Abstract: A facsimile driver program recorded in a program recording medium is installed in a client device for a user to enter the type of process requested of a multifunction device. A first transmission unit transmits a command to the multifunction device asking for a screen corresponding to the entered type of process. Using the facsimile driver program, a user can make appropriate selections so that, even when the multifunction device has a plurality of server functions, the user is not required to go through needless operations.

Abstract: An expense recovery system for a digital MFD in the form of a modification to the application program interface of the MFD to allow input of identifiers for the user, the client and the job and to transmit this information and other transaction data to a host computer for billing purposes. Data entry is made faster and more accurate by minimizing keystrokes. The information is transmitted over a network and, optionally, the host computer may be located remote from the MFD.

Abstract: Automatically determining the cost of a printed job on a digital printing press before the job is run. A job control component in the digital front end of the printing press collects and stores the processing information from the job processing components from prior runs. A job-reporting component displays the stored and estimated processing information and automatically computes and displays the estimated cost of the job. The method includes determining a future toner cost using a toner cost, a future press usage cost, and a substrate cost based on historical toner consumption and then rasterizing the job to determine the total job cost.

Abstract: A charging system includes a plurality of image forming apparatuses, and an information processing device that manages a charging processing on the image forming apparatus. The image forming apparatus detects a trouble occurring on the image forming apparatus, and transmits a total number of output papers put out of the image forming apparatus and the detected contents of trouble to the information processing device as a use condition of the image forming apparatus. The information processing device calculates a total amount of service charge on the basis of the total number of output papers transmitted from the image forming apparatus, and also calculates an amount of deduction corresponding to the contents of trouble transmitted from the image forming apparatus. The information processing device deducts the amount of deduction from the total amount of service charge to calculate an amount of charge on the image forming apparatus.

Abstract: Embodiments of the present invention comprise systems, methods and devices for allowing a plurality of concurrent users to use a single imaging device account.

Abstract: An imaging device utilizes click count fragmentation to provide separate click counts for service and billing purposes. Click count fragmentation maintains uninterrupted service counts and derives from service counts billing counts that more accurately reflect the number of pages generated that are usable by a customer. Billing counts may be paused, resumed, reset and displayed by authorized personnel via a local or remote imaging device interface. Accesses of billing counts by authorized personnel may be recorded in an audit trail.

Abstract: 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.

Abstract: An upper limit of allowed print count is set for each user requesting print jobs, and a multi function printer includes: (i) a schedule transmission requesting section for acquiring schedule information of the user; (ii) a print count predicting section for predicting, on the basis of the acquired schedule information, allowed print count assigned to the user, and the number of printed sheets, whether changing the upper limit of the allowed print count is required; and (iii) a settings change inquiry section for inquiring a manager terminal of whether the manager terminal authorizes changing the upper limit of the allowed print count. If having obtained from the manager terminal authorization of change of the upper limit of the allowed print count, the multi function printer performs a print job within a range of a new allowed print count.

Abstract: Automatically determining the cost of a printed job on a digital printing press before the job is run. A job control component in the digital front end of the printing press collects and stores the processing information from the job processing components from prior runs. A job-reporting component displays the stored and estimated processing information and automatically computes and displays the estimated cost of the job. The method includes determining a future toner cost using a toner cost, a future press usage cost, and a substrate cost based on historical toner consumption and then rasterizing the job to determine the total job cost.

Abstract: A print controlling method in a print controlling apparatus for controlling printing processing by using printing limitation information indicating printing limitation, including an obtaining step of obtaining printing limitation information; an identifying step of identifying printing setting set to the printing data; a deciding step of deciding the printing setting by which the printing setting is within the printing authority information by using the printing setting identified at the identifying step and the printing authority information; a determining step of determining whether the printing setting decided by the deciding unit is inconsistent with the other setting set to the printing data; and an executing unit for allowing the printing setting for the printing data outside the range of the printing authority information if it is determined as inconsistent at the determining step, is disclosed.

Abstract: Methods, apparatus, and other mechanisms are disclosed for generating accounting or other data based on that indicated in access control lists or other specifications, and typically using associative memory entries in one or more associative memory banks and/or memory devices. One implementation identifies an access control list including multiple access control list entries, with a subset of these access control list entries identifying accounting requests. Accounting mechanisms are associated with each of said access control list entries in the subset of access control list entries identifying accounting requests. An item is identified, and a corresponding accounting mechanism is updated. In one implementation, the item includes at least one autonomous system number. In one implementation, at least one of the accounting mechanisms is associated with at least two different access control list entries in the subset of access control list entries identifying accounting requests.

Abstract: A metered device includes a printing system for generating billable and non-billable electrostatographic images. The device includes a billing meter configured to store usage data related to the generation of the electrostatographic images. A CPU or processing unit is configured to increment the billing meter for each billable and non-billable electrostatographic image generated by the printing system. A user interface configured for controlling the image capture device, enables interrogation of the CPU. The device further includes a service counter for storing usage data related to the generation of non-billable electrostatographic images. The service counter is configured for editing by the CPU through the user interface to credit the usage data stored on the billing meter. The device further includes a network interface for transmitting the usage data stored on the billing meter to a billing service and a memory for storing the usage data that is transmitted to the billing service.

Abstract: An apparatus manages a usage amount associated with each of a plurality of functions included in a work flow. The work flow is executed after it is determined whether an operation of each step included in the work flow can be executed or not.

Abstract: A method of processing print jobs includes receiving two or more print jobs and organizing the two or more print jobs into one or more job groups that have modifiable group attributes. The method also includes organizing the one or more job groups into one or more group packages that have modifiable package attributes. The method further includes printing at least one of the group packages. A graphical user interface and a printing system are operative to perform the method.

Abstract: A usage limiting method for a device executing a job generated by a driver, in which a driver corresponding to a device manages a usage state of the device, and when the usage state agrees with a predetermined condition, the driver stops generation of a job corresponding to the device.

Abstract: 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.

Abstract: A system and method for managing customer orders associated with at least one printer device for consumable supplies under a contract. The method includes receiving printer usage data from at least one printer indicative of consumption of at least one consumable supply and calculating for each printer device based on the received print usage data associated with the printer device an allowed amount of at least one consumable supply that can be ordered for the printer device by a customer based on a contract. The method further includes receiving a customer order request for ordering an amount of a consumable supply for a printer device under the contract; determining whether the requested amount exceeds the allowed amount calculated for the consumable supply for the printer device, and limiting the amount of the requested consumable supply which can be ordered when the determination is positive.

Abstract: 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.

Abstract: An imaging device utilizes click count fragmentation to provide separate click counts for service and billing purposes. Click count fragmentation maintains uninterrupted service counts and derives from service counts billing counts that more accurately reflect the number of pages generated that are usable by a customer. Billing counts may be paused, resumed, reset and displayed by authorized personnel via a local or remote imaging device interface. Accesses of billing counts by authorized personnel may be recorded in an audit trail.

Abstract: It is possible to print a test page or a set page held originally in a controller regardless of printing limitation, even when a division management function works. A printer controller judges whether or not input identification information added to a printing job agrees with registered division management identification information at a printing request time of the printing job, permits a printer unit to print the printing job at an agreement time, and does not permit the printing at a disagreement time. Moreover, when special division management identification information is detected instead of the input identification information at the printing request time, existing information stored beforehand in the printer controller is printed.

Abstract: In an image forming device, a plurality of division counters associated with each division to which each user belongs, and an undefined counter which is not associated with the division are set in an internal memory. In a case where a request for printing an image is accepted, it is judged whether or not the image to be printed includes a page to be chromatically printed. In a case where the page to be chromatically printed is included, the image forming device identifies the division which has requested the printing, the number of the pages to be chromatically printed is counted in the division counter corresponding to the division which has requested the printing, and the number of pages to be monochromatically printed is counted in the division undefined counter.

Abstract: PRINTER (1) WITH MODULAR CARTRIDGE made up of a printing module (2) and a modular (3) cartridge, in independent cabinets but in the same printer, being that said modular cartridge can be fiscal or a non-fiscal cartridge. Said printing module (3) comprises at least a printing mechanism (4), a paper support (5), an auxiliary connection board (7), and the latter's connection to the control board (8). In fiscal cartridges, a fiscal control board is provided, comprising the devices responsible for all fiscal control functions and also for the printing control. In case of printers that do not need fiscal control, the control board can be simplified to a board with printing control function only, making up the so-called non-fiscal cartridges.

Abstract: When there are a plurality of candidate image forming apparatuses that are to be turned ON, a CPU refers to an MFP wearout degree table and obtains wearout degree of each candidate. Then, the CPU determines whether there is any candidate of which wearout degree is lower than a prescribed lower threshold value or not. If there is a candidate of which wearout degree is lower than the prescribed lower threshold value, the CPU determines the image forming apparatus as the object to be powered ON.

Abstract: Aspects of the present invention relate to systems, methods and devices for configuration-based imaging device accounting wherein costs are calculated based on detailed job parameters derived from job configuration data.

Abstract: The image printing apparatus according to the present invention includes a communications device which communicates data with a service server for providing a chargeable service over a network, a print device which prints an image on a predetermined print medium, a request input device through which a user input a request, a request execution device which uses a chargeable service by communicating data with the service server through the communications device in accordance with a request input through the request input device, obtains an image to be printed, and prints the image on a predetermined print medium by the print device, and a payment device which performs a paying process on separate payees between a printing rate for the image and a use rate for the chargeable service in a charge on the user.

Abstract: An expense recovery system for a digital MFD in the form of a modification to the application program interface of the MFD to allow input of identifiers for the user, the client and the job and to transmit this information and other transaction data to an host computer for billing purposes. Data entry is made faster and more accurate by minimizing keystrokes. The information is transmitted over a network and, optionally, the host computer may be located remote form the MFD.

Abstract: An expense recovery system for a digital MFD in the form of a modification to the application program interface of the MFD to allow input of identifiers for the user, the client and the job and to transmit this information and other transaction data to a host computer for billing purposes. Data entry is made faster and more accurate by minimizing keystrokes. The information is transmitted over a network and, optionally, the host computer may be located remote from the MFD.

Abstract: Aspects of the present invention relate to systems, methods and devices for configuration-based imaging device accounting wherein costs are calculated based on detailed job parameters derived from job configuration data.

Abstract: In a print system having printers connected to a network, consumables of the printers are managed. A consumables price DB and a budget DB store prices of the consumables and a predetermined purchase money amount. A consumables use residual amount discriminating unit obtains consumables use residual amounts of the printers. A consumables ordering discriminating unit discriminates the ordering necessity of the consumables from the consumables use residual amounts. Order money amount accumulating means accumulates order money amounts of the ordering necessity consumables on the basis of the prices of the consumables. An order consumables deciding means decides the ordering necessity consumables as order consumables corresponding to the period of time until an accumulated money amount exceeds the predetermined purchase money amount. A consumables ordering processing unit collects the order consumables in a predetermined format and orders them.

Abstract: A printing system and a method of charging to print a document therein. The printing system includes a server and a printing apparatus. The sever includes a storing part in which reference information on a document to be printed, a host communication part which receives a document including relevant information, and a host controller which charges a document registrant corresponding to the relevant information to print the document. The printing apparatus includes a printer communication part which receives the document, and a printer controller which prints the document received through the printer communication part.

Abstract: The present invention provides a paperless billing process for enabling expedited and simplified payments of print volume bills by customers of printing systems. A method of performing a billing process for the copies or prints produced by customer of a printing system is provided where the printing system comprises a memory that stores product usage data indicating a measurement of the actual use of the printing system. The printing system first accesses the memory to retrieve the product usage data. Then, the printing system calculates billing data using the retrieved product usage data. A bill is presented to the customer based on billing data, and the printing system receives user input from the customer indicating whether the customer authorizes the billing data. If so, a message is sent from the printing system to a billing service, wherein the message includes information indicating the authorized billing data.

Abstract: An application-to-application communication interface between an accounting service application and a printer agent application resides on a computer network. The interface is embodied as novel application programming interface (API) functions or calls between the applications that provide accounting support for print services, including tracking the production of print jobs and the resources consumed by those jobs. The accounting support services provided by the novel API communication interface facilitate computing of charges by the accounting application for print services and materials used by print clients.

Abstract: A method for providing a virtual replenishing of a supply item with an imaging substance includes the steps communicating to a database a first serial number associated with a first supply item; comparing the first serial number with a plurality of serial numbers stored in the database; receiving from the database one of a first data indicating non-correspondence between the first serial number with one of the plurality of serial numbers and a second data indicating correspondence between the first serial number with one of the plurality of serial numbers, wherein the second data includes a verification key; and if the verification key corresponds to the first key stored in the memory associated with the first supply item, then performing the step of allocating at least a portion of a surplus amount of the imaging substance contained in the first supply item for use.

Abstract: A metered device includes a printing system for generating billable and non-billable electrostatographic images. The device includes a billing meter configured to store usage data related to the generation of the electrostatographic images. A CPU or processing unit is configured to increment the billing meter for each billable and non-billable electrostatographic image generated by the printing system. A user interface configured for controlling the image capture device, enables interrogation of the CPU. The device further includes a service counter for storing usage data related to the generation of non-billable electrostatographic images. The service counter is configured for editing by the CPU through the user interface to credit the usage data stored on the billing meter. The device further includes a network interface for transmitting the usage data stored on the billing meter to a billing service and a memory for storing the usage data that is transmitted to the billing service.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus and method where a first terminal group comprises one or more host terminals, a second terminal group is connected to the first terminal group via a network and comprises one or more host terminals, and an image forming apparatus is connected to the first and second terminal groups via the network, and forms an image using a predetermined expendable material in response to a drive command issued by one of the host terminals belonging to the first or second terminal group. An expendable element has a memory that stores information regarding a remaining amount of expendable material for each of the first and second terminal groups. Accordingly, it is possible for host terminals to obtain the benefits of being connected to a plurality of image forming apparatuses from a single image forming apparatus.

Abstract: This is a method for permitting an employee (user) authority to use his employer's marking apparatus for personal reasons. The supplier (provider) of the marking apparatus for example, Xerox Corporation, makes arrangements with the employee (with employer's approval) to use the marking apparatus for an agreed upon price; the marking apparatus having provisions for recording the employee's usage and conveying this to the provider. The provider administers the entire process and pays the employer a portion of the amount remitted by the employee user.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus for reducing time required for adjusting the image forming conditions and transport conditions and minimizing the number of recording material used for the adjustment. Image forming conditions and transport conditions for the recording material are adjusted according to the characteristic properties of the recording material. Associated data including an adjustment value obtained from the adjustment of the image forming conditions and transport conditions made by the adjustment unit and the characteristic properties of the recording material associated with the adjustment value is generated. The associated data stored in the storage unit is transmitted to the data collection/delivery apparatus. Delivery data regarding the adjustment of the image forming conditions and transport conditions is received from the data collection/delivery apparatus.

Abstract: The number of prints necessary for execution of a print job of a storage type, together with the surplus number of prints, is calculated. A difference B between an upper limit value A and the number C of prints is calculated during execution of a print job. When there is a print job of the storage type having the number of prints not lower than the difference B, notification that the upper limit value of the number of prints approaches is given to a user having issued the print job.

Abstract: For a network printer function and a network scan function, a trial using mode whose use frequency is limited can be set. When the preset trial using mode is finished, the use of the tried function is permitted according to setting of an exclusive key.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image data input unit; an image forming unit adapted to print an image on a printing sheet in accordance with image data from the image data input unit; a control unit connected to the image forming unit; and a billing setting unit adapted to enable to selectively set either a first mode for billing per side of the printing sheet or a second mode for billing per sheet of the printing sheet for double-sided printing, wherein the control unit executes a printing service in accordance with the set mode by the billing setting unit.

Abstract: A method for analyzing a print/copy job is disclosed. In this method, an actual page count of a print/copy job is recorded, and a total toner coverage for the print/copy job is compiled. Then, a total toner coverage page count is obtained via a computation using a predetermined threshold value and the total toner coverage, wherein the predetermined threshold value is an amount of a toner coverage for a print/copy page under normal fare, and when the actual page count of the print/copy job is less than the total toner coverage page count, a toner coverage adjustment page count is equal to the total toner coverage page count. Thereafter, a report is produced in accordance with the print/copy job.

Abstract: It is determined whether a print job to be output on a color laser-printing device is to have reduced color toner usage. In response to determining that the print job is to have reduced color toner usage, the print job is adjusted so that the print job consumes less color toner when output on the color laser-printing device, by color-desaturating the print job.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus (10) for forming an image on a recording medium (30) such as a recording paper by applying ink is disclosed. The apparatus includes an ink discharging unit (20) that applies ink onto the recording medium to form the image; a sensor (6) that detects that a predetermined event has happened; and an accounting unit (2) that performs an account process at a predetermined adequate time based on the detection by the sensor.

Abstract: An appropriate printer selection simulation system for selecting an appropriate printer providing more expressive output with lower running cost is disclosed. The system includes a user terminal, a printer, and a server connected to each other via a network. The printer includes an e-mail generating unit extracting printer information including the ink consumption amount with respect to the printer and generating e-mail including the extracted printer information, and an e-mail transmitting unit transmitting the e-mail generated by the e-mail generating unit to the server. The server includes a cost report generating unit generating the cost report indicating that the cost of the ink consumption amount when a color copy is printed in color is less than the cost of the ink consumption amount when the color copy is printer in monochrome, and a transmitting unit transmitting the generated cost report to the user terminal.

Abstract: A convenient environment flexibly coping with an environment in which an image forming apparatus capable of accepting a plurality of jobs is used can be constructed. For this purpose, in a job processing method of an image forming system including the image forming apparatus capable of accepting a plurality of jobs including a first job, print processing of the first job is performed by the image forming apparatus, and performance of print processing of a second job input after the first job can be prohibited based on checking information including at least any one of information associated with the first job subjected to the print processing and information associated with the second job although print processing of the second job can be performed by the image forming apparatus.

Abstract: There is provided an image forming apparatus in which when printing is performed based on an electrophotographic process, counting is performed by a counter for each print operation, and billing corresponding to the kind of the print operation is performed based on the count value of the counter, and which includes, as counters, a number-of-sheet counter to count the number of sheets for each print operation, an integrating counter to integrate the counter value of the number-of-sheet counter, and a billing counter to determine billing from the counter values of the number-of-sheet counter and the integrating counter, and a multiplication rate previously stored in a data table.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus is described. The image forming apparatus may be for printing sheets on the basis of a print instruction input therein, including: a limit quantity storage unit storing a predetermined limit quantity; an accounting storage unit storing an accounting for printing one sheet; and a printing authorization unit authorizing execution of printing, when the print instruction is input, after a quantity of a consumer product consumed by printing reaches the limit quantity stored in the limit quantity storage unit, on condition that a user pays a price obtained by multiplying the number of sheets which should have been continuously printed on the basis of the print instruction by the accounting with reference to the accounting storage unit.

Abstract: A document processing system may include a document processing device (e.g., a copier), a host (e.g., a computer server), and a multi-device compatible interface for enabling operation of the host and the document processing device from among a plurality of different possible document processing devices. That is, the multi-device compatible interface may determine a set of signals to use with the document processing device upon being connected therewith, and thereafter use the determined set of signals. Accordingly, the multi-device compatible interface may advantageously be used with numerous types of document processing devices despite the differences in their various protocols, connector types, etc.

Abstract: One embodiment of the present invention is provided with an image information storage unit, an image information processing unit, an actual image forming unit, an image information control unit that controls transfer of image information between each of the units, a power supply control unit, a cost information management unit that holds basic cost information prescribing power costs dependent on a usage time and calculates unit cost information, and an image processing time management unit that calculates a processing time required for image output jobs, wherein the image information control unit sets the execution timings of the image output jobs based on the basic cost information so that a total of image output costs of the image output jobs stored in the image information storage unit is lowest.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus which is capable of achieving both enhanced userfriendliness and improved energy saving efficiency without being released from a reduced power consumption state by a user who has no will to use the same passing thereby. When a copying machine 200 is in a sleep mode, it is detected whether or not a user has come near to the copying machine 200. If a contactless IC 600 is present within the range of radio wave signals emitted from an IC tag reader/writer 500, it is determined that a user has come near because the communication between the contactless IC 600 and the IC tag reader/write 500 can be carried out. Reading of data from the contactless IC 600 is started, and user authentication is executed based on the data. If, as a result of the user authentication, the user is a licensed user, it is determined whether or not an original document has been set on an automatic feeder 800.