# US 10,771,654 B2 · Information processing apparatus and method using billing destination identification information correlated with user > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,771,654 B2 - Document ID: US10771654B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 16/138,348 - Filed: 2018-09-21 - Published: 2019-01-24 - Granted: 2020-09-08 - Earliest claimed: 2012-03-02 - Assignees: Ricoh Company, Ltd. - Applicants: Ricoh Company, Ltd. - Inventors: Toru Akutsu - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10771654B2 ## CPC - H04N 1/4433: {to an apparatus, part of an apparatus or an apparatus function} - G06Q 10/00: Administration; Management - G06Q 30/04: Billing or invoicing - H04N 1/00408: {Display of information to the user, e.g. menus} - H04N 1/4413: {involving the use of passwords, ID codes or the like, e.g. PIN} - H04N 2201/0094: Multifunctional device, i.e. a device capable of all of reading, reproducing, copying, facsimile transception, file transception - H04N: PICTORIAL COMMUNICATION, e.g. TELEVISION - G06Q: INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY [ICT] SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE, COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL OR SUPERVISORY PURPOSES; SYSTEMS OR METHODS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE, COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL OR SUPERVISORY PURPOSES, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR ## Abstract An information processor includes a reception part configured to receive user identification information identifying a user from an apparatus that causes the user to input billing destination identification information identifying a billing destination with respect to use of a function in response to reception of a request to execute the function from the user, an obtaining part configured to obtain one or more of items of the billing destination identification information from a storage part, the one or more of the items of the billing destination identification information being stored in the storage part in correlation with the user identification information received from the apparatus, and a response returning part configured to return the obtained one or more of the items of the billing destination identification information to the apparatus as available choices for selection that the user is caused to make by the apparatus. ## Claims ### Claim 1 An information processing apparatus comprising: a memory; and a hardware processor coupled to the memory, and configured to receive user identification information identifying a user from an apparatus that causes the user to input an item of billing destination identification information identifying a billing destination with respect to use of a function in response to reception of a request to execute the function from the user; obtain one or more items of the billing destination identification information from a storage part and cause the obtained one or more items of the billing destination identification information to be displayed on a display of the apparatus as available choices for selection that the user is caused to make by the apparatus, if the one or more items of the billing destination identification information are stored in the storage part in correlation with the user identification information received from the apparatus; and cause the apparatus to reject the user logging on to the apparatus if no item of the billing destination identification information is stored in the storage part in correlation with the user identification information received from the apparatus. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The information processing apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the hardware processor is configured to obtain the one or more items of the billing destination identification information, the one or more items being within respective valid periods, and cause the one or more items of the billing destination identification information within the respective valid periods to be displayed on the display of the apparatus. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The information processing apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the hardware processor is further configured to receive organization information of the user from the apparatus, and obtain the one or more items of the billing destination identification information, the one or more items of the billing destination identification information being stored in the storage part in correlation with the user identification information and the organization information of the user received from the apparatus. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The information processing apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the hardware processor is configured to cause the obtained one or more items of the billing destination identification information to be displayed on the display of the apparatus so that a screen displaying respective buttons of provided services is displayed on the display in response to selection of one of the displayed one or more items of the billing destination identification information on the display. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The information processing apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the hardware processor is configured to cause the apparatus to reject the user logging on to the apparatus by returning a response that indicates absence of the one or more items of the billing destination identification information correlated with the received user identification information to the apparatus. ### Claim 6 A non-transitory computer-readable recording medium storing a program for causing a hardware processor to execute a process, the process including: receiving user identification information identifying a user from an apparatus that causes the user to input an item of billing destination identification information identifying a billing destination with respect to use of a function in response to reception of a request to execute the function from the user; obtaining one or more items of the billing destination identification information from a storage part and causing the obtained one or more items of the billing destination identification information to be displayed on a display of the apparatus as available choices for selection that the user is caused to make by the apparatus, if the one or more items of the billing destination identification information are stored in the storage part in correlation with the user identification information received from the apparatus; and causing the apparatus to reject the user logging on to the apparatus if no item of the billing destination identification information is stored in the storage part in correlation with the user identification information received from the apparatus. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The non-transitory computer-readable recording medium as claimed in claim 6, wherein the obtained one or more items are within respective valid periods, and the one or more items of the billing destination identification information within the respective valid periods are caused to be displayed on the display of the apparatus. ### Claim 8 (depends on 6) The non-transitory computer-readable recording medium as claimed in claim 6, wherein the process further includes receiving organization information of the user from the apparatus, and the obtained one or more items of the billing destination identification information are stored in the storage part in correlation with the user identification information and the organization information of the user received from the apparatus. ### Claim 9 (depends on 6) The non-transitory computer-readable recording medium as claimed in claim 6, wherein the obtained one or more items of the billing destination identification information are caused to be displayed on the display of the apparatus so that a screen displaying respective buttons of provided services is displayed on the display in response to selection of one of the displayed one or more items of the billing destination identification information on the display. ### Claim 10 An information processing method comprising: receiving, executed by a hardware processor, user identification information identifying a user from an apparatus that causes the user to input an item of billing destination identification information identifying a billing destination with respect to use of a function in response to reception of a request to execute the function from the user; obtaining, executed by the hardware processor, one or more items of the billing destination identification information from a storage part and causing, executed by the hardware processor, the obtained one or more items of the billing destination identification information to be displayed on a display of the apparatus as available choices for selection that the user is caused to make by the apparatus, if the one or more items of the billing destination identification information are stored in the storage part in correlation with the user identification information received from the apparatus; and causing, executed by the hardware processor, the apparatus to reject the user logging on to the apparatus if no item of the billing destination identification information is stored in the storage part in correlation with the user identification information received from the apparatus. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The information processing method as claimed in claim 10, wherein the obtained one or more items are within respective valid periods, and the one or more items of the billing destination identification information within the respective valid periods are caused to be displayed on the display of the apparatus. ### Claim 12 (depends on 10) The information processing method as claimed in claim 10, further comprising: receiving, executed by the hardware processor, organization information of the user from the apparatus, wherein the obtained one or more items of the billing destination identification information are stored in the storage part in correlation with the user identification information and the organization information of the user received from the apparatus. ### Claim 13 (depends on 10) The information processing method as claimed in claim 10, wherein the obtained one or more items of the billing destination identification information are caused to be displayed on the display of the apparatus so that a screen displaying respective buttons of provided services is displayed on the display in response to selection of one of the displayed one or more items of the billing destination identification information on the display.