Patent ID: 8319998
Filing Date: 2012-11-27
Classification: G03G,G06Q

Abstract:
1. A billing system capable of being connected to an output apparatus having a printing function and a copy function via a network, comprising: an input unit configured to read first account balance information of a billing account stored in a storage medium, the billing account being an account from which fee payment for an output performed by the output apparatus is made; a billing processing unit configured to update the first account balance information to second account balance information based on print-billing information and copy-billing information; a first information processing unit, based on a print instruction, configured to cause the output apparatus to perform a print output of a printing document and generate the print-billing information for the print output based on a print-output signal related to the print output and transmitted from the output apparatus; and a second information processing unit, based on a copy instruction, configured to check a remaining balance of the storage medium based on the first account balance information, issue a copy permission instruction to the output apparatus when the remaining balance is sufficient so as to cause the output apparatus to perform a copy output, obtain sheet feeding counter information from the output apparatus for each copy action when the output apparatus performs the copy output, to check whether the remaining balance is sufficient, issue a copy prohibiting instruction to the output apparatus when the remaining balance is equal to zero, so as to cause the output apparatus not to perform the copy output, obtain sheet ejection counter information from the output apparatus for each copy action after a sheet feeding counter has counted up, to check whether the copy action has been successful, issue a copy prohibiting instruction to the output apparatus so as to cause the output apparatus not to perform the copy output when the sheet ejection counter does not count up, and generate the copy-billing information for the copy output based on a copy-output signal related to the copy output and transmitted from the output apparatus when the copy action has been successful.