Billing Management Table Update Logic for MFP Data Integrity
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing device management systems face challenges in accurately updating billing information and performing billing processes due to issues with cumulative data from devices, such as incomplete or incorrect data, leading to potential inaccuracies in billing and user inconvenience.
Innovation Solution
A device management apparatus and method that includes a billing-information-management unit and a system-control unit, which update registered information in a billing-management table based on cumulative data received from devices, ensuring data integrity and accuracy by comparing and validating the cumulative data against updated data.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the device management server periodically acquires billing counter information from the image forming apparatus to update billing data, then billing information can be kept current, but data inaccuracies may occur due to incomplete or incorrect cumulative data from the device
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by storing both cumulative data (from device counters) and updated data (from billing server calculations) in advance before billing processing. This allows the system to have both types of data ready for comparison and validation, preventing billing errors due to data inaccuracies or loss of connection
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements feedback by comparing cumulative data with updated data to validate billing information. The system uses this comparison to detect discrepancies, identify which data to trust, and correct billing records accordingly, ensuring accurate billing even when device data is incomplete or incorrect
2Ease of manufacture
If the system uses only cumulative data from the device for billing, then billing processing is simple, but billing accuracy deteriorates when the device sends incomplete or incorrect data
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the parameter of data sources from using only cumulative data to using both cumulative data and updated data. This allows the system to maintain simple processing procedures while improving billing accuracy by having multiple data sources to validate against and select from
3Reliability
If the billing server periodically updates billing information, then billing data remains current, but data loss may occur if the connection between the device and server is lost
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies beforehand cushioning by storing both cumulative data and updated data in advance before billing processing occurs. This creates a buffer that protects against data loss if connection is lost at the time of billing, ensuring billing can proceed accurately using the previously stored data
Data Source
AI summary
Provided is a device management apparatus that performs accurate billing processing. A billing-management unit, based on billing-counter information having cumulative data received from a device, updates registered information in a billing-management table that includes updated data that is updated based on the cumulative data; and a system-control unit, based on comparison results of comparing the cumulative data and the updated data, controls updating of registered information in the billing-management table by the billing-information-management unit. By comparing cumulative data received from a MFP and updated data registered in a billing-management table, a system-control unit can determine whether or not a problem has occurred in cumulative data received from a MFP. As a result, even when for some reason a problem occurs in cumulative data received from a MFP, updated data in which a problem has not occurred can be managed.