Image processing system, image processing device, billing processing method and computer readable recording medium

Abstract

An image processing system includes an image processing device executing a job and a billing server performing billing process in response to execution of the job connected through a network. The billing server includes: a remaining amount management part for managing a remaining amount of each user's available funds; and a savings amount transmission part for determining a savings amount in the image processing device based on a user's available funds and sending the determined savings amount to the image processing device. The image processing device includes: a savings amount storage part for storing therein the savings amount in accordance with the user; a job execution part for executing a job with an instruction by the user; and a billing processing part for performing billing process to charge to the user in response to execution of the job.

1 . An image processing system comprising an image processing device executing a job and a billing server performing billing process in response to execution of the job in said image processing device, said image processing device and said billing server being connected through a network,
 said billing server including:   a remaining amount management part for managing a remaining amount of funds available for each user;   an authentication part for authenticating the user by referring to user information received from said image processing device; and   a savings amount transmission part for determining an amount to save in advance in said image processing device based on the remaining amount of available funds of the user who is successfully authenticated with the user authentication by said authentication part and sending the determined savings amount to said image processing device,   said image processing device including:   a savings amount storage part for storing therein the savings amount received from said savings amount transmission part in accordance with the authenticated user;   a job execution part for executing a job with a job execution instruction by the authenticated user; and   a billing processing part for performing billing process to charge to the authenticated user in response to execution of the job by said job execution part,   wherein said billing processing part, on failure to establish data communication with said billing server, performs billing process by deducting an amount charged for execution of the job from the saving amount in accordance with the authenticated user in said savings amount storage part.   
     
     
         2 . The image processing system according to  claim 1 , wherein
 said remaining amount management part deducts the savings amount sent by said savings amount transmission part from the remaining amount of the funds available for the authenticated user.   
     
     
         3 . The image processing system according to  claim 2 , wherein
 said billing processing part sends the authenticated user's savings amount in said savings amount storage part to said billing server and receives a savings amount from said billing server to update the savings amount in said savings amount storage part when it succeeds in establishing data communication with said billing server.   
     
     
         4 . The image processing system according to  claim 3 , wherein
 said remaining amount management part adds the savings amount received from said billing processing part to update the remaining amount of the funds available for the authenticated user, and   said savings amount transmission part, after the remaining amount of the funds available for the authenticated user is updated by said remaining amount management part, determines again an amount to save in advance in said image processing device based on the updated remaining amount of available funds to send the amount to said image processing device.   
     
     
         5 . The image processing system according to  claim 1 , wherein
 said savings amount transmission part determines the authenticated user's savings amount not exceeding an amount calculated using a predetermined ratio to the remaining amount of authenticated user's available funds.   
     
     
         6 . The image processing system according to  claim 1 , wherein
 said savings amount transmission part determines the savings amount that enables the job to be executed predetermined number of times based on an average amount charged to the authenticated user per job.   
     
     
         7 . The image processing system according to  claim 6 , wherein
 said predetermined number of times is configured in accordance with a frequency of use of said image processing device by the authenticated user.   
     
     
         8 . The image processing system according to  claim 1 , wherein
 said job execution part restricts execution of the job that consumes the amount exceeding the authenticated user's savings amount in said savings amount storage part when said billing processing part fails to establish data communication with said billing server.   
     
     
         9 . The image processing system according to  claim 1 , wherein
 said authentication part determines whether or not the user successfully authenticated with the user authentication is a privileged user with specific authority and notifies said image processing device that the authenticated user is the privileged user if the authenticated user is the privileged user, and   said job execution part allows execution of the job consuming the amount exceeding the authenticated user's savings amount in said savings amount storage part if the authenticated user is the privileged user even when said billing processing part fails to establish data communication with said billing server.   
     
     
         10 . An image processing device being connected with a billing server via a network to perform billing process by establishing data communication with said billing server in response to execution of a job, comprising:
 a savings amount storage part for obtaining a savings amount from said billing server by user determined based on a remaining amount of the funds available for each user managed by said billing server to store therein;   an authentication requesting part for sending user information of the user to said billing server to request authentication and receiving a result of the user authentication from said billing server;   a job execution part for executing a job with a job execution instruction by the user successfully authenticated with the user authentication; and   a billing processing part for performing billing process to charge to the authenticated user in response to execution of the job by said job execution part,   wherein said billing processing part, on failure to establish data communication with said billing server, performs billing process by deducting an amount charged for execution of the job from the savings amount in accordance with the authenticated user in said savings amount storage part.   
     
     
         11 . The image processing device according to  claim 10 , wherein
 said billing processing part sends the authenticated user's savings amount in said savings amount storage part to said billing server and obtains a savings amount from said billing server to update the savings amount in said savings amount storage part when it succeeds in establishing data communication with said billing server.   
     
     
         12 . The image processing device according to  claim 10 , wherein
 said job execution part restricts execution of the job that consumes the amount exceeding the authenticated user's savings amount in said savings amount storage part when said billing processing part fails to establish data communication with said billing server.   
     
     
         13 . The image processing device according to  claim 10 , wherein
 said job execution part allows execution of the job consuming the amount exceeding the authenticated user's savings amount in said savings amount storage part if the authenticated user is a privileged user with special powers even when said billing processing part fails to establish data communication with said billing server.   
     
     
         14 . A billing processing method performed in response to execution of a job in an image processing system comprising an image processing device executing a job and a billing server managing a remaining amount of funds available for each user connected via a network, comprising the steps of:
 (a) authenticating the user by referring to user information of the user who uses said image processing device;   (b) determining an amount to save in advance in said image processing device based on the remaining amount of funds available for the user who is successfully authenticated with the user authentication and sending the determined savings amount to said image processing device from said billing server;   (c) storing the savings amount received from said billing server in accordance with the authenticated user in said image processing device;   (d) executing a job in said image processing device with a job execution instruction by the authenticated user; and   (e) determining whether or not said image processing device may establish data communication with said billing server in response to execution of the job and performing the billing process by deducting an amount charged for execution of the job from the savings amount in accordance with the authenticated user in said image processing device when data communication with said billing server is failed to be established.   
     
     
         15 . A computer readable recording medium on which a program is recorded executable by an image processing device connected with a billing server via a network, said program causing said image processing device to establish data communication with said billing server to perform billing process in response to execution of a job by said image processing device, said program causing said image processing device to function as a system comprising:
 a savings amount processing part for obtaining a savings amount determined based on a remaining amount of the funds available for each user managed in said billing server from said billing server and storing the savings amount by user in a storage device;   an authentication requesting part for sending user information of the user to said billing server to request authentication and receiving a result of the user authentication from said billing server;   a job execution part for executing a job with a job execution instruction by the user successfully authenticated with the user authentication; and   a billing processing part for performing billing process to charge to the authenticated user in response to execution of the job by said job execution part,   wherein said billing processing part, on failure to establish data communication with said billing server, performs billing process by deducting an amount charged for execution of the job from the savings amount in accordance with the authenticated user in said storage device.   
     
     
         16 . The computer readable recording medium according to  claim 15 , wherein
 said billing processing part sends the authenticated user's savings amount in said storage device to said billing server and obtains a savings amount from said billing server to update the savings amount in said storage device when it succeeds in establishing data communication with said billing server.   
     
     
         17 . The computer readable recording medium according to  claim 15 , wherein
 said job execution part restricts execution of the job that consumes the amount exceeding the authenticated user's savings amount in said storage device when said billing processing part fails to establish data communication with said billing server,   
     
     
         18 . The computer readable recording medium according to  claim 15 , wherein
 said job execution part allows execution of the job consuming the amount exceeding the authenticated user's savings amount in said storage device if the authenticated user is a privileged user with special powers even when said billing processing part fails to establish data communication with said billing server.