JP3784151B2 - Billing information creation device - Google Patents

Description

[0001]
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a billing information creation device, and more particularly to a device for creating billing information for each user when billing according to the amount of use for each user in a shared printer or copier. The present invention can be applied to apparatuses, server programs, and the like that provide services on a network such as a scanner and an image processing server.
[0002]
[Prior art]
In shared printers, copiers, etc., there are many cases where charging is performed according to the amount of use for each user. In JP-A-7-261868, not only charging in proportion to the number of output paper sheets but also charging for n-up printing, image printing, color printing, stapling processing and punching processing for printing a plurality of pages on one sheet of paper is performed. A target device has been proposed, and Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 9-190318 has proposed a device that adjusts a charge according to the priority of a print job.
[0003]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
However, there is a cost that cannot identify a user in actually operating these devices. For example, electricity, leasing, repair, etc. when no one is using it. In these methods, a fixed cost that is separate from the billing according to the usage amount is used, or a method in which the billing unit price is set higher so as to be included in the billing according to the usage amount.
However, there is a drawback that the fixed cost does not result in a charge according to the usage amount. With either method, it is necessary to determine a charge unit price that estimates the required cost more.
[0004]
In view of the above circumstances, the present invention was made for the purpose of providing an apparatus capable of discriminating appropriate users and distributing and charging the generated costs at an appropriate ratio. In the invention of claim 2, it is possible to make a fair charge that only the one using the resource bears the sudden expense for each resource. A resource that accumulates deterioration despite repairs can be charged with a fair charge that only the resource that uses the resource bears. In the invention of claim 3, the deterioration is caused by replacement or the like. The purpose of this is to make it possible to charge fairly for resources that do not accumulate (do not accumulate) and that only those that use the resources bear the burden.
[0005]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
The invention of claim 1 is a means for detecting a user, a means for detecting a usage amount of each resource of the user , and a storage means for recording usage information including at least the detected user, the usage resource and the usage amount. includes a charging information generation means for generating billing information according to usage for each user, a recording means for detecting and recording the occurrence resources associated with the occurrence amount of costs suddenly occur and occurrence time, the billing information generating means generates the billing information allocated to the user according to the usage amount of the generated resource based the cost of suddenly occurring before Symbol usage information, characterized in that, with, for each resource It is intended to make it possible to make a fair charge that only the one using the resource bears the sudden expense.
[0006]
The invention of claim 2 further comprises means for detecting the use time of each resource in the invention of claim 1 , wherein the use information includes the use time, and the unexpectedly generated cost is It is characterized by creating billing information distributed to users according to all previous usage, and for resources that accumulate deterioration despite repairs like equipment wear due to use, It is intended to allow for a fair charge that only those who use the resource bear it.
[0007]
According to a third aspect of the present invention, in the second aspect of the invention, billing information is generated in which the unexpectedly generated cost is distributed to the user according to the usage amount before the time of occurrence after the previous cost generation for the same resource. Therefore, it is possible to perform a fair charge that a resource that does not deteriorate (does not accumulate) due to replacement or the like is paid only by a resource that uses the resource.
[0008]
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an outline of a print system configured using a printer apparatus 10 according to an embodiment of the present invention. The print system includes a workstation (WS) used by a user and a printer 10.
The printer 10 is a digital multifunction device having a copying machine function as shown in FIG. 2. The digital multifunction device 10 forms an image on an automatic document feeder unit (ADF) 1, a document reading unit 2, and a transfer sheet. The image forming unit 3 includes an image forming apparatus main body 4 having the image forming unit 3, and a paper feeding unit 5 for supplying transfer paper used when the image forming apparatus main body 4 forms an image.
The workstation WS is a computer operated by the user, and the user sends a print job as shown in FIG. A print job is a collection of data and print data for selecting a paper feed / discharge tray, setting for duplex printing, and setting the number of copies.
[0009]
FIG. 4 is a diagram for explaining the operation of the recording process. When the printer 10 receives a job, the printer 10 checks the user who issued the job and associates the user with the job. The printer accepts settings such as the paper supply / discharge tray, duplex, and number of copies, and prints the print contents defined by the print data on a medium such as paper according to the settings. At that time, the user, the use time, the use resource and the use amount are recorded. For example, “User = A, 7:08 on May 6, 1234, 10 sheets of paper feed tray 1, 10 sheets of duplex printing, and 10 sheets of paper discharge tray 2” are recorded.
[0010]
FIG. 5 is a diagram showing an example of recording. In the example shown in the figure, one recording is constituted by one line. The first number is the line number, added to the record for explanation. One line consists of multiple tokens, and tokens are distinguished by white space. The first value is the user. Next, the use time is expressed in the format [dd / mm / yyy: hh: mm: ss]. Next, resources used continue. If the name of the resource used contains a space character, it is interpreted as one token by enclosing the entire name in quotation marks. Next to the resource name is an operation ID for that resource. 200 indicates “use” and 911 indicates “repair”. The last token represents “usage amount” or “repair fee”.
[0011]
FIG. 6 is a flowchart for generating billing information. In the printer, the usage unit price of various resources is set in advance, and the product of the usage unit price and the usage amount is added to the invoice amount and charged periodically. . FIG. 7 shows an example in which charging information generated by the processing of the charging information generation flowchart shown in FIG. 6 is summarized in a table, and resources, unit prices, and user A, user B, and user C in the printer of this embodiment. This is an example of usage amount and billing amount.
[0012]
Here, the adjustment of the charge amount will be described by taking as an example the occurrence of a repair fee due to a failure of the double-sided device. This device has three users A, B, and C. Among these users, when user A frequently uses the duplex function, user B occasionally uses the duplex function, and user C does not use the duplex function at all, the repair cost of the duplexer is equally even for user C. It is unfair to be burdened. Therefore, this apparatus divides and charges the repair fee according to the usage amount.
When the repair of the failure of the double-sided device is completed and the repair cost is known, the printer administrator sets this repair cost as the double-sided maintenance cost for the printer (record on line 7 in FIG. 5). The printer divides this repair fee by a ratio corresponding to the usage amount of the double-sided device before the repair occurs.
[0013]
In the usage situation of the double-sided function as shown in FIG. 7, the user A has 40 sheets and the user B has 10 sheets. Therefore, the cost of repairing the double-sided mechanism (double-sided maintenance cost) is 10,000 yen. : 10 divided and charged.
[0014]
(Maintenance cost calculation for the second and subsequent times)
After this billing, when the repair fee for the second double-sided function is incurred, the double-sided usage amount used for calculating the double-sided maintenance cost is the cumulative method using the cumulative usage amount from before the first repair and the first time Either of the reset methods using only the usage amount after repair of the printer may be adopted, and this can be set by the printer administrator.
In addition, when the amount of billing is calculated periodically, repairs occur in the middle of the billing period, so it is unfair to divide the repair costs based on the amount of use over a certain billing period. Therefore, it is divided based on the usage amount until the failure occurs.
[0015]
In the following, an example of usage and billing amounts over a plurality of billing periods will be described with reference to the example of FIG. Here, a repair fee of 10,000 yen is generated on March 1st and April 15th on the device introduced on January 1st.
For the repair fee on March 1st, the maintenance cost is calculated by the usage rate, that is, the sum of the usage rate for January and February, before the failure occurs. The method is the same).
In addition, for the repair fee on April 15, the usage amount up to April 15 when the failure occurred is used for the ratio calculation, but the usage amount is calculated using the cumulative method including the usage amount before the previous repair and the previous time. The maintenance cost in the reset method that does not include the usage before repair is shown. The usage amount in both cases includes the amount for March and does not include the usage amount after April 16th.
[0016]
In this embodiment, the usage unit price and the repair cost are set for the printer. However, since the usage unit price is simply a constant, a configuration in which this is managed externally is also possible.
[0017]
【The invention's effect】
According to the first aspect of the present invention, means for detecting a user, means for detecting the usage amount of each resource of the user , and storage means for recording usage information including at least the detected user , usage resource and usage amount And billing information creating means for creating billing information according to the usage amount for each user, and a recording means for detecting and recording the generated resources related to the amount and time of the unexpectedly generated expenses, said charging information generating means, we have created a billing information allocated to the user according to the usage amount of the generated resource based the cost of suddenly occurring before Symbol usage information, a sudden costs for each resource , You can make a fair charge that only those who use the resource will be charged.
[0018]
According to the invention of claim 2, in the invention of claim 1 , further comprising means for detecting the use time of each resource, the use information includes the use time, and an unexpectedly generated cost is incurred. Billing information distributed to users was created according to all usage before the time, so that resources are used against resources that accumulate deterioration despite repairs, such as equipment wear due to use. You can make a fair charge that you only pay for what you do.
[0019]
According to the invention of claim 3, in the invention of claim 2 , billing information is generated in which suddenly generated expenses are distributed to users according to the usage before the time of occurrence since the previous generation of expenses for the same resource Therefore, a fair charge can be made that only resources that use the resource will bear the burden of the resource that will not be deteriorated (not accumulated) due to replacement.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a main part schematic configuration diagram showing an overall configuration of a printing system to which the present invention is applied.
FIG. 2 is an internal configuration diagram illustrating an example of a copier / printer multifunction device.
FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating an example of a print job.
FIG. 4 is a flowchart of recording processing (utilization recording).
FIG. 5 is a diagram showing an example of a usage record.
FIG. 6 is a flowchart of charging information generation.
FIG. 7 is a diagram showing the relationship between usage amount and billing amount.
FIG. 8 is a diagram illustrating an example of usage amounts and billing amounts of the accumulation method and the reset method.
[Explanation of symbols]
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Automatic document conveyance unit (ADF), 2 ... Document reading unit, 3 ... Image forming unit, 4 ... Image forming apparatus main body, 5 ... Paper feed unit, 10 ... Copier / printer combined machine.

Claims (3)

Means for detecting a user, means for detecting the usage amount of each resource of the user, storage means for recording usage information including at least the detected user, the usage resource and the usage amount , and the usage amount for each user Billing information creating means for creating billing information according to the cost, and a recording means for detecting and recording the generated resources related to the amount and time of the unexpectedly generated expense , to create a billing information allocated to the user according to the usage amount of the generated resource based on previous SL usage information costs generated, the billing information generating device, characterized in that. The invention according to claim 1 , further comprising means for detecting a use time of each resource, wherein the use information includes the use time, and the suddenly generated expenses are included in all the use amounts before the occurrence time. A billing information creation device that creates billing information distributed to users in response. 3. The billing information creating apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein billing information is generated by distributing the suddenly generated cost to the user according to the usage amount before the time of occurrence after the previous cost generation for the same resource.

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