BILLING BASED ON THE TYPE OF PRINTED DOCUMENT

• US 20090030837A1
• Filed: 07/27/2007
• Published: 01/29/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 07/27/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ricoh Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Ricoh Company Limited
• Inventors: Knodt, Kurt
• Granted Patent: US 7,856,400 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/40
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/10 specially adapted for electronic funds transfer [EFT] systems; specially adapted for home banking systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/102 Bill distribution or payments
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/105 involving programming of a portable memory device, e.g. IC cards, "electronic purses"
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/04 Billing or invoicing

Abstract

Techniques are provided for billing a customer for printing services based on the type of document printed. Types of documents may include business cards, books, postcards, photographs, marketing materials, word processing documents, etc. Thus, for example, each photograph is billed at a different rate than each business card.

Claims

1. A method for billing a customer for document services, the method comprising:

receiving, at a printing device used by the customer, a plurality of requests to print a plurality of documents;

printing, at the printing device, the plurality of documents; and

for each request of the plurality of requests, billing the customer an amount for said each request based, at least in part, on a type of document printed for said each request.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein:

a first request and a second request are included in the plurality of requests;

the first request is to print a first set of documents of a first type;

the second request is to print a second set of documents of a second type;

the number of sheets required to print the first set of documents is the same as the number of sheets required to print the second set of documents;

the size of the one or more sheets that the first set of documents are printed on is the same as the size of the one or more sheets that the second set of documents is printed on; and

the customer is billed a particular amount for the first request and a different amount for the second request.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein:

a first request and a second request are included in the plurality of requests;

the first request is to print a first set of documents of a particular type;

the second request is to print a second set of documents of the particular type;

the number of documents in the first set of documents is the same as the number of documents in the second set of documents;

the size of the one or more sheets that the first set of documents is printed on is different than the size of the one or more sheets that the second set of documents is printed on; and

the customer is billed an identical amount for the first request and the second request.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the number of sheets required to print the first set of documents is different than the number of sheets required to print the second set of documents.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein:

a first request and a second request are included in the plurality of requests;

the first request is to print a first set of documents of a particular type;

the second request is to print a second set of documents of the particular type;

the number of pages in the first set of documents is different than the number of pages in the second set of documents; and

the customer is billed an identical amount for the first request and the second request.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the type of document is one or more of a book, a business card, a photograph, a booklet, a postcard, a brochure, a manual, a newsletter, a catalog, an envelope, a flyer, a pamphlet, or a label.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the amount billed per sheet varies from one printed document of one type to another printed document of another type.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

computing a charge based on the number of sheets printed for a particular document of the plurality of documents; and

determining a difference between the amount billed for the particular document and the computed charge.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

issuing a refund to the customer for the determined difference;

applying a credit to the bill for the determined difference;

or

applying a credit to the account of the customer for the determined difference.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the amount billed for each document, of the plurality of documents, of a particular type varies based on the total number of the documents of the particular type that are printed.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the amount billed for each document, of the plurality of documents, of a particular type varies based on when each document of the particular type was printed.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the amount billed for each document, of the plurality of documents, of a particular type includes a portion of the amount for a third party.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the amount billed for each document, of the plurality of documents, of a particular type encompasses usage of printing equipment provided by a vendor that is different than the vendor that provided the printing device.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the amount billed for each document, of the plurality of documents, of a particular type excludes charges associated with printing equipment provided by a vendor that is different than the vendor that provided the printing device.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein:

a first request and a second request are included in the plurality of requests;

the first request is to print a first set of documents of a particular type;

the second request is to print a second set of documents of the particular type;

the method further comprising;

printing the first set of documents, wherein each document of the first set of documents has at least one advertisement printed thereon;

printing the second set of documents, wherein each document of the second set of documents has no advertisement printed thereon; and

based on determining that each of the first set of documents has the at least one advertisement, lowering the amount billed for the first request relative to the amount billed for the second request.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein:

the vendor of the printing device acts as an intermediary; and

the vendor receives payment from a third party that provides the at least one advertisement.

17. A billing apparatus for billing a customer for document services, the billing apparatus comprising:

a printing device; and

a billing module;

wherein the printing device is configured to;

receive a plurality of requests to print a plurality of documents, and print the plurality of documents; and

wherein the billing module is configured to, for each request of the plurality of requests, bill the customer an amount for said each request based, at least in part, on a type of document printed for said each request.

18. The billing apparatus of claim 17, wherein:

a first request and a second request are included in the plurality of requests;

the first request is to print a first set of documents of a first type;

the second request is to print a second set of documents of a second type;

the number of sheets required to print the first set of documents is the same as the number of sheets required to print the second set of documents;

the size of the one or more sheets that the first set of documents are printed on is the same as the size of the one or more sheets that the second set of documents is printed on; and

the customer is billed a particular amount for the first request and a different amount for the second request.

19. The billing apparatus of claim 17, wherein:

a first request and a second request are included in the plurality of requests;

the first request is to print a first set of documents of a particular type;

the second request is to print a second set of documents of the particular type;

the number of documents in the first set of documents is the same as the number of documents in the second set of documents;

the size of the one or more sheets that the first set of documents is printed on is different than the size of the one or more sheets that the second set of documents is printed on; and

the customer is billed an identical amount for the first request and the second request.

20. The billing apparatus of claim 19, wherein the number of sheets required to print the first set of documents is different than the number of sheets required to print the second set of documents.

21. The billing apparatus of claim 17, wherein:

a first request and a second request are included in the plurality of requests;

the first request is to print a first set of documents of a particular type;

the second request is to print a second set of documents of the particular type;

the number of pages in the first set of documents is different than the number of pages in the second set of documents; and

the customer is billed an identical amount for the first request and the second request.

22. The billing apparatus of claim 17, wherein the type of document is one or more of a book, a business card, a photograph, a booklet, a postcard, a brochure, a manual, a newsletter, a catalog, an envelope, a flyer, a pamphlet, or a label.

23. The billing apparatus of claim 17, wherein the amount billed per sheet varies from one printed document of one type to another printed document of another type.

24. The billing apparatus of claim 17, wherein the billing module is further configured to:

compute a charge based on the number of sheets printed for a particular document of the plurality of documents; and

determine a difference between the amount billed for the particular document and the computed charge.

25. The billing apparatus of claim 24, wherein the billing module is further configured to:

issue a refund to the customer for the determined difference;

apply a credit to the bill for the determined difference;

or

apply a credit to the account of the customer for the determined difference.

26. The billing apparatus of claim 17, wherein the amount billed for each document, of the plurality of documents, of a particular type varies based on the total number of the documents of the particular type that are printed.

27. The billing apparatus of claim 17, wherein the amount billed for each document, of the plurality of documents, of a particular type varies based on when each document of the particular type was created.

28. The billing apparatus of claim 17, wherein the amount billed for each document, of the plurality of documents, of a particular type includes a portion of the amount for a third party.

29. The billing apparatus of claim 17, wherein the amount billed for each document, of the plurality of documents, of a particular type encompasses usage of printing equipment provided by a vendor that is different than the vendor that provided the printing device.

30. The billing apparatus of claim 17, wherein the amount billed for each document, of the plurality of documents, of a particular type excludes charges associated with printing equipment provided by a vendor that is different than the vendor that provided the printing device.

31. The billing apparatus of claim 17, wherein:

a first request and a second request are included in the plurality of requests;

the first request is to print a first set of documents of a particular type;

the second request is to print a second set of documents of the particular type;

the printing device is further configured to;

print the first set of documents, wherein each document of the first set of documents has at least one advertisement printed thereon; and

print the second set of documents, wherein each document of the second set of documents has no advertisement printed thereon; and

the billing module is further configured to, based on determining that each of the first set of documents has the at least one advertisement, lower the amount billed for the first request relative to the amount billed for the second request.

32. The billing apparatus of claim 31, wherein:

the vendor of the printing device acts as an intermediary; and

the vendor receives payment from a third party that provides the at least one advertisement.

33. A machine-readable medium for billing a customer for document services, the machine-readable medium carrying instructions which, when processed by one or more processors, causes:

receiving, at a printing device used by the customer, a plurality of requests to print a plurality of documents;

printing, at the printing device, the plurality of documents; and

for each request of the plurality of requests, billing the customer an amount for said each request based, at least in part, on a type of document printed for said each request.