JP2011159289A5

JP2011159289A5 -

Info

Publication number: JP2011159289A5
Application number: JP2011013641A
Authority: JP
Filing date: 2011-01-26
Publication date: 2014-03-13
Anticipated expiration: 2031-01-26

Claims

A method for managing prepaid use of at least one document processing device configured to be able to perform an operation instructed by a customer based on an available print unit that is input, comprising:
Storing account information in a data storage unit for a plurality of accounts, wherein each account is associated with a corresponding customer, and the account information for each account is stored by the corresponding customer before An available credit value indicating the amount of account credit currently available to the account that has paid for the account, and a print unit for a particular document processing device registered for the account with account credit available for the account Current pricing information including at least one conversion factor for conversion to, and
In response to a request through a portal from a customer of a specific account, a computer processor is used to add credit for the specific account at the current rate, and if the customer's payment is confirmed, the specific Adding a number corresponding to new credits paid against said available credit value for the account of:
In response to a request from the customer for the specific account through the portal, the computer processor is used to determine a specific document processing device associated with the specific account and the request for the specific account. Injecting print units into the specific document processing device by converting the number of credits currently available for the specific account into the number of print units according to current pricing information at the time;
In response to a request from a customer of a specific account via a portal, a print unit previously input to the first specific document processing apparatus associated with the specific account is designated as the specific document processing apparatus. Converting to the number of account credits available for the particular account according to current pricing information at the time of the request for the particular account;
Including methods .

In response to the customer's request, at least a portion of the number of account credits obtained by the conversion for a second specific document processing device according to current pricing information at the time of the request for the specific account The method according to claim 1, further comprising the step of entering the second specific document processing apparatus by converting the print unit into a print unit .

In response to a request through a portal from a customer of a specific account, a print unit previously submitted to a first specific document processing device associated with the specific account is determined at the time of the request. Converting to the number of print units for the second specific document processing device according to current pricing information for the first specific document processing device and the second specific document processing device of the specific account The method of claim 1, further comprising:

Storing registered device information including device subaccount information for at least one device subaccount associated with a particular document processing device registered for the account by the customer, the at least one device The device subaccount information for a subaccount includes registered consumable information including consumable information for one or more consumables functionally associated with the specific document processing device ;
The current pricing information for each account includes device type pricing information and customer specific pricing information,
The device type pricing information is
At least one price factor for converting account credits into print units for each type of document processing device;
At least one printing unit price modifier for each of a plurality of different document processing device types, where the customer account includes one or more additional cost factors in the printing unit price for consumables, services and support At least one printing unit price modifier for increasing the printing unit price;
Including
The customer specific pricing information includes a modifier flag indicating applicability of one or more printing unit price modifiers for the customer account;
In the process of converting the number of credits currently available for the specific account to the number of print units in order to input the print units to a specific document processing device,
Converting one or more available credits into a number of print units based at least in part on at least one price factor for a particular document processing device type;
A determination is made based on the modifier flag whether the customer account includes one or more additional cost factors in printing unit prices for consumables, services and support, and the determination determines whether the customer account is the one or more If it is determined that an additional cost factor is included, the print unit price of the conversion result is selectively increased based on one or more applicable print unit price modifiers;
The method according to claim 1.

Customer-specific pricing information includes discount information indicating the price discount applicable to the customer account,
In the step of inputting the print unit to the specific document processing apparatus by converting the number of credits currently available for the specific account into the number of print units, the print unit price of the conversion result is , Selectively lower by applying one or more discounts to the conversion result according to the discount information;
The method according to claim 4.

Before SL account information for each account, corresponding to when the remaining printing units value reaches zero, the customer by one or more document processing functions level reduced device is registered for the account in indicating whether or not permitted to have operation includes hypofunction information, the method selectively, for a particular document processing device, when the value corresponding printing unit reaches zero, the The method of claim 1, further comprising allowing a document processing operation to be performed at a reduced function level based on the function degradation information.

The device subaccount information for each device subaccount includes a plurality of different current page price ratios, and each current page price ratio is consumed by the specific document processing device to print one color page. Indicating the number of available printing units that have been entered, each of the current page price ratios respectively corresponding to a plurality of different page printing area levels for the color pages of the document to be processed, the method further comprising: For a particular document processing device, determine the page print area level of a color page for a print job and consume a corresponding number of available print units to print the color page according to the corresponding current page price ratio 2. The method of claim 1, comprising the step of authorizing to do so.

  Allowing a user to open a user account and add credit to the user account via an agent and portal authorized by the user;
  Allowing a vendor to register a specific document processing device as a public device in the vendor's account via an agent and portal authorized by the vendor;
  Receiving a request from the user to perform document processing using the public device via an agent and portal authorized by the user;
  The number of credits currently available for the user account is determined according to the public device and the current pricing information for the vendor's account at the time of the request for a print unit corresponding to the public device. Translating into a public device via user-approved agent and vendor-approved agent and corresponding portal by converting to a number;
The method of claim 1, comprising:

An account management system for managing prepaid use of at least one document processing device configured to be able to execute an operation instructed by a customer based on an available print unit that is input,
A server connected to the network to communicate and exchange data with one or more customer networks;
A data storage unit connected to the server and storing account information for a plurality of accounts, wherein each account is associated with a corresponding customer, and the account information for each account is: An available credit value indicating the amount of account credits currently available for the account for which the corresponding customer has previously paid, and a specific document registered for the account with account credits available for the account A data storage unit comprising: current price setting information including at least one conversion coefficient for conversion into a printing unit for the processing device;
In response to a request from a customer of a specific account through a portal connected to the server and the data storage unit, the credit is added to the specific account at a current rate, If confirmed, an account management component that adds a number corresponding to new credits paid for the available credit value for the particular account;
Have
In response to a request from the customer of the specific account via the portal, the account management component is responsible for a specific document processing device associated with the specific account and the time of the request for the specific account. In accordance with the current pricing information at, and by converting the number of credits currently available for the specific account into the number of print units, operating to input a print unit to the specific document processing device;
In response to a request through a portal from a customer of a specific account, the account management component is configured to display a print unit previously input to a first specific document processing apparatus associated with the specific account. Operative to convert the number of account credits available for the particular account according to a particular document processing device and current pricing information at the time of the request for the particular account;
An account management system characterized by that.

  The account information for each account includes registered device information including device subaccount information for at least one device subaccount associated with a particular document processing device registered for the account by the customer. The device subaccount information for the device subaccount includes registered consumable information including consumable information for one or more consumables functionally associated with the particular document processing device. And
  The current pricing information for each account includes device type pricing information and customer specific pricing information,
  The device type pricing information is
  At least one price factor for converting account credits into print units for each type of document processing device;
  At least one printing unit price modifier for each of a plurality of different document processing device types, where the customer account includes one or more additional cost factors in the printing unit price for consumables, services and support At least one printing unit price modifier for increasing the printing unit price;
  Including
  The customer specific pricing information includes a modifier flag indicating applicability of one or more printing unit price modifiers for the customer account;
  The account management component is operative to convert the number of credits currently available for the particular account into a number of print units to inject print units for the particular document processing device,
  Converting one or more available credits into a number of print units based at least in part on at least one price factor for a particular document processing device type; and
  A determination is made based on the modifier flag whether the customer account includes one or more additional cost factors in printing unit prices for consumables, services and support, and the determination determines whether the customer account is the one or more If it is determined that an additional cost factor is included, the print unit price of the conversion result is selectively increased based on one or more applicable print unit price modifiers;
The account management system according to claim 9, wherein: