JP2002182534A - Image forming device - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an image forming apparatus provided with a cost charging function for fairly charging the users of the image forming device for costs. SOLUTION: A part for specifying the business unit of document distribution 361 specifies the distributing source, the main destinations of distribution, reference destination of distribution and the type of a document copy by using the charging information contained in the image data for a single page written in the image memory 340, and outputs the information about them to a charging part 362. The charging part 362 calculates the total charging amount from the paper size and number of copies inputted from the operation panel 260, and, on the basis of the charging distribution table 371, the total charge amount is distributed and charged to the distribution source, main destinations of distribution, and reference destination of distribution which have been indicated by the part for specifying the business unit of document distribution 361.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus such as a copying machine and a printer, and more particularly, to an image forming apparatus having a function of performing a billing process in consideration of use of the image forming apparatus.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In a company or the like, as part of expense management, for example, a charging process is performed for each department for use of a copying machine. Conventionally, for this accounting process, for example, a copying machine installed in each department is connected to a host computer, and the amount of copying work performed in each department (each copying machine) is totaled by the host computer for each department. Thus, a charge proportional to the copying work amount is made.

[0003] Thus, it is possible to manage expenses generated by the copying work by department.

[0004]

However, the copying work performed by each department is not limited to one performed only for that department. For example, there is a method for distributing a copy of the minutes of a meeting to a department that has attended the meeting, and a method for copying a response created for a question from another department.

[0005] Even in the case where copying is performed for other departments as described above, conventionally, only the department that performed the copying work is charged, and the unfairness between the departments is given. It has become. Also, when requesting another department to copy the material owned by the other department, etc., the requesting department may not be charged, so it may be necessary to view the material only. Even so, copying tends to be performed unnecessarily, and as a result, there is a problem that the cost of copying work increases as a whole company.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In view of the above problems, an object of the present invention is to provide an image forming apparatus having a charging function that allows users of the image forming apparatus to be charged fairly.

[0007]

In order to achieve the above object, an image forming apparatus according to the present invention is an image forming apparatus that reproduces an original image on a recording sheet and outputs the image. Charging information receiving means for receiving input of charging information including distribution source information and distribution destination information; specifying means for specifying the distribution source and distribution destination of the recording sheet from the charging information received by the charging information receiving means; It is characterized by comprising charging means for distributing and charging the usage fee of the forming apparatus to the distribution source and the distribution destination specified by the specifying means.

The image forming apparatus is a copying machine that reads a document, reproduces the read document image on a recording sheet, and outputs the read document image, wherein the billing information receiving unit reads the document image from the document. Means, wherein the specifying means specifies a distribution source and a distribution destination from charging information inherent in the read document image. Further, the billing information further includes document type information for specifying the type of the document, and the image forming apparatus further includes, for each type of the document, a distribution ratio set by a distribution source and a distribution destination. The identification unit identifies the type of the original from the read original image, and the charging unit refers to the table, and according to the distribution ratio corresponding to the identified original type. The usage fee is distributed and charged.

[0009]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Hereinafter, the present invention will be described based on an example applied to an electronic billing system. FIG. 1 is a diagram showing the overall configuration of the electronic billing system. The electronic billing system includes a host computer 100 and monochrome digital copiers (hereinafter, referred to as “copying machines”) arranged in respective departments A to E.
Simply called "copier". ) 200A to 200E, and each copying machine 200A to 200E is connected to the host computer 100. Each copier 200
A to 200E specify the charge amount, distribute the charge amount to each department as necessary, and notify the host computer 100 of the distribution amount. The host computer 100 totals the billing amount for each department based on the notification.

FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration of the copying machine 200. Note that similar copiers are arranged in all departments. The copying machine 200 includes an image reading device 210 having a known automatic document feeder, and the image reading device 210 converts a plurality of documents set on a document tray into one document by the automatic document feeder. While transporting
CCD by the so-called sheet-through scan method
The original image is read by the sensor to generate image data.

The generated image data is transmitted to the control unit 300
(FIG. 4), the control unit 300 converts the input image data into a drive signal for the laser diode 221 (FIG. 4), and drives the laser diode 221.
Laser light LB emitted from laser diode 221
Is deflected by an optical element (not shown) to expose the surface of the photosensitive drum 222 in the main scanning direction.

Around the photosensitive drum 222, a drum cleaner (not shown), a charging charger 223, a developing device 22
4 and a transfer charger 225 are provided. The photosensitive drum 222 removes residual toner by a drum cleaner before exposure to the laser beam LB, and
23 are uniformly charged. When the uniformly charged photosensitive surface is exposed, an electrostatic latent image is formed, and the electrostatic latent image is
The image is visualized as a toner image by the developing device 224.

On the other hand, a paper feed cassette 23 provided in two stages
Recording sheets of different sizes are stored in each of the sheets 1 and 232 (in this example, A3 size and A4 size),
A recording sheet of a desired size is fed from either one. The fed recording sheet is conveyed to a transfer position where the photosensitive drum 222 and the transfer charger 225 face each other. At the transfer position, the toner image on the photosensitive drum 222 is transferred by the transfer charger 225 to the recording sheet. Is transferred to The recording sheet onto which the toner image has been transferred is discharged to the discharge tray 250 after the fixing device 240 fixes the toner image.

An operation panel 260 is provided above the copying machine 200. The operation panel 260 includes a numeric keypad for inputting a numerical value such as the number of copies, a start key for instructing the start of copying, a setting key for setting various copy modes, a number of copies set with the numeric keypad, the setting key, and the like. And a display unit for displaying a mode or the like set by a message in a message.

FIG. 3A is a diagram showing a format of a document 400 handled by the copying machine 200. As shown in the figure, the document 400 is divided into five fields (areas): a title field 410, a distribution department information field 420, a document type field 430, a text field 440, and a description field 450.

The title column 410 is a column in which the title of the document 400 is described. The distribution department information column 420 is a column for describing the department of the distribution source and distribution destination of the copy of the document. The details of the distribution section information column are shown in FIG. The distribution department information column 420 has a table format having a configuration as shown in FIG. If any of the departments A to E corresponds to a department serving as a distribution source, a main distribution destination, or a reference distribution destination, the corresponding portion is marked with a mark “●”. Here, the distribution source is a department that copies the manuscript and distributes it to another department. The main distribution destination is a department directly related to the manuscript, and is a department that must be distributed without fail. The reference distribution destination is a department that is not directly related to the manuscript, but is distributed only for reference. In other words, the distinction of the distribution destination indicates the rank (importance) of the distribution destination. In addition, the distribution source always marks only one place, the main distribution destination marks only one place when necessary, and the reference distribution destination marks an arbitrary number as necessary (including a case where no mark is made at all). It is supposed to be. In addition, a location to be marked is referred to as a scheduled marking location. In this example, there are a total of 15 (= 5 × 3) scheduled marking locations in total.

In the example shown in FIG. 3B, the department A is the distribution source of the original, the department B is the main distribution destination, the departments C and E are the reference distribution destinations, and are not distributed to the department D. ing. If the original copy is used only by its own department (distributed only to its own department), only one location is marked in the distribution source column, and no marking is made in the main distribution destination column and reference distribution destination column. .

The document type column 430 is a column for describing the type of the document. The details of the document type column 430 are shown in FIG. The manuscript type column also has a tabular form having a configuration as shown in the figure, and the corresponding kind column of the manuscript is marked with a mark “●”. This figure shows an example in which the manuscript is “minutes”. In addition, there are a total of seven marking locations in the document type column in this example.

In the distribution section information field and the document type field, the writing position is determined for each size of the document such as A3 or A4, so that the positions of the above-mentioned planned marking locations can be specified. . Therefore, by detecting the presence or absence of the mark “●” at each of the planned marking positions (positions), the distribution source, the distribution destination, and the type of the manuscript can be specified.

The text column 440 is a column for writing the text of the document. In the other description column 450, a seal column such as a creation date of the document and an approval stamp is described. For the above-mentioned manuscript, prepare the manuscript paper on which the above-mentioned columns are printed in advance, and write the text etc. on the manuscript paper by hand, or mark the corresponding marking planned places by handwriting (black out). Created. Alternatively, when creating a manuscript using a word processor or a personal computer, a template (electronic image data) having the above format is prepared, and necessary information including a marking (mark) is written in the template. Good.

FIG. 4 is a block diagram mainly showing a schematic configuration of the control unit 300. As shown in FIG.
Are an A / D converter 310, an image data receiving unit 320, an image data writing unit 330, an image memory 340, a laser diode driving unit 350, a CPU 360, a ROM 370,
RAM 380 and I / F unit (interface unit) 3
90.

The A / D converter 310 converts analog image data sent from the CCD sensor into digital image data and sends the digital image data to the image data receiver 320. The image data receiving unit 320 performs various correction processes such as edge enhancement on the image data received from the A / D conversion unit 310, and then transmits the image data to the image data writing unit 330 line by line in the main scanning direction. Yes (enter). At this time, when the transmission of one page of the image data is completed, the image data receiving section 320 transmits a transmission end signal to the image data writing section 330.

The image data writing section 330 writes the image data input from the image data receiving section 320 line by line into the image memory 340 and sends a write end signal to the CPU 360 when writing for one page is completed. The image memory 340 is a memory that stores image data for each page. The image memory 340 stores image data in pixel units, and stores one pixel in one area specified by an address allocated in a row direction (main scanning direction) and a column direction (sub scanning direction). Information is stored. Pixel information includes white pixel information (hereinafter simply referred to as “white pixel”).
Say ) And black pixel information (hereinafter, simply referred to as “black pixel”). As described later, the modulation of the laser diode 221 is performed based on the pixel information. The laser diode 221 is turned on for a black pixel, and the laser diode 221 is turned off for a white pixel. When the laser diode 221 is turned on, a (toner) image is formed on the photosensitive drum 222 at a position irradiated with the laser beam.

The laser diode driving section 350 has a CPU
According to the instruction of 360, the pixel information is read out sequentially from the line data of the row address No. 1, and based on the information,
The laser diode 221 is modulated and driven. ROM370
Is the position information for specifying the above-mentioned scheduled marking position for each size of the original document by the above-mentioned address of the image memory 340, a charge distribution table 371 described later, and the CPU 360.
Stores various programs to be executed.

The CPU 360 reads out a necessary program from the ROM 370, causes each unit such as the image data receiving unit 320 to perform various processes, and controls the operation of each unit in a unified manner to realize a smooth image forming operation. . Also,
On the other hand, the CPU 360 calculates the total charge from the size of the recording sheet to be used and the number of copies, distributes the total charge to each department if necessary, and transmits the charge to the host computer 100.

FIG. 5A shows a functional block of a part (hereinafter, referred to as a "charging processing unit") of the CPU 360 relating to the above-described series of charging processing. As shown in the figure, the billing processing unit includes a distribution department specifying unit 361, a billing unit 362, a billing amount transmitting unit 363, and the like. Distribution department identification department 3
61, when the write end signal is transmitted from the image data writing unit 330, reads from the ROM 370 the position information of the marking expected position corresponding to the sheet size input from the operation panel 260, and reads the image corresponding to the read position information. By searching the area in the memory 340 and detecting the presence / absence of a mark in each area (the planned marking location), the distribution department and the type of the document are specified. The distribution department identification unit 361 determines the identified department and the document type by a billing unit 362.
Notify.

The billing unit 362 first operates the operation panel 260
Is calculated from the paper size (recording sheet size) and the number of copies input from. A4 size is 10 pieces
The circle and A3 size are set at 20 yen per sheet, and the total charge is calculated by multiplying this by the number of copies. Billing unit 362
If the distribution department notified from the distribution department identification unit 361 is only the own department, the distribution unit 363 notifies the charging amount transmission unit 363 of the total charging amount as the charging amount of the own department. Billing unit 3
When the distribution department notified by the distribution department identification unit 361 is other than the own department, the distribution unit 62 distributes the total charge to each department based on the charging distribution table 371 stored in the ROM 370.

FIG. 5B shows a charge distribution table 371.
As shown in the figure, the charge distribution table 371 stores the distribution ratio of the charge amount to the distribution source, the main distribution destination, and the reference distribution destination for each document type. Here, when the distribution ratio is “equal”, it indicates that the distribution is to be performed equally to the corresponding distribution department. For example, if the distribution department information field is as shown in FIG. 3B and the type of the original is a notice of holding, 70% of the total charge is distributed to the distribution source A,
The remaining 30% is equally distributed to the main distribution destination B and the reference distribution destinations C and D. In the case where the distribution department information column is the same as above and the type of the manuscript is the minutes, 25% of the total charge is distributed to the departments A, B, C, D, and E.

The billing unit 362 notifies the billing amount transmitting unit 363 of the billing amount allocated to each department as described above in association with the department. Upon receiving the above-mentioned notification from the charging unit 362, the charging amount transmitting unit 363 associates the department with the charging amount and transmits it to the host computer 100 via the I / F unit 390.

The host computer 100 has a tabulation table 110 as shown in FIG. 6, and receives notifications from the copying machines 200A to 200E arranged in each section, and totals the billing amount for each section. FIG. 7 is a diagram showing a flowchart of a billing process by the billing processing unit. When the image data for one page is written in the image memory 340 (Yes in step S2), the distribution source and the distribution destination are searched from the image data (step S4), and the total charge is calculated (step S6).

As a result of the search in step S4, when there is no distribution destination (No in step S8), the total amount calculated in step S6 is charged to the distribution source in full (step S10). A pair with the distribution source is transmitted to the host computer (step S16). on the other hand,
When the distribution destination is detected (Yes in step S8),
The type of the document is specified from the image data, and the charge distribution table 371 is specified.
The distribution ratio is determined on the basis of (step S12). Based on the determined distribution ratio, the total charge is allocated to each department and charged (step S14), and the charged amount and the department are associated with each other and transmitted to the host computer (step S1).
6).

As described above, according to the copying machine of the present embodiment, the copying machine is used (actually used).
The usage fee of the copying machine will be charged not only to the department of the distribution source, but also to the distribution destination that receives the copy (copy original), that is, the department that uses the copying machine indirectly, It is possible to realize fair charging between users of the copying machine.

The distribution ratio of the usage fee determined according to the type of the original, that is, the distribution ratio of the usage fee determined according to the necessity of the copy at the distribution destination receiving the copy of the original, Since the usage fee is allocated and charged based on this, more reasonable and fair charging is possible. As described above, the present invention has been described based on the embodiment. However, the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and may be, for example, as follows. (1) In the above-described embodiment, the billing information such as the distribution source, the distribution destination, and the type of the document is described in the document, and is input to the copying machine by being read by the image reading device. However, the present invention is not limited thereto, and billing information may be received from the operation panel. (2) In the above-described embodiment, the total charge amount is calculated for each copy of a document. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and a series of plural documents (documents set at one time on the document tray of the automatic document feed mechanism) The total charge may be calculated for each copy of. In this case, the format of the first document to be read in the series of documents is the above-described format (FIG. 3), and the other documents are the same as the conventional documents. (3) In the above embodiment, the number of copies is received from the operation panel. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the number of markings (marks) in the distribution department information column may be used as the number of copies. This is because it is sufficient to distribute one copy at a time, regardless of whether two copies are distributed to each department.
Alternatively, the number of copies may be input from the operation panel, and the product of the number of copies and the number of markings may be used as the number of copies. (4) In the above embodiment, the accounting result is counted by the host computer. However, the present invention is not limited to this. The counting result is counted for each copying machine, and the counting result is periodically cleaned from each copying machine. It may be. Further, by providing the copying machine with an aggregation function, it is convenient when a plurality of departments share and use one copying machine. (5) Needless to say, the format of the manuscript is not limited to that described in the above embodiment, and can be changed as appropriate. (6) In the above description, the embodiment in which the present invention is applied to a copying machine is described as an embodiment. However, the present invention is applicable not only to a copying machine but also to a printer. This is because a plurality of copies of the same manuscript may be printed out by the number of distribution departments.

[0034]

As described above, according to the image forming apparatus of the present invention, not only the recording sheet distribution source but also the recording sheet distribution destination, that is, the person who uses the image forming apparatus indirectly. Also, since the usage fee of the image forming apparatus is charged, it is possible to realize fair charging between users of the image forming apparatus.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an overall configuration of an electronic billing system.

FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration of a copying machine.

FIG. 3A is a diagram showing a format of a document handled by the copying machine. FIG. 3B is a diagram illustrating details of a distribution department information column of the document. FIG. 3C is a diagram illustrating details of a document type column of the document.

FIG. 4 is a block diagram showing a schematic configuration of a control unit of the copying machine.

FIG. 5A is a functional block diagram of a portion related to a charging process of a CPU in the control unit. (B) is a figure which shows a charge distribution table.

FIG. 6 is a diagram showing an aggregation table provided in the host computer.

FIG. 7 is a diagram illustrating a flowchart of a charging process by a charging processing unit.

[Explanation of symbols]

 200 Copier 210 Image reading device 361 Distribution department specifying unit 362 Billing unit 371 Billing distribution table 420 Distribution department information column 430 Document type column

Claims (3)

[Claims] 1. An image forming apparatus for reproducing an original image on a recording sheet and outputting the same, wherein charging information receiving means for receiving input of charging information including distribution source information and distribution destination information of the output recording sheet is provided. Identifying means for specifying the distribution source and distribution destination of the recording sheet from the accounting information received by the accounting information receiving means, and allocating the usage fee of the image forming apparatus to the distribution source and distribution destination specified by the identification means. An image forming apparatus comprising: 2. The image forming apparatus reads a document,
A copying machine that reproduces and outputs the read document image on a recording sheet, wherein the billing information receiving unit is a document image reading unit that reads a document image from a document, and the specifying unit is configured to read the read document image. 2. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a distribution source and a distribution destination are specified from the intrinsic charging information. 3. The billing information further includes document type information for specifying the type of the document. The image forming apparatus further sets the distribution type and the distribution destination for each type of the document. A table storing the distribution ratios, wherein the specifying unit specifies the type of the document from the read document image, and the billing unit refers to the table to determine the distribution ratio corresponding to the specified document type. 3. The image forming apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the usage fee is distributed and charged in accordance with the charge.