JPH0514677A - Charging method for public facsimile equipment - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To attain proper charge collection method for the public facsimile equipment. CONSTITUTION:When transmission is started in the step S20, whether or not the transmission for one page is finished is discriminated in the step S21. when the transmission for one page is not finished, whether or not any fault disturbing transmission takes place is discriminated in the step S22 and when no fault takes place, the step is returned to the step S21 and when a fault takes place, the step is advanced to the step S25 and the transmission is finished. Furthermore, when it is discriminated that the transmission for one page is finished in the step S21, a facsimile charge in response to the information quantity of the relevant page is corrected from a card.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a billing method for a public facsimile machine on the premise of an unspecified number of users.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art With the spread of facsimile machines, recently, facsimile machines have been installed in stations and convenience stores. In such a facsimile machine (hereinafter referred to as public FAX) which is premised on an unspecified number of users, a facsimile fee is collected every time a facsimile is used.

Regarding the charging method in public FAX,
For example, as described in JP-A-62-15967, the original information is first read to detect the amount of transmitted information,
The fee is calculated based on the detection result, and the communication is started after the fee is received. Fees are collected not only by cash but also by a value-recorded card known as a telephone card.

[0004]

In the above-mentioned prior art, since the facsimile communication is started after the charge is collected,
In case of unsuccessful communication or interruption in the middle, it is desirable to return some or all of the received charges. However, especially when the fee is collected from the card, there is a problem that the mechanism for returning the fee is complicated and the fee cannot be returned in effect.

An object of the present invention is to solve the above-mentioned problems of the prior art and to provide a billing method for a public facsimile apparatus which enables proper fee collection.

[0006]

In order to achieve the above object, according to the present invention, when a facsimile fee corresponding to the amount of information of a transmission original is collected from a storage medium in which a value is recorded, the transmission original is transmitted. Either during the transmission of or after the transmission is completed, only the successful transmission is collected.

[0007]

With the above arrangement, the facsimile fee is
Since only the successful transmission is collected, if an accident occurs during the transmission and the transmission cannot be continued, the fee will not be collected for the portion after that, and the appropriate fee can be collected. ..

[0008]

1 is a schematic block diagram of a public FAX to which the present invention is applied.

In the figure, a scanner 1 reads document information and converts it into image information of an electric signal. Codec section 2
Encodes image information or decodes the encoded image information. The image storage memory 3 stores the encoded image information. The card processing unit 4 collects a facsimile fee corresponding to the amount of information of the transmitted original document from the card 12 on which the value is recorded, such as a telephone card. The modem 5 modulates image information to be transmitted and demodulates received image information. The line control unit (NCU) 6 calls a partner station when there is a transmission instruction by dialing or performs a predetermined communication procedure or the like according to a predetermined protocol.

The printer 7 prints out the received image information on recording paper. The operation panel 8 has a numeric keypad, function keys, a display unit, and the like. System control unit (CPU) 9
Controls the operation of the entire facsimile. ROM10
Stores various basic data such as a control program and a billing program for operating this system. The RAM 11 provides a work area and stores data set by the user from the operation panel 8.

In the facsimile apparatus having the above structure, the image information read by the scanner 1 is encoded by the codec section 2 and temporarily stored in the image storage memory 3. Then, the image information is read from the image storage memory 3, modulated by the modem 5 and sent to the line control unit 6. At this time, the CPU 9 calculates the facsimile charge according to the information amount of the transmitted original document based on the charging program registered in the ROM 10 in advance. This facsimile fee is collected from the card 12 by the card processing unit 4.

The present invention is an improvement of the billing method in which the CPU 9 instructs the card processing unit 4 based on the billing program registered in the ROM 10. The embodiment will be described in detail below.

FIG. 2 is a flow chart for explaining a public FAX charging method according to the present invention.

In step S10, a message prompting the insertion of a card is displayed on the display section of the control panel 8. In step S11, it is determined whether the card 12 has been inserted into the card processing unit 4. Card 12
Is inserted, in step S12,
A message prompting the transmission process is displayed.

In step S13, it is determined whether the transmission operation has been executed. Here, the transmitted document is the scanner 1
When the dial number of the partner station is input from the control panel 8 and the send button is pressed and the sending operation is completed, in step S14, the scanner 1 starts reading the sent document, and the read document information is read. Are stored in the image storage memory 3.

In step S15, it is determined whether or not the reading of the image information for one page of the original has been completed. When the reading is completed, the information amount for the one page is detected in step S16. In step S17, a facsimile fee corresponding to the detected amount of information for one page is calculated.

FIG. 6 is a diagram showing an embodiment of the relationship between the amount of information for one page and the facsimile charge. Since the time required for transmission is also affected by the communication speed, a data table that defines the communication speed and the surcharge rate as shown in FIG. It is also possible to detect the communication speed determined based on the line condition and determine the facsimile charge based on the amount of information and the communication speed.

Further, the communication charge varies depending on the communication time zone, and a discount charge is applied from night to midnight.
Therefore, for example, as shown in FIG. 9, it is possible to prepare a time table and a data table in which the surcharge rate of the fee is determined in advance, and determine the facsimile fee in consideration of the communication time zone.

In step S18, the calculated facsimile fee is stored in the work area of the RAM 11 separately for each page. In step S19, it is determined whether or not the reading of all the documents set on the scanner 1 is completed.
The processing from 4 to S19 is repeated, and the facsimile charges for all pages are sequentially stored.

When the storage of the transmitted original document and the calculation and storage of the charge for each page are completed in this manner, the transmission is started in step S20, and it is determined in step S21 whether the transmission for one page is completed. It If the transmission for one page is not completed, it is determined in step S22 whether or not any accident that hinders the transmission has occurred,
If no accident has occurred, the process returns to step S21, and if an accident has occurred, the process proceeds to step S25 to end the transmission operation.

When it is determined in step S21 that the transmission for one page is completed, in step S23, the facsimile fee corresponding to the information amount of the page is read from the RAM 11, and the card processing unit 4 operates. Collected from the card 12.

In step S24, it is determined whether or not the transmission of the image information stored in the image storage memory 3 is completed. If not completed, the steps S20 to S24 are executed.
The process up to is repeated. When the transmission of the image information is completed, the transmission operation is completed in step S25.

According to this embodiment, since the facsimile fee is collected after the transmission of each page is completed, if an accident occurs during the transmission and the transmission cannot be continued, the fees for the subsequent pages are charged. No charges will be collected and proper charges can be collected.

FIG. 3 is a flow chart for explaining the second embodiment of the charging method according to the present invention.
Since the processing from 10 to S22 is the same as the above, the description thereof will be omitted.

In this embodiment, in step S21,
When it is determined that the transmission for one page is completed, in step S30, the facsimile fee corresponding to the information amount of the page is read from the RAM 11 and sequentially added. In step S31, it is determined whether or not the transmission of the accumulated image information has been completed, and if not completed, the processes of steps S20 to S31 are repeated. Also,
When the transmission of all image information is completed, in step S32,
The accumulated and accumulated facsimile fee is the card 12
Collected from.

According to this embodiment, the charges relating to the image information that has been successfully transmitted are accumulated and collected at the end of transmission or at the time of interruption of transmission. Therefore, even when transmission is interrupted,
Since only the charges up to that point are collected, it is possible to collect charges appropriately.

FIG. 4 is a flow chart for explaining the third embodiment of the charging method according to the present invention, and step S
Since the processing from 10 to S14 is the same as the above, the description thereof will be omitted.

When it is determined in step S38 that the reading and storage of the original document are all completed, step S38
At 39, transmission is started.

In step S40, the timer starts counting simultaneously with the start of transmission, and in step S41, it is determined whether or not the transmission for one page is completed. If the transmission for one page has not been completed, it is determined in step S42 whether or not any accident that hinders the transmission has occurred. If an accident has occurred, the process proceeds to step S48 to end the transmission operation. If no accident has occurred, the process returns to step S41.

When it is determined in step S41 that the transmission for one page is completed, the count time of the timer is read in step S43, and the facsimile charge is calculated based on the count time in step S44. It In step S45, the calculated facsimile fee is collected from the card 12 by the card processing unit 4.

In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 8, a data table defining the relationship between the station number of the transmission partner and the charge per second is prepared in advance, and the data of the partner station input in the transmission process is prepared. The rate per second is determined based on the station number.

In step S46, the timer is reset, and in step S47, it is determined whether or not the transmission of the image information stored in the image storage memory 3 is completed. If the transmission has not been completed, the processes of steps S39 to S47 are repeated, and if the transmission of the image information is completed, the image information transmitting operation is completed in step S48.

Also in this embodiment, since the facsimile fee is collected only for the successful transmission, the fee can be collected properly.

FIG. 5 is a flow chart for explaining the fourth embodiment of the charging method according to the present invention.
Since the processes from 10 to S40 are the same as the processes described with reference to FIG. 4, the description thereof will be omitted.

In step S53, it is determined whether or not any accident that hinders transmission has occurred. If an accident has occurred, the process proceeds to step S58 to end the transmission operation. If no accident has occurred, in step S54, the count time of the timer is read and it is determined whether or not 1 second has elapsed.

When one second has elapsed, in step S55, as described with reference to FIG. 8, the facsimile fee per second determined by the station number of the partner station is collected from the card 12 by the card processing unit 4. It

In step S56, the timer is reset, and in step S57, it is determined whether or not the transmission of the image information stored in the image storage memory 3 has been completed. If the transmission has not been completed, the processes of steps S40 to S57 are repeated, and if the transmission of all the image information is completed, the operation of transmitting the image information is completed in step S58.

Also in this embodiment, since only the image information that has been successfully transmitted is subject to charge collection, proper charge collection is possible.

[0039]

As described above, according to the present invention, only the image information that has been successfully transmitted is subject to charge collection, and the charge is not collected for untransmitted image information. It becomes possible to collect appropriate charges.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a public facsimile apparatus to which the present invention is applied.

FIG. 2 is a flowchart illustrating a first charging method according to the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a flowchart for explaining a second charging method according to the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a flowchart for explaining a third charging method according to the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a flowchart illustrating a fourth charging method according to the present invention.

FIG. 6 is a diagram showing a relationship between an information amount and a facsimile charge.

FIG. 7 is a data table that defines the relationship between communication speed and surcharge multiplying rate.

FIG. 8 is a data table that defines the relationship between the station number of the transmission partner and the number of charges per second.

FIG. 9 is a data table that defines the relationship between the communication time zone and the premium rate.

[Explanation of symbols]

1 ... Scanner, 2 ... Codec section, 3 ... Image storage memory, 4 ... Card processing section, 5 ... Modem, 6 ... NCU, 7 ...
Printer, 8 ... Operation panel, 9 ... CPU, 10 ... RO
M, 11 ... RAM, 12 ... Card

Front Page Continuation (72) Inventor Shinichiro Nagoshi 3-7-1, Fuchu, Iwatsuki-shi, Saitama Fuji Zerox Co., Ltd. Iwatsuki Works (72) Inventor Hideo Kinami 3-7-1, Fuchu, Iwatsuki, Saitama Rox Co., Ltd. Iwatsuki Office

Claims (1)

Claim: What is claimed is: 1. A billing method for a public facsimile apparatus, wherein a facsimile fee according to the amount of information of a transmission original is collected from a storage medium in which a value is recorded. A billing method for a public facsimile apparatus, wherein only a successful transmission is collected during transmission of an original or after completion of transmission.