Printing method of image forming apparatus and the image forming apparatus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9990164-B2
Application number	US-201615259574-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 8, 2016
Priority date	May 20, 2016
Publication date	Jun 5, 2018
Grant date	Jun 5, 2018

Abstract

A printing method of an image forming apparatus is provided. The printing method includes receiving, from one of an external apparatus and a server connected to the external apparatus, job information and first identification (ID) information related to printing of content, receiving, from a user, second ID information, transmitting accounting information based on the job information to a billing system, when the second ID information received from the user and the first ID information received from one of the external apparatus and the server correspond to each other, and printing the content based on the job information, when payment completion information regarding payment by the user is received from the billing system.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A printing method of an image forming apparatus, the printing method comprising:
receiving, at the image forming apparatus from one of an external apparatus or a server connected to the external apparatus, job information, including content, and first identification (ID) information related to printing of the content;
receiving, from a user, second ID information;
transmitting accounting information based on the job information to a billing system, when the second ID information received from the user and the first ID information received from one of the external apparatus or the server correspond to each other; and
printing the content based on the job information, when payment completion information regarding payment by the user is received from the billing system.

2. The printing method of claim 1 , wherein the billing system comprises at least one of a payment device for payment for a printing cost of the content or a payment management server for managing a print history of the content.

3. The printing method of claim 1 , wherein each of the first ID information and the second ID information comprises one of a password or a personal identification number (PIN).

4. The printing method of claim 1 , wherein, when the external apparatus comprises a smart phone, the first ID information comprises a phone number assigned to the smart phone.

5. The printing method of claim 1 , wherein it is determined that the second ID information received from the user and the first ID information received from one of the external apparatus or the server correspond to each other when the second ID information received from the user and the first ID information received from one of the external apparatus or the server match each other.

6. The printing method of claim 1 , wherein the accounting information comprises a printing cost for the printing of the content.

7. The printing method of claim 1 , wherein each of the first ID information and the second ID information is generated in units of at least one of job information, content, or external apparatuses.

8. The printing method of claim 1 , further comprising transmitting print completion information regarding completion of the printing of the content to the billing system.

9. The printing method of claim 1 , wherein, when the second ID information received from the user and the first ID information received from one of the external apparatus or the server correspond to each other, the transmitting of the accounting information comprises:
displaying a job information list comprising the job information; and
transmitting, when the job information is selected from the job information list, the accounting information based on the job information to the billing system.

10. The printing method of claim 1 , wherein the job information comprises a job ID, the content in a print data format, and a print option.

11. An image forming apparatus comprising:
a communicator to receive, at the image forming apparatus from one of an external apparatus or a server connected to the external apparatus, job information, including content, and first identification (ID) information related to printing of the content;
an input device to receive, from a user, second ID information; and
at least one processor to:
control the communicator to transmit accounting information based on the job information to a billing system, when the second ID information received by the input device and the first ID information received by the communicator correspond to each other, and
control the image forming apparatus to print the content based on the job information, when payment completion information regarding payment by the user is received by the communicator from the billing system.

12. The image forming apparatus of claim 11 , wherein the billing system comprises at least one of a payment device for payment for a printing cost of the content or a payment management server for managing a print history of the content.

13. The image forming apparatus of claim 11 , wherein each of the first ID information and the second ID information comprises one of a password or a personal identification number (PIN).

14. The image forming apparatus of claim 11 , wherein, when the external apparatus comprises a smart phone, the first ID information comprises a phone number assigned to the smart phone.

15. The image forming apparatus of claim 11 , wherein it is determined that the second ID information and the first ID information correspond to each other when the second ID information and the first ID match each other.

16. The image forming apparatus of claim 11 , wherein the accounting information comprises a printing cost for the printing of the content.

17. The image forming apparatus of claim 11 , wherein each of the first ID information and the second ID information is generated in at least one of units of job information, content, or external apparatuses.

18. The image forming apparatus of claim 11 , wherein the at least one processor controls the communicator to transmit print completion information regarding completion of the printing of the content to the billing system.

19. The image forming apparatus of claim 11 , further comprising:
a display to display a screen,
wherein the at least one processor:
controls the display to, when the second ID information received by the input device and the first ID information received by the communicator correspond to each other, display a job information list comprising the job information, and
controls the communicator to, when the job information is selected from the job information list, transmit the accounting information based on the job information to the billing system.

20. The image forming apparatus of claim 11 , wherein, when the external apparatus comprises a smart phone, the user may request the smart phone to print the content by using a job application installed in the smart phone.

21. The image forming apparatus of claim 11 , wherein, when the communicator receives the job information and the first ID information from an external apparatus and the first ID information is pre-stored in the external apparatus, the content is printed by the image forming apparatus when the second ID information and the pre-stored first ID information correspond to each other.

22. A non-transitory computer-readable recording medium having recorded thereon a program of instructions readable by at least one processor, the non-transitory computer-readable recording medium comprising:
instructions to receive, at an image forming apparatus from one of an external apparatus or a server connected to the external apparatus, job information, including content, and first identification (ID) information related to printing of the content;
instructions to transmit accounting information based on the job information to a billing system, when second ID information received from a user and the first ID information received from one of the external apparatus or the server correspond to each other; and
instructions to print the content based on the job information, when payment completion information regarding payment by the user is received from the billing system.

Assignees

• S Printing Solution Co Ltd

Inventors

• Lee Hyun-Suk
• Kim Hee-Jung
• Min Ju-Won
• Lee In-Ho

Classifications

• H04N2201/0094

  Multifunctional device, i.e. a device capable of all of reading, reproducing, copying, facsimile transception, file transception · CPC title

• G06F3/1273

  Print job history, e.g. logging, accounting, tracking · CPC title

• G06Q20/14

  specially adapted for billing systems · CPC title

• H04N1/00408

  Display of information to the user, e.g. menus · CPC title

• G06F3/1203 Primary

  Improving or facilitating administration, e.g. print management · CPC title