JP4349036B2 - Invoicing system - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a bill issuing system, and more particularly to a bill issuing system for issuing a bill according to the number of sheets used in an image forming apparatus.

Conventionally, in an image forming apparatus such as a copying machine, a facsimile machine, and a multi-function machine, counter information stored in the apparatus is used for a supplier to make payment with a pay-per-use charge according to the number of print sheets used by the user. A system that automatically collects remote information is used. Patent Document 1 discloses a system that automatically collects counter information of a facsimile machine and automatically issues a bill.
JP-A-5-219346

  However, in Patent Document 1, there is no means to inform the user of the fact that the counter information is collected, and an invoice is automatically issued without obtaining approval of the counter information, which may cause trouble. There was a problem.

  In general, suppliers try to obtain approval of counter information from users through round-trip postcards, telephone contact, visits, etc., but since manual intervention is involved, it is very time-consuming and incorrect counter information is used. There was a risk that an invoice was issued. For example, in the case of checking counter information with a round-trip postcard, a human reads the counter information from the device and inputs the read counter information to create a postcard, so that counter information reading errors and input errors occur. There was a danger. There is also a problem that costs such as labor costs are incurred.

  SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An object of the present invention is to improve the reliability at the time of invoicing, improve the accuracy of counter information, and check counter information by automatically obtaining user approval for counter information collected from an image forming apparatus for billing. It is an object of the present invention to provide an invoicing system that can reduce the cost.

In order to solve the above-mentioned problem, the invention described in claim 1
An image forming apparatus including a counter unit that counts the number of used printing sheets in order to perform metered charging according to the number of used printing sheets, and the image forming apparatus connected to the image forming apparatus via a communication network. A counter collection server that obtains counter information from the forming apparatus; and a bill issuing apparatus that is connected to the counter collection server and issues a bill to the image forming apparatus based on the counter information obtained by the counter collection server. An invoicing system comprising:
The counter collection server extracts and counts counter information acquired from the image forming apparatus according to a contract type, and transmits to the image forming apparatus;
The image forming apparatus acquires information on user approval or denial of the counter information received from the counter collection server and transmits the information to the counter collection server,
The counter collection server transmits the counter information to the bill issuing apparatus when an approval for the counter information is received from the image forming apparatus.

The invention according to claim 2 is the invention according to claim 1,
The image forming apparatus is connected to a user-side information processing apparatus for inputting information relating to user approval or denial of the counter information, and the image forming apparatus receives the counter information received from the counter collection server. Sent to the user information processing device,
The user-side information processing apparatus inputs information related to the approval or denial of the user and transmits the information to the image forming apparatus,
The image forming apparatus is characterized in that information on approval or denial of the counter information is acquired by receiving information on approval or denial from the user-side information processing apparatus.

The invention according to claim 3 is the invention according to claim 2,
The counter collection server encrypts the extracted and tabulated counter information and the identification code of the image forming apparatus, and sends it as an attached file to the image forming apparatus by mail.
When the image forming apparatus decodes and decodes the counter information received from the counter collection server and determines that the counter information is related to its own image forming apparatus, the image forming apparatus converts the received counter information to the user side information. Sent to the processing unit,
The user-side information processing apparatus inputs information related to the approval or denial of the user and sends an e-mail to the image forming apparatus,
The image forming apparatus encrypts the information relating to approval or denial received from the user information processing apparatus and the identification code of the image forming apparatus of its own, and sends an email as an attached file to the counter collection server,
The counter collection server authenticates the information by decrypting and decoding the information received from the image forming apparatus, and transmits the counter information approved by the user to the bill issuing apparatus. Yes.

The invention according to claim 4 is the invention according to claim 1,
The counter collection server creates image data based on the extracted and aggregated counter information, adds a barcode indicating the FAX number of the counter collection server to the image data, and transmits the image data to the image forming apparatus. ,
The image forming apparatus includes a printer unit and a scanner unit, and outputs the received image data to printing paper by the printer unit, and information on approval or denial by a user and a user signature on the output printing paper. Is read as image data by the scanner unit, the barcode is read by the scanner unit, and the read image data is transmitted to the read FAX number,
The counter collection server authenticates the data by collating the signature described in the image data transmitted from the image forming apparatus, and further decodes the information regarding the approval or denial described in the image data. And the counter information is transmitted to the invoicing device when the content of the information regarding the approval or rejection is approval as a result of the decoding by the image identification verification unit. .

The invention according to claim 5 is the invention according to any one of claims 1 to 4,
The counter collection server stores information related to approval for the counter information received from the image forming apparatus in a storage unit for a certain period, and when the cancellation is not notified from the image forming apparatus for a certain period, to the bill issuing apparatus. The counter information is transmitted.

The invention according to claim 6 is the invention according to claim 5,
The counter collection server is configured to delete, from the storage unit, information related to approval for the stored counter information when a cancellation is notified from the image forming apparatus.

The invention according to claim 7 is the invention according to any one of claims 1 to 6,
The counter collection server acquires the counter information from the image forming apparatus by making a transmission request for the counter information to the image forming apparatus,
When receiving a counter information transmission request from the counter collection server, the image forming apparatus transmits the counter information recorded in the counter unit to the counter collection server and prints out the printer unit using the printer unit. It is a feature.

The invention according to claim 8 is the invention according to any one of claims 1 to 7,
The counter collection server may acquire counter information again or notify a manual intervention request when a denial of the counter information is received from the image forming apparatus.

According to the first aspect of the present invention, in the bill issuing system that issues a bill according to the number of print sheets used in the image forming apparatus, the counter collection server contracts the counter information acquired from the image forming apparatus. According to the type, it is extracted, aggregated and transmitted to the image forming apparatus, and the image forming apparatus acquires information regarding user approval or denial for the counter information received from the counter collecting server and transmits it to the counter collecting server. When the approval for the counter information is received from the image forming apparatus, the counter collection server transmits the counter information to the bill issuing apparatus. Therefore, the task of obtaining the user's approval for the counter information is automatically performed, and the invoice is issued after the user's approval is obtained in advance. It is possible to provide an invoicing system capable of reducing labor costs and the like related to information confirmation.

According to the second aspect of the present invention, the image forming apparatus is connected to the user side information processing apparatus for inputting information relating to the approval or denial of the user with respect to the counter information, and the image forming apparatus is connected to the counter collecting server. The received counter information is transmitted to the user-side information processing apparatus, and the user-side information processing apparatus inputs information relating to user approval or denial and transmits the information to the image forming apparatus. Information regarding approval or denial of the counter information is acquired by receiving information regarding approval or denial from the device. Therefore, the counter information can be transmitted to the user-side information processing apparatus without human intervention and can be confirmed by the user, so that the accuracy of the numerical value of the counter information can be improved.

According to the invention described in claim 3, the counter collection server encrypts the extracted and aggregated counter information and the identification code of the image forming apparatus, and sends it as an attached file to the image forming apparatus by mail. The counter information received from the counter collection server is decoded and decoded, and when it is determined that the counter information is related to its own image forming apparatus, the received counter information is transmitted to the user side information processing apparatus. The information processing apparatus on the user side inputs information related to the approval or rejection of the user and sends it to the image forming apparatus by mail, and the image forming apparatus receives the information regarding the approval or rejection received from the user information processing apparatus and the image forming apparatus of its own The identification code is encrypted and sent to the counter collection server as an attached file, and the counter collection server decrypts and decrypts the information received from the image forming apparatus to authenticate the information and is approved by the user. The counter information is transmitted to the bill issuing device. Therefore, since authentication is performed by exchanging encrypted information between the counter collection server and the image forming apparatus and decrypting the received information, a highly reliable system can be provided. In addition, since the image forming apparatus is configured between the supplier-side counter collection server and the user-side information processing apparatus, direct mail transmission from the supplier side to the user-side information processing apparatus can be prevented. It is possible to provide security in the document issuing system.

According to the invention described in claim 4, the counter collection server creates image data based on the extracted and aggregated counter information, and adds a barcode indicating the FAX number of the counter collection server to the image data. The image data is transmitted to the image forming apparatus, and the received image data is output to the printing paper by the printer unit. When the information about the approval or denial by the user and the user's signature are written on the output printing paper, the printing paper Is read as image data by the scanner unit, the barcode is read by the scanner unit, and the read image data is transmitted to the read FAX number. The counter collection server authenticates the data by collating the signature described in the image data transmitted from the image forming apparatus, and further decodes the information regarding the approval or denial described in the image data. An identification verification unit is provided, and when the content of the information regarding approval or rejection is approval as a result of decoding by the image identification verification unit, the counter information is transmitted to the bill issuing device. Therefore, the counter information can be approved from the user using FAX. At this time, since the authentication is performed by identifying the user's signature described in the FAX, a highly reliable system can be provided. Further, since it is not necessary for the user to input a FAX number, erroneous transmission can be prevented. Furthermore, since the image forming apparatus is configured between the supplier-side counter collection server and the user-side information processing apparatus, direct mail FAX transmission from the supplier side to the user-side information processing apparatus can be prevented. Therefore, it is possible to provide security in the bill issuing system.

  According to the fifth aspect of the present invention, the counter collection server stores information related to approval for the counter information received from the image forming apparatus in the storage unit for a certain period, and when the cancellation is not notified from the image forming apparatus for the certain period. The counter information is transmitted to the bill issuing device. Therefore, if the user accidentally approves the counter information, it can be canceled within a certain period.

  According to the sixth aspect of the present invention, when cancellation is notified from the image forming apparatus, the counter collection server deletes information related to approval for the stored counter information from the storage unit. Therefore, the information regarding the canceled approval can be deleted from the storage unit.

  According to the seventh aspect of the present invention, when the counter information transmission request is received from the counter collection server, the image forming apparatus prints out the counter information recorded in the counter unit by the printer unit. Therefore, it is possible to notify the user of the fact that the counter information is collected from the counter collection server.

  According to the eighth aspect of the present invention, the counter collection server acquires the counter information again or notifies the manual intervention request when the denial of the counter information is received from the image forming apparatus. Therefore, it is possible to cope with the case where the counter information is denied by the user.

[First Embodiment]
Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.
First, the configuration will be described.
FIG. 1 shows an example of the overall configuration of a bill issuing system 100 according to the present embodiment. The bill issuing system 100 automatically counters the number of used sheets of printing paper from the multifunction device 1 in order to make payment settlement with a pay-per-use charge corresponding to the number of sheets used for the multifunction device 1 as an image forming apparatus. This is a system for collecting information, obtaining approval of counter information from a user of the multifunction device 1, and issuing a bill corresponding to the number of sheets used.

  As shown in FIG. 1, an invoice issuing system 100 includes an information communication network such as a LAN (Local Area Network) or a WAN (Wide Area Network) in which a multifunction device 1 that is a user device and a user information processing device 2 are connected. The network is configured so that data can be transmitted and received through the network N1, and the counter collection server 3 and the bill issuing device 4 that are suppliers' devices are connected via a network N2 that is an information communication network such as a LAN or WAN. Data transmission and reception. Further, the multifunction device 1 and the counter collection server 3 are connected so as to be able to transmit and receive data via a network PN which is an information communication network such as a general public line or the Internet. The user-side information processing device 2 can be connected to the network PN via the multifunction device 1, and the bill issuing device 4 can be connected to the network PN via the counter collection server 3. Each device and terminal may be wired or wireless. Further, the number of each device is not particularly limited.

Next, each device constituting the bill issuing system 100 will be described.
First, the multifunction device 1 will be described.

  FIG. 2 shows an example of the internal configuration of the multifunction device 1. As shown in FIG. 2, the multifunction machine 1 includes a CPU (Central Processing Unit) 101, an operation display unit 102, a scanner unit 103, an image processing unit 104, a printer unit 105, a RAM (Random Access Memory) 106, a storage unit 107, The counter unit 108, the first transmission / reception unit 109, the second transmission / reception unit 110, and the like are connected to each other via a bus 111.

  The CPU 101 reads out the system program and various processing programs stored in the storage unit 107 and expands them in the RAM 106, and centrally controls the operations of the respective units of the multifunction machine 1 according to the expanded programs. Further, the CPU 101 reads out various processing programs stored in the storage unit 107 to the RAM 106 and executes various processes.

  For example, in accordance with various processing programs stored in the storage unit 107, the CPU 101 performs a copy process for copying a document placed on the contact glass of the scanner unit 103 when the user presses the operation display unit 102, a network N1. , Print processing for printing out based on data received via the PN, printing out FAX data received from an external device via the network PN, and FAX obtained by reading a document read from the scanner unit 103 A FAX process for transmitting data to an external device via the network PN is performed. Further, the CPU 101 communicates with the counter collection server 3 and the user-side information processing device 2 according to a program stored in the storage unit 107, and executes a multifunction machine process of a bill issuing process A described later.

  The operation display unit 102 is configured by an LCD (Liquid Crystal Display), and displays various operation buttons, device status display, operation status of each function, and the like on a display screen according to an instruction of a display signal input from the CPU 101. The LCD display screen is covered with a pressure-sensitive (resistive film pressure) touch panel configured with transparent electrodes arranged in a grid, and the XY coordinates of the force point pressed with a finger or a touch pen are expressed as voltage values. The detected position signal is output to the CPU 101 as an operation signal. The operation display unit 102 includes various operation buttons such as a numeric button and a start button, and outputs an operation signal generated by the button operation to the CPU 101.

  The scanner unit 103 includes a scanner below a contact glass on which a document is placed, and reads an image of the document. The scanner is composed of a light source, a CCD (Charge Coupled Device), etc., and forms an image of reflected light of light scanned from the light source to the original and photoelectrically converts it to read the original image, and the read image is converted into digital image data. And output to the image processing unit 104. Here, the image includes not only image data such as graphics and photographs but also text data such as characters and symbols.

  The image processing unit 104 performs image processing such as enlargement / reduction, rotation, position change, gradation processing, frequency processing, and the like on the image data in accordance with an instruction input from the CPU 101.

  The printer unit 105 includes a photosensitive drum, toner, a discharge unit, a paper feed unit, and the like. The printer unit 105 receives print data instructed by the operation display unit 102 or received by the first transmission / reception unit 109 and the second transmission / reception unit 110 via the network N1 or PN in accordance with a print instruction from the CPU 101. A sheet having a size and orientation designated by the control data included in the image is conveyed from the sheet feeding unit, and an electrostatic latent image of the image input from the image processing unit 104 is formed on the surface of the photosensitive drum. Further, the printer unit 105 attaches toner to an area including the electrostatic latent image on the surface of the photosensitive drum, transfers the toner onto the printing paper conveyed from the paper feeding unit, fixes it, and then discharges it from the discharge unit.

  The RAM 106 serves as a temporary storage area for programs, input, or output data and parameters read from the storage unit 107 in various processes controlled by the CPU 101.

  The storage unit 107 is configured by a nonvolatile semiconductor memory or the like, and stores a system program corresponding to the multifunction machine 1 and various processing programs that can be executed on the system program. The program is stored in the form of computer-readable program code, and the CPU 101 sequentially executes operations according to the program code. Further, as shown in FIG. 2, the storage unit 107 includes a reply mail storage unit 107 a and stores reply mail received from the user information processing apparatus 2.

  The counter unit 108 counts and stores the number of sheets used for each print paper size printed out by the printer unit 105.

The first transmission / reception unit 109 is configured by a communication control card such as a LAN card, and transmits / receives various data to / from the user-side information processing apparatus 2 connected to the network N1.
The second transmission / reception unit 110 includes a modem, a LAN adapter, a router, a TA (Terminal Adapter), and the like, and performs communication control with each device including the counter collection server 3 connected to the network PN.

Next, the user side information processing apparatus 2 will be described.
The user-side information processing device 2 receives a counter information confirmation mail from the multifunction device 1 via the network N1. When the approval / denial of the counter information of the received confirmation mail is input, the approval / denial of the counter information is transmitted to the multi function device 1 by e-mail.

  FIG. 3 shows an internal configuration example of the user side information processing apparatus 2. As shown in FIG. 3, the user-side information processing apparatus 2 includes a CPU 201, an operation unit 202, a display unit 203, a RAM 204, a storage unit 205, a transmission / reception unit 206, and the like.

  The CPU 201 reads out the system program and various processing programs stored in the storage unit 205 and expands them in the RAM 204, and centrally controls the operation of each unit of the user-side information processing apparatus 2 according to the expanded programs. Further, the CPU 201 communicates with the multi-function device 1 according to a program stored in the storage unit 205, and executes a user-side information processing device process of a bill issuing process A described later.

  The operation unit 202 includes a keyboard having various function keys in addition to character keys and numeric keys, and outputs an operation signal corresponding to the operated key to the CPU 201. The operation unit 202 may include a pointing device such as a mouse or a touch panel.

  The display unit 203 includes a display screen made up of a CRT (Cathode Ray Tube), an LCD, or the like, and displays image information on the screen in accordance with an instruction of a display signal input from the CPU 201.

  The RAM 204 is a temporary storage area for programs, inputs, or output data and parameters read from the storage unit 205 in various processes controlled by the CPU 201.

  The storage unit 205 is configured by a nonvolatile semiconductor memory or the like, and stores a system program corresponding to the user-side information processing device 2 and various processing programs that can be executed on the system program. The program is stored in the form of computer readable program code, and the CPU 201 sequentially executes operations according to the program code.

  The transmission / reception unit 206 is configured by a communication control card such as a LAN card, and transmits / receives data to / from the multifunction machine 1 connected to the network N1.

Next, the counter collection server 3 will be described.
When the specified date arrives, the counter collection server 3 sends a counter information transmission request to the multifunction device 1 via the network PN, and collects the counter information of the multifunction device 1. In addition, when a confirmation mail for confirming approval / denial of the collected counter information is transmitted to the multi-function device 1 and the approval is returned from the multi-function device 1, the user approval is sent to the invoice issuing device 4 via the network N2. The acquisition is notified, and the counter information with approval is transmitted.

  FIG. 4 shows an internal configuration example of the counter collection server 3. As shown in FIG. 4, the counter collection server 3 includes a CPU 301, an operation unit 302, a display unit 303, a RAM 304, a storage unit 305, a first transmission / reception unit 306, a second transmission / reception unit 307, and the like. 308 is connected.

  The CPU 301 reads a system program and various processing programs stored in the storage unit 305, expands them in the RAM 304, and centrally controls the operation of each unit of the counter collection server 3 according to the expanded programs. Further, the CPU 301 communicates with the multifunction peripheral 1 and the bill issuing device 4 according to a program stored in the storage unit 305, and executes counter collection server processing of bill issuing processing A described later.

  The operation unit 302 includes a keyboard having various function keys in addition to character keys and numeric keys, and outputs an operation signal corresponding to the operated key to the CPU 301. The operation unit 302 may be configured to include a pointing device such as a mouse or a touch panel.

  The display unit 303 includes a display screen composed of a CRT, an LCD, or the like, and displays image information on the screen in accordance with an instruction of a display signal input from the CPU 301.

  The RAM 304 serves as a temporary storage area for programs, input, or output data and parameters read from the storage unit 305 in various processes controlled by the CPU 301.

  The storage unit 305 is configured by a nonvolatile semiconductor memory or the like, and stores a system program corresponding to the counter collection server 1 and various processing programs that can be executed on the system program. The program is stored in the form of computer readable program code, and the CPU 301 sequentially executes operations according to the program code. As illustrated in FIG. 4, the storage unit 305 includes an approval response storage unit 305 a and stores an approval response for the counter information received from the multifunction device 1. Furthermore, the storage unit 305 has a contract type storage unit 305b that stores the contract type of each multifunction device 1.

The first transmission / reception unit 306 is configured by a communication control card such as a LAN card, and transmits / receives data to / from the bill issuing device 4 connected to the network N2.
The second transmission / reception unit 307 includes a modem, a LAN adapter, a router, a TA (Terminal Adapter), and the like, and performs communication control with each device such as the multi-function device 1 connected to the network PN.

Next, the bill issuing device 4 will be described.
When the bill issuing device 4 receives the user approval notification and the counter information from the counter collection server 3 via the network N2, the bill issuing device 4 issues a bill based on the received counter information. Also, the history management of the received counter information is performed.

  FIG. 5 shows an internal configuration example of the bill issuing device 4. As shown in FIG. 5, the bill issuing device 4 includes a CPU 401, an operation unit 402, a display unit 403, a transmission / reception unit 404, a RAM 405, a storage unit 406, a bill issue processing unit 407, a counter history storage unit 408, and a printing unit 409. Etc., and each part is connected by a bus 410.

  The CPU 401 reads out system programs and various processing programs stored in the storage unit 406 and develops them in the RAM 405, and centrally controls the operation of each part of the bill issuing device 4 according to the developed programs. Further, the CPU 401 communicates with the counter collection server 3 in accordance with a program stored in the storage unit 406, and executes a bill issuing device process of a bill issuing process A described later.

  The operation unit 402 includes a keyboard having various function keys in addition to character keys and numeric keys, and outputs an operation signal corresponding to the operated key to the CPU 401. The operation unit 402 may include a pointing device such as a mouse or a touch panel.

  The display unit 403 includes a display screen composed of a CRT, an LCD, or the like, and displays image information on the screen in accordance with an instruction of a display signal input from the CPU 401.

  The transmission / reception unit 404 is constituted by a communication control card such as a LAN card, and transmits / receives data to / from the counter collection server 3 connected to the network N2.

  The RAM 405 serves as a temporary storage area for programs, input, or output data and parameters read from the storage unit 406 in various processes controlled by the CPU 401.

  The storage unit 406 is configured by a nonvolatile semiconductor memory or the like, and stores a system program corresponding to the bill issuing device 4 and various processing programs that can be executed on the system program. The program is stored in the form of computer-readable program code, and the CPU 401 sequentially executes operations according to the program code.

  The invoice issue processing unit 407 calculates a fee based on the counter information received from the counter collection server 3 in accordance with an instruction from the CPU 401, creates invoice data based on the calculated fee, and prints the print unit 409. Output to.

  The counter history storage unit 408 includes an HDD, a nonvolatile semiconductor memory, and the like, and stores counter information received from the counter collection server 3 by the transmission / reception unit 404 as a history.

  The print unit 409 prints out the invoice data output from the invoice issue processing unit 407.

Next, the operation will be described.
6 and 7 show a processing sequence of the bill issuing process A executed by each device of the bill issuing system 100. FIG.

  First, when the designated date arrives in the counter collection server 3 (step S1; YES), a transmission request for counter information is made to the MFP 1 that is the subject of billing via the second transmission / reception unit 307. (Step S2). In the multifunction device 1, when a counter information transmission request is received via the second transmission / reception unit 110 (step S 3), the counter information is read from the counter unit 108, and the counter information is transmitted to the counter collection server 3. A response is made (step S4). Next, in order to indicate to the user that the counter information has been collected, the counter information in response is printed out by the printer unit 105 (step S5).

When the counter information is received by the counter collection server 3 (step S6),
Counter information is extracted and tabulated according to the contract type with the user stored in the contract type storage unit 305b (step S7), and the counter information extracted and tabulated and the MFP as an identification code of the MFP 1 The ID is encrypted, and a confirmation mail is sent to the multi-function device 1 as an attached mail via the second transmission / reception unit 307 (step S8).

  When the multifunction device 1 receives the confirmation mail from the counter collection server 3 (step S9), the attached file of the confirmation mail is decrypted and decrypted (step S10). It is determined whether or not there is (step S11). If it is determined that the information is not related to its own counter information (step S11; NO), the mail is deleted (step S12), and the process returns to step S9. If it is determined that the information relates to its own counter information (step S11; YES), information relating to the user's approval / denial of the counter information is acquired.

  That is, in the multifunction device 1, the confirmation mail is transferred to the user side information processing apparatus 2 via the first transmission / reception unit 109 (step S13), and the confirmation mail is received in the user side information processing apparatus 2 (step S14). When the counter information is confirmed by the user and the approval / disapproval of the counter information of the received confirmation mail is input by the operation unit 202 (step S15), information regarding the approval / disapproval of the counter information is sent to the multi function device 1. It is transmitted by mail (step S16). In this way, in the multi-function device 1, information related to user approval / denial for the counter information received from the counter collection server 3 is acquired.

  In the multifunction device 1, when a reply mail is received from the user-side information processing device 2, the reply mail is stored in the reply mail storage unit 107a (step S17), and the approval / rejection of the user described in the multifunction machine ID and the reply mail is performed. The rejection information is encrypted, and a reply mail is transferred as an attached file to the counter collection server 3 via the second transmission / reception unit 110 (step S18). The reply mail stored in the reply mail storage unit 107a is deleted after being stored for a predetermined period. This predetermined period is set in advance according to a certain period that is set in order to accept cancellation at the counter collection server 3.

  When the counter collection server 3 receives the reply mail (step S19), the attached file of the received reply mail is decrypted and decrypted, and the reply mail is authenticated (step S20). Here, the counter collection server 3 decrypts and decodes the attached file, thereby authenticating that the mail from the multifunction device 1 is a regular reply mail. When the content of the reply mail is approval (step S21; YES), the approval response is stored in the approval response storage unit 305a for a predetermined period of time and is put on hold (step S23). The approval response is suspended to accept cancellation from the user for a certain period.

  In the user-side information processing device 2, after sending a confirmation mail in step S <b> 16, if cancellation is instructed by the operation unit 22 (step S <b> 24; YES), a cancellation mail is sent to the multifunction device 1 via the transmission / reception unit 206. (Step S25). Here, the cancellation mail can be performed, for example, by retransmitting the reply mail transmitted in step S16. At this time, a reason for cancellation can be added.

  In the multi-function device 1, when a cancellation mail is received via the first transmission / reception unit 109 (step S26; YES), the counter collection server 3 is notified of the counter information approval cancellation via the second transmission / reception unit 110. (Step S27). Here, if the cancel mail is performed by resending the return mail, the multi-function device 1 determines whether or not the received reply mail is a reply mail stored in the reply mail storage unit 107a. If it is a retransmission, it is recognized that it is a cancellation mail.

  When the counter collection server 3 receives a cancel notification within a certain period (step S28; YES), a cancel process is performed (step S29). The cancellation process is performed by deleting the approval response from the multifunction device 1 stored in the approval response storage unit 305a in order to delete the approval fact from the multifunction device 1 that is put on hold. When the counter collection server 3 does not receive a cancel notification within a certain period (step S28; NO), the MFP 1 and the user approval are acquired for the bill issuing device 4 via the first transmission / reception unit 306. The counter information received in step S6 is transmitted (step S30).

  When the invoice issuing device 4 receives the MFP ID, the user approval acquisition notification, and the counter information (step S31), the received counter information is stored in the counter history storage unit 408 as a history in association with the MFP ID. In step S32, the bill issuing processing unit 407 calculates a fee based on the received counter information, issues a bill (step S33), and ends the process.

  On the other hand, in the counter collection server 3, when the content of the reply mail received from the multifunction device 1 is denial of the counter information (step S21; NO), a denial resolution process is performed (step S22). In the denial resolution process, for example, in order to acquire counter information again or notify the administrator of a manual intervention request, a screen for notifying the copying machine ID and the denial is displayed on the display unit 303.

  As described above, according to the invoicing system 100, when the specified date arrives, the counter collection server 3 makes a transmission request for counter information to the multifunction device 1, and the multifunction device 1 sends the counter information to the counter collection server 3. Counter information is automatically collected by responding to the counter information. When the counter information is received in the counter collection server 3, the MFP ID and the counter information are encrypted and transmitted as a confirmation mail to the multifunction device 1, and the confirmation mail is transferred from the multifunction device 1 to the user-side information processing device 2. Is done. When the user information processing apparatus 2 confirms the contents of the confirmation mail and returns approval / denial, the multifunction apparatus 1 encrypts the reply mail and transmits it to the counter collection server 3. In the counter collection server 3, the reply mail is decrypted, and when the counter information is approved by the user, the invoice issuing device 4 is notified, and the invoice is issued from the invoice issuing device 4 based on the approved counter information. Is issued. When the counter information is denied by the user, the counter collection server 3 performs a denial resolution process. In addition, when the approval cancellation mail transmitted from the user-side information processing device 2 via the multifunction device 1 is received by the counter collection server 3 within a certain period, the counter collection server 3 executes the cancellation process. Is done.

  Therefore, when issuing an invoice based on automatically collected counter information, the counter information is checked in advance with the user, and the invoice is issued only when approval is obtained. Can be improved. In addition, mail is not exchanged directly between the supplier-side counter collection server 3 and the user-side information processing apparatus 2, and since the multifunction device 1 always exists, direct mail is sent from the supplier side to the user-side information processing apparatus 2. Etc. are not transmitted, and the reliability in terms of security can be provided. In addition, the counter information transmitted to the user can improve the accuracy of numerical values because the operator does not intervene the input work. Furthermore, unlike conventional methods of obtaining counter information approval by round-trip postcards, telephone calls, visits, etc., since there is no human intervention on the supplier side unless a denial from the user occurs, labor costs can be reduced and billing can be reduced. It is possible to reduce the costs associated with document issuance.

Note that the description content in the above embodiment is a preferred example in the present embodiment, and the present invention is not limited to this.
For example, in the above-described embodiment, the counter collection server 3 and the bill issuing device 4 are configured separately, but may be integrated.

  In the above-described embodiment, the case of issuing an invoice for a multifunction machine has been described as an example. However, the present invention can be applied to an image forming apparatus such as a copying machine, a printer, or a facsimile.

  In addition, the detailed configuration and detailed operation of each device constituting the bill issuing system 100 can be changed as appropriate without departing from the spirit of the present invention.

[Second Embodiment]
Next, a second embodiment of the present invention will be described.
In the first embodiment, the method of acquiring approval / disapproval of counter information by the user by mail transmission / reception between the counter collection server 3 and the user-side information processing device 2 via the multifunction device 1 has been described. In the embodiment, image data is transmitted and received between the counter collection server 3 and the multi-function device 1, thereby obtaining approval / denial of the counter information by the user. That is, the bill issuing system 100 according to the present embodiment includes the multifunction device 1, the counter collection server 3, and the bill issuing device 4 according to the first embodiment described above.

  The CPU 101 of the multifunction device 1 communicates with the counter collection server 3 according to the program stored in the storage unit 107, and executes the multifunction device processing of the bill issuing process B described later. The other configuration of the multifunction device 1 is the same as the configuration described in the first embodiment (see FIG. 2), and thus the description thereof is omitted. The transmission / reception unit 109 may not be provided in the present invention.

  The CPU 301 of the counter collection server 3 communicates with the multifunction peripheral 1 and the bill issuing device 4 according to a program stored in the storage unit 305, and executes counter collection server processing of bill issuing processing B described later. The storage unit 305 includes a user approval sheet format data storage unit 305b. Further, the counter collection server 3 identifies characters, numbers, symbols, and the like included in the image data in the configuration described in the first embodiment (see FIG. 3), and holds the user's signature as an image. In addition, the image identification collating unit 309 (not shown) is configured to collate with a signature image included in the received image data and determine whether or not they match.

  The CPU 401 of the bill issuing device 4 communicates with the counter collection server 3 according to the program stored in the storage unit 406, and executes bill issuing device processing of bill issuing processing B described later. The configuration of the other bill issuing device 4 is the same as the configuration described in the first embodiment (see FIG. 5), and thus the description thereof is omitted.

Next, the operation will be described.
8 and 9 show the processing sequence of the bill issuing process B executed by each device of the bill issuing system 100. FIG.

  First, in the counter collection server 3, when the designated date arrives (step S41; YES), a request for transmission of counter information is made to the MFP 1 corresponding to the bill issue date via the second transmission / reception unit 307. (Step S42). In the multifunction device 1, when a counter information transmission request is received via the second transmission / reception unit 110 (step S 43), the counter information is read from the counter unit 108, and the counter information is transmitted to the counter collection server 3. A response is made (step S44). Next, in order to indicate to the user that the counter information has been collected, the counter information in response is printed out by the printer unit 105 (step S45).

  When the counter information is received in the counter collection server 3 (step S46), the counter information corresponding to the contract type with the user is extracted from the received counter information and aggregated (step S47), and the user approval sheet format data Based on the format stored in the storage unit 305b, image data of the user approval sheet in which the extracted and aggregated counter information and the MFP ID of the MFP 1 are clearly specified is created (step S48). A bar code indicating the reply destination, that is, the FAX number of the counter collection server 3 is added to the image data, and the image data is FAX-transmitted to the MFP 1 via the second transmission / reception unit 307 (step S49).

  When the MFP 1 receives the image data of the user approval sheet from the counter collection server 3 by FAX (Step S50), the received data is decoded by the scanner unit 103 (Step S51), and the counter of its own MFP is obtained. It is determined whether or not the information is information (step S52). If it is determined that the information is not related to its own counter information (step S52; NO), the received image data is deleted (step S53), and the process returns to step S50. If it is determined that the information relates to its own counter information (step S52; YES), information relating to the user's approval / denial of the counter information is acquired and information relating to the approval / denial of the counter collection server 3 is transmitted.

  That is, in the multi function device 1, the image data received by FAX is printed by the printer unit 105, and a user approval sheet is output (step S54). Next, the counter information described in the user approval sheet is confirmed by the user, and the user approval sheet in which the counter information is approved / denied and the user's autograph is set in the document reading position, and the operation unit 102 When reading is instructed (step S55), the scanner unit 103 scans and reads the contents of the user approval sheet (step S56), and also reads the barcode attached to the user approval sheet (step S57). The scanned image data is transmitted to the FAX number indicated by the counter collection server 3 indicated by the barcode (step S58).

  When the counter collection server 3 receives the image data of the returned user approval sheet (step S59), the signature of the user included in the transmitted image data of the user approval sheet is verified by the image identification verification unit 309. Thus, the user authentication is performed, and when the authentication is performed, the content of the user approval sheet is identified and decoded by the image identification collating unit 309 (step S60). If the content of the user approval sheet is approval (step S61; YES), the approval response is stored in the approval response storage unit 305a for a predetermined period of time and is put on hold (step S63). The approval response is suspended to accept cancellation from the user for a certain period.

  In the multi function device 1, after transmitting the user approval sheet in step S <b> 58, the contents indicating cancellation are written in the user approval sheet, the user approval sheet is placed again at the document position, and scanning is instructed by the operation unit 102. When cancellation is instructed (step S64; YES), the user approval sheet data indicating cancellation scanned via the transmission / reception unit 110 is faxed to the barcode destination (step S65). Here, the reason for cancellation can be added to the approval sheet to be retransmitted.

  When the counter collection server 3 receives a FAX indicating cancellation within a certain period, that is, when data of the user approval sheet is received again from the multi-function device 1 (step S66; YES), a cancel process is performed (step S66). S67). The cancellation process is performed by deleting the approval response from the multifunction device 1 stored in the approval response storage unit 305a in order to delete the approval fact from the multifunction device 1 that is put on hold. If the counter collection server 3 does not receive a FAX indicating cancellation within a certain period (step S66; NO), the MFP ID and user approval are obtained from the bill issuing device 4 via the second transmission / reception unit. And the counter information received in step S46 is transmitted (step S68).

  When the invoice issuing device 4 receives the MFP ID, the user approval acquisition notification, and the counter information (step S69), the received counter information is stored as a history in the counter history storage unit 408 in association with the MFP ID. (Step S70), a fee is calculated based on the received counter information, an invoice is issued (Step S71), and the process ends.

  On the other hand, in the counter collection server 3, when the data content of the user approval sheet received from the multifunction device 1 is a denial of the counter information (step S61; NO), a denial resolution process is performed (step S62). In the denial resolution process, for example, in order to acquire counter information again or notify the administrator of a manual intervention request, a screen for notifying the copying machine ID and the denial is displayed on the display unit 303.

  As described above, according to the invoicing system 100, when the specified date arrives, the counter collection server 3 makes a transmission request for counter information to the multifunction device 1, and the multifunction device 1 sends the counter information to the counter collection server 3. Counter information is automatically collected by responding to the counter information. When the counter collection server 3 receives the counter information, a user approval sheet specifying the MFP ID and the counter information is created, and a barcode indicating the FAX number of the counter collection server 3 is added to the image data. The fax is transmitted to the multifunction device 1. In the multi-function device 1, the received image data is output by the printer unit 105, and when the user sets and sets information and signature regarding the approval / disapproval of the counter information, the paper is read by the scanner unit 103, Fax is sent to the destination of the code.

  In the counter collection server 3, when a reply of the user approval sheet is received, the image identification verification unit 309 performs image verification of the signature and authenticates it, and also decodes information regarding approval / denial from the user approval sheet. When the counter information is approved by the user, the invoice issuing device 4 is notified, and the invoice is issued from the invoice issuing device 4 based on the approved counter information. When the counter information is denied by the user, the counter collection server 3 performs a denial resolution process. In addition, when an approval cancellation mail transmitted from the user-side information processing apparatus 2 via the multifunction device 1 is received by the counter collection server 3 within a certain period, the counter collection server 3 executes a cancel process. Is done.

  Therefore, when issuing an invoice based on automatically collected counter information, the counter information is checked in advance with the user, and the invoice is issued only when approval is obtained. Can be improved. In addition, the counter information transmitted to the user can improve the accuracy of numerical values because the operator does not intervene the input work. Furthermore, unlike conventional methods of obtaining counter information approval by round-trip postcards, telephone calls, visits, etc., since there is no human intervention on the supplier side unless a denial from the user occurs, labor costs can be reduced and billing can be reduced. It is possible to reduce the costs associated with document issuance. Furthermore, when the user performs FAX transmission, it is not necessary to input a FAX number, so that erroneous transmission can be prevented.

Note that the description content in the above embodiment is a preferred example in the present embodiment, and the present invention is not limited to this.
For example, in the above-described embodiment, the counter collection server 3 and the bill issuing device 4 are configured separately, but may be integrated.

  In addition, the approval / denial transmission from the MFP 1 to the counter collection server 3 may be performed using a user approval sheet, but the printer unit 105 is used to notify the user that the counter information has been collected. The approval / denial and signature may be written on the sheet output from the terminal and faxed to the counter collection server 3.

  In addition, the detailed configuration and detailed operation of each device constituting the bill issuing system 100 can be changed as appropriate without departing from the spirit of the present invention.

It is a conceptual diagram which shows the whole structure of the bill issuing system 100 which concerns on this invention. FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating a functional configuration of the multifunction machine 1 in FIG. 1. It is a block diagram which shows the functional structure of the user side information processing apparatus 2 of FIG. It is a block diagram which shows the functional structure of the counter collection server 3 of FIG. It is a block diagram which shows the functional structure of the bill issuing apparatus 4 of FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a processing sequence of a bill issuing process A executed by the CPU 101, the CPU 201 in FIG. 3, the CPU 301 in FIG. 4, and the CPU 401 in FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a processing sequence of a bill issuing process A executed by the CPU 101, the CPU 201 in FIG. 3, the CPU 301 in FIG. 4, and the CPU 401 in FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a processing sequence of invoice issue processing B executed by the CPU 101, the CPU 301 in FIG. 4 and the CPU 401 in FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a processing sequence of invoice issue processing B executed by the CPU 101, the CPU 301 in FIG. 4 and the CPU 401 in FIG.

Explanation of symbols

100 Invoicing system 1 MFP 101 CPU
102 Operation Display Unit 103 Scanner Unit 104 Image Processing Unit 105 Printer Unit 106 RAM
107 storage unit 107a reply mail storage unit 108 counter unit 109 first transmission / reception unit 110 second transmission / reception unit 111 bus 2 user side information processing apparatus 201 CPU
202 Operation unit 203 Display unit 204 RAM
205 Storage Unit 206 Transmission / Reception Unit 207 Bus 3 Counter Collection Server 301 CPU
302 Operation unit 303 Display unit 304 RAM
305 Storage unit 305a Approval response storage unit 305b Contract type storage unit 306 First transmission / reception unit 307 Second transmission / reception unit 308 Bus 4 Invoice issuing device 401 CPU
402 Operation unit 403 Display unit 404 Transmission / reception unit 405 RAM
406 Storage unit 407 Invoice issue processing unit 408 Counter history storage unit 409 Print unit 410 Bus

Claims (8)

An image forming apparatus including a counter unit that counts the number of used printing sheets in order to perform metered charging according to the number of used printing sheets, and the image forming apparatus connected to the image forming apparatus via a communication network. A counter collection server that obtains counter information from the forming apparatus; and a bill issuing apparatus that is connected to the counter collection server and issues a bill to the image forming apparatus based on the counter information obtained by the counter collection server. An invoicing system comprising:
The counter collection server extracts and counts counter information acquired from the image forming apparatus according to a contract type, and transmits to the image forming apparatus;
The image forming apparatus acquires information on user approval or denial of the counter information received from the counter collection server and transmits the information to the counter collection server,
The bill collection system, wherein the counter collection server transmits the counter information to the bill issuing device when an approval for the counter information is received from the image forming device. The image forming apparatus is connected to a user-side information processing apparatus for inputting information relating to user approval or denial of the counter information, and the image forming apparatus receives the counter information received from the counter collection server. Sent to the user information processing device,
The user-side information processing apparatus inputs information related to the approval or denial of the user and transmits the information to the image forming apparatus,
2. The invoicing according to claim 1, wherein the image forming apparatus acquires information on approval or denial of the counter information by receiving information on approval or denial from the user-side information processing apparatus. system. The counter collection server encrypts the extracted and tabulated counter information and the identification code of the image forming apparatus, and sends it as an attached file to the image forming apparatus by mail.
When the image forming apparatus decodes and decodes the counter information received from the counter collection server and determines that the counter information is related to its own image forming apparatus, the image forming apparatus converts the received counter information to the user side information. Sent to the processing unit,
The user-side information processing apparatus inputs information related to the approval or denial of the user and sends an e-mail to the image forming apparatus,
The image forming apparatus encrypts the information relating to approval or denial received from the user information processing apparatus and the identification code of the image forming apparatus of its own, and sends an email as an attached file to the counter collection server,
The counter collection server authenticates the information by decrypting and decoding the information received from the image forming apparatus, and transmits the counter information approved by the user to the bill issuing apparatus. The invoice issuing system according to claim 2. The counter collection server creates image data based on the extracted and aggregated counter information, adds a barcode indicating the FAX number of the counter collection server to the image data, and transmits the image data to the image forming apparatus. ,
The image forming apparatus includes a printer unit and a scanner unit, and outputs the received image data to printing paper by the printer unit, and information on approval or denial by a user and a user signature on the output printing paper. Is read as image data by the scanner unit, the barcode is read by the scanner unit, and the read image data is transmitted to the read FAX number,
The counter collection server authenticates the data by collating the signature described in the image data transmitted from the image forming apparatus, and further decodes the information regarding the approval or denial described in the image data. An image identification / collation unit that transmits the counter information to the invoicing device when the content of the approval or denial information is approval as a result of decoding by the image identification / collation unit. The invoice issuing system according to claim 1.   The counter collection server stores information related to approval for the counter information received from the image forming apparatus in a storage unit for a certain period, and when the cancellation is not notified from the image forming apparatus for a certain period, to the bill issuing apparatus. The bill issuing system according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the counter information is transmitted.   The said counter collection server deletes the information regarding the approval with respect to the said stored said counter information from the said memory | storage part, when cancellation is notified from the said image forming apparatus. Certificate issuing system. The counter collection server acquires the counter information from the image forming apparatus by making a transmission request for the counter information to the image forming apparatus,
When receiving a counter information transmission request from the counter collection server, the image forming apparatus transmits the counter information recorded in the counter unit to the counter collection server and prints out the printer unit using the printer unit. The bill issuing system according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that   8. The counter collecting server according to claim 1, wherein when the denial of the counter information is received from the image forming apparatus, the counter collecting server acquires the counter information again or notifies a manual intervention request. The invoice issuing system according to any one of the above.

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