US 8,275,679 B2Granted

Billing management system, image forming apparatus, billing management apparatus, billing information recording method, and storage medium

AssigneeRicoh Company, Ltd.

InventorTetsuro Kino

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Abstract

A billing management system includes an image forming apparatus and a billing management apparatus. The image forming apparatus includes a process information receiving unit for receiving process information indicating a list of processes in a process flow; a registration unit for transmitting identification information for the process flow to the billing management apparatus; a process execution unit for performing a first process assigned to the image forming apparatus; a billing information transmitting unit for transmitting billing information for the first process to the billing management apparatus; and a data transfer unit for transferring output data of the first process to a service providing apparatus that is to perform a second process. The billing management apparatus receives the billing information for the first and second processes from the image forming apparatus and the service providing apparatus and records the billing information in association with the identification information.

Claims15

Dependent claims

A billing management system, comprising:

a first apparatus and a second apparatus that are configured to preform processes when requested;
and
a billing management apparatus configured to manage billing information corresponding to the processes performed by the first apparatus and the second apparatus, wherein
the first apparatus includes
a generating unit configured to generate identification information for a process flow that is performed through collaboration between the first apparatus and the second apparatus, in response to a request to start the process flow,
an identification information transmitting unit configured to transmit the generated identification information to the billing management apparatus,
a process execution unit configured to perform a first process assigned to the first apparatus according to the process flow,
a billing information transmitting unit configured to transmit billing information for the first process performed by the process execution unit together with the identification information to the billing management apparatus, and
a data transfer unit configured to transfer output data of the first process performed by the process execution unit together with the identification information to the second apparatus, the second apparatus performing a second process according to the process flow and transmitting billing information for the second process together with the identification information to the billing management apparatus;
and
the billing management apparatus includes
an identification information receiving unit configured to receive the identification information transmitted from the first apparatus,
a billing information receiving unit configured to receive the billing information for the first process and the billing information for the second process together with the identification information from the first apparatus and the second apparatus, respectively, and
a billing information recording unit configured to record the billing information for the first process and the billing information for the second process in a billing information storing unit in association with the identification information.

11 more elements

A method of recording billing information performed by a first apparatus and a second apparatus that are configured to perform processes when requested, and a billing management apparatus configured to manage billing information corresponding to the processes performed by the first apparatus and the second apparatus, the method comprising:

the steps, performed by the first apparatus, of
generating identification information for a process flow that is performed through collaboration between the first apparatus and the second apparatus, in response to a request to start the process flow,
transmitting the generated identification information to the billing management apparatus,
performing a first process assigned to the first apparatus according to the process flow,
transmitting billing information for the first process together with the identification information to the billing management apparatus,
transferring output data of the first process together with the identification information to the second apparatus, the second apparatus performing a second process according to the process flow, and
transmitting billing information for the second process together with the identification information to the billing management apparatus;
and
the steps, performed by the billing management apparatus, of
receiving and registering the identification information transmitted from the first apparatus,
receiving the billing information for the first process and the billing information for the second process together with the identification information from the first apparatus and the second apparatus, respectively, and
recording the billing information for the first process and the billing information for the second process in a billing information storing unit in association with the identification information.

9 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.