and the like. .

  The middleware is positioned immediately above the general-purpose OS, suppresses the influence unique to hardware, and provides an API (Application Programming Interface) common to upper-level jobs and function modules. The middleware consists of a system manager (SystemMngg) that comprehensively manages systems such as state and resource management, job management, and file management, and a group of modules that provide functions provided by external systems and hardware to functional modules. A device driver is included.

  In network printers and multi-function copiers that can provide a variety of services, there are cases where multi-jobs are used in which a plurality of single jobs are combined. Therefore, in this embodiment, a fee charged when performing multi-job is estimated in advance.

  In this case, in the multifunction peripheral 100, an instruction describing the job contents is registered, and history data including the parameter setting status and the charged fee when the job is executed is created and stored for each job. . When the user selects an instruction describing the content of a combination of multiple jobs, historical data for each job whose estimated data closest to the parameter setting status for each job described in the instruction is stored in the device Selected from. Then, by adding the estimated data selected for each job, it is possible to carry out a multi-job total accounting estimate. Since the user is notified of the charge estimate, the user can grasp how much the fee is required for the job before starting the job.

  FIG. 3 schematically shows the configuration of a processing module for performing the charge estimation for the multi-job total. Each processing module shown is actually implemented as a software program executed by the CPU 101.

  The instruction form control unit registers an instruction form describing the operation content of the job (for example, storage in the HDD 106 and database management) and interprets the operation content of each job described in the instruction form.

  The job control unit controls the execution of jobs such as copying, facsimile transmission / reception, and network printing according to the parameter setting status obtained as a result of interpreting the instruction by the instruction control unit.

  The job history data control unit creates history data including the parameter setting status when the job is executed and the charged fee for each job, and stores (for example, stores in the HDD 106) and manages the database.

  The estimate control unit estimates in advance whether the amount of money that will be generated when the job specified by the instruction is executed, and notifies the user of estimate data. For multi-job instructions, select the historical data charge similar to the parameter setting status for each job described in the instruction as estimate data, add the estimated data selected for each job, Output as estimated data.

  FIG. 4 shows a processing procedure for registering the instruction executed in the instruction control unit in the form of a flowchart.

  There are two possible processing procedures for registering instructions in the multifunction peripheral: a method of registering from an external device such as a client PC or portable terminal via a network, and a method of direct registration through the user interface 109 of the multifunction peripheral.

  In the former case, an instruction sheet is created by an instruction sheet editor on the client PC or mobile terminal (step S1), and the created instruction sheet is notified to the multi-function peripheral (step S2).

  In the latter case, when the user inputs an instruction through the user interface 109 (step S3), the instruction sheet control unit in the multifunction peripheral creates an instruction sheet (step S4).

  Then, the instruction document notified from the external device or the instruction document directly created on the multifunction peripheral is registered (step S5), and this processing routine is terminated.

  When creating instructions in step S1 and step S4, it is possible to describe what job is to be operated based on what parameter. In addition, when creating a multi-job instruction, for example, “send facsimile after network reception”, “send scanned document via network and facsimile transmission”, etc. Multiple jobs can be configured in combination. Further, a combination of jobs can be described together with parameters specific to each job, such as designating the number of sheets and color mode for a job called scanning.

  The instruction can be described using a structured description language such as XML (extensible Markup Language).

  FIG. 5 shows a processing procedure for creating and storing job history data executed in the job history data control unit in accordance with execution of the job by the job control unit in the form of a flowchart.

  The job control unit controls execution of jobs such as copying, facsimile transmission / reception, and network printing in accordance with the parameter setting status obtained as a result of interpreting the instruction by the instruction control unit (step S11). When the user is satisfied with the estimated amount calculated by the estimation control unit, the user selects an instruction and starts the job. The job estimation calculation process will be described later.

  When the job is completed (step S12), the job history data control unit creates and saves job-specific job history data as parameters specific to each job when the job is executed and information about the charges that have occurred (step S12). Step S13). The job-specific parameters mentioned here correspond to a color mode for a job called scan, a data communication speed for a job called network transmission, a paper size / type for a job called print, and the like.

  Here, the job history data is created for each executed job, and sorted and stored for each job type. Each piece of job history data includes the amount of executed jobs (for example, the number of copies and the amount of data transfer), parameters set for the job, generated charges, and the like. The generated fee is used as an estimated amount when estimating the fee for the job thereafter.

  FIG. 6 shows a configuration example of job history data information generated by the job history data control unit. In the figure, job history data is stored separately for the types of scan, network transmission, and print. For a scan job, for each scan job, the number of scanned pages, a color mode as a parameter setting status, and a charge (estimated) generated by executing the job are stored. Further, for each network transmission job, the amount of transferred data, the data communication speed as the parameter setting status, and the charge (estimate) generated by executing the job are stored. In addition, for each print job, the number of printed sheets, the paper size and paper type as parameter setting status, and a charge (estimate) generated by executing the job are stored.

  FIG. 7 shows a processing procedure for calculating a multi-job estimate executed by the estimate control unit in the form of a flowchart. For the multi-job estimation calculation, job history data (see FIG. 6) for each job type created by the processing procedure shown in FIG. 5 is used.

  First, one instruction sheet registered in the MFP is read according to the processing procedure shown in FIG. 4 (step S21). Then, the parameter setting status for each job is confirmed from the contents of the read instruction (step S22).

  Next, the job history data closest to the parameter setting status is searched from the job history data of the job type corresponding to the job described in the instruction sheet (step S23).

  In this embodiment, the parameter setting status is close to the specified job, and the mode set in the job matches the mode recorded in the job history data, and the quantity set in the job is It is to approximate the quantity recorded in the history data. The mode set in the job is a color mode, a data communication speed, and the like, and the quantity set in the job is a number of sheets and the amount of data transmitted in communication. Specifically, in FIG. 6, when the job type is scan, the color mode matches the parameter setting status and the job history data, and 0 ≦ (number of job history data−number of parameter setting status) ≦ 2 It is judged by whether there is data. If the job type is network transmission, whether the data communication speed matches between the parameter setting status and the job history data, and whether there is 0 ≦ (data amount of job history data−data amount of parameter setting status) ≦ 50 bytes It is judged by. When the job type is print, the paper size and type match in the parameter setting status and the job history data, and 0 ≦ (number of job history data−number of parameter setting status) ≦ determines whether there are two data Is done.

  If job history data having a parameter setting status close to that of the job described in the instruction sheet is found (step S24), the job history data (or the estimated amount in the job history data) as a search result is temporarily stored. (Step S25).

  If the next job is instructed in the instruction sheet (step S26), the process returns to step S23, and the process of searching for job history data with the same job type and the closest parameter setting status is repeated.

  When the job history data search is completed for all the jobs specified in the instruction (step S26), the estimated amount held for each job is added together and specified in the instruction. It is output as estimated data for the multi-job being processed (step S27). This estimated data is notified to the user who has input or selected the instruction (step S28).

  In step S24, if job history data having a parameter setting status similar to that of the job described in the instruction sheet is not found, in step S28, an estimate can be made instead of notifying the estimated amount for the multi-job. Notify that there was not.

  The present invention has been described in detail above with reference to specific embodiments. However, it is obvious that those skilled in the art can make modifications and substitutions of the embodiment without departing from the gist of the present invention.

  Although the present specification has been described with respect to an example of a multifunction peripheral that provides multi-functions such as copying, printing, facsimile, and electronic mail, the gist of the present invention is not limited to this.

  In other types of service providing devices that provide multi-functions, when using multi-jobs that combine multiple jobs, by applying the present invention, it is possible to flexibly combine multiple jobs by using instructions. In addition, the user can perform an estimate calculation with an operation of selecting a desired instruction.

  In short, the present invention has been disclosed in the form of exemplification, and the description of the present specification should not be interpreted in a limited manner. In order to determine the gist of the present invention, the claims should be taken into consideration.

FIG. 1 is a diagram schematically illustrating a hardware configuration of an image forming apparatus 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a diagram schematically illustrating a software configuration for controlling the operation on the multifunction peripheral. FIG. 3 is a diagram schematically showing a processing module configuration for performing multi-job total billing estimation. FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing a processing procedure for registering an instruction, which is executed in the instruction control unit. FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing a processing procedure for creating and storing job history data, which is executed in the job history data control unit in response to execution of a job by the job control unit. FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating a configuration example of job history data information generated by the job history data control unit. FIG. 7 is a flowchart showing a processing procedure for calculating a multi-job estimate executed by the estimation control unit.

Explanation of symbols

100 ... MFP 101 ... CPU
102 ... Bus 103 ... ROM
104 ... RAM
105 ... NVRAM
106 ... HDD
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 107 ... Image processing part 108 ... UI interface 109 ... User interface 110 ... Display part 111 ... Operation part 112 ... Communication interface 113 ... LAN interface 114 ... Serial interface 115 ... USB interface 116 ... Modem 117 ... Coin kit 118 ... Device * Interface 119... Reading device unit 120... Printing device unit 121.

Claims (7)

A billing estimation system that estimates in advance a fee charged when performing a multi-job consisting of a combination of a plurality of jobs in a service providing apparatus having a multi-function function,
An instruction storage unit for registering and storing an instruction describing the operation content of the job;
An instruction interpretation means for interpreting the operation content of each job described in the instruction;
Job execution control means for controlling the execution of each job in the service providing apparatus according to the operation content obtained by interpreting the instructions;
Job history data storage means for creating and storing history data for each job, including parameter setting status when the job is executed and charged fee;
Estimated data calculation means that selects historical data charges similar to the job parameter setting status described in the instruction sheet as estimated data, and adds the estimated data selected for each job and outputs it as multi-job estimated data When,
Estimated data notification means for notifying the user of multi-job estimated data;
A billing estimation system comprising: The service providing apparatus is an image forming processing apparatus that performs two or more image forming processes among scan, print, network print, facsimile, and e-mail, and the job execution control unit controls execution of these jobs.
The charge estimation system according to claim 1, wherein: Receiving means for receiving instructions or selection of instructions from the client via the network, the estimate data notification means returns multi-job estimate data to the client;
The charge estimation system according to claim 1, wherein: A charging estimation method for estimating in advance a fee charged when performing a multi-job consisting of a combination of a plurality of jobs in a service providing apparatus having a multi-function function,
An instruction storage step for storing an instruction describing the operation content of the job;
An instruction interpretation step for interpreting the operation contents of each job described in the instruction selected by the user;
A job execution control step for controlling the execution of each job in the service providing device according to the operation content obtained by interpreting the instructions;
A job history data storage step for creating and storing history data including the parameter setting status when the job is executed and the charged fee;
When an instruction sheet is selected, the history data charge similar to the job parameter setting status described in the instruction sheet is selected as estimated data, and the estimated data selected for each job is added together to create a multi-job. An estimate data calculation step to be output as estimate data for
Estimate data notification step for notifying the user of multi-job estimate data;
A billing estimation method comprising: The service providing apparatus is an image forming processing apparatus that performs two or more image forming processes among scan, print, network print, facsimile, and e-mail, and controls the execution of these jobs in the job execution control step.
The charging estimation method according to claim 4, wherein: 6
A receiving step of receiving instructions or a selection of instructions from the client via the network, and the estimate data notifying step returns multi-job estimate data to the client;
The charging estimation method according to claim 4, wherein: Described in a computer-readable format so that a process for estimating in advance a fee charged when performing a multi-job consisting of a combination of a plurality of jobs in a service providing apparatus having a multi-function function is executed on a computer system A computer program for the computer system,
An instruction storage procedure for storing an instruction describing the operation content of the job;
An instruction interpretation procedure for interpreting the operation contents of each job described in the instruction selected by the user;
A job execution control procedure for controlling the execution of each job in the service providing apparatus according to the operation content obtained by interpreting the instructions;
A job history data storage procedure for creating and storing history data including job parameter settings and charged fees for each job,
When an instruction sheet is selected, the history data charge similar to the job parameter setting status described in the instruction sheet is selected as estimated data, and the estimated data selected for each job is added together to create a multi-job. Estimate data calculation procedure to be output as estimate data for
Estimate data notification procedure for notifying users of multi-job estimate data,
A computer program for executing

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