Billing Charge Calculation for Sheet Manufacturing
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Solution Overview
Problem
In sheet manufacturing apparatuses that use waste paper as a material, the inconsistency between the quantity of input materials and the quantity of output sheets leads to unfair billing for users, causing a sense of disadvantage.
Innovation Solution
A billing charge calculation method that calculates charges based on the actual quantity of output sheets, either by number, weight, or area, rather than the quantity of consumable materials used, allowing for a fixed charge plus a quantity-based charge for excess production.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Quantity of substance
If billing is performed according to the quantity of consumable materials used in sheet manufacturing, then material consumption can be tracked, but user dissatisfaction increases due to inconsistency between input materials and output sheets
Solution Approach 1:
The patent inverts the traditional billing approach by switching from billing based on input materials (waste paper, additives) to billing based on output sheets actually produced. This inversion resolves the contradiction by making billing reflect what users actually receive, thereby improving user satisfaction while maintaining quantity tracking through the billing system.
2Ease of operation
If billing is performed according to the quantity of output sheets, then user satisfaction improves, but tracking material consumption becomes less direct
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a billing system that acts as an intermediary between output quantity and material consumption tracking. The billing system records output sheet quantities and uses this information to indirectly track material consumption, maintaining the ability to monitor material usage while improving user satisfaction through output-based billing.
3Ease of operation
If a fixed charge is applied for low production quantities, then billing simplicity is improved, but flexibility for varying production needs is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a dynamic billing structure with a predetermined quantity threshold. When output sheets are below the threshold, a simple fixed charge applies. When output exceeds the threshold, the billing becomes variable based on actual quantity. This dynamic approach maintains simplicity for low-volume users while providing flexibility and fairness for high-volume users.
4Measurement precision
If quantity-based charge is applied for all production levels, then billing accuracy is improved, but user burden increases for small-scale production
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the billing parameter from always using quantity-based charging to conditionally switching between fixed charge and quantity-based charge based on the output quantity threshold. This parameter change reduces user burden for small-scale production by applying simple fixed charges, while maintaining billing accuracy for larger production volumes through quantity-based charging.
Data Source
AI summary
A billing charge calculation method for use in a sheet manufacturing apparatus that manufactures a sheet using a material including a fiber, includes: acquiring a quantity of output of the manufactured sheets; and calculating a billing charge according to the quantity of the output of the sheets, in which, in the calculating of the billing charge, a charge that includes a quantity-based charge which is obtained by multiplying the quantity of the output of the sheets by a charge per unit quantity is calculated as the billing charge.