JPH06180762A - Charging information collecting system - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To efficiently collect charging information without executing useless operation of charging information collecting processing to be executed at every prescribed period by starting charging information collecting operation only when a device state and a date condition coincide with a prescribed charging information collecting condition. CONSTITUTION:The printer working state information of each of printer subsystems 10, 20 is read in and whether the subsystem is in the readable state of charging information or not is judged. At the time of a readable state, data date are read in from a clock device 4 and compared with a charging information collecting reference date to judge whether the read date is after the reference date or not. When the read date is after the reference data, a charging information collection managing file 7 judges whether a reading flag of a charging information file 15 or 25 corresponding to the printer subsystem 10 or 20 to be processed is finished to read or not. When the flag is not finished to read, charging information reading processing is executed from the subsystem 10 or 20 to be processed and read information is stored in a printer charging information file 8.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a billing information collecting system, and more particularly, to a billing device for collecting billing information at predetermined intervals by connecting a plurality of devices for generating billing information with an information processing device for collecting the billing information. The present invention relates to a billing information collecting system for collecting information.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, when collecting billing information from a device that produces billing information, the billing information is displayed on the device that produces billing information by human operation, and the billing information is read by a person and displayed in a tabulation table or the like. How to record and collect,
Alternatively, the billing information can be electronically read by a mobile terminal, recorded in a file of another predetermined format, collected, and finally stored in a medium such as a floppy disk in order and collected. Has been done.

However, in such a collecting method, the operator goes to the apparatus having the billing information,
There is a problem that it is necessary to collect billing information. As a solution to such a problem, for example,
A "billing information transmission method" as disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 3-256605 has been proposed.

The proposal of "billing information transmission system" described in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 3-256605 is composed of two or more information processing devices, and a clock device for notifying a date in the information processing device and a billing A storage unit for storing information is provided, and by comparing the date notified from the clock device with a date designated in advance, the date when the billing information is sent is compared before and after to send the billing information. This is a proposal of a method for automatically transmitting the billing information stored in the storage unit to another information processing device when the date conditions match.

[0005]

However, in such a billing information collecting method, it is necessary to provide a time device in all of the information processing devices that generate billing information, and the billing information is collected to collect billing information. Even if the operating state of the billing information processing device for performing the billing information, the information processing device that generates the billing information starts the operation of arbitrarily sending the billing information. However, there is a problem that the billing information has to be sent out many times when is not received.

The present invention has been made to solve the above problems, and an object of the present invention is to allow a plurality of devices for generating billing information and an information processing device for collecting the billing information to communicate with each other. An object of the present invention is to provide a billing information collecting system which is connected by a line and which can collect billing information efficiently without performing unnecessary operation of collecting billing information for each predetermined period.

[0007]

In order to achieve the above object, a billing information collecting system of the present invention comprises a plurality of devices (10, 20) which generate billing information and information for collecting the billing information. A billing information collecting system that is connected to a processing device (1) through a communication line (9) and collects billing information at predetermined intervals, and bills from the device corresponding to a plurality of devices that generate billing information. A plurality of billing information files (8a, 8b, 8c) for storing information and the state of the device that generates the billing information are determined, and the pre-designated billing information collection date and the current date are compared to determine the device. A control means (5) for starting the billing information collecting operation only when the status and the date condition match a predetermined billing information collection condition, collecting the billing information, and storing the billing information in a billing information file. Is characterized by.

[0008]

In the billing information collecting system according to the present invention, a plurality of devices that generate billing information and an information processing device that collects the billing information are connected by a communication line, and the billing information is collected every predetermined period. In this case, the billing information collection system is provided with a plurality of billing information files and a control means, and the plurality of billing information files correspond to devices that generate a plurality of billing information, and billing from the devices is performed. To save the information. The control means first determines the state of the device that generates the billing information, compares the date of collection of the billing information designated in advance with the current date, and determines that the state of the device and the date condition are predetermined billing information. Only when the collection conditions are met, the billing information collecting operation is started, the billing information is collected, and stored in a billing information file corresponding to a plurality of billing information files. If the predetermined billing information collection condition is not met, the same process is performed on the device that generates another billing information.

As described above, when the billing information is collected every predetermined period, in addition to the matching of the date conditions, the state of the device that generates the billing information is determined, and the billing is performed based on the operating state of the device and the state of the communication line. The billing information is collected only when the state of the device such as the state of whether or not the information can be collected matches the predetermined billing information collection condition. As a result, it is possible to efficiently collect the billing information without performing an unnecessary process of collecting the billing information.

[0010]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS An embodiment of the present invention will be specifically described below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a main part of a billing information collecting system according to an embodiment of the present invention. In FIG. 1, reference numeral 1 is a host system, which comprises a billing information processing device 2 and a billing information storage device 3. The billing information processing device 2 includes a clock device 4, a billing information collection processing unit 5, and a communication control processing unit 6, and the billing information storage device 3 includes a billing information collection management file 7 and a plurality of billing information. Each printer charge information file 8a, 8b, 8c, which is a file, is included.

The host system 1 is connected via a network communication line 9 to each printer subsystem 10, 20 which is a device for generating a plurality of billing information, and the billing generated from the plurality of printer subsystems 10, 20 there. Perform the process of collecting information. In the billing information processing device 2, the billing information collection processing section 5 collates with the management information of the billing information collection management file 7 of the billing information storage device 3 in accordance with the date information supplied from the clock device 4 to make a plurality of bills. Controls the process of collecting each billing information from the information producing device. The billing information collecting process is performed via the communication control processing unit 6 to the printer subsystems 10 and 20 which are devices that generate billing information, and the collected billing information is billed for the printer in the billing information file corresponding to each. It is stored in the information files 8a, 8b, 8c.

Also, the printer subsystem 10 here is used.
Includes a printer terminal device 11, a printer device 14, and a billing information file 15. The printer terminal device 11 includes a communication control processing unit 12 and a printer terminal device control processing unit 13. In the printer subsystem 10, the printer terminal device control processing unit 13 of the printer terminal device 11 manages the state of the printer device 14 to generate charging information based on the usage amount such as the number of printed sheets and the charging information file 15 Accumulate in. In addition, from the host system 1 to the communication control processing unit 12
In response to a request for reading the printer operating status and a request for reading the charging information via the printer, a report response of the printer operating status and a report of the charging information are sent to the host system 1 via the communication control processing unit 12.

The printer subsystem 20 has the same structure as the printer subsystem 10, and the printer terminal device 21, the printer device 24, and the printer device 24 are provided as system elements.
And a billing information file 25. The printer terminal device 21 is provided with a communication control processing unit 22 and a printer terminal device control processing unit 23, and manages the state of the printer device 24 and accumulates billing information as in the case of the printer subsystem 10. To do.

FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of the contents of the charging information collection management file and the individual charging information files in the charging information collecting system according to the present embodiment. As shown in FIG. 2, the billing information collection management file 7 manages the collection status of billing information for each device (printer 1, printer 2, printer 3) that is the target of billing information collection. Record data is provided. This record data manages the collection status of the billing information from the devices that generate the billing information. For example, in the accounting information collection management file 7 shown in FIG. 2, "Printer1"
Indicates that the billing information for January, February, and March has already been collected and has been read. For "Printer2" and "Printer3," it has already been collected until January and February. The billing information is collected,
Although it has been read, it indicates that the billing information has not been collected yet for March. The data indicating the collection status of this billing information is composed of date information and the read flag, and the date information is actually charged when the read flag indicates the “read” processed state. Indicates the date on which the information was collected,
Further, when the read flag indicates an unprocessed state of “not read”, it indicates the date of the reference date on which the billing information is collected. The billing information collection control processing unit 5 controls the processing of billing information collection based on the date of the reference date on which the billing information is collected.

Further, a plurality of billing information files 8a, 8b, 8 provided corresponding to the respective billing information generating devices.
In c, the billing information collected on the date of the predetermined reference date is accumulated. This billing information file 8a, 8b,
As the record data of 8c, the billing information data collected from the billing information files 15, 25, and 35 in each printer subsystem for each month is stored in the same format as the record data for each month. To be done. In this example, in particular, the record data of the collected billing information is stored as it is without being processed. However, in the billing information collecting process, the predetermined billing information is stored according to the usage status of the billing information. Data processing may be performed.

FIG. 3 is a flow chart showing the processing flow of the main part of the billing information collection processing in the billing information collection control processing section of the present embodiment. The billing information collecting process here will be described with reference to FIG. When the processing is started, first, in step 31, the printer subsystems 10, 20 are connected.
In order to check the operating states of the printer devices 14 and 24 of each printer terminal device, each printer terminal device is processed through the communication control processing unit 6 of the billing information processing device 2 and the communication control processing units 12 and 22 of the printer terminal devices 11 and 21. Read the printer operating status from. This is, for example, via the communication control processing unit 6, the communication control processing unit 1 of the printer terminal device 11, 21.
This is done by transmitting an operation status check command to the No. 2 and 22. The response to the operating status check command is sent from the printer terminal device control processing units 13 and 23 of the printer terminal devices 11 and 21 to the respective communication control processing units 1.
Since it returns via 2, 22, this printer operating status information is read.

Next, at step 32, based on the read printer operating state information, for example, a register for instructing the printer subsystem currently being processed, etc., is charged at the printer terminal device currently being processed. It is determined whether the information can be read. If it cannot be read, the process proceeds to step 37. If it is in the readable state, the process proceeds to step 33, the date data is read from the timepiece device 4, and in the next step 34, it is determined whether the date is the date when the billing information is read. This determination process is
In the billing information collection management file, the device (Printer1, Printer2, Printer
It is performed by comparing with the collection reference date set corresponding to 3) and determining whether the current date is after the collection reference date. By this determination processing, if it is not the date when the billing information is read, the process proceeds to step 37.

On the other hand, in the judgment processing of step 34,
If the date data is the date to read the billing information,
Next, in step 35, it is determined whether or not the reading flag of the charging information file for the currently processed printer terminal device in the charging information collection management file has been read. If the read flag has been read, the process proceeds to step 37. In this determination process, when the read flag is not read, the process proceeds to the next step 36, and the charging information reading process from the printer terminal device which is the current processing target is performed.

In the billing information reading process of step 36, the billing information collecting processing unit 5 bills the communication control processing unit 12 of the printer terminal device 11 currently being processed through the communication control processing unit 5. This is done by sending an information read command. When the billing information read command is transmitted, the printer terminal device 11 accepts this billing information read command via the communication control processing unit 12, and the printer terminal device control processing unit 13 bills stored in the billing information file 15. The information is read and transmitted as a response to the communication control processing unit 6 of the billing information processing device 4 via the communication control processing unit 12. As a result, the transmitted billing information is received by the billing information collection control processing unit 5, and the billing information is recorded in the record data of the printer 1 billing information file 8a of the corresponding printer terminal device according to the instruction of the billing information collection management file 3. Store as.

When the billing information reading process in step 36 is completed, the process proceeds to step 37, in which it is determined whether or not there is an unprocessed printer terminal device.
If there is an unprocessed printer terminal device, the current processing target printer terminal device is changed to an unprocessed printer terminal device, and the process then returns to step 32 again to perform the process for the next processing target printer terminal device.

As described above, in the billing information collecting process according to the present embodiment, first, the state of each printer terminal device (device that generates billing information) is checked, and only when the billing information can be read. The date information of the billing information collection reference date is compared with the current date of the clock device, and if it is after the billing information collection reference date, the read flag has not been read in the billing information collection management file. In this case, the charging information reading process is performed for the printer terminal device to be processed. As a result, the connection / disconnection processing of the data communication path by the communication control processing unit, which takes a lot of processing time, can be efficiently performed with a small number of times without wastefully accumulating, and wasteful collection of billing information. The billing information can be efficiently collected without performing the processing operation. Also, since the charging information reading process is started after checking the status of the printer terminal device, the charging information is collected from the printer terminal device while avoiding the busy time of the printer terminal device such as during control of the printer device. be able to.

[0022]

As described above, according to the billing information collecting system of the present invention, a plurality of devices that generate billing information and an information processing device that collects the billing information are connected by a communication line, and the predetermined information is collected. When the billing information collection process is performed for each period, the billing information collection process performed for each predetermined period can be performed without performing unnecessary operations, and the billing information can be collected efficiently.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a main part of a billing information collecting system according to an embodiment of the present invention,

FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of contents of a billing information collection management file and individual billing information files in the billing information collection system according to the present embodiment,

FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing a processing flow of a main part of a billing information collection process in the billing information collection control processing unit of the present embodiment.

[Explanation of symbols]

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Host system, 2 ... Billing information processing device, 3 ... Billing information storage device, 4 ... Clock device, 5 ... Billing information collection processing unit, 6 ... Communication control processing unit, 7 ... Billing information collection management file, 8a, 8b , 8c ... Printer billing information file,
9 ... Communication line, 10, 20 ... Printer subsystem, 1
1, 21 ... Printer terminal device, 12, 22 ... Communication control processing unit, 13, 23 ... Printer terminal device control processing unit, 1
4, 24 ... Printer device, 15, 25 ... Billing information file.

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A billing information collecting system, wherein a plurality of billing information generating devices and an information processing device for collecting the billing information are connected by a communication line, and the billing information is collected every predetermined period. A plurality of billing information files that store the billing information from the corresponding billing device and the state of the billing information generating device, determine the billing information collection date specified in advance and the current Comparing with the date, only when the state of the device and the date condition match the predetermined billing information collection condition, the billing information collecting operation is started, the billing information is collected and stored in the billing information file. A billing information collection system comprising: a control unit.