JP2001034446A - Charging system changing unit cost in accordance with number of print copies - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To change a unit cost in accordance with the number of print copies and also to check whether or not a user can print by calculating the total charging sum of a user from a printing unit cost corresponding to the number of the total print copies of the user and comparing the total charging sum with a preliminarily set total charging sum upper limit of the user. SOLUTION: A charging server PC 101 is connected to a network 106 and holds user information and printer information related to charging. A printing server PC 102 receives printing data from print client PCs 103 and 104 and transmits the printing data to a printer 105. In such a case, printing information is transferred to the server PC 101. The server PC 101 calculates the total charging sum of a user from a printing unit cost according to the number of the total print copies of the user and compares the calculated total charging sum of the user with a preliminarily set total charging sum upper limit value of the user. Thus, such a mechanism in which a unit cost is reduced when use quantity is increased, which frequently takes place in consumables, etc., can be reflected in charging.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a charging system, a charging method, and a storage medium, and more particularly, to a charging system for charging a user who has performed printing for a printer connected to a network. The present invention relates to a billing system, a billing method, and a storage medium that allow a user to change a printing unit price to be billed according to the number of prints printed by a printer.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, in a copying machine or the like, the number of copies is charged by a number counting function provided in the copying machine. In recent years, in offices, the necessity of billing for printing on a personal computer network has increased due to reasons such as cost reduction, and a billing system capable of billing in units of users by providing a function of counting the number of sheets in units of users has been proposed. I have.

[0003]

However, in the above-mentioned conventional example, the billing based on the number of printed sheets is such that the unit price per sheet is uniform, and the unit price decreases as the amount of use increases as is often the case with consumables. There is a problem that the mechanism cannot be reflected in billing.

An object of the present invention is to provide a billing system, a billing method, and a storage medium that can change a unit price according to the number of prints.

[0005]

According to the first aspect of the present invention,
An accounting system comprising a printing device, a management device that manages the printing device, and a charging device that charges a user for use of the printing device on a network, wherein the management device is configured to charge the user. Means for requesting the charging device to check the total amount, wherein the charging device calculates a total charging amount of the user from a printing unit price according to the total number of prints of the user, and a charging amount of the calculated user. A billing system comprising: means for comparing the total amount with a preset upper limit value of the total charge amount of the user.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided an accounting system having a printing apparatus, a management apparatus for managing the printing apparatus, and an accounting apparatus for charging a user for using the printing apparatus on a network. The management device has means for requesting the user to charge the charging device,
The billing apparatus is a billing system comprising: means for calculating a total charge of a user from a print unit price according to the total number of prints of the user; and means for billing the user.

According to a third aspect of the present invention, there is provided an accounting system having a printing apparatus, a management apparatus for managing the printing apparatus, and an accounting apparatus for charging a user for use of the printing apparatus on a network. A step in which the management device requests the charging device to check the total charging amount of the user; and a step in which the charging device calculates the total charging amount of the user from a printing unit price according to the total number of printed sheets of the user. And a charging method, wherein the charging device includes a step of comparing the calculated total charging amount of the user with a predetermined total charging upper limit value of the user.

According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, there is provided an accounting system having a printing apparatus, a management apparatus for managing the printing apparatus, and an accounting apparatus for charging a user for use of the printing apparatus on a network. Wherein the management device requests the charging device to charge the user to the charging device, and the charging device calculates a total charging amount of the user from a printing unit price according to a total number of prints of the user; Charging the user with the charging device.

According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, there is provided an accounting system having a printing apparatus, a management apparatus for managing the printing apparatus, and an accounting apparatus for charging a user for use of the printing apparatus on a network. What is claimed is: 1. A computer-readable recording medium storing a program for causing a computer to execute an applied charging method, wherein the management device requests the charging device to check a total charging amount of the user; The computer executes the procedure of calculating the total charge of the user from the printing unit price according to the above, and the procedure of comparing the calculated total charge of the user with the preset upper limit of the total charge of the user by calculating the total charge of the user. And a computer-readable recording medium storing a program to be executed.

According to a sixth aspect of the present invention, there is provided an accounting system having a printing apparatus, a management apparatus for managing the printing apparatus, and an accounting apparatus for charging a user for use of the printing apparatus on a network. A computer-readable recording medium on which a program for causing a computer to execute a charging method to be applied is recorded, wherein the management device requests the charging device to charge the user, and the management device requests the charging device according to a total number of printed sheets of the user. From the printing unit price,
The present invention is a computer-readable recording medium on which a program for causing a computer to execute a procedure calculated by the billing device and a procedure for billing a user is recorded.

[0011]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a network system to which a charging system according to an embodiment of the present invention is applied.

This network system has a charging server PC 101, a print server PC 102, print client PCs 103 and 104, and a printer 105 on a network 106.

In FIG. 1, a print client 103,
It is assumed that n printers 104 and 105 are connected. In the above embodiment, only two print clients and one printer are shown for convenience.

In the above embodiment, the printer 10
Reference numeral 5 denotes a network printer directly connected to the network 106, but may be a local printer connected to the print server PC 102.

The accounting server PC 101 is connected to the network 106 via a network cable, holds user information and printer information related to accounting, and updates the user information with print information passed from the print server PC 102.

The print server PC 102 is connected to the network 106 by a network cable, receives print data from the print client PCs 103 and 104, and transmits the print data to the printer 105. At this time, the print information is passed to the accounting server PC 101.

The print client PCs 103 and 104
The print server PC1 is connected to the network 106 by a network cable, and stores print data and print information.
Hand over to 02.

The printer 105 is connected to the network 106 via a network interface, converts print data transmitted from the print server PC 102 into dot images one by one, and prints each one page.

The network 106 includes a billing server PC1
01, print server PC 102, print client PC 1
03, 104, the printer 105, and the like.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a schematic configuration of the accounting server PC 101 according to one embodiment of the present invention.

The configuration of the print server PC 102 and the print client PCs 103 and 104 is the same as that of the charging server PC 1.
01 is the same as that of FIG.

An accounting server PC1 according to an embodiment of the present invention.
01 is a CPU 200, a ROM 201, and a RAM 20
2, an FD (floppy disk) drive 203,
An FD 204, an HD (hard disk) 205, a keyboard 206, a display 207, and a system bus 208 are provided.

The CPU 200 executes an OS (operating system), a billing server program, and the like stored in the HD 205, and performs control for temporarily storing information required for executing the program in the RAM 202. ROM2
01 stores a basic I / O program and the like. RAM
202 functions as a main memory, a work area, and the like of the CPU 200.

FIG. 3 is a conceptual diagram showing a state in which a program is supplied from an FD to a server and a client computer in the above embodiment.

As shown in FIG. 3, a charging system program including a print client program stored in the FD 204 can be loaded into the computer system via the FD drive 203 provided in the computer or the like.

FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of data inside the FD 204 in the server and the client computer.

The contents 400 of the FD 204 can be stored in a storage means such as the HD 205. FD204
As shown in FIG. 4, the contents 400 stored in the program are coded based on the volume information 401 indicating the data configuration, the directory information 402, and the flowchart of the charging server program described in the above embodiment. A billing system program 403 and its associated data 404.

The HD 205 stores an OS, a print application program, a print client program, and the like.

The keyboard 206 is connected to the print client P
The user inputs and instructs a command of a device control command to C103 and C104.

The display 207 includes a keyboard 206
It displays commands input from the printer, printing status, and the like.

A system bus 208 controls the flow of data in the print client PCs 103 and 104.

The above embodiment is an example in which the charging system program and related data are directly loaded from the FD 204 to the RAM 202 and executed. However, every time the charging system program is operated, the HD 205 transfers the RAM 202 to the RAM 202. May be loaded. Further, a CD-ROM, an IC memory card, or the like may be used as a medium for recording the present charging system program in addition to the FD. Further, the charging system program may be recorded in the ROM 201, configured to be a part of the memory map, and directly executed by the CPU 200.

FIG. 5 shows that the present charging system program
The memory map 500 is loaded into the M202 and becomes executable.

In the memory map 500, the basic I
The / O program 501 includes a program having an IPL (initial program loading) function for starting the operation of the OS by reading the OS from the HD 205 into the RAM 202 when the control device is powered on. Area. The OS 502, the billing system program 503, and the related data 504 are expanded, and the CPU 2
00 is provided with a work area 505 for executing a charging system program.

FIG. 6 shows a printer 105 according to the above embodiment.
FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a schematic configuration of the embodiment.

The printer 105 includes a CPU 601 and an RO
M / RAM 602, storage unit 603, display unit 604
, A printer printing unit 605, a network interface 606, and a communication line 607.

The CPU 601 controls the entire apparatus. R
The OM / RAM 602 includes a buffer for temporarily storing a control program for controlling the CPU 601, constant data, and transmission / reception data. The storage unit 603 is a storage unit such as a hard disk, for example, for transmitting and receiving data and a CPU.
The control program executed in step 601 and data are stored.

The display unit 604 displays data temporarily stored in the ROM / RAM 602, data contents stored in the storage unit 603, operation status, and the like. The printer printing unit 605 prints out and outputs the dot data generated by the CPU 601 based on the program stored in the ROM / RAM 602. The network interface 606 communicates print data and the like with an external device such as a print server PC via the network interface 606. The communication line 607 is connected to the network interface 606 and the network 10.
6 is connected.

FIG. 7 shows a charging server PC according to the above embodiment.
101, print server PC 102, print client PC
FIG. 3 is a block diagram illustrating a software module configuration of 103 and 104.

These are supplied from the FD, for example. The software modules of the print client PCs 103 and 104 include a print application 701 in which the user actually instructs printing, and a print client 702 that generates intermediate data for spooling in response to an instruction from the print application 701 and transmits the intermediate data to the print server PC 102. It has.

The software module of the print server PC 102 is the print server 703. Print server 703
The print spooler 704 spools the intermediate data transmitted from the print client 702, schedules the print job, converts the print data into print data, and transmits the print data to the printer 105. In response to the instruction from the print spooler 704, the accounting server PC 101 The client middleware 705 transmits print information to the client.

The software module of the billing server PC determines the printing unit price according to the billing server user interface 706 for the user to register user information and printer information in the billing server PC 101 and the print information transmitted from the print server 704. A billing server 707 for calculating and updating the user information.

In this case, the correspondence between the components in the above embodiment and the components in the claims is as follows. The printer 105 corresponds to a printing device, the print server PC 102 corresponds to a management device, the billing server PC 101 corresponds to a billing device, and the print server 704.
Corresponds to a unit for requesting the charging apparatus to check the total charge, and a charging request unit. The charging server 704 corresponds to a total charge amount calculating unit, a comparing unit with the total charge upper limit, and a charging unit.

Charging server PC 101, print server PC1
02, the software modules of the print client PCs 103 and 104 constitute the charging system of the above embodiment, and are supplied from a storage medium (FD204 in the above embodiment).

Next, the processing operation executed by the print spooler 704 in the above embodiment will be described.

FIG. 12 shows the print spooler 7 receiving a print request from the print client 702 in the process of causing the print client PC 103 to perform printing on the printer 106.
4 is a flowchart illustrating a process executed by the information processing unit 04.

FIG. 13 is a flowchart showing the processing of the accounting server which has received a request to check the total amount of the user from the print spooler 704 which has received the print request through the accounting client middleware.

FIG. 14 is a flowchart showing a process for monitoring the printer after the print server transmits the print data to the printer until printing is completed.

FIG. 15 is a flowchart showing a process performed by the charging server which has received a charging request from the print server in the process of monitoring the printer by the print server.

FIGS. 16 and 17 are flowcharts showing a process in which the print server calculates the total amount charged to the user.

FIG. 8 shows the accounting server 7 in the above embodiment.
FIG. 7 is a diagram showing unit price information held by 07.

The billing server 707 holds unit price information for each printer as a unit price information list. Each unit price information is
“Printer ID” for identifying the printer and print 1
It consists of a plurality of combinations of a "unit price" indicating the amount of money imposed per sheet and a "threshold" of the number of prints whose unit price changes.

Unit price 1 is a basic unit price, and threshold value 1 is 0. The unit price 2 indicates the amount charged to the user per print from 0 to the threshold 2. Similarly, unit price 3 is an amount charged to the user for one print from threshold 2 to threshold 3, and unit 4 is printing from threshold 3 to threshold 4. This is the amount charged to the user per one sheet.

FIG. 9 is a diagram showing a unit price setting screen in the above embodiment.

The accounting server 707 holds unit price information for each printer set in the print server 703, and can be freely set by the user on the screen shown in FIG. The unit price setting screen shown in FIG. 9 is displayed by the charging server user interface 706.

FIG. 10 is a view showing print information created by the print spooler 704 when the print client 702 registers a print job in the print spooler 704 in response to a print instruction from the print application 701.

When the print spooler 704 registers a print job or deletes a print job, the print spooler 704 transmits this print information through the charging client middleware 705 to the charging server 70.
Pass to 7. The print information includes a “printer ID” for identifying a printer that performs printing, a “user ID” for identifying a user who has instructed printing, and a “total number of pages”.
And the "number of pages printed" counted up each time printing is performed from the printer.

FIG. 11 is a diagram showing the user information held by the accounting server 707.

The billing server 707 holds user information for each user as a user information list. Each piece of user information includes a “user ID” for identifying the user, a “total charge” indicating the total amount charged for printing by the user, and a “total charge amount” indicating the upper limit of the total charge allowed for printing by the user. An upper limit value ”and a“ print number list ”indicating the total number of printed sheets by the user for each printer. The print count list is a list of combinations of a “printer ID” for identifying the printer and a “total print count” indicating how many prints have been performed on the printer identified by the printer ID.

FIG. 12 is a flowchart showing the flow of processing performed by the print spooler 704 when the print client 702 receives a print instruction from the print application 701 and registers a print job in the print spooler 704.

First, the print spooler 704, which has received a print job registration request from the print client 702, creates print information (FIG. 10) corresponding to the print job (S120).
1) The print information (FIG. 10) is passed to the charging server 707 through the charging client middleware 705, and a request is made to check the total charging amount of the user who requested the printing (S12)
02). In step S1203, it is determined whether an error has been returned from the charging server 707. If it is determined that the error has been returned from the charging server 707 through the charging client middleware 705, the print spooler 704
The print client 702 is notified of the end of the error.

Print client 702 that returned an error
Displays to the user a message that the print request has been rejected. If it is determined that no error has been returned from the accounting server 707 (S1203), the print client 702 notifies the print client 702 of the normal end, and the print client 702 receiving the notification generates spool data and transmits the spool data to the print spooler 704. I do. Upon receiving the spool data, the print spooler 704 creates a spool file (intermediate data for spooling) and spools the print job.

The print spooler 704 schedules the registered print job and starts printing (executes print data generation and transmission to the printer). The print spooler 7 that has completed the operation of transmitting print data to the printer
In step 04, information is acquired from the printer 105 at regular time intervals, and it is checked whether printing is completed (discharged).

Next, the processing operation performed by the accounting server 707 will be described.

FIG. 13 is a flowchart showing step S120 shown in FIG.
9 is a flowchart illustrating a flow of a process performed by an accounting server 707 that has received a total accounting check request from a print spooler 704.

The accounting server 707 has a print spooler 704
The unit price information (FIG. 8) of the printer ID matching the printer ID of the print information (FIG. 10) received from the server is searched from the unit price information list (S1301). Step S1202
It is determined whether unit price information (FIG. 8) that matches the printer ID is found. If not found, an error ends. If found, a user ID that matches the user ID of the print information (FIG. 10). User information (FIG. 11)
A search is performed from the user information list (S1303).

In step S1304, it is determined whether or not user information (FIG. 11) having the same user ID has been found. If not found, an error is terminated. If found, unit price information (FIG. 8) and user information The total charge is calculated from the information (FIG. 11) and the total number of pages of the print information (FIG. 10) (S1305).

The calculated total charge of the user is compared with the upper limit of the total charge in the user information (FIG. 11) (S1306),
In step S1307, it is determined whether or not the total amount of charge exceeds the upper limit of total amount of charge. If it does, the process ends with an error. If not, the process ends normally.

FIG. 14 shows that after the print spooler 704 sends print data to the printer 105, the printer 1
10 is a flowchart showing the flow of a process of monitoring account 05 and performing printing when printing is completed.

After waiting for a predetermined time (S1401), the number of pages printed is obtained from the printer 105 (S140).
2). The number of printed pages in the print information (FIG. 10) is updated based on the number of printed pages acquired from the printer 105 (S1403), and the total number of pages and the number of printed pages in the print information (FIG. 10) are updated. The number of prints is compared with each other, and it is determined whether or not printing is completed according to the comparison result (S140).
4). If it is not determined that the printing has been completed, it is checked whether or not the user has requested the interruption (deletion) of the print job (S1405). Step S1404
If it is determined that the printing is completed, the accounting server 707
To the user (S1407), and deletes the print job (deletes the print information and deletes the spool file) (S140).
8), end.

If it is determined in step S1405 that the user has not issued a print job cancel request,
It returns to step S1401. If it is determined in step S1405 that the user has issued a print job cancel request, a print job cancel request is made to the printer 105 (S1406), and the print information (FIG. 10) is passed to the accounting server 707, and An accounting request is made (S1407), the print job is deleted (print information is deleted, and the spool file is deleted) (S1408), and the process ends. Upon receiving the print job cancel request, the printer 105 suspends the print processing and discards the print data remaining in the storage unit 603 of the print job requested to be canceled.

FIG. 15 is a flowchart showing step S14 in FIG.
11 is a flowchart showing the flow of processing performed by the accounting server 707, which receives an accounting request 07 from the print spooler 704.

The accounting server 707 has a print spooler 704
The unit price information list (FIG. 8) of the printer ID matching the printer ID of the print information (FIG. 10) received from the printer information is retrieved from the unit price information list (S1501). Next, print information (FIG. 1)
The user information of the user ID (FIG. 11) that matches the user ID of (0) is searched from the user information list (S15).
02). Then, unit price information (FIG. 8) and user information (FIG. 1)
The total charge is calculated from 1) and the number of printed pages of the print information (FIG. 10) (S1503). Step S1504
Then, the calculated total charge is reflected in the total charge of the user information (FIG. 11), and the total number of prints is set to the total number of prints of the print number information having the same printer ID in the print number list of the user information (FIG. 11). Reflect and end.

FIGS. 16 and 17 show steps S1 of FIG.
FIG. 16 is a flowchart showing a detailed processing flow of a total charge amount calculation process in steps 305 and S1503 in FIG. 15.

First, the total amount of the user information is substituted for the variable TotalCost (S1601), and the variable Pages is set.
In step S1305, the total number of pages is substituted, and in step S1503, the number of printed pages is substituted (S1602). In order to search for the total number of prints corresponding to the printer with the printer ID of the unit price information (FIG. 8), the print count list of the user information (FIG. 11) is searched. The process proceeds to step S1605.

If no print number information matching the printer ID is found, print number information (the total number of prints is 0) is created (S1606) and added to the print number list of the user information (FIG. 11) (S1607). The process proceeds to step S1605.

In step S1605, the variable Total
Substitute the total number of prints in the number of prints information into Pages. In step S1701, it is determined whether Pages is 0 or not.
If it is determined to be 0, the process ends. If it is not determined to be 0 in step S1701, Pages is set to Pages.
-1 is substituted (S1702), TotalPages + 1 is substituted for TotalPages (S1703), the unit price when the number of printed pages is TotalPages is acquired from the unit price information (FIG. 8) (S1704), and the unit price of the TotalPages acquired in the variable Cost is acquired. (S1
705). In step S1705, TotalCost
Is substituted for the value of TotalCost + Cost, and the process returns to step S1701.

According to the charging system according to the above embodiment,
The print server PC 102 is a print client PC 10
3 or receives a print job registration request from 104,
There is a print server 703 that makes a request to the charging server 101 to check the total amount of the user's charging and makes a request to the user when the printing is completed or the print job is canceled. In addition, the billing server P
C101 receives the request for checking the total charge from the print server 703, checks the total charge of the user, receives the request for charge from the print server 703, acquires the unit price according to the number of prints, and calculates the total charge of the user. Billing server 70
Seven.

In the above configuration, the print client 70
Print server 703 that has received a print job registration request from
Creates print information corresponding to the print job, passes the print information to the accounting server 707, and requests a check of the total accounting amount of the user who has requested printing.

When the registration of the print job is successful, the print client 702 generates spool data and transmits it to the print server 703.

The print server 70 that has received the spool data
3 creates a spool file (intermediate data for spooling), spools a print job, schedules a registered print job, starts printing (generates print data and sends it to the printer), When the transmission to the printer is completed, the printer 10
Gets the number of printed pages from 5 and completes printing (discharge)
Check if you have done it. When the printing is completed, the print information is passed to the accounting server 707, and an accounting request is made to the user.

The charging server 707, having received the user's total charge check request from the print server 703, searches for unit price information from the unit price information list, searches for user information from the user information list, and searches for unit price information, user information, and printing information. Is calculated from the total number of pages, and is compared with the total charge upper limit of the user information.

Upon receiving a charging request for the user from the print server 703, the charging server 707 searches for unit price information from the unit price information list, searches for user information from the user information list, and prints the unit price information, user information, and print information. The total charge is calculated from the number of pages, and the total charge and the total number of printed sheets are reflected in the user information.

Therefore, in the above embodiment, it is possible to charge the user by the printing unit price per one sheet according to the preset number of prints, and the total amount of the charge given to the user in advance When a print instruction exceeding the upper limit is given, there is an advantage that the user can receive a notification that printing cannot be performed before the print job is registered.

The above embodiment may be applied to a system including a plurality of devices, or may be applied to an apparatus including a single device. A storage medium storing program codes of software for realizing the functions of the above-described embodiments is supplied to a system or an apparatus, and a computer (or CPU or MPU) of the system or apparatus reads out and executes the program code stored in the storage medium. It is also achieved by doing.

In this case, the program code itself read from the storage medium realizes the functions of the above-described embodiment, and the storage medium storing the program code constitutes the present invention.

Examples of the storage medium for supplying the program code include a floppy (registered trademark) disk, hard disk, optical disk, magneto-optical disk, and C
A D-ROM, a CD-R, a magnetic tape, a nonvolatile memory card, a ROM, or the like can be used.

The functions of the above-described embodiment can be realized not only by executing the program code read by the computer, but also by operating the OS running on the computer based on the instruction of the program code. This includes a case where some or all of the processing is performed and the functions of the above-described embodiment are realized by the processing.

Further, after the program code read from the storage medium is written into a memory provided in a function expansion board inserted into the computer or a function expansion unit connected to the computer, based on the instruction of the program code, The CPU provided in the function expansion board or function expansion unit performs part or all of the actual processing,
The case where the function of the above embodiment is realized by the processing is also included.

[0090]

According to the billing system of the first aspect,
Whether the user can print is calculated by calculating the total amount of charging according to the unit price according to the number of prints set in advance in the charging device, and comparing the total amount with the upper limit of the amount that can be printed by the user in the charging device. This has the effect of being able to check for

According to the billing system of the second aspect, it is possible to calculate the total billing amount according to the unit price according to the number of prints set in advance in the billing device, and to charge the user.

According to the billing method of the present invention, the total billing amount is calculated in accordance with the unit price according to the number of prints set in advance in the billing device, and the upper limit of the amount of money that can be printed by the user in advance set in the billing device. By comparing with, there is an effect that the user can check whether or not printing is possible.

According to the billing method of the fourth aspect, it is possible to calculate the total amount of billing in accordance with the unit price according to the number of prints set in advance in the billing device, and bill the user.

According to the storage medium of the fifth aspect, the total charge is calculated according to the unit price corresponding to the number of prints set in advance in the charging device, and the upper limit of the amount of money that can be printed by the user is set in advance in the charging device. By comparing with, there is an effect that the user can check whether or not printing is possible.

According to the storage medium of the sixth aspect, it is possible to calculate the total amount of charging according to the unit price according to the number of prints set in advance in the charging device and to charge the user.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a network system to which a charging system according to an embodiment of the present invention is applied.

FIG. 2 shows an accounting server PC 101 according to an embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a schematic configuration of the embodiment.

FIG. 3 is a conceptual diagram showing a state where a program is supplied from an FD to a server and a client computer in the embodiment.

FIG. 4 shows F in a server and a client computer.
It is a figure showing an example of the data inside D204.

FIG. 5 is a diagram showing a memory map 500 in which the charging system program is loaded into a RAM 202 and becomes executable.
Is represented.

FIG. 6 is a block diagram illustrating a schematic configuration of a printer 105 according to the embodiment.

FIG. 7 shows the accounting server PC 101, print server PC 102, print client PC 103, and 10 according to the embodiment.
4 is a block diagram illustrating a software module configuration of FIG.

FIG. 8 is a diagram showing unit price information held by a charging server 707 in the embodiment.

FIG. 9 is a diagram showing a unit price setting screen in the embodiment.

FIG. 10 illustrates print information created by the print spooler 704 when the print client 702 registers a print job in the print spooler 704 in response to a print instruction from the print application 701.

FIG. 11 is a diagram showing user information held by a billing server 707.

FIG. 12 illustrates a print spooler 70 in a case where a print client 702 that has received a print instruction from a print application 701 registers a print job in a print spooler 704.
9 is a flowchart showing the flow of the process of FIG.

FIG. 13 is a flowchart illustrating a process performed by a charging server that has received a request to check a user's total billing amount through a charging client middleware from a print spooler 704 that has received a print request.

FIG. 14 is a flowchart illustrating a process of monitoring a printer after a print server transmits print data to the printer until printing is completed.

FIG. 15 is a flowchart illustrating a process performed by a charging server that has received a charging request from the print server in the process of monitoring the printer by the print server.

FIG. 16 is a flowchart illustrating a process in which a print server calculates a total amount charged to a user.

FIG. 17 is a flowchart illustrating a process in which a print server calculates a total amount charged to a user.

[Explanation of symbols]

 101: billing server PC, 102: print server PC, 103: print client PC, 104, 105: printer, 106: network, 200: CPU, 201: ROM, 202: RAM, 603: print job storage unit, 704: Print spooler, 707 ... Billing server.

Claims (6)

[Claims] 1. A charging system comprising a printing device, a management device for managing the printing device, and a charging device for charging a user for use of the printing device on a network, wherein the management device Comprises means for requesting the charging device to check the total charge of the user, wherein the charging device calculates a total charge of the user from a printing unit price according to the total number of prints of the user; Means for comparing the set total charge of the user with a preset upper limit of the total charge of the user. 2. A charging system comprising a printing device, a management device for managing the printing device, and a charging device for charging a user for use of the printing device on a network, the management device comprising: Has a means for requesting the charging apparatus to charge the user, the charging apparatus calculating a total charge of the user from a printing unit price according to the total number of prints of the user; and charging the user Means; and a billing system. 3. A charging system comprising a printing device, a management device for managing the printing device, and a charging device for charging a user for use of the printing device on a network, wherein the management device Requesting the charging device to check the total charging amount of the user; the charging device calculating the total charging amount of the user from the printing unit price according to the total number of printed sheets of the user; Comparing the calculated total charge of the user with a preset maximum total charge of the user. 4. A charging system comprising a printing device, a management device for managing the printing device, and a charging device for charging a user for use of the printing device on a network, the management device comprising: Requesting the charging device to charge the user; calculating the total charging amount of the user from the printing unit price according to the total number of prints of the user; Charging a user; and charging the user. 5. A charging method applied to a charging system having a printing device, a management device for managing the printing device, and a charging device for charging a user for using the printing device on a network. A computer-readable recording medium storing a program to be executed by a computer, wherein the management device requests a charging device to check a total charging amount of the user; A procedure in which the charging device calculates the total charge of the user; a procedure in which the calculated total charge of the user is compared with a preset upper limit of the total charge of the user;
And a computer-readable recording medium recording a program for causing a computer to execute the program. 6. A charging method applied to a charging system having a printing apparatus, a management apparatus for managing the printing apparatus, and a charging apparatus for charging a user for use of the printing apparatus on a network. A computer-readable recording medium storing a program to be executed by a computer, wherein the management device requests a charging device to charge a user; A computer-readable recording medium storing a program for causing a computer to execute a procedure for calculating the total charge amount by the charging device; and a procedure for charging a user.