Method and system for determining billing information in a tag fabrication process

• US 20050187837A1
• Filed: 11/29/2004
• Published: 08/25/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 02/23/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: CHECKPOINT SYSTEMS, INC. (CCL Industries Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: CHECKPOINT SYSTEMS, INC. (CCL Industries Incorporated)
• Inventors: Cote, Andre, Eckstein, Eric
• Granted Patent: US 8,099,335 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/29
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/0875 Itemisation or classification of parts, supplies or services, e.g. bill of materials
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0283 Price estimation or determination
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/04 Billing or invoicing

Abstract

A method for determining billing information for a tag application process for billing a customer using the tag application process, includes the steps of determining a cost component of said tag fabrication process and determining billing information in accordance with said cost component. The customer is billed in accordance with said determined billing information.

Claims

1. A method for determining billing information for a tag application process for billing a customer using said tag application process, comprising the steps of:

a. determining a cost component of said tag fabrication process;

b. determining billing information in accordance with said cost component; and

c. billing said customer in accordance with said determined billing information.

2. The method for determining billing information of claim 1, comprising the further step of determining a process usage component of said tag fabrication process.

3. The method of determining billing information of claim 2, determining said process usage component in accordance with a measurement of the usage of a surface processing system.

4. The method of determining billing information of claim 3, wherein said surface processing system comprises a tag fabrication system.

5. The method of determining billing information of claim 3, wherein said surface processing system comprises a system for affixing a tag to an item.

6. The method of determining billing information of claim 5, wherein said surface processing system comprises a further surface processing system integrated with said surface processing system.

7. The method of determining billing information of claim 2, comprising the further step of determining said process usage component in accordance with a parameter representative of a further process external to said tag application process.

8. The method of determining billing information of claim 2, comprising the further step of determining said process usage component in accordance with a counter for counting a process event.

9. The method of determining billing information of claim 8, wherein said process event comprises a fabrication of a tag.

10. The method of determining billing information of claim 8, including the further step of testing a tag to determine a working tag wherein said event comprises a determination of a working tag.

11. The method of determining billing information of claim 8, wherein said event comprises the application of an element of a tag to the surface of an item.

12. The method of determining billing information of claim 11, wherein said element comprises a preformed element.

13. The method of determining billing information of claim 11, comprising the further step of applying plural tags to said item.

14. The method of determining billing information of claim 8, wherein said event comprises an identification of an item in accordance with an interrogation of a tag.

15. The method of determining billing information of claim 8, wherein a tag processing system for performing said tag application process includes a plurality of system elements comprising the further step of disposing said counter in a selected system element of said plurality of system elements.

16. The method of determining billing information of claim 15, wherein said selected system element comprises a system roller.

17. The method of determining billing information of claim 16, wherein said system roller comprises a printer roller.

18. The method of determining billing information of claim 15, wherein said selected system element comprises an adhesive transfer device for adhering tag elements to a substrate.

19. The method of determining billing information of claim 15, wherein said selected system element comprises a cutter for cutting tag elements.

20. The method of determining billing information of claim 15, comprising the further step of selling said selected system element to said user.

21. The method of determining billing information of claim 15, comprising the further step of renting said selected system element to said user.

22. The method of determining billing information of claim 1, comprising the further step of determining a period of time.

23. The method of determining billing information of claim 1, comprising the further step of determining a pro-rated purchase cost.

24. The method of determining billing information of claim 1, comprising the further step of determining a rental cost.

25. The method of determining billing information of claim 1, comprising the further step of determining a licensing fee.

26. The method of determining billing information of claim 25, comprising the further step of determining said licensing fee in accordance with a tag design.

27. The method of determining billing information of claim 25, comprising the further step of determining said licensing fee for licensing a tag design tool.

28. The method of determining billing information of claim 25, comprising the further step of determining said licensing fee for licensing know how.

29. The method of determining billing information of claim 1, including a tag fabrication system for performing said tag fabrication process, comprising the steps of:

a. determining selected process information; and

b. transmitting said selected process information to a monitoring location external to said tag fabrication system.

30. The method of determining billing information of claim 29, wherein said tag processing system is disposed at a process installation and said monitoring location is disposed at a location remote from said process installation.

31. The method of determining billing information of claim 8, comprising the further step of providing a volume discount to said customer in accordance with said counted number of occurrences.

32. The method of determining billing information of claim 29, comprising the further step of determining said cost component at said monitoring location.

33. The method of determining billing information of claim 1, comprising the further step of transmitting said selected process information to a monitoring location.

34. The method of determining billing information of claim 1, comprising the further step of adjusting said tag fabrication process in accordance with said cost component.

35. The method of determining billing information of claim 1, comprising the further step of providing a volume discount to said customer.

36. The method of determining billing information of claim 1, in a system for providing a plurality of types of tags comprising the further step of providing a discount to said customer in accordance with the occurrence with a selected type of tag of said plurality of types of tags.