Data communication system

• US 4,868,758 A
• Filed: 02/02/1987
• Issued: 09/19/1989
• Est. Priority Date: 02/08/1986
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Kokubu, Nobuaki
• Primary Examiner(s): Lall, Parshotam S.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Cosimano, Edward R.
• Application Number:
  US07/009,528
• Time in Patent Office: 960 Days
• Field of Search: 358/261, 358/261.1, 364/464, 364/464.01, 370/43, 370/44, 375/8, 379/114, 379/131
• US Class Current: 705/400
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0283 Price estimation or determination
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/0014 for vending, access and use of specific services not covered anywhere else in G07F17/00 meter-controlled dispensing of liquid, gas or electricity G07F15/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/14 Charging , metering or billing arrangements for data wireline or wireless communications
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1414 in real-time
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1421 Indication of expected costs
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1439 time-based
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/34 for coin-freed systems ; Pay systems

Abstract

A data communication system comprises calculation means for calculating a communication charge to be charged when a given amount of data is to be transmitted, and display means for displaying the calculated communication charge prior to the data transmission.

Claims

1. A data communication apparatus comprising:

input means for inputting a predetermined amount of transmission data;

recognition means for recognizing information representing the predetermined amount of transmission data;

calculation means for calculating a communication charge in accordance with the information recognized by said recognition means;

display means for visually displaying the communication charge in response to said calculation means; and

transmission means for transmitting the transmission data input by said input means after said display means displays the communication charge.

2. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said display means displays the communication charge on a display panel.

3. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said calculation means comprises a charge table for calculating the communication charge in accordance with the information recognized by said recognition means.

4. An apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising selection means for selecting if the communication charge is to be displayed by said display means.

5. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said input means comprises reading means for reading an original document and output means for outputting image data representing an image of the original document.

6. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said recognition means comprises a memory means to store therein the transmission data and the information.

7. An apparatus according to claim 6, further comprising an encoding means for encoding the transmission data, wherein the encoded transmission data is stored in said memory means.

8. An apparatus according to claim 6, further comprising clearing means for clearing, prior to said transmission means transmitting the data, the transmission data stored in said memory.

9. A data communication apparatus comprising:

reading means for reading an original document as image data;

encoding means for encoding the image data from said reading means in a predetermined coding system;

memory means for storing therein the image data encoded by said encoding means;

transmission means for transmitting the image data stored in said memory means;

detection means for detecting an amount of the stored image data to be transmitted by said transmission means;

calculation means for calculating a communication charge when said transmission means transmits the image data stored in said memory means, in accordance with the amount of the image data detected by said detection means; and

display means for displaying the communication charge calculated by said calculation means prior to said transmission means transmitting the image data.

10. An apparatus according to claim 9, wherein said calculation means comprises a charge table storing charges for various amounts of the image data, for calculating the communication charge.

11. An apparatus according to claim 9, wherein said transmission means transmits the image data to a destination station at a transmission distance and said calculation means calculates a transmission time required for transmitting the image data in response to the amount of the image data detected by said detecting means and calculates the communication charge based on the transmission time and the transmission distance.

12. An apparatus according to claim 9, wherein said display means visually displays the communication charge on a display panel.

13. A data communication apparatus comprising:

data communication means for communicating a predetermined amount of data using a plurality of communication modes;

calculation means for calculating, prior to said data communication means communicating the data, a communication charge in accordance with the predetermined amount of data and the communication modes;

memory means for storing the communication charge, wherein said memory means is accessed in accordance with the communication modes and the amount of data; and

display means for displaying the communication charge calculated by said calculation means prior to said data communications means communicating said data.

14. An apparatus according to claim 13, wherein said plurality of communication modes includes communication speed and communication distance.

15. An apparatus according to claim 13, further comprising input means for inputting image data and an image memory for storing the image data wherein said image data is communicated by said data communication means and the amount of data is calculated from the data stored in said image memory.