Abstract:
A system for reconciling a bill for the usage of a metered device includes an image capture device for generating an electronic image of a machine readable code associated with a hardcopy bill for the use of a metered device, a decoder for decoding at least one reconciliation instruction from the electronic image and a reconciliation controller for executing the at least one reconciliation instruction to enable a reconciliation of the hardcopy bill for the use of the metered device with stored metered device usage data.

Description:
TECHNICAL FIELD  
       [0001]     The presently disclosed embodiments relate generally to printing machines, and more particularly, to multifunction printing machines.  
       BACKGROUND  
       [0002]     Current electrostatographic devices such as copying machines or electronic printing machines are typically capable of counting pages. For customer records or for billing purposes, these devices include accounting mechanisms for computing the number of pages that are printed. In addition to the copy count, these devices may further acquire other information for billing purposes such as measurements of the actual use of a wide range of system services, including binding, scanning, stapling, stitching, shrink wrapping, etc. Further, the paper and toner consumption can be monitored. This information can then be used when generating a bill for the use of the device.  
         [0003]     A conventional billing process of such an electrostatographic device begins by the customer reading the meter count for the service or services being billed. The customer then sends a hard copy document to the billing service that shows the current meter reading for the services to be billed. Alternatively, the customer may transmit the data such as by using a telephone or email. The billing service generates a hardcopy bill based upon the reported meter count. The generated hardcopy bill is then sent back to the customer and the customer can then authorize payment of the hardcopy. Once the customer authorizes payment of the bill, payment is effected, for instance by sending a check or an authorization to debit from his account, to the billing service.  
         [0004]     Another known billing process differs from the process discussed above in that the customer commands the electrostatographic device to transmit service usage information to the billing service electronically. Accordingly, the electrostatographic device accesses a meter module and transmits data indicative of the usage of the electrostatographic services to the billing service. The billing service then generates a bill based on the received information and either sends the bill to the customer electronically or by hard copy.  
         [0005]     In both of the above processes, however, the customer typically performs a reconciliation of the bill from the billing service with the meter reading from the electrostatographic device. This is accomplished by first determining what meter reading was sent to the billing service. To this end, when the customer transmits the meter reading to, or causes the meter readings to be transmitted to, the billing service, the customer typically writes the meter readings into a notebook and then transfers the meter readings to a spreadsheet. Accordingly, when the ensuing bill arrives, the customer accesses the notebook or spreadsheet and obtains the meter reading that was sent to the billing service. The meter reading that was sent may then be compared with the meter reading shown on the bill (the billed meter reading). The customer then determines what service credits are shown on the bill and applies these credits to the meter reading to determine if the bill correctly reflects the amount due to the billing service.  
         [0006]     Obviously, such manual bill reconciliation may not be overly burdensome when a single electrostatic device of limited functionality is the sole device to be reconciled. The process quickly becomes complex and burdensome, however, when multiple services are possible on hundreds or even thousands of metered devices. The complexity of the problem is further exacerbated in situations where multiple parties are to be billed for each of the devices.  
       SUMMARY  
       [0007]     According to aspects illustrated herein, a system for reconciling a bill for the usage of a metered device includes an image capture device for generating an electronic image of a machine readable code associated with a hardcopy bill for the use of a metered device, a decoder for decoding at least one reconciliation instruction from the electronic image and a reconciliation controller for executing the at least one reconciliation instruction to enable a reconciliation of the hardcopy bill for the use of the metered device with stored metered device usage data.  
         [0008]     In a further embodiment, a method for reconciling a bill includes generating an electronic image of a machine readable code associated with a hardcopy bill for the usage of a metered device, decoding at least one reconciliation instruction from the electronic image, enabling a reconciliation module based upon the decoded at least one reconciliation instruction and reconciling data from the hardcopy bill with usage data of the metered device using the reconciliation module.  
         [0009]     In another embodiment, a multifunction electrostatographic device includes a scanner for scanning documents, a decoder for decoding at least one reconciliation instruction from a glyph on a scanned document, a reconciliation controller for executing the at least one reconciliation instruction to enable a reconciliation of data from a hardcopy bill with stored data and a printer for printing copies of scanned documents.  
         [0010]     The above described features and advantages, as well as others, will become more readily apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art by reference to the following detailed description and accompanying drawings. 
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0011]      FIG. 1  shows a partial side elevational view of an exemplary networked electrophotographic machine incorporating a digital processing station;  
         [0012]      FIG. 2  shows a schematic representation of a digital processing station within the electrophotographic machine of  FIG. 1 ;  
         [0013]      FIG. 3  shows a process for obtaining a meter reading for the use of services provided by the electrophotographic machine of  FIG. 1 ;  
         [0014]      FIG. 4  shows a hardcopy bill incorporating a data glyph that may be used to digitize a hardcopy bill in performing an automatic reconciliation of the hardcopy bill;  
         [0015]      FIG. 5  shows a method of decoding a data glyph on a hardcopy bill and performing instructions encoded in the data glyph; and  
         [0016]      FIG. 6  shows a cover sheet with a data glyph that may be used to provide instructions for automatically reconciling a hardcopy bill with which the cover sheet is associated. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION  
       [0017]     Referring first to  FIG. 1  there is shown a partial cutaway side elevational view of an exemplary multifunction electrostatographic machine  10 . The machine  10  includes an image capture system  20 , a digital processing station  30  and a printing system  40 . The printing system  40  includes a photoreceptor drum  102  mounted for rotation (in the clockwise direction as seen in  FIG. 1 ) to carry a photoconductive imaging surface of the drum  102  sequentially through a series of processing stations. Namely, a charging station  104 , an imaging station  106 , a development station  108 , a transfer station  110 , and a cleaning station  112 .  
         [0018]     The general operation of the printing system  40  begins by depositing a uniform electrostatic charge on the photoreceptor drum  102  at the charging station  104  such as by using a corotron. An image of a document D (see  FIG. 2 ) to be reproduced that is positioned on a platen  114  is obtained by the image capture system  20 . In this embodiment, the image capture device within the image capture system  20  is a scanning device that produces a flowing light image that is directed to a digital processing station  30 . The digital processing station  30  (further described below) digitizes the flowing light image and/or passes the light image to the drum  102  at the imaging station  106  in the event that a physical copy of the document is to be made. The flowing light image selectively discharges the electrostatic charge on the photoreceptor drum  102  in the image of the document, whereby an electrostatic latent image of the document is laid down on the drum  102 .  
         [0019]     At the development station  108 , the electrostatic latent image is developed into visible form by depositing toner particles on the charged areas of the photoreceptor drum  102 . Cut sheets of a substrate are moved into the transfer station  110  in synchronous relation with the latent image on the drum  102  and the developed image is transferred to the substrate at the transfer station  110 . A transfer corotron  116  provides an electric field to assist in the transfer of the toner particles to the substrate. The substrate is then stripped from the drum  102 , the detachment being assisted by the electric field provided by an alternating current de-tack corotron  118 . The substrate carrying the transferred toner image is then carried by a transport belt system  120  to a fusing station  122 .  
         [0020]     After transfer of the toner image from the drum  102 , some toner particles usually remain on the drum  102 . The remaining toner particles are removed at the cleaning station  112 . After cleaning, any electrostatic charges remaining on the drum are removed by an alternating current erase corotron  124 . The photoreceptor drum  102  is then ready to be charged again by the charging station  104 , as the first step in the next copy cycle.  
         [0021]     The transport of the substrate to the transfer station  110  in the above process is accomplished by a substrate supply system  126 . In this embodiment, the substrate is selected from one of two types of substrate stored in two substrate trays, an upper, main tray  128  and a lower, auxiliary tray  130 . The top sheet of substrate in the selected tray is brought, as required, into feeding engagement with a common, fixed position, sheet separator/feeder  132 . The sheet separator/feeder  132  feeds a substrate around a curved guide  134  for registration at a registration point  136 . Once registered, the substrate is fed into contact with the drum  102  in synchronous relation to the toner image so as to receive the toner image on the drum  102  at the transfer station  110 .  
         [0022]     The substrate carrying the transferred toner image is transported, by the transport belt system  120 , to the fusing station  122 , which is a heated roll fuser. The heat and pressure in the nip region between the two rolls of the fuser cause the toner particles to melt and some of the toner is forced into the fibers or pores of the substrate. The substrate with the fused image which is a copy C of the document D is then fed by the rolls in the fusing station  122  along output guides  138  into a catch tray  140  via the output roll pair  142 .  
         [0023]     Operation of the machine  100  is controlled by the digital processing system  30  shown in  FIG. 2 . The digital processing system  30  includes a CPU  150  and a memory  152 . The memory  152  is generic and may comprise RAM, ROM, CD-ROM, or other media of storage such as hard disk, magnetic tape, or the like. Other devices for accepting, capturing and storing data are well known and the above list should not be construed as exhaustive.  
         [0024]     The memory  152  may contain stored document files  154 , system software  156 , and bill handling process  158  (discussed below). The system software  156  which is run by the CPU  150  may reside in ROM, RAM, or other units of storage. It will also be appreciated that the memory  152  may be a shared or distributed resource among many processors (not shown in  FIG. 2 ) in a networked configuration.  
         [0025]     The digital processing system  30  is connected to the image capture system  20 , the printing system  40 , a user interface  160 , a meter module  162  and a network  164 . The image capture device in this embodiment is a scanning device; however, other image capture devices may be used including, but not limited to, charge coupling devices. The user interface  160  is generically labeled and encompasses a wide variety of such devices. These interface devices include touch screens, keyboards, and graphic user interfaces.  
         [0026]     The meter module  162  is in bidirectional communication with the CPU  150 . The CPU  150  increments the meter module  162  for each use of a service of the machine  100 . By way of example, the meter module  162  is incremented based upon the transport of a sheet to the registration station  136  to reflect that a copy has been made. Additional information that may be captured by the meter module  162  includes data as to whether or not the copy was a color copy, any special account under which the copy was made, and an indicator of the size of the substrate that was used. The size of the substrate used for a particular copy may be determined by sensing the tray from which the substrate is provided to the sheet separator/feeder  132  or by a sensor in the machine  100 .  
         [0027]     Operation of the machine  100  for obtaining a meter reading is described with reference to the process  168  shown in  FIG. 3 . At the step  170 , a customer initiates the meter reading by inputting a command to the CPU  150  through the user interface  160 . In response, the CPU  150 , which in this embodiment functions as a reconciliation controller, interrogates the meter module  162  at the step  172  and obtains the meter readings for the services being read. In this embodiment, the time and date of the meter reading is determined as well as indicators of the total number of impressions made, the total number of color impressions and the total number of large color impressions made. The data is displayed to the customer at the step  174  for verification. Once the customer verifies that the meter readings are to be sent to a billing service, the meter readings are stored into the memory  152  at the step  176  and transmitted to the billing service at the step  178 . The meter reading process  168  then ends.  
         [0028]     Those of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate in alternative embodiments, the meter reading may be initiated remotely through the network  164  and the meter reading may be sent to a proxy before being sent to a billing service. In such embodiments, reconciliation modules within the proxy may be configured to perform reconciliations based upon the receipt of data from the network  164 . Moreover, the meter reading may be stored in a memory other than the memory  152 , such as a memory at a proxy location.  
         [0029]     Furthermore, additional steps may be included in a bill reading process. By way of example, when displaying the present meter readings, the method may further display a previously obtained meter reading. This is useful when the meters are simple counters. In such cases, the meter reading may merely be a number. Therefore, to understand what the usage has been since the last meter reading was done, the previous meter reading must be subtracted from the current meter reading. In a further embodiment, the CPU  150  obtains the previous meter reading and identifies to the customer any meter readings that have increased by more than a predetermined amount so that the customer may verify that the reading is correct or take corrective actions, such as calling a service technician, prior to sending the meter reading to the billing service.  
         [0030]     Once the meter reading is transmitted to a billing service, a hardcopy bill is prepared using the data from the meter reading. In one embodiment, the hardcopy bill is in the form of a machine readable template. Machine readable templates have been in common use for some time. Such templates provide a mechanism for enabling actions to be taken based on marks on a paper without requiring human intervention such as reading or interpreting the templates. The marks on such templates are extracted under the control of a device commonly referred to as a template interpreter. The templates are typically digitized by a scanner or the like, and the template interpreter then digitally locates and characterizes the marks on the templates, and may output control signals as a function of the presence, location, nature, etc., of the marks to peripheral devices.  
         [0031]     Information carried by templates can conveniently be divided into three categories: data to be manipulated, data providing machine instructions, and other information. Data to be manipulated is taken to mean information carried by the form to be read or extracted from the form such as the billed meter reading. This may be done, for example, by use of optical character recognition software. Machine instruction refers to information carried by a template which is interpreted by the template interpreter and which causes action either by the template interpreter or by a remote device. Examples of machine instructions include information located on a form which, when read, cause data to be copied to or from memory locations of a computer, cause a mathematical or logical procedure to be applied to particular data, etc. Other information, as used above, refers generally to information ignored by the template interpreter, such as the arbitrary text and graphics, prompts or instructions on the form to aid the user in filling in fields, information for the user&#39;s interest, ornamental treatment, etc.  
         [0032]     In one embodiment, a hardcopy bill  200  is in the form of a machine readable template as shown in  FIG. 4 . The hardcopy bill  200  includes markings  202  and  204  located at specific locations on the hardcopy bill  200  so that the digital processing station  30  may determine where to look for the data to be read. Thus, the location of any field may be described in terms of horizontal and vertical displacements from the markings  202  and/or  204 .  
         [0033]     The hardcopy bill  200  further includes arbitrary text such as field titles  206 ,  208  and  210  and instructions  212 . The check box  214  identifies an instruction field that in the embodiment of  FIG. 4  has been marked with a check by the customer. Various data fields are also provided on the hardcopy bill  200 . These data fields include customer identification field  216  and billing cycle fields  218  and  220 . Data fields are also provided for the meter reading data at the start of the billing cycle (column  222 ) as well as the billed meter reading data for the close of the billing cycle (column  224 ) for various services. The difference between the column  222  and the column  224  is shown in the net impressions column  226 .  
         [0034]     The hardcopy bill  200  further includes a charges field  228  which includes a units column  230  identifying the total units for various tracked services, a cost column  232  identifying the per unit cost of the associated service, and a billing amount column  234  showing the amount that is billed for each tracked service. The charges field  228  also includes a line item  236  for service credits. Service credits are credits against the number of impressions that a service technician has given the customer. Such credits may be given, by way of example, if a machine malfunctions and produces a number of unacceptable prints.  
         [0035]     A region  238  of encoded information which represents a structural description of the hardcopy bill  200 , as well as other selected information, is also provided. The encoded information contained in the region  238  in this embodiment includes the complete description of the location of the fields on the hardcopy bill  200 . Thus, if the location of any of the fields changes from one bill to the next, the data in the region  238  may be updated to accurately describe the new position of the fields. Of course, the region  238  may be arbitrarily located. Specifically, the region  238  need not be physically or logically placed on the hardcopy bill  200  with reference to the fields. Rather, in one embodiment, the digital processing station  30  automatically searches the digital image of the hardcopy bill  200  for the region  238 . Once located, the information contained in the region  238  may be decoded by appropriate decoding means to provide the position information needed to read and process the remainder of the form. Alternatively, the region  238  may identify a template type which the digital processing station  30  associates with a layout of data fields identified in a look-up table.  
         [0036]     The method of coding the information contained in region  238  may be by any convenient machine readable coding scheme. One example is the so called “bar codes” well known in the art. Another well suited scheme is described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,486,686 assigned to Xerox Corporation, which is herein incorporated by reference. In the embodiment of  FIG. 4 , the region  338  is a data glyph. Regardless of the method of encoding used, the encoded information may include a description of the physical location of one or more fields on the hardcopy bill  200 , relative to the markings  202  and  204 , and a description of the type of that one or more fields (i.e., bubble, alpha-numeric, image, etc.).  
         [0037]     Examples of the further types of information which may be carried by the region  238  are instructions to a processor for specific processing of selected data, which may include data other than that gleaned from the hardcopy bill  200 , dialing instructions to a facsimile machine acting as an interface between the document scanner and the form interpreter, network addresses for the routing of selected data, the data which is to be processed, etc. Thus, a template may be provided that is self-routing. Furthermore, programming of a processing apparatus may also be accomplished by the encoded information, thus alleviating the need to preprogram that portion of a data processing system.  
         [0038]     In accordance with one embodiment, the hardcopy bill  200  is digitized by the machine  10  in accordance with the process  250  shown in  FIG. 5 . The process  250  commences at step  252  by scanning the hardcopy bill  200 . In this embodiment, the scanned image is processed by the CPU  150  using the software  156 . When the scanned image is processed, the CPU  150 , which in this embodiment functions as a decoder, is programmed to automatically search for an encoded region at the step  254 . Alternatively, the user interface  160  may be used to selectively command the CPU  150  to search for an encoded region on a scanned image. In the event that an encoded region is not detected, the scanned image is used to make copies as programmed by the customer at the step  256  and the process  250  ends. In the present example, however, the hardcopy bill  200  includes an encoded region  238 . Consequently, the region  238  is detected at the step  254  and at the step  258 , the CPU  150 , decodes the region  238 .  
         [0039]     At the step  260 , the CPU  150  analyzes the decoded information from the region  238  to determine if the scanned image includes any additional instruction fields. If there are no further instructions, then the process  150  continues to the step  262  and the scanned image is processed in accordance with the data from the encoded region  238 .  
         [0040]     In this example, the check box  214  is identified as an instruction field. Accordingly, the process proceeds to the step  264  and the check box  214 , and any other identified instruction fields, is read. At the step  266 , the information from the instruction fields is decoded. In this example, the check box  214  has been marked by the customer. Accordingly, the process proceeds to the step  262  and the scanned image is processed in accordance with the data from the region  238  as well as the data from the decoded from the instruction fields. The process  250  then ends.  
         [0041]     The above described system is extremely flexible. By way of example, a number of instructions may be encoded into the region  238 . Alternatively, the customer may be given the option to control whether various instructions are followed by the CPU  150  through the use of instruction fields. Specifically, in the embodiment of  FIG. 4 , the customer is given control over whether or not the scanned bill is reconciled. In an alternative embodiment, the instruction to perform reconciliation is encoded within the region  238 .  
         [0042]     The flexibility of the above described system extends to how the scanned image is routed. The digitized image may be routed to any of a number of different locations such as to a proxy through the network  164 . Additionally, the routing may be based upon instructions encoded within the region  238 , or by a subroutine that is called in response to instructions encoded within the region  238  or based upon the markings in instruction fields.  
         [0043]     Moreover, the data glyph or other machine readable code need not located on the hardcopy bill. In fact, the data glyph and other machine readable codes need not be generated at the billing service. By way of example,  FIG. 6  shows billing cover sheet  270  that may be used with hardcopy bills that do not include a region  238  or if an included coded region on a bill is not to be used. The cover sheet  270  includes a region  272  and instruction fields  274 ,  276 ,  278 ,  280 ,  282 ,  284 ,  286  and  288 . The region  272  and the instruction fields  274 ,  276 ,  278 ,  280 ,  282 ,  284 ,  286  and  288  may be decoded in the same manner described above. The instructions, however, are different than the instructions discussed above with reference to the hardcopy bill  200 .  
         [0044]     Specifically, the billing cover sheet  270  identifies the sheets that follow the cover sheet as a particular type of bill. Thus, if a customer is scanning a gas bill, the instruction field  278  would be marked. Accordingly, when the CPU  150  detects and decodes the region  272 , and then reads the instruction fields  274 ,  276 ,  278 ,  280 ,  282 ,  284 ,  286  and  288 , the CPU  150  in this embodiment accesses a gas bill processing module and processes the scanned images following the billing cover sheet  270  as a gas bill.  
         [0045]     The instruction fields  286  and  288  in this embodiment are only acted upon in the event that one of the instruction fields  274 ,  276  or  284  is marked by the customer. This is because the system has not been programmed to perform automatic reconciliation of electricity bills, postage bills or telephone bills. Accordingly, if any of the instruction fields associated with these bills is marked, the CPU  150  will only route the scanned image in accordance with instructions provided in either a module associated with the instruction filed or instructions within the encoded region  272 .  
         [0046]     In the event the customer has marked any of the instruction fields  274 ,  276  or  284 , however, the CPU  150  will route the scanned image if the instruction field  188  is marked or reconcile the bill if the instruction field  286  is marked. If desired, a default action may be programmed into the CPU  150  or encoded in the region  272 .  
         [0047]     In any event, once the scanned image has been digitized, reconciliation of the bill may be accomplished in a number of ways. In one embodiment, the CPU  150  compares the billed meter reading directly to the transmitted meter reading. Alternatively, the CPU  150  may be programmed to read various credits on the hardcopy bill such as the service credits, and to adjust the transmitted meter readings based upon the service credits. Then, the adjusted transmitted meter reading may be compared to a billed meter reading that is based upon the transmitted meter reading and the credits.  
         [0048]     Alternatively, it may be desired to make available to the CPU  150  a price list for the various services that are being billed. In such an embodiment, the CPU  150  may be programmed to obtain a reading of any credits identified on the hardcopy bill, and to generate a comparison bill based upon the transmitted meter reading, the current price list and any credits identified in the hard copy bill. Then, the CPU  150  may perform a reconciliation of the comparison bill and the hard copy bill. Any discrepancies may be flagged by the CPU  150  so as to draw the customer&#39;s attention to the discrepancy. Moreover, the CPU  150  may be programmed to generate a reconciliation report showing various comparison data and results.  
         [0049]     Those of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that the data glyph may further include the same data that is presented in printed form in the data fields, thus eliminating the need for optical character recognition software. Moreover, the amount of data may be range from a simple code used to activate a particular subprogram to all of the processing data needed to process the data on the hardcopy bill.  
         [0050]     It will be appreciated that various of the above-disclosed and other features and functions, or alternatives thereof, may be desirably combined into many other different systems or applications. Various presently unforeseen or unanticipated alternatives, modifications, variations or improvements therein may be subsequently made by those skilled in the art which are also intended to be encompassed by the following claims.