JPH03225592A - Printer - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To easily execute work for calculating a fee or paying the fee by using a prepaid card. CONSTITUTION:When a prepaid card 23 is inserted to a frequency reader/writer part 24, a frequency recorded to the prepaid card is read and it is decided whether there is the remaining frequency or not. When there is the remaining frequency, the frequency is displayed at a display part 26 and a command is sent out to a mechanism controller 22 so as to start printing. Each time printing is executed, a microprocessor 27 subtracts the frequency corresponding to the printing fee, decides whether the frequency is remained or not, and displays the remaining frequency at the display part 26. A printed number counted by a page counter 25 is compared with an input number and when the both numbers are coincident, a command is sent to the mechanism controller 22 so as to finish printing. Then, a rewriting output part 29 writes the remaining frequency into the prepaid card 23.

Description

[Detailed Description of the Invention] (Summary) The purpose of the above-mentioned printing device is to facilitate charge calculation and fee payment work with respect to a printing device equipped with a printing press body that performs printing. A card is provided on which information indicating the amount paid is initially recorded, and the information can be rewritten, and the information recorded on the card is read when the card is installed in the printing machine. In addition, there is an information reading/writing means for rewriting information, a subtraction means for subtracting the printing fee each time the information read by the information reading/writing means is printed, and a printing operation of the printing press based on the information after the subtraction by the subtraction means. and a rewrite command output means for sending a command to the information reading and writing means to rewrite the information on the card to one indicating the amount after subtraction by the subtraction means when printing is completed. be.

[Industrial application field]

The present invention relates to a printing apparatus such as a copying machine or a printer apparatus that includes a printing press body for printing.

(Prior Art) Conventionally, in printing devices such as copiers and printers, printing charges are calculated based on the value of a print number counter 12 attached to the printer body 11, the number of prints, toner, and the number of prints, as shown in FIG. The value of a drum counter (not shown) that is linked to the development cost and the life of consumables such as filters is recorded, and each time printing is completed, the value of this counter and the print size, multicolor, or print color type, etc. are recorded. Calculating the printing fee based on the printing fee per sheet depending on the condition and having the customer pay the fee, or recording the counter value on an ID card (not shown) or the like and accumulating it separately. was being carried out.

[Problem to be solved by the invention]

By the way, in such conventional printing devices, in addition to recording the counter value, the printing fee must be calculated based on the printing fee per sheet depending on the printing condition, and the fee calculation is There was also the problem that the fee payment process became complicated and inefficient.

Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a printing device that can facilitate charge calculation and charge payment operations.

[Means to solve the problem]

Means for solving the above problems in the present invention are as follows:
As shown in the figure, in a printing device equipped with a printing press body 1 that performs printing, information indicating the amount paid in advance as a printing fee is initially recorded, and a card 2 that can rewrite this information is provided. , in the printing press main body 1,
information reading/writing means 3 for reading and rewriting the information recorded on the card 2 when the card 2 is inserted;
A subtraction means 4 that subtracts the extra printing fee each time the information read/written by the information read/write means 3 is printed, and a printing control that controls the printing operation of the printing press body 1 based on the information after the subtraction by the subtraction means 4. Means 5 and the above card 2 at the end of printing
A rewrite command output means 6 is provided for sending a command to the information reading/writing means 3 so as to rewrite the information to indicate the amount after subtraction by the subtraction means 4.

[Effect]

According to the present invention, when the card 2 is attached to the printing press body 1, the information reading/writing means 3 reads the information on the card 2. At that time, this information indicates the amount paid in advance if Card 2 has never been used, and if Card 2 has been used once, the excess printing fee used will be subtracted as described below. It has been rewritten to indicate the amount.

First of all, since no printing is performed, the subtraction means 4 does not subtract the extra printing fee, but retains the information as it is read from the card 2 by the information reading/writing means 3, and based on this information, for example, information is displayed whether there is a balance or not. If so, the printing control means 5 causes the printing press body 1 to perform a printing operation.

Then, the subtracting means 4 subtracts the information read from the card 2 by the information reading/writing means 3 by the extra printing fee, that is, the extra printing fee corresponding to the printing size, type of printing color, etc., every time printing is performed. Thereafter, based on the information after the subtraction by the subtraction means 4, the printing control means 5 instructs the printing press body 1 to perform a printing operation if the information indicates that there is a balance, and when printing is completed, the rewriting command output means 6 is sent to the card 2. A command is sent to the information reading/writing means 3 to rewrite the recorded information to information indicating the amount after subtraction by the subtracting means 4. For this reason, the amount corresponding to the extra printing fee is subtracted from Card 2 each time printing is performed, and when printing is completed, the information is rewritten to show the amount after the printing fee has been subtracted, so there is no need to calculate the printing fee separately. This eliminates the need to pay printing fees by simply selling Card 2.

〔Example〕

Embodiments of the printing apparatus according to the present invention will be described below based on the drawings.

FIG. 2 shows an embodiment of a printing apparatus according to the present invention. In the figure, the printing apparatus of this embodiment includes a printing press main body 21 that performs printing, a mechanical controller 22 as a printing control means that controls the printing operation of the printing press main body 21,
A prepaid card 23 in which the frequency corresponding to the amount of the fee paid in advance is magnetically recorded and the frequency can be rewritten.
When the prepaid card 23 is inserted, there is a frequency read/write means 24 as an information read/write means that reads the frequency and rewrites the frequency when the prepaid card 23 is inserted, and a printed sheet counter that counts up the number of printed sheets each time printing is performed. It has a page counter section 25 as a means, and a display section 26 that displays the value of the frequency of the prepaid card 23 and the value of the page counter section 25.

In addition, in this embodiment, settings for print conditions such as the number of prints, print size, and print color that are input using an input button (not shown) when printing are stored, and the settings for the number of prints and the Controls the number of sheets to be printed based on the value of the page counter section 25, and also determines whether there is a remaining amount in the number of degrees read from the prepaid card 23 by the frequency reading/writing section 24,
A microprocessor (MPU) 27 is provided which sends commands to the mechanical controller 22 and the display section 26 and operates them based on the judgment and the setting of the printing state.

In this microprocessor 27, there is a printing press main body 2.
1, that is, each time the page counter section 25 counts the number of printed sheets, the frequency of the prepaid card 23 is subtracted by the printing fee corresponding to the printing condition such as the printing size and printing color at the time of printing. Charge subtraction part 2
8, and a rewrite command output section 29 that sends a command to the frequency reading/writing section 24 to rewrite the frequency to a frequency indicating the amount after subtraction at the end of printing.

Next, the operation of the printing apparatus of this embodiment will be explained with reference to FIG.

First, in order to start printing, insert the prepaid card 23 into the frequency reading/writing section 24 of the printing machine main body 21 (STI
). When the prepaid card 23 is inserted, the frequency reading/writing unit 24 reads the frequency recorded on the prepaid card 23 (Sr1). Incidentally, when printing, the person who performs printing inputs and sets the number of prints, print size, print color, and other print conditions using an input button (not shown) or the like.

Then, the microprocessor 27 determines whether there is any remaining power in the power read by the power read/write unit 24 (Sr1
). If there is no remaining amount, the microprocessor 27 sends a command to the display unit 26, and the display unit 26 displays “No remaining amount”.
For example, 0゛.

is displayed (ST13).

On the other hand, I have a prepaid card 23 that I haven't even used yet.
or if there is any remaining power on the prepaid card 23,
The microprocessor 27 issues a command to the display unit 26 to display the frequency, and also sends a command to the mechanical controller 22 to cause the printing press body 21 to start printing (Sr
1).

During printing, the page counter section 25 counts the number of sheets printed by the printing press main body 21 (Sr1). Further, the fee subtraction unit 28 of the microprocessor 27 calculates the frequency corresponding to the printing amount according to the printing condition such as the print size and print color every time printing is performed, that is, each time the page counter unit 25 counts. It is subtracted from the frequency of the prepaid card 23 read in step 24 (STY).

The microprocessor 27 then operates the frequency read/write section 24.
After subtracting the frequency corresponding to the printing fee from the frequency read in step Sr1, it is determined whether there is any remaining amount in the frequency.

Here, if there is no remaining amount in that degree, the microprocessor 2
7 sends a command to the display section 26 to display "for example 0" indicating no remaining capacity (Sr1), terminates printing even if printing is in progress (STII), and sends a rewriting command to the microprocessor 27. The output section 29 sends a command to the frequency read/write section 24 to write, for example, frequency 1 (OII) indicating "no remaining amount J" on the prepaid card 23 (ST12).

On the other hand, if there is any remaining power in the prepaid card 23, the microprocessor 27 causes the display unit 26 to display the remaining power (Sr1), and displays the number of prints counted by the page counter unit 25 and the first input print. Compare the number of sheets (STIO).

When the counted value matches the preset value, the microprocessor 27 sends a command to the mechanical controller 22 to finish printing (ST11), and the rewriting command output unit 29 sends a command to the frequency read/write unit 24 to replace the prepaid card. 23 to write the remaining amount of degrees (ST12
).

On the other hand, if the counted number of printed sheets is still less than the initially set value, the microprocessor 27 starts printing (
Return to Sr1) and repeat the operations up to this point (ST4 to ST12).

Therefore, according to this embodiment, if a prepaid card 23 is used in which a fee is paid in advance and the amount is recorded as a frequency, printing conditions such as print size and print color are automatically adjusted every time printing is performed based on the frequency indicating the amount. The frequency corresponding to the printing fee calculated according to the above is subtracted, and if there is a remaining amount of frequency on the prepaid card 23 at the end of printing, the remaining amount is displayed on the display section 26 and the remaining amount is also written on the prepaid card 23. While writing, when the number of times is used up, printing is automatically terminated, and the display section 26 displays that there is no remaining amount, and at the same time, it is written on the prepaid card 23 that there is no remaining amount. Therefore, there is no need to record the counter value in the page counter section 25 or to calculate the printing fee based on the counter value, and the fee payment operation only involves selling prepaid cards, improving the efficiency of office processing.

Although this embodiment has been explained using one prepaid card, in the present invention, a plurality of prepaid cards can be inserted, and the remaining amount of each prepaid card can be added up to avoid interrupting the printing process. You can also do this.

〔Effect of the invention〕

As explained above, according to the present invention, information indicating the amount paid in advance as a printing fee is initially recorded,
A card with rewritable information is used, and the information recorded on this card is deducted by the printing fee depending on the print size, print color, etc. each time it is printed, and when printing is finished, the printing fee is deducted. It is rewritten to indicate the amount of money. Therefore, there is no need to record the number of printed sheets or calculate the printing fee, and the fee payment process only involves selling prepaid cards, improving the efficiency of office processing.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing the principle of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an embodiment of the printing apparatus according to the present invention, FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing the operation of this embodiment, and FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a conventional example. . 1.21... Printing machine body 2.23... Card (prepaid card) 3.24.
...Information reading and writing means (frequency reading and writing section) 4.28...Subtraction means (charge subtraction section) 5.22...
Print control means (mechanical controller) 6.29...Rewrite command output means (rewrite command output section) Fig. 1 1st picture

Claims (1)

[Scope of Claims] In a printing device equipped with a printing press main body (1) that performs printing, information indicating an amount paid in advance as a printing fee is initially recorded, and a card (2) on which the information can be rewritten is provided.
), and information reading/writing means (3) for reading and rewriting the information recorded on the card (2) when the card (2) is installed in the printing press main body (1); A subtraction means (4) that subtracts the printing fee each time the information read by the means (3) is printed; and a printing machine (1) that prints based on the information after the subtraction by the subtraction means (4). Print control means (5) for controlling operations; and means (4) for subtracting information from the card (2) upon completion of printing.
1. A printing apparatus comprising: a rewrite command output means (6) for sending a command to the information reading/writing means (3) to rewrite the amount to indicate the amount after subtraction.