Image processing system, method of controlling the image processing system and control program for the image processing system

• US 7,843,580 B2
• Filed: 03/14/2005
• Issued: 11/30/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 03/18/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Doi, Koji, Hiromatsu, Kenji, Oyumi, Masashi, Iseki, Yukimasa, Isobe, Yoshinori
• Primary Examiner(s): Zimmerman; Mark K
• Assistant Examiner(s): Zhang; Fan
• Application Number:
  US11/078,286
• Publication Number:
  US 20050206949A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,087 Days
• Field of Search: 358/1.13, 358/1.15
• US Class Current: 358/1.15
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 15/5087 for receiving image data
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 21/02 Counting the number of copies; Billing
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0211 Determining the effectiveness of discounts or incentives
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0224 based on user history
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0226 Incentive systems for frequent usage, e.g. frequent flyer miles programs or point systems

Abstract

An image processing system for enabling a manufacturer'"'"'s image forming apparatuses to be used as far as possible by a user. Design is made to enable a manufacturer or a vendor to appeal the predominance, particularly economy, of their own image forming apparatuses by the utilization of a user interface for controlling a recording process.

Claims

1. An image processing system, comprising:

a plurality of network-connected image forming apparatuses;

an information processing device, which performs a distributed printing process to distribute recording-data to at least two or more image forming apparatuses of said plurality of image forming apparatuses, wherein the distributed printing process includes cost as a processing condition;

a selecting device for a user to select a combination of said at least two or more image forming apparatuses to be used in the distributed printing process;

a reading device configured to read a predetermined accounting value for each of the at least two or more image forming apparatuses selected by the selecting device;

a calculating device configured to calculate, based on accounting values read by the reading device, a printing fee to be charged to the user for the distributed printing process for the combination selected by the user using the selecting device;

a determination device which determines at least one combination of the at least two image forming apparatuses selected by the user using the selecting device which can perform the distributed printing process for a less expensive fee than said printing fee calculated by the calculating device, wherein at least one combination determined by the determination device comprises two or more image forming apparatuses of a same manufacturer;

a terminal, which offers the user the at least one different combination of the at least two image forming apparatuses for the distributed printing process determined by the determination device, and which offers the user to change to one of the less expensive combinations;

an accounting value change device which, if the user changes the combination of said at least two or more image forming apparatuses to be used in the distributed printing process to a combination offered by the terminal, transmits accounting condition change data to each of the image forming apparatuses constituting the changed combination, wherein each of the image forming apparatuses of the changed combination receive their respective accounting condition change data and change their accounting value accordingly,

wherein, the distributed printing process is performed by the image forming apparatuses constituting the changed combination and the user is charged the less expensive printing fee for the distributed printing process based on the changed accounting values, and wherein the system further comprises;

an identifying information adding device configured to add identifying information including information representing which image forming apparatus outputs a sheet, on the sheet output from the image forming apparatus; and

a sensor provided in each of the image forming apparatuses to read the identifying information added on the sheet by the identifying information adding device,

wherein the accounting value change device changes the accounting value on the basis of the identifying information read by the sensor.