Patent ID: 7606761

Claim:
A data output control apparatus which is communicatively connected, via a network, to a portable terminal which is a portable communications device, carried by a user, that issues a data print request, and to a plurality of output terminals, disposed at various locations, that print data, and which outputs, in response to the data print request from said portable terminal, data associated with the data print request to said output terminals, the data output control apparatus comprising: a memory storing a charge calculation table; a computer processor configured: (1) to select one of the plurality of output terminals, and (2) to execute billing in accordance with a result of use by the portable terminal of a print service provided by the data output control apparatus, including: (i) calculating a service charge in accordance with the result of use by the portable terminal according to the charge calculation definition table stored in the memory which defines the service charge as the price of the print service with regard to the result of use by the portable terminal, and (ii) adding the calculated service charge to a communications charge of the portable terminal; and a communications interface that outputs the data associated with the data print request to the output terminal selected by the computer processor.