Dynamic Print Billing Selection by Usage, Area, and Toner
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing print billing systems fail to account for varying usage purposes and printing conditions, leading to suboptimal contract conditions that are not always the most cost-effective for users, particularly in cases where ink/toner usage or paper size varies significantly.
Innovation Solution
A print billing system that includes an image forming apparatus and an information processing apparatus connected via a network, where the image forming apparatus transmits usage-based amounts and the information processing apparatus calculates and selects the most advantageous billing method based on multiple billing modes, including ink/toner usage, number of pages, and printing area.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If usage based billing is performed based on a fixed contract condition such as total number of pages or total printing area, then the billing system is simple to operate, but the billing sum of money is not always the most cost-effective when usage purpose and printing conditions change
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements dynamic billing condition selection by enabling users to switch between multiple billing methods (number of pages, printing area, ink/toner usage) based on their actual usage patterns. The system allows users to select the most advantageous billing condition for each printing task, transforming the static billing system into a dynamic one that adapts to changing usage purposes and printing conditions.
2Device complexity
If billing is based on total number of pages, then the billing calculation is simple, but the billing sum of money is higher when printing is often performed for relatively small paper size such as L size or postcard size
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the billing parameter from a fixed basis (number of pages) to multiple selectable parameters including printing area and ink/toner usage amount. By allowing users to switch between different parameter bases for billing calculation, the system can select the most cost-effective parameter for each specific printing scenario, thereby reducing the billing sum of money while maintaining simple calculation methods.
3Measurement precision
If billing is based on ink/toner usage amount, then the billing is accurate for high density printing, but the billing sum of money is higher for high density printing such as photographic printing or graphics printing compared to text-based printing
Solution Approach 1:
The patent enables dynamic selection of billing parameters based on the type of printing being performed. Users can switch between billing methods (number of pages, printing area, ink/toner usage) depending on whether they are performing text-based printing, graphics printing, or photographic printing. This dynamic adaptation allows the system to maintain billing accuracy while minimizing the billing sum of money for different printing scenarios.
Data Source
AI summary
In a print billing system that includes an image forming apparatus and an information processing apparatus mutually connected via a network: the image forming apparatus comprises a transmitting unit for transmitting information of usage based amounts respectively concerning a plurality of usage based billing methods having different modes; and the information processing apparatus comprises a storing unit for storing the information of the usage based amount obtained from the image forming apparatus, a calculating unit for calculating billing sums of money of the plurality of usage based billing methods based on the information of the usage based amounts, and a selecting unit configured to select one of the plurality of usage based billing methods based on the billing sum of money of each of the usage based billing methods calculated by the calculating unit.