# US 8,571,432 B2 · Image forming apparatus provided with function to calculate charge based on the number of sheets printed, print system including image forming apparatus, method for counting the number of sheets printed executed by image forming apparatus, and program for counting

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- Number: US 8,571,432 B2
- Document ID: US8571432B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 12/010,527
- Filed: 2008-01-25
- Published: 2008-07-31
- Granted: 2013-10-29
- Earliest claimed: 2007-01-30
- Assignees: Konica Minolta Business Technologies, Inc.
- Applicants: Yoshikazu Takesada
- Inventors: Yoshikazu Takesada
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US8571432B2

## CPC

- H04N 1/00832: {Recording use, e.g. counting number of pages copied}
- G03G 21/02: Counting the number of copies; Billing
- G06F 3/1204: {resulting in reduced user or operator actions, e.g. presetting, automatic actions, using hardware token storing data}
- G06F 3/1208: {resulting in improved quality of the output result, e.g. print layout, colours, workflows, print preview}
- G06F 3/1222: {Increasing security of the print job}
- G06F 3/1239: {Restricting the usage of resources, e.g. usage or user levels, credit limit, consumables, special fonts}
- G06F 3/1241: {Dividing a job according to job requirements, e.g. black/white and colour pages, covers and body of books, tabs}
- G06F 3/1261: {by using alternate printing}
- G06F 3/1288: {in client-server-printer device configuration}
- H04N: PICTORIAL COMMUNICATION, e.g. TELEVISION
- G03G: ELECTROGRAPHY; ELECTROPHOTOGRAPHY; MAGNETOGRAPHY
- G06F: ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING (computer systems based on specific computational models G06N)

## Abstract

In order to properly count the number of sheets printed which serves as the basis on which a charge is calculated, an MFP that acts as a designated printer includes a job accepting portion to accept a print job, a job executing portion to carry out printing based on the print job, a requesting portion to, when the job executing portion is not available for executing the print job, transmit an alternative instruction including the print job to an alternative printer, and an adding portion to add the number of alternative sheets printed by the alternative printer based on the print job included in the alternative instruction to the number of sheets printed by the job executing portion.

## Claims

### Claim 1

An image forming apparatus comprising:
a job accepting portion to accept a print job;
a printing portion to carry out printing based on the accepted print job;
a requesting portion to, when said printing portion is not available for executing the print job, transmit an alternative instruction including the accepted print job to an alternative printer; and
an adding portion to add the number of alternative sheets to the number of sheets printed by said printing portion, the alternative sheets being printed by said alternative printer based on the print job included in the alternative instruction,
wherein when a unit charge for printing employed in said image forming apparatus is lower than a unit charge for printing employed in said alternative printer, said adding portion adds the number of alternative sheets to the number of sheets printed by said printing portion; and
when the unit charge for printing employed in said image forming apparatus is not lower than the unit charge for printing employed in said alternate printer, said adding portion does not add the number of alternative sheets to the number or sheets printed by said printing portion.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a count instruction receiving portion to receive a count instruction from said alternative printer upon every printing by said alternative printer based on the print job included in the alternative instruction,
wherein said adding portion adds the number of alternative sheets to the number of sheets printed by said printing portion upon receipt of the count instruction.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The image forming apparatus according to claim 2, wherein:
said count instruction receiving portion receives the count instruction upon every printing of a predetermined unit number of sheets by said alternative printer based on the print job included in the alternative instruction; and
said adding portion adds the predetermined unit number of sheets to the number of sheets printed by said printing portion upon receipt of the count instruction.

### Claim 4 (depends on 2)

The image forming apparatus according to claim 2, wherein:
the count instruction received by said count instruction receiving portion includes the number of alternative sheets, the alternative sheets being printed by said alternative printer based on the print job included in the alternative instruction; and
said adding portion adds the number of alternative sheets included in the count instruction to the number of sheets printed by said printing portion upon receipt of the count instruction.

### Claim 5

An image forming apparatus comprising:
a printing portion to, upon receipt of a print job, carry out printing based on the print job;
a count instruction transmitting portion to, when said image forming apparatus receives from another image forming apparatus an alternative instruction including the print job, transmit a count instruction to said another image forming apparatus upon every printing based on the other print job included the alternative instruction; and
a counting portion to, when the count instruction is not transmitted, count the number of sheets printed by said printing portion,
wherein said count instruction transmitting portion transmits the count instruction when a unit charge for printing employed in said image forming apparatus is not lower than a unit charge for printing employed in said another image forming apparatus; and
wherein said count instruction transmitting portion does not transmit the count instruction when the unit charge for printing employed in said image forming apparatus is lower than the unit charge for printing employed in said another image forming apparatus.

### Claim 6 (depends on 5)

The image forming apparatus according to claim 5, wherein said count instruction transmitting portion transmits the count instruction upon every printing of a predetermined unit number of sheets by said printing portion based on the print job included in the alternative instruction.

### Claim 7 (depends on 5)

The image forming apparatus according to claim 5, further comprising a print controlling portion to, when said another image forming apparatus provides only monochrome printing, carry out printing of the print job in monochrome.

### Claim 8 (depends on 5)

The image forming apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the count instruction transmitted by said count instruction transmitting portion includes the number of alternative sheets, the alternative sheets being printed based on the print job included in the alternative instruction.

### Claim 9

A print system including a print server, a first image forming apparatus, and a second image forming apparatus, said first image forming apparatus and said second image forming apparatus carrying out printing upon receipt of a print job from said print server,
said print server comprising:
a state detecting portion to detect a state of each of said first image forming apparatus and said second image forming apparatus;
a job receiving portion to receive the print job;
a state judging portion to, when the received print job designates said first image forming apparatus, judge whether said first image forming apparatus is available for printing;
a first instructing portion to, when said state judging portion judges that said first image forming apparatus is available for printing, transmit the print job to said first image forming apparatus;
a second instructing portion to, when said state judging portion judges that said first image forming apparatus is not available for printing, transmit an alternative instruction including the print job to said second image forming apparatus; and
a third instructing portion to transmit a count instruction to said first image forming apparatus when a unit charge for printing employed in said first image forming apparatus is lower than a unit charge for printing employed in said second image forming apparatus,
said first image forming apparatus comprising:
a first printing portion to carry out printing based on the print job upon receipt of the print job from said print server; and
an adding portion to, upon receipt of the count instruction from the third instructing portion, add the number of alternative sheets to the number of sheets printed by said first printing portion, the alternative sheets being printed by said second image forming apparatus based on the print job included in the alternative instruction.

### Claim 10 (depends on 9)

The print system according to claim 9, wherein said third instructing portion transmits the count instruction to said first image forming apparatus upon every printing of a predetermined unit number of sheets by said second image forming apparatus based on the print job included in the alternative instruction.

### Claim 11 (depends on 9)

The print system according to claim 9, wherein:
the count instruction transmitted by said third instructing portion includes the number of alternative sheets, the alternative sheets being printed by said second image forming apparatus based on the print job included in the alternative instruction; and
upon receipt of the count instruction, said adding portion adds the number of alternative sheets included in the count instruction to the number of sheets printed by said first printing portion.

### Claim 12 (depends on 9)

The print system according to claim 9, wherein when said first image forming apparatus provides only monochrome printing, the alternative instruction transmitted by said second instructing portion to said second image forming apparatus includes an instruction for monochrome printing.

### Claim 13

A print system including a print server, a first image forming apparatus, and a second image forming apparatus, said first image forming apparatus and said second image forming apparatus carrying out printing upon receipt of a print job from said print server,
said print server comprising:
a state detecting portion to detect a state of each of said first image forming apparatus and said second image forming apparatus;
a job receiving portion to receive the print job;
a state judging portion to, when the received print job designates said first image forming apparatus, judge whether said first image forming apparatus is available for printing;
a first instructing portion to, when said state judging portion judges that said first image forming apparatus is available for printing, transmit the print job to said first image forming apparatus; and
a second instructing portion to, when said state judging portion judges that said first image forming apparatus is not available for printing, transmit an alternative instruction including the print job to said second image forming apparatus,
said first image forming apparatus comprising:
a first printing portion to carry out printing based on the print job upon receipt of the print job from said print server; and
an adding portion to add the number of alternative sheets to the number of sheets printed by said first printing portion, the alternative sheets being printed by said second image forming apparatus based on the print job included in the alternative instruction,
said second image forming apparatus comprising:
a second printing portion to carry out printing based on the print job upon receipt of the print job from said print server;
a count instruction transmitting portion to, when said second image forming apparatus receives the alternative instruction from said print server, transmit a count instruction to said print server upon every printing based on the print job included in the alternative instruction; and
a counting portion to, when the count instruction is not transmitted, count the number of sheets printed by said second printing portion,
wherein when a unit charge for printing employed in said first image forming apparatus is lower than a unit charge for printing employed in said second image forming apparatus, the alternative instruction transmitted by said second instruction portion to said second image forming apparatus does not include a command for counting of the number of sheets printed by said second printing portion;
when the unit charge of said first image forming apparatus is not lower than the unit charge of said second image forming apparatus, said second instruction portion transmits the alternative instruction to said second image forming apparatus, the alternative instruction including a command of instruction for counting of the number of sheets printed by said second printing portion;
when the unit charge of said first image forming apparatus is lower than the unit charge of said second image forming apparatus, said count instruction transmitting portion transmits the count instruction to said print server; and
when the unit charge of said first image forming apparatus is not lower than the unit charge of said second image forming apparatus, said count instruction transmitting portion does not transmit the count instruction to said print server.

### Claim 14 (depends on 13)

The print system according to claim 13, wherein said count instruction transmitting portion transmits the count instruction upon every printing of a predetermined unit number of sheets by said second image forming apparatus based on the print job included in the alternative instruction.

### Claim 15

A method for counting the number of sheets printed, the method comprising steps of:
accepting a print job at an image forming apparatus;
carrying out printing based on the print job;
transmitting an alternative instruction including the accepted print job to an alternative printer when the accepted print job is not executable in the printing step; and
when a unit charge for printing employed in said image forming apparatus is lower than a unit charge for printing employed in said alternative printer, adding the number of alternative sheets to the number of sheets printed in the printing step, the alternative sheets being printed by said alternative printer based on the print job included in the alternative instruction, and when the unit charge for printing employed in said image forming apparatus is not lower than the unit charge for printing employed in said alternative printer, the number of alternative sheets is not added to the number of sheets printed in the printing step.

### Claim 16

A method for counting the number of sheets printed, the method comprising steps of:
receiving a print job at an image forming apparatus and carrying out printing based on the print job upon receipt of the print job;
receiving from another image forming apparatus an alternative instruction including a print job and, when a unit charge for printing employed in said image forming apparatus is not lower than a unit charge for printing employed in said another image forming apparatus, transmitting a count instruction to said another image forming apparatus upon every printing based on the print job included the alternative instruction; and
counting the number of sheets printed in the printing step when the count instruction is not transmitted,
wherein when the unit charge for printing employed in said image forming apparatus is lower than the unit charge for printing employed in said another image forming apparatus, the count instruction is not transmitted to said another image forming apparatus.

### Claim 17

A program for counting the number of sheets printed, the program being embodied on a non-transitory computer readable medium, the program causing a computer to execute steps comprising:
accepting a print job at an image forming apparatus;
carrying out printing based on the print job;
transmitting an alternative instruction including the accepted print job to an alternative printer when the accepted print job is not executable in the printing step; and
when a unit charge for printing employed in said image forming apparatus is lower than a unit charge for printing employed in said alternative printer, adding the number of alternative sheets to the number of sheets printed in the printing step, the alternative sheets being printed by said alternative printer based on the print job included in the alternative instruction, and when the unit charge for printing employed in said image forming apparatus is not lower than the unit charge for printing employed in said alternative printer, the number of alternative sheets is not added to the number of sheets printed in the printing step.

### Claim 18

A program for counting the number of sheets printed, the program being embodied on a non-transitory computer readable medium, the program causing a computer to execute steps comprising:
receiving a print job at an image forming apparatus and carrying out printing based on the print job upon receipt of the print job;
receiving from another image forming apparatus an alternative instruction including a print job and, when a unit charge for printing employed in said image forming apparatus is not lower than a unit charge for printing employed in said another image forming apparatus, transmitting a count instruction to said another image forming apparatus upon every printing based on the print job included the alternative instruction; and
counting the number of sheets printed in the printing step when the count instruction is not transmitted,
wherein when the unit charge for printing employed in said image forming apparatus is lower than the unit charge for printing employed in said another image forming apparatus, the count instruction is not transmitted to said another image forming apparatus.