Accounting Patents (Class 399/79)
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Patent number: 8767255Abstract: A control method of an image forming apparatus which is connected to an external apparatus, supports a resource saving mode, and outputs document data is provided. The control method includes: selecting the document data to be output, selecting an output option to be applied to the selected document data, comparing a resource saving value corresponding to the output option to be applied to the document data and a resource saving set value which is pre-set in the image forming apparatus, displaying at least one suggestion option to save resources of the document data according to a result of comparison, and selecting one of the displayed suggestion option and outputting the document data.Type: GrantFiled: June 21, 2010Date of Patent: July 1, 2014Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.Inventors: Kwang-Soo Ha, Sung-Jae Chung, Bong-Gun Kim, Sang-Su Lee, Sung-Man Shin
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Patent number: 8711393Abstract: There are provided a printing device, a printing system, a program, and a printing method capable of improving security and user-friendliness. The printing system (1) includes a PC (10-1) and printer devices (20-1 to 20-N) connected via a LAN (50). The PC (10-1) has a printing data forming unit (111) for forming print data according to a user instruction, a print data transmission unit (113) for transmitting the formed print data to the printer devices (20-1 to 20-N), a communication unit (17), and the like. The printer devices (20-1 to 20-N) have an external storage device (23) for storing received print data, an input unit (26) for inputting a user print instruction and a user identifier, a card reader (24), a print data management unit (212) for reading out print data corresponding to the user identifier from the external storage device (23), a printer engine (28) for performing printing according to the print data which has been read out, and the like.Type: GrantFiled: June 5, 2006Date of Patent: April 29, 2014Assignee: Dai Nippon Printing Co., Ltd.Inventors: Nobuya Fukano, Yoshihiro Yano, Takayuki Chikada
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Patent number: 8711385Abstract: An image forming apparatus transmits to an authorization apparatus, in executing a job, condition information related to a process to be performed to a 1st page of the job, to obtain a processable number of sheets. When the condition information changes while the job is being executed, the image forming apparatus transmits to the authorization apparatus (i) the changed condition information and (ii) information of the number of sheets being processed based on a current condition information prior to the change in condition information, to inquire and obtain a processable number of sheets based on the changed condition information. Furthermore, while the job is executed, if the processed number of sheets meet the processable number of sheets obtained from the authorization apparatus, the image forming apparatus forbids the process to be performed to a new recording sheet and stops the job.Type: GrantFiled: December 7, 2011Date of Patent: April 29, 2014Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki KaishaInventor: Kunihiko Tsujimoto
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Patent number: 8705096Abstract: Disclosed is an image forming apparatus including a plurality of components, a display section to display information of the components, a storage section to store replacing person information of the components and a control section to make the information of the components which are displayed in the display section be different according to the replacing person information of the components.Type: GrantFiled: April 4, 2011Date of Patent: April 22, 2014Assignee: Konica Minolta Business Technologies, Inc.Inventor: Takemasa Ikeda
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Patent number: 8705069Abstract: An image processing apparatus may include a storage unit, a generation unit, a recording unit, and a transmission unit. The storage unit is managed to allow access from an external information processing apparatus. The generation unit generates image data for audit for auditing the image data later. The image data is generated by a reading unit reading a document or is input. The recording unit records the image data for audit generated by the generation unit. The transmission unit transmits, to the external information processing apparatus, information about the image data in which the image data for audit is recorded by the recording unit among the image data stored in the storage unit in a case where a request for referring to the storage unit is received from the external information processing apparatus.Type: GrantFiled: September 28, 2011Date of Patent: April 22, 2014Assignee: Canon Kabushiki KaishaInventor: Yoshiro Mihira
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Publication number: 20140064772Abstract: An image formation apparatus includes: an image data processor to generate page data representing images to be printed on a page basis based on print data; a print work execution unit to form images for two pages on both faces of each recording media based on the page data upon two-sided printing; and a charge information generator to generate charge information according to the image formation executed by the print work execution unit. The image data processor generates, where the number of pages of the images represented by the print data is an odd number upon the two-sided printing, edited image data for an even number of pages including a blank page with a blank image which does not correspond to the print data as the page data. The charge information generator generates the charge information without the blank page being set as a charge item.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 27, 2013Publication date: March 6, 2014Applicant: Oki Data CorporationInventor: Yukinobu AZAMI
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Patent number: 8650088Abstract: Methods and systems are presented for managing prepaid usage of document processing devices, in which an account manager system (104) automatically purchases prepaid account credits for customer accounts and applies print units to document processing devices registered to customer accounts periodically and according to preset top off thresholds (123, 128) subject to predefined limits (124, 129), and in which customer computer agents (360) allow just in time printing using devices with job-based application of print units to selected devices.Type: GrantFiled: January 29, 2010Date of Patent: February 11, 2014Assignee: Xerox CorporationInventors: James Patrick VanWinckle, Charles Robert Carlson, Peter Charles Rapley, Shanti Villarreal, Christopher Dale Iburg, Sara Kleiman
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Patent number: 8600258Abstract: A job execution apparatus having the function of billing and refunding by electronic money, determines before job execution, an amount of money required for job execution, and bills before job execution, the determined amount of money to a payment medium having the payment function, which is set to a billing apparatus. And the job execution apparatus can transfer a refund to the payment medium set to the billing apparatus if a refund needs to be transferred. The job execution apparatus also can transfer a refund by a method other than the method of refunding to the payment medium by using the billing apparatus.Type: GrantFiled: April 30, 2009Date of Patent: December 3, 2013Assignee: Konica Minolta Business Technologies, Inc.Inventors: Nobuo Kamei, Tomoyuki Okamoto, Yasuji Takeuchi, Tomo Tsuboi
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Patent number: 8571432Abstract: In order to properly count the number of sheets printed which serves as the basis on which a charge is calculated, an MFP that acts as a designated printer includes a job accepting portion to accept a print job, a job executing portion to carry out printing based on the print job, a requesting portion to, when the job executing portion is not available for executing the print job, transmit an alternative instruction including the print job to an alternative printer, and an adding portion to add the number of alternative sheets printed by the alternative printer based on the print job included in the alternative instruction to the number of sheets printed by the job executing portion.Type: GrantFiled: January 25, 2008Date of Patent: October 29, 2013Assignee: Konica Minolta Business Technologies, Inc.Inventor: Yoshikazu Takesada
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Patent number: 8543026Abstract: A method of charging printing costs using a printing charging system that is connected to an image forming apparatus, the method including: setting printing costs for each of a plurality of people; generating print data for each person, of the plurality of people, based on the set printing costs; and transmitting the generated print data to the image forming apparatus.Type: GrantFiled: November 28, 2008Date of Patent: September 24, 2013Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.Inventor: Geun-tae Kim
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Patent number: 8542379Abstract: A printing cost charging method of a printing system wherein the printing system includes a mobile terminal, an image forming apparatus capable of communicating data with the mobile terminal, and a server capable of communicating data with the mobile terminal via a wireless communication network. The printing cost charging method comprises the steps of transmitting printing data from the mobile terminal to the image forming apparatus, transmitting printing information relating to the printing data from the image forming apparatus to the mobile terminal, transmitting the printing information from the mobile terminal to the server, and controlling the server to charge a printing cost to the mobile terminal based on the printing information. Costly equipment and potential errors are reduced as the server of the printing system which charges the printing cost interfaces with the mobile terminal without the Internet.Type: GrantFiled: May 10, 2005Date of Patent: September 24, 2013Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.Inventor: Tae-jung Yun
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Patent number: 8514439Abstract: An image processing server in charge of a first image processing operation determines a reference value for a reference item; generates first reference information; calculates its charge; generates first charge information indicating its calculated amount of charge; and transmits the first reference information and the first charge information to the next location, separately from image data obtained by the first image processing operation.Type: GrantFiled: November 14, 2011Date of Patent: August 20, 2013Assignee: Konica Minolta Business Technologies, Inc.Inventors: Kenichi Komaba, Eiichi Yoshida, Takuya Okada, Toshimi Shinchi, Masao Hosono
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Patent number: 8514419Abstract: A multifunction printer provided with an image scanning process unit and a facsimile sending process unit for executing an image process that does not use consumables, an image forming process unit for executing an image process that uses consumables, a consumables usage judgment unit for making a judgment as to whether a requested image process is a process that uses consumables, and a process control unit for restricting performance of the image process by the image forming process unit and permitting performance of the image process by the image scanning process unit or the facsimile sending process unit based on a judgment result of the consumables usage judgment unit.Type: GrantFiled: August 31, 2007Date of Patent: August 20, 2013Assignee: Oki Data CorporationInventor: Ryuji Fukasawa
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Patent number: 8508786Abstract: A system and method of billing for scanning service costs is provided to examine content of a page and apply a cost function to approximate the cost of scanning the page. Examining the page includes detecting an object in the page, determining a type of the detected object, determining an approximate file size of the page, and determining an approximate area of coverage of the detected object within the page. A usage profile of each type of detected object is calculated and stored. The cost function uses the detected object, the approximate file size, the approximate area of coverage, and a weight value associated with the type of detected object to approximate the cost of the page. When costs are calculated over a period of time, the weight value of each type of detected object may be adjusted based on the usage profile for each type of detected object.Type: GrantFiled: May 12, 2009Date of Patent: August 13, 2013Assignee: Xerox CorporationInventor: Ramesh Nagarajan
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Patent number: 8508771Abstract: A job processing apparatus that is capable of recording an execution history of a job appropriately for each user even if a user does not spontaneously instruct a change of a user who operates an apparatus by a key operation etc. A receiving unit receives an operation of a user via an operation unit. A determining unit determines, when the receiving unit receives an operation, whether a user who performs the operation is identical to the user who has operated the operation, without inputting information for specifying the user. A control unit controls, when the determining unit determines that the user who performs the operation is not identical to the user who has operated the operation unit, so as not to keep an execution history of a job that is instructed to execute as an execution history of the user who has operated the operation.Type: GrantFiled: September 1, 2009Date of Patent: August 13, 2013Assignee: Canon Kabushiki KaishaInventor: Toru Ushiku
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Patent number: 8503000Abstract: To keep track of which process each process job currently exits and when it comes in own charge or which job must be processed, it is necessary to use a workflow system on a PC, and this necessitates to move back and force between the PC and the apparatus, thereby leading to the deterioration of the operational efficiency. An object of the invention is to provide a system in which the apparatus and the workflow server are connected, and by moving forward the processing by using the operation unit of the apparatus, the workflow of the operator in the centralized copy room and the print center of the company can be smoothly moved forward.Type: GrantFiled: January 9, 2012Date of Patent: August 6, 2013Assignee: Canon Kabushiki KaishaInventor: Toshihiro Kadowaki
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Patent number: 8503001Abstract: A printing device includes a user interface, a print module, memory and a device agent. The device agent is configured to modify usage information stored in the memory of the printing device. Based on values in the usage information, one or more processes operating on the printing device may be suspended. If so suspended, a user may contact an administrator who operates the device agent to modify the usage information, and permit the one or more processes to resume.Type: GrantFiled: June 18, 2008Date of Patent: August 6, 2013Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.Inventor: Sam Wang
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Patent number: 8493585Abstract: The execution of an image processing job is limited using a printing amount by an image processing job that has already been executed and a printing amount that is scheduled to be printed by an image processing job that has already been transmitted but not yet executed. To accomplish this, a multi-function peripheral manages a first printing amount that has already been printed by a executed print job and a second printing amount that is scheduled to be printed by a print job that has been transmitted from the multi-function peripheral to a printer and that has not yet been executed in association with a user ID, and determines, before transmitting the print job, whether or not the total of a third printing amount that is scheduled to be printed by the print job, the first printing amount and the second printing amount exceeds an upper limit amount.Type: GrantFiled: September 19, 2009Date of Patent: July 23, 2013Assignee: Canon Kabushiki KaishaInventor: Tsuyoshi Muto
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Patent number: 8488161Abstract: A management apparatus capable of setting a suitable schedule for transmitting operation information to a plurality of image forming apparatuses, in which a management load and an operation status of a user are fully considered, identifies a plurality of image forming apparatuses which include overlapping department ID and manages the plurality of identified image forming apparatuses in a group when the plurality of identified image forming apparatuses is less than a predetermined maximum value. The management apparatus determines a transmission schedule for each of a plurality of the managed groups so that department counter information is transmitted from the image forming apparatuses belonging to each group at intervals of at least a first time period.Type: GrantFiled: March 9, 2010Date of Patent: July 16, 2013Assignee: Canon Kabushiki KaishaInventor: Jin Sunata
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Patent number: 8477367Abstract: A system and related method for selectively printing color content of a page with a reduced color gamut are provided. The system includes a detection module, a printing mode module, and a conversion module. The detection module is configured to detect a color object in the page and the printing mode module exists in at least one mode. The conversion module can selectively convert the detected color object to a converted reduced-colorant object in accordance with the existence of the at least one mode of the printing mode module.Type: GrantFiled: October 31, 2007Date of Patent: July 2, 2013Assignee: Xerox CorporationInventors: Ramesh Nagarajan, Andrew Joseph Zipprich, Robert Eero Nuuja
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Patent number: 8472047Abstract: Under a contention between a copy job and a print job, it is possible that a general user misunderstands that the payment he has made for the copy job is mistakenly used on the print job requested by another user. One solution to avoid such undesirable possibility is to display information indicating that the billing process is correctly done. Yet, the general user may fail to notice the display. In view of this, a billing and printing system prevents occurrence of job contention as long as the balance of payment made by a general user remains. An MFP included in the system does not accept any print job if a balance of received payment remains, and does not accept any payment if there is a queued print job.Type: GrantFiled: January 6, 2009Date of Patent: June 25, 2013Assignee: Konica Minolta Business Technologies, Inc.Inventors: Masahiro Imamura, Tomoko Maruyama, Kentaro Nagatani
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Patent number: 8456672Abstract: A document submission management system calculates predicted values of the amount of consumption of consumables used for printing processing according to an order from a user, estimates the cost of the printing processing based on the predicted values, and transmits the estimated cost to a client terminal of the user. A user interface allowing placement of an order briefly displays the cost for a print option. For the cost estimate, the cost of printing form data used in printing processing is registered in advance in a memory in the document submission management system, so that time required for the calculation of the estimate is reduced.Type: GrantFiled: August 18, 2009Date of Patent: June 4, 2013Assignee: Canon Kabushiki KaishaInventor: Yoshitaka Oba
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Patent number: 8456669Abstract: According to one aspect of the present disclosure, a print system is provided comprising a plurality of networked print engines in communication with one another, a presence detector, and a controller to communicate with the presence detector to determine a user presence and to access usage data of each of the plurality of print engines. The controller combines and shares the user presence and the usage data to adjust operations of the plurality of print engines enabling quick entry to, and quick exit from, power saving mode of at least two of the plurality of print engines.Type: GrantFiled: November 25, 2008Date of Patent: June 4, 2013Assignee: Xerox CorporationInventor: Douglas Bisset
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Publication number: 20130136459Abstract: An information processing apparatus includes a maintenance staff information store part that stores maintenance staff identification information, a maintenance staff authentication part that determines an authentication success when identification information, which is input from an operation panel, is identical to the maintenance staff identification information, a maintenance history store part that, when a replacement of a consumable item is performed, stores the maintenance staff identification information as well as information of the consumable item that was used before the replacement, and an output part that outputs the maintenance staff identification information that was authenticated at the time of the replacement of the consumable item as well as the information of the consumable item that is stored in the maintenance history store part, the consumable item being used before the replacement.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 27, 2012Publication date: May 30, 2013Applicant: OKI DATA CORPORATIONInventor: Oki Data Corporation
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Patent number: 8437012Abstract: When a maintenance agreement has been made based on a contract printing rate and the contract number of printed sheets, an image forming apparatus can determine before an image is actually formed, whether or not terms and conditions will be exceeded. When a user instructs to copy, after all images of original documents are scanned, it can be determined whether or not the number of remaining printable sheets exceeds a certain number, e.g., 100. When the number of remaining printable sheets is not more than 100, after calculating an average per/page printing rate of the scanned image data, the converted number of sheets, which is converted using the contract printing rate, is calculated from the average printing rate, the contract printing rate, and the number of printed sheets for one copy job, and a screen used in inquiring whether or not to print is displayed.Type: GrantFiled: November 10, 2009Date of Patent: May 7, 2013Assignee: Murata Machinery, Ltd.Inventor: Toru Hiraoka
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Patent number: 8432559Abstract: An image processing apparatus capable of outputting image data by a plurality of output methods includes storing image data, managing output restriction information corresponding to a predetermined region of the stored image data, executing output restriction processing of the image data corresponding to the predetermined region based on the output restriction information of one of the plurality of output methods, selecting one of the plurality of output methods when the image data is output, and outputting the image data on which the output restriction processing is executed by the selected output method.Type: GrantFiled: March 24, 2008Date of Patent: April 30, 2013Assignee: Canon Kabushiki KaishaInventor: Noriyuki Kobayashi
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Patent number: 8428484Abstract: Embodiments of the present invention comprise systems, methods and devices for providing external accounting functions for a peripheral device.Type: GrantFiled: March 4, 2005Date of Patent: April 23, 2013Assignee: Sharp Laboratories of America, Inc.Inventors: Boguslaw Ludwik Plewnia, Shinichi Yamamura, Hanzhong Zhang, David J. Lovat, Amarender Reddy Kethl Reddy, Roy K. Chrisop, Tanna Richardson, Uoc Nguyen, Joey Lum, Mark Liu Stevens
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Patent number: 8422053Abstract: In an embodiment, a document processing application selects, based on an objective for a print job, one or more document processing devices and/or one or more parameter values for processing the print job. The objective may be selected by a user. Examples of objectives for a print job include fastest time to process the print job, the lowest cost to process the print job, the least amount of labor required to process the print job, the lowest cost of labor required to process the print job, and the highest quality finished product. The print job is sent to a printing device and a finishing device, one or both of which may have been selected, based on the objective, by the application. Any selected parameter values (whether selected by the application, or manually selected) are sent to the appropriate document processing device.Type: GrantFiled: October 26, 2007Date of Patent: April 16, 2013Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.Inventor: Kurt Knodt
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Patent number: 8400661Abstract: A system and method for promoting environmental behavior by device users are provided. The method includes allocating “green” points to each of a plurality of users. A job request, such as a print job request, is received from one of the users. A cost in points is computed for executing the job request, based on a formula which is designed to promote environmental behavior by the user. The user's allocated points are reduced by the computed cost when the job is performed.Type: GrantFiled: August 6, 2010Date of Patent: March 19, 2013Assignee: Xerox CorporationInventors: Maria Antonietta Grasso, Victor Ciriza, Jutta Katharina Willamowski, Yves Hoppenot, Grégoire Gerard, Mathieu Knibiehly
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Patent number: 8395789Abstract: A management server obtains, from an image forming apparatus whose counter type set to be displayed therein is determined to be obtainable, the counter information, specifies a counter type to be assigned in a table of commonly displayed counters specified on the basis of a plurality of counter types set to be displayed in a plurality of image forming apparatuses from the plurality of image forming apparatuses, assigns the counter type in the table of commonly displayed counters, and obtains counter information for the counter type assigned as the commonly displayed counter from an image forming apparatus whose counter type set to be displayed is determined to be unobtainable.Type: GrantFiled: December 3, 2008Date of Patent: March 12, 2013Assignee: Canon Kabushiki KaishaInventor: Tetsuo Sakai
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Patent number: 8395786Abstract: When a maintenance agreement has been made based on a contract printing rate and the contract number of printed sheets, an image forming apparatus can determine before an image is actually formed, whether or not terms and conditions will be exceeded. When a user instructs to copy, after all images of original documents are scanned, it can be determined whether or not the number of remaining printable sheets exceeds a certain number, e.g., 100. When the number of remaining printable sheets is not more than 100, after calculating an average per/page printing rate of the scanned image data, the converted number of sheets, which is converted using the contract printing rate, is calculated from the average printing rate, the contract printing rate, and the number of printed sheets for one copy job, and a screen used in inquiring whether or not to print is displayed.Type: GrantFiled: November 10, 2009Date of Patent: March 12, 2013Assignee: Murata Machinery, Ltd.Inventor: Toru Hiraoka
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Patent number: 8390844Abstract: The present invention provides an image processing apparatus and an image processing system which facilitate management against unauthorized use by creating a job log according to a usage status of a user. A creation section creates a different job log for each individual user. The job log has storage conditions of image data included in the job log set according to a storage level. The storage conditions are a color of an image, a resolution of the image data and whether or not necessary to create OCR data of the image data. To increase efficiency of a follow-up research by using such a job log, the storage level of the image data relating to the user having performed unauthorized use is raised.Type: GrantFiled: October 2, 2007Date of Patent: March 5, 2013Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki KaishaInventor: Makoto Sekiya
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Patent number: 8379258Abstract: In a system which operates under a Web environment in which a service providing server controls the provision of a service with operating a Web server and a client apparatus provides service with operating a Web browser, which are connected via a network. The service providing server stores the history of a job for providing the service with the user ID of a user who requests the service, then acquires, from stored histories, a history having a user ID matched to the user ID of a user who sends a request to browse the history of a job. When the Web server receives the browsing request from the user of the client apparatus via the Web browser, the service providing server creates a file for distributing updated information based on the acquired history, and transmits the file to the Web browser.Type: GrantFiled: April 23, 2010Date of Patent: February 19, 2013Assignee: Canon Kabushiki KaishaInventor: Takayuki Uchida
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Patent number: 8373869Abstract: A charging management server is informed of an ID number stored in an IC card, and a user charging table of the charging management server is read. A new user charging list is transmitted to an MFP. In the case where the MFP receives a cooperative job to be executed by a cooperative server, a sub charging list is generated. The generated new sub charging list is transmitted together with image data to the cooperative server. The cooperative server executes the job on the basis of charging a fee for the job. As the job is executed on the basis of charging, the sub charging list is updated. In parallel with the execution of the cooperative job by the cooperative server, the MFP can perform a normal job according to the charging list.Type: GrantFiled: September 11, 2009Date of Patent: February 12, 2013Assignee: Konica Minolta Business Technologies, Inc.Inventors: Koji Tsukada, Hiroyasu Ito, Harumitsu Fujimori, Ichiro Bessho
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Patent number: 8369731Abstract: An image forming apparatus counts a number of sheets to be printed with a limited number of colorants or a limited amount of colorant using an other counter that is provided other than a color counter and a monochrome counter. The counter value of the other counter is adjusted using a weighting factor before being added to or subtracted from a counter value of the color counter or the monochrome counter.Type: GrantFiled: November 29, 2010Date of Patent: February 5, 2013Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.Inventor: Kohji Yamamoto
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Patent number: 8368913Abstract: In an image processing system, a charging process for an executed print process is executed using one of a first charging method and a second charging method. Especially, when executing a print process of an image including a plurality of pages, it is determined before the start of the print process of the image including the plurality of pages on the basis of balance information managed in advance whether execution of the print process of the image including the plurality of pages is possible. When the first charging method is selected, execution of the print process is controlled on the basis of the result of determination. When the second charging method is selected, the print process is executed without determination.Type: GrantFiled: April 5, 2012Date of Patent: February 5, 2013Assignee: Canon Kabushiki KaishaInventors: Nobuaki Miyahara, Hideyuki Makitani
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Patent number: 8364053Abstract: Disclosed are an image forming apparatus server connected to an image forming apparatus and a print charging method thereof. A print charging method for at least one image forming apparatus, the method including: setting charging standards for a print usage volume of the at least one image forming apparatus; collecting usage volume information of the at least one image forming apparatus according to the set charging standards; and changing the charging standards by using the collected usage volume information and calculating charges by using the changed charging standards. With this, the image forming apparatus server uses the changed CPP reflecting the change to thereby reduce errors in the initial charging standards, actively respond to the changed user environment and win confidence from both a supplier and a user.Type: GrantFiled: May 27, 2010Date of Patent: January 29, 2013Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.Inventor: Jae-kyung Cho
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Patent number: 8355156Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a job memory which stores each of image formation jobs, which are received from terminals, in association with a user identifier which identifies a user of a corresponding terminal, an image forming unit which executes the image formation jobs which are stored in the job memory, a user detector which detects a user identifier of each approaching user, and a controller which calculates, upon detection of plural user identifiers by the user detector, elapsed times from reception times of image formation jobs which are stored in the job memory in association with the user identifiers, compares the elapsed times, and controls the image forming unit to preferentially execute the image formation job with a shortest one of the elapsed times.Type: GrantFiled: July 29, 2009Date of Patent: January 15, 2013Assignee: Toshiba Tec Kabushiki KaishaInventor: Takuya Ogishima
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Patent number: 8347379Abstract: A printing system includes a host terminal apparatus (e.g., personal computer) and an image forming apparatus (e.g., printer). The personal computer transmits print data to the printer. The printer is connected to the host terminal apparatus over a network, the printer being capable of embedding a watermark pattern into the print data received from the host terminal apparatus. The watermark pattern contains an item of information that identifies a user who actually picks up a printed output of said image forming apparatus. The watermark pattern contains information that identifies a user who activates printing of the print data. The printer includes a user identifying section that identifies a user who actually picks up the printed output.Type: GrantFiled: May 24, 2007Date of Patent: January 1, 2013Assignee: Oki Data CorporationInventor: Hiroyuki Tsuzuki
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Patent number: 8332332Abstract: Methods and systems are presented for managing document processing device usage in which a customer accesses a management system to buy and pay for account credits, and to apply print units to specific managed device by conversion of account credits based on current pricing information for the specified account and the particular device at the time of the request.Type: GrantFiled: January 29, 2010Date of Patent: December 11, 2012Assignee: Xerox CorporationInventors: Charles Robert Carlson, James Patrick VanWinkle, Paul Ronald Herman, Shanti Villarreal, Brent Rodney Jones, Ashok Murthy, Sara Kleiman, Mark Simon Boyt
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Patent number: 8314956Abstract: A printing system comprising: a terminal device; and a printing apparatus. The terminal device comprises: a job information generation unit for generating job information including identification information on a job issuer, and identification information with respect to the permitted recipient; and a job information transmission unit for transmitting the job information generated by the job information generation unit.Type: GrantFiled: March 5, 2009Date of Patent: November 20, 2012Assignee: Kyocera Document Solutions Inc.Inventor: Shigenaka Kanemitsu
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Patent number: 8310695Abstract: A system for accounting for a print job includes a print device having a database, and a server having a database. The print device and the server communicate via a network. The print device and/or the server have means for dynamically updating accounting information for the print job that communicates with the print device and the server via the network. The accounting information resides in the database of the print device and/or the database of the server. A method for accounting for a print job includes providing at least one print device having at least one database and at least one server having at least one database. The method includes communicating between the print devices and the servers via a network for dynamically updating accounting information for the print job stored on the databases of the print devices and/or the databases of the servers.Type: GrantFiled: September 12, 2007Date of Patent: November 13, 2012Assignee: Xerox CorporationInventors: Vanditha Mukund, Kenneth James Buck
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Patent number: 8290307Abstract: The maximum number of scaled images formed for one document and the scaling ratio set for each of scaled images are accepted by an operation panel, the basic scaling ratio is read from a table defining the scaled image arrangement information and the like, the scaling ratio of the original image data obtained by an image reading section is changed, and scaled images laid out on one sheet are generated. The generated plurality of scaled images are arranged according to the arrangement information defined by the table, and image formation is performed by an image forming section, thereby obtaining a multi-shot copy in which a plurality of images of different scaling ratio are laid out on one sheet.Type: GrantFiled: June 5, 2008Date of Patent: October 16, 2012Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki KaishaInventor: Tomohito Yamashita
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Patent number: 8289542Abstract: A system updates at least one database and includes at least one slave print device, a master print device having the database or a server having the database, and at least one network accessing mechanism communicating with the slave print device and with master print device or the server via a network for administration of the database. A method is disclosed for updating at least one database. The method includes providing at least one slave print device and a master print device having the database or a server having the database; and at least one network accessing mechanism communicating with the slave print device and with the master print device or the server via a network for administration of the database. The slave print device initiates updating the database of the master print device and/or the server. The slave print device may or may not have a database.Type: GrantFiled: September 12, 2007Date of Patent: October 16, 2012Assignee: Xerox CorporationInventors: Vanditha Mukund, Kenneth James Buck
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Patent number: 8275281Abstract: An image forming apparatus comprises a connection unit, a display unit, a detector unit detecting the connection of the vendor to the connection unit and detecting the receipt of at least either one of card insertion and coin insertion by the vendor, a fixing unit, a power supply unit distributing power to the display unit and the fixing unit, and a control unit causing the power supply unit to distribute power to the fixing unit so that the fixing unit maintains a second standby temperature lower than a first standby temperature being lower than a toner image heating temperature while causing the power supply unit to maintain the power distribution to the display unit when the detector unit does not detect the receipt of at least either one of the card insertion and the coin insertion by the vendor while detecting the connection of the vendor to the connection unit.Type: GrantFiled: November 6, 2009Date of Patent: September 25, 2012Assignee: Kyocera Mita CorporationInventor: Hitoshi Asaka
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Patent number: 8274681Abstract: A printing system, provided with a first administrating section for administrating the number of sheets remaining until the number of printed sheets reaches to a predetermined upper limit of the number of sheets, a second administrating subsection for administrating the number of reserved sheets being under a waiting condition for being printed and outputted in the printing section, and a judging section for comparing the total number of sheets of the number of reserved sheets and the number of scheduled sheets indicated in a printing permission request with the number of remaining sheets when receiving the printing permission request. The judging section judges from the comparison whether or not the printing requested by the printing permission request is to be permitted, and transmits the judgment result as the response to the printing permission request.Type: GrantFiled: September 24, 2008Date of Patent: September 25, 2012Assignee: Konica Minolta Business Technologies, Inc.Inventor: Tomoya Yoshida
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Patent number: 8270864Abstract: Upon registration of such document data that a general affairs department issues a request to print out the document data to a sales department, the document data is registered in a billing management box designated as a registration destination in an MFP allocated to the sales department. The MFP adds a department ID of the general affairs department which is authentication information at this operation, as billing destination information, to the document data. When the general affairs department sets an upper limit of printout of the print data, an upper limit value counter is added to the document data. When the general affairs department issues a request of notification, a fact that the document data is registered is displayed on a panel of the MFP allocated to the sales department; thus, the sales department receives the notification.Type: GrantFiled: December 17, 2008Date of Patent: September 18, 2012Assignee: Konica Minolta Business Technologies, Inc.Inventor: Yoshikazu Takesada
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Patent number: 8266675Abstract: An information processor is provided that can maintain security in the entire network and use recording media resources efficiently. An image forming apparatus includes a user information memorizing portion for memorizing local user data of users who have ever used the image forming apparatus, a user information deleting portion for deleting any one or more of the local user data when the local user data memorized in the user information memorizing portion has an amount greater than a predetermined value, an authentication request portion for requesting an authentication server to authenticate a user who desires to use the image forming apparatus, and a user information generating portion, when local user data of the user authenticated by the authentication server are not memorized in the user information memorizing portion, for generating local user data of the user in the user information memorizing portion to let the same memorize the generated data.Type: GrantFiled: March 10, 2006Date of Patent: September 11, 2012Assignee: Konica Minolta Business Technologies, Inc.Inventor: Akira Murakawa
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Patent number: 8254800Abstract: An image processing apparatus includes a living body detection unit configured to detect approaching of a living body based on a detection output depending on a distance to the living body, an operation unit configured to receive an operation command from a user, a history recording unit configured to record a history of a detection output of the living body detection unit and a history of an operation performed on the operation unit, and a determination unit configured to determine a threshold value of the detection output, the threshold value being used by the living body detection unit as a determination reference value in determining whether a living body is detected, the determination of the threshold value being made based on the history recorded in the history recording unit as to the detection output of the living body detection unit and as to the operation performed on the operation unit.Type: GrantFiled: December 11, 2009Date of Patent: August 28, 2012Assignee: Canon Kabushiki KaishaInventor: Kazuhiro Oyoshi
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Patent number: 8237955Abstract: This invention makes it possible to provide an image forming apparatus capable of causing an information processing apparatus to install a driver desired by a user by selecting an appropriate PDL and presenting device information to the information processing apparatus, and increasing the convenience for the user, a control method for the apparatus, and a program. To accomplish this, image forming unit-specific log information associated with a plurality of image forming units of the image forming apparatus is stored in a storage device. On the basis of the log information, a priority image forming unit is decided from the plurality of image forming units. Identification information containing an identifier of the decided image forming unit is transmitted in response to an information request transmitted from the information processing apparatus.Type: GrantFiled: August 31, 2006Date of Patent: August 7, 2012Assignee: Canon Kabushiki KaishaInventor: Hiroshi Mori