Image forming control method, device, apparatus, and storage medium

Abstract

The application provides an image forming control method, device, equipment and storage medium. The method comprises the following steps: firstly, obtaining a file feature of a to-be-printed file, and determining at least one recommended printing mode which is more energy-saving than a default mode; then, displaying the recommended printing mode and saving information relative to the default printing mode; finally, performing a printing operation according to the recommended printing mode in response to a user-triggered recommended printing mode confirmation operation. It can be understood that by automatically analyzing the file feature of the to-be-printed file and suggesting at least one recommended printing mode, the complexity of manually selecting an energy-saving printing setting by the user is reduced, which is helpful for saving printing resources and improving the efficiency of the printing resources.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the field of image forming technology, and more specifically to an image forming control method, apparatus, device, and storage medium. Background Technology

[0002] Printing is an essential part of daily operations in both home and office environments. With increasing environmental awareness, users are increasingly looking for eco-friendly printing methods to save on consumables such as toner, ink, and paper, thereby optimizing resource use and reducing printing costs.

[0003] Currently, the methods used in related technologies to achieve environmentally friendly printing mainly rely on users manually selecting specific energy-saving modes provided by the printer driver. For example, users can actively check the "duplex printing" option in the print settings to save paper, or select "ink-saving mode" or "draft mode" to reduce toner or ink consumption.

[0004] However, in practice, when faced with documents of varying content and purposes, users often find it difficult to accurately determine which specific printing settings (e.g., whether to enable duplex printing, ink-saving mode, or whether to skip certain pages) should be used to achieve effective resource conservation.

[0005] It should be noted that the information disclosed in the background section of this application is intended only to enhance the understanding of the general background of this application, and should not be construed as an admission or in any way implying that the information constitutes prior art known to those skilled in the art. Summary of the Invention

[0006] In view of this, this application provides an image forming control method, apparatus, device, and storage medium to solve the problem in the prior art where users find it difficult to quickly and accurately determine the consumable-saving printing mode for different types of documents to be printed, resulting in low efficiency in saving printing resources.

[0007] In a first aspect, this application provides an image forming control method, comprising: Based on the file characteristics of the document to be printed, at least one recommended printing mode is determined. The recommended printing mode is a printing mode that saves printing consumables compared to the default printing mode. The file characteristics are used to characterize the content information of the document to be printed. Displays the recommended printing mode and savings information relative to the default printing mode; In response to the triggered recommended print mode confirmation operation, the print operation is performed according to the recommended print mode.

[0008] In this embodiment, the file characteristics of the document to be printed are first obtained, and at least one recommended printing mode that is more consumable-efficient than the default mode is determined. Then, the recommended printing mode and its conservation information relative to the default printing mode are displayed. Finally, in response to a user-triggered confirmation operation of the recommended printing mode, the printing operation is performed according to the recommended printing mode. It is understood that by automatically analyzing the file characteristics of the document to be printed and suggesting at least one recommended printing mode, the complexity of manually selecting energy-saving printing settings by the user is reduced, which helps to save printing resources and improve printing resource efficiency.

[0009] In one possible implementation, the file characteristics include: file type and / or page content characteristics; determining at least one recommended printing mode based on the file characteristics of the file to be printed includes: The document to be printed is analyzed using natural language processing technology to determine its file type, which includes internal circulation documents and informal documents; and / or, the page content of the document to be printed is analyzed to determine its page content characteristics. Based on the file type of the document to be printed and / or the characteristics of the page content, at least one of the recommended printing modes is determined.

[0010] In this embodiment, natural language processing technology is first used to analyze the document to be printed to determine its file type, and / or to analyze the page content to determine its characteristics. Then, based on the file type and / or page content characteristics, at least one recommended printing mode is determined. It is understood that by analyzing the file type and / or page content characteristics, a recommended printing mode that matches the actual situation of the document to be printed and saves printing consumables can be determined, thereby improving the resource utilization efficiency of the printing operation.

[0011] In one possible implementation, the page content features include at least one of the following: whether the page is blank, whether the page content contains low-quality images, and the degree of color salience.

[0012] In this embodiment of the application, by specifying the page content features as at least one of whether the page is blank, whether the page content contains low-quality images, and the degree of color salience, it is ensured that the subsequently determined recommended printing mode can accurately target the page content features to eliminate invalid consumable consumption, thereby achieving effective utilization of printing resources.

[0013] In one possible implementation, analyzing the page content of the document to be printed and determining the page content features includes: When the format of the document to be printed is PDF, if all elements on any page are text elements and the content corresponding to the text elements is empty or invalid characters, then the page is determined to be a blank page; or if any page has no such elements, then the page is determined to be a blank page. When the format of the document to be printed is an image format, if the standard deviation of pixels corresponding to any page is less than the preset standard deviation, then the page is determined to be a blank page.

[0014] In this embodiment of the application, by distinguishing between PDF format and image format and applying corresponding judgment rules, blank pages can be identified based on the characteristics of different file structures, thereby providing a basis for accurately skipping invalid pages to save printing resources, such as paper and toner.

[0015] In one possible implementation, analyzing the page content of the document to be printed and determining the page content features includes: If the resolution of an image in the document to be printed is lower than a preset resolution, the image is determined to be a low-quality image; and / or, The variance of pixel values ​​of the grayscale image corresponding to the image in the file to be printed is calculated based on the Laplacian operator. If the variance of pixel values ​​is lower than a preset variance, the image is determined to be a low-quality image.

[0016] In this embodiment, if the resolution of an image in the document to be printed is lower than a preset resolution, the image is determined to be a low-quality image; if the pixel value variance is lower than a preset variance, the image is determined to be a low-quality image. It is understood that by using preset resolution thresholds and preset variances, low-quality images can be identified more clearly, thereby avoiding waste of printing materials on image content with unreliable output quality.

[0017] In one possible implementation, analyzing the page content of the document to be printed and determining the page content features includes: The salience of the page content is determined based on the color saturation of the page content of the document to be printed.

[0018] In this embodiment, the color saturation of the page content of the document to be printed is determined to identify the color saturation of the page content, thereby identifying page content that does not actually need to be printed in color. This reduces unnecessary consumption of consumables on black-and-white content and achieves precise saving of consumables.

[0019] In one possible implementation, when the file type is the internal circulation file or the informal file, the recommended printing mode includes a duplex printing mode and an ink-saving mode. When the page content features indicate the presence of blank pages, the recommended printing mode includes a blank page skip mode; When the page content features indicate the presence of low-quality images, the recommended printing mode includes a low-quality image deletion mode; When the color significance of the page content features is lower than a preset level, the recommended printing mode includes a black and white printing mode.

[0020] In this embodiment, when the document type is an internal circulation document or an informal document, the recommended printing modes include duplex printing and ink-saving mode; when the page content features include blank pages, the recommended printing mode includes blank page skipping mode; when the page content features include low-quality images, the recommended printing mode includes low-quality image deletion mode; and when the color significance of the page content features is lower than a preset level, the recommended printing mode includes black and white printing mode. It can be understood that through the above correspondence, the determined recommended printing modes have clear directionality, enabling the automatic adaptation of material-saving measures to applicable printing scenarios and improving the accuracy of printing resource conservation.

[0021] In one possible implementation, the saving information includes at least one of paper page savings, reduced toner consumption, and reduced carbon emissions; before displaying the recommended printing mode and the saving information relative to the default printing mode, the method further includes: Based on the document to be printed, the recommended printing mode, and the default printing mode, determine the number of pages saved and / or the amount of toner consumption reduction.

[0022] In this embodiment, by quantifying the number of paper pages saved and / or the reduction in toner consumption, the saving information is transformed into presentable data. This allows users to clearly understand the resource-saving effect of adopting the recommended model when making decisions, thus providing an objective evaluation basis for whether to perform the recommended operation.

[0023] In one possible implementation, before displaying the recommended printing mode and the savings information relative to the default printing mode, the method further includes: The corresponding preset carbon emission factor is determined based on the geographical location of the image forming device; The amount of carbon emission reduction is determined based on the number of paper pages saved, the amount of toner consumption reduction, and the preset carbon emission factor.

[0024] In this embodiment, a preset carbon emission factor is determined based on the geographical location of the image forming apparatus; the carbon emission reduction is determined based on the number of paper saved, the reduction in toner consumption, and the preset carbon emission factor. It is understood that by determining the carbon emission reduction using a preset carbon emission factor corresponding to the geographical location of the image forming apparatus, the determined carbon emission reduction reflects the emission characteristics of the area where the equipment is used, thereby improving the regional adaptability of the carbon emission calculation results.

[0025] In one possible implementation, the method further includes: Based on the carbon emissions already generated within the preset period, determine the total predicted carbon emissions for the preset period. When the predicted total carbon emissions exceed the preset carbon emission threshold, at least one of the recommended printing modes is displayed, and / or a message is displayed indicating that the predicted total carbon emissions have exceeded the limit.

[0026] In this embodiment, the predicted total carbon emissions for the preset period are determined based on the carbon emissions already generated within that period. When the predicted total carbon emissions exceed a preset carbon emission threshold, at least one recommended printing mode is displayed, and / or a warning is issued indicating that the predicted total carbon emissions exceed the threshold. It is understood that by predicting the total carbon emissions within a period based on historical data and proactively displaying recommended printing modes or issuing a warning when the predicted value exceeds the threshold, advance warning and control of printing carbon emissions are achieved, ultimately providing a proactive intervention mechanism to achieve the preset carbon emission control target.

[0027] Secondly, embodiments of this application provide an image forming control apparatus, comprising: The determination module is used to determine at least one recommended printing mode based on the file characteristics of the file to be printed. The recommended printing mode is a printing mode that saves printing consumables compared to the default printing mode. The file characteristics are used to characterize the content information of the file to be printed. The display module is used to display the recommended printing mode and the savings information relative to the default printing mode; The execution module is used to perform a printing operation according to the recommended printing mode in response to a triggered recommended printing mode confirmation operation.

[0028] Thirdly, embodiments of this application provide an electronic device, including: processor; Memory; And a computer program, wherein the computer program is stored in the memory, the computer program including instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the electronic device to perform the method described in any one of the first aspects.

[0029] Fourthly, embodiments of this application provide a computer-readable storage medium including a stored program, wherein, when the program is executed, it controls the device where the computer-readable storage medium is located to perform the method described in any one of the first aspects.

[0030] It is understood that the image forming apparatus provided in the second aspect, the electronic device provided in the third aspect, and the computer-readable storage medium provided in the fourth aspect are all used to perform some or all of the methods provided in this application. Therefore, the beneficial effects they can achieve can be referred to the beneficial effects in the corresponding methods, and will not be repeated here. Attached Figure Description

[0031] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions of the embodiments of this application, the drawings used in the embodiments will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of this application. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative effort.

[0032] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of an application scenario provided by an embodiment of this application.

[0033] Figure 2 This is a flowchart illustrating an image forming control method provided in an embodiment of this application.

[0034] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of a user interface provided in an embodiment of this application.

[0035] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of an image forming control device provided in an embodiment of this application.

[0036] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of an electronic device provided in an embodiment of this application. Detailed Implementation

[0037] To better understand the technical solution of this application, the embodiments of this application will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0038] It should be understood that the described embodiments are merely some, not all, of the embodiments in this application. All other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art based on the embodiments in this application without inventive effort are within the scope of protection of this application.

[0039] The terminology used in the embodiments of this application is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to be limiting of this application. The singular forms “a,” “the,” and “the” used in the embodiments of this application and the appended claims are also intended to include the plural forms unless the context clearly indicates otherwise.

[0040] It should be understood that the term "and / or" used in this article is merely a description of the relationship between related objects, indicating that three relationships can exist. For example, A and / or B can represent: A existing alone, A and B existing simultaneously, or B existing alone. Additionally, the character " / " in this article generally indicates that the preceding and following related objects have an "or" relationship.

[0041] In modern office environments, printing remains a crucial step in information flow and document preservation. To facilitate understanding, specific application scenarios will be illustrated below.

[0042] See Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram illustrating an application scenario provided by an embodiment of this application. For example... Figure 1 As shown, this application scenario includes: an image forming apparatus 101. It should be noted that... Figure 1 The image forming apparatus 101 shown is merely an exemplary description and should not be construed as limiting the scope of protection of this application. For example, an image forming apparatus may refer to a device with printing and / or scanning functions, including but not limited to laser printers, inkjet printers, multifunction printers, label printers, thermal printers, scanners, light-emitting diode (LED) printers, multifunction printers, fax machines, electrostatic printing apparatuses, and multi-functional peripherals (MFPs) that perform the above functions in a single device.

[0043] With increasing environmental awareness, users are increasingly looking for eco-friendly printing methods to save on consumables such as toner, ink, and paper, thereby optimizing resource use and reducing printing costs. At the same time, more and more businesses are facing pressure to reduce operational carbon consumption, and printing activities, as an energy and consumables-consuming activity, have naturally become a key focus for energy conservation and emission reduction.

[0044] Against this backdrop, how to transform environmentally friendly printing from an advocacy concept into a convenient and executable daily practice while ensuring work efficiency, and how to make its environmental benefits measurable and traceable, has become a practical problem that urgently needs to be solved.

[0045] Currently, to achieve resource conservation in the printing process, related technologies mainly rely on the user's awareness and operational knowledge, that is, the user manually selects options such as "duplex printing", "ink-saving mode" or "black and white printing" in the print driver settings interface.

[0046] However, in practice, when faced with documents of varying content and purposes, users often find it difficult to accurately determine which specific printing settings (e.g., whether to enable duplex printing, ink-saving mode, or whether to skip certain pages) should be used to achieve effective resource conservation.

[0047] To address the aforementioned issues, in this embodiment, the file characteristics of the document to be printed are first obtained, and at least one recommended printing mode that is more consumable-efficient than the default mode is determined. Then, the recommended printing mode and its conservation information relative to the default printing mode are displayed. Finally, in response to a user-triggered confirmation operation of the recommended printing mode, the printing operation is performed according to the recommended printing mode. It is understood that by automatically analyzing the file characteristics of the document to be printed and suggesting at least one recommended printing mode, the complexity of manually selecting energy-saving printing settings by the user is reduced, which helps to save printing resources and improve printing efficiency. Specifically, a detailed description is provided below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and specific embodiments.

[0048] See Figure 2 This is a schematic flowchart illustrating an image forming control method provided in an embodiment of this application. This method can be applied to... Figure 1 In the application scenarios shown, such as Figure 2 As shown, the method mainly includes the following steps. In specific implementations, each step of the method can be executed by an electronic device with data processing capabilities, such as a terminal device with a printer driver or related management software installed. For clarity, the embodiments of this application will be described below using a terminal device as an example.

[0049] Step S201: Determine at least one recommended printing mode based on the file characteristics of the document to be printed.

[0050] In this embodiment of the application, after receiving the document to be printed, the terminal device first performs content parsing on the document to obtain file features that characterize the content information of the document to be printed; then, based on the file features of the document to be printed, it determines at least one recommended printing mode.

[0051] Understandably, by analyzing the characteristics of the document to be printed, the terminal device can identify page elements that can save printing consumables and provide targeted optimization suggestions accordingly. Ultimately, the terminal device generates one or more recommended print modes by comprehensively considering the document characteristics. In other words, the recommended print mode is a print setting mode that saves printing consumables compared to the default print mode.

[0052] In one possible implementation, the aforementioned document characteristics include: document type and / or page content characteristics. Based on the document characteristics of the document to be printed, determining at least one recommended printing mode includes: analyzing the document to be printed using natural language processing technology to determine the document type, wherein the document type includes internal circulation documents and informal documents; and / or analyzing the page content of the document to be printed to determine page content characteristics; and determining at least one recommended printing mode based on the document type and / or page content characteristics of the document to be printed.

[0053] Specifically, document type is used to identify the purpose or nature of a document as a whole. For example, it can be classified as an internal circulation document mainly circulated within the organization, or an informal document that is not yet finalized and has a flexible format. Page content characteristics are used to describe the specific content attributes of each page within the document.

[0054] In practice, to determine the file type, natural language processing (NLP) technology can be used to analyze the document to be printed. File types include internal circulation documents, informal documents, and formal documents. NLP technology refers to artificial intelligence technology that enables computers to understand, interpret, and generate human language. It delves into the inherent meaning of text through semantic understanding, context analysis, and syntactic parsing.

[0055] Specifically, natural language processing technology is used to identify the file title or main content of the document to be printed. When the document title or main content contains expressions such as "meeting minutes", "draft", or "internal reference", it can be identified as an internal circulation document. When characteristic texts such as "training manual" or "operation guide" are identified, it can be determined as an informal document.

[0056] It should be noted that natural language processing technology is one of the exemplary technical means to achieve automatic identification of file types. Those skilled in the art can also use other technologies or methods with similar text analysis functions according to actual needs. This application does not impose specific restrictions on this.

[0057] In one possible implementation, to ensure the recognition of the document title or main content in the document to be printed, the text content of the document to be printed can be extracted based on optical character recognition (OCR) technology. Specifically, OCR technology is first used to comprehensively analyze the document to be printed. This technology can convert text information in scanned images or PDF documents into editable and processable text content. Through this step, whether it is text in an image or characters in a document, it can be extracted and formed into complete text content for subsequent determination of page content features.

[0058] Simultaneously or subsequently, the terminal device analyzes the page content of the document to be printed to obtain page content characteristics. This analysis, in essence, assesses the actual content information contained within the pages of the document to be printed and its impact on printing resource consumption. By analyzing the page content characteristics, pages or page elements with lower content value, or those whose consumable consumption can be reduced by adjusting the printing method, can be identified. These page content characteristics are the attribute information describing the results of this assessment.

[0059] In this embodiment, after determining the file type and / or page content characteristics of the document to be printed, at least one recommended printing mode is determined based on the file type and / or page content characteristics. It is understood that, based on the file type and / or page content characteristics of the document to be printed, a recommended printing mode that matches the actual situation of the document to be printed and saves printing consumables can be determined, thereby improving the resource utilization efficiency of the printing operation.

[0060] Of course, technical personnel can also set the file type and page content characteristics of the document to be printed to be actively input by the user according to actual needs, and this application does not impose specific restrictions on this.

[0061] In one possible implementation, the analysis of page content features of the document to be printed by the terminal device may include detecting and evaluating at least one of the following: whether the page is blank, whether the page content contains low-quality images, and the degree of color salience.

[0062] Understandably, by specifying page content characteristics as at least one of the following: whether the page is blank, whether the page content contains low-quality images, and the degree of color prominence, it is ensured that the subsequently determined recommended printing mode can accurately target page content characteristics to eliminate unnecessary consumable consumption, thereby achieving effective utilization of printing resources.

[0063] In one possible implementation, the terminal device will employ a targeted analysis strategy based on the different formats of the document to be printed to determine whether the page content in the document features is a blank page.

[0064] Specifically, when the format of the document to be printed is PDF, if all elements on any page are text elements and the content corresponding to the text elements is empty or invalid characters, then the page is determined to be a blank page; or if any page has no elements, then the page is determined to be a blank page.

[0065] Understandably, when processing a PDF file, the process involves parsing the file to be printed, extracting all its constituent elements, and performing in-depth analysis. For example, if a page is found to contain only text elements, but these text elements consist of invisible spaces, tabs, or other meaningless control characters and do not carry any valid information, then the page is determined to be blank. Similarly, if parsing reveals that a page contains absolutely no text, image, or graphic elements, then the page is directly determined to be blank.

[0066] When the document to be printed is in image format, if the standard deviation of the pixel values ​​on any page is less than a preset standard deviation, the page is considered blank. The standard deviation is a statistical measure reflecting the dispersion of pixel values ​​on a page; its magnitude directly characterizes the complexity and variability of the image content on the page. For example, a pure white or single-color page has almost identical pixel values, resulting in a small standard deviation; while a page containing text, charts, or photographs will have a larger standard deviation due to significant variations in pixel values.

[0067] Based on the above principle, a relatively small preset standard deviation can be set to indicate that pages corresponding to pixel value standard deviations at or below this preset standard deviation are blank pages. That is, by comparing the calculated pixel standard deviation with a preset threshold, when the calculated pixel standard deviation is lower than the preset threshold, the image page is determined to be a blank page.

[0068] Understandably, through adaptive analysis of different file formats, blank pages in a file can be effectively identified, enabling the terminal device to proactively suggest skipping invalid pages during recommended printing modes to save printing resources. Furthermore, the embodiments of this application eliminate the need for users to manually check and filter blank pages, significantly improving the efficiency and convenience of printing operations.

[0069] As mentioned above, page content characteristics also include the presence of low-quality images. One possible implementation method is to determine whether low-quality images exist in the page content.

[0070] First, if the resolution of an image in the document to be printed is lower than a preset resolution, the image is determined to be a low-quality image. Second, the pixel value variance of the grayscale image corresponding to the image in the document is calculated based on the Laplacian operator. If the pixel value variance is lower than a preset variance, the image is determined to be a low-quality image.

[0071] Specifically, the terminal device detects the image resolution of the images in the document to be printed and makes a judgment by comparing the image resolution with a preset resolution. For example, if the image resolution in the document to be printed may be lower than the preset resolution, the terminal device will classify the image as a low-quality image. This resolution-based judgment method can effectively identify images that are likely to appear blurry when printed due to insufficient pixel information.

[0072] The Laplacian operator is a mathematical operator used in image processing to calculate the second-order spatial derivative of an image. This Laplacian operator can respond to rapid changes in pixel intensity in an image, thereby enabling the detection of image details and sharpness information. In this embodiment, the Laplacian operator is applied to process a grayscale image and the variance of its pixel values ​​is calculated. This variance of pixel values ​​can serve as an objective quantitative indicator for evaluating the overall sharpness of the image.

[0073] Specifically, the color image is first converted to grayscale to eliminate color interference. Then, the Laplacian operator is used to perform a convolution operation on the image to obtain the pixel value variance of the grayscale image corresponding to the image in the document to be printed. It can be understood that a well-focused image with sharp edges will have a higher variance value after Laplacian processing, while a blurry, out-of-focus image will have a significantly lower variance value. The terminal device determines whether the image is of low quality by comparing the pixel value variance with a preset variance.

[0074] Understandably, by analyzing the resolution and pixel value variance of images in the print file, the system automatically identifies low-quality images and proactively suggests that users skip these low-quality images or enable ink-saving mode for them, thereby avoiding waste of printing consumables on images with unreliable output quality.

[0075] As mentioned above, page content characteristics also include color salience. In one specific implementation, the color salience of the page content is determined based on the color saturation of the page content in the document to be printed. Color saturation characterizes the purity or vibrancy of a color. A higher color saturation value indicates a more vibrant color; a lower color saturation value indicates a color closer to gray.

[0076] Specifically, the document to be printed can be converted from the RGB color space to the HSV color space for analysis. The HSV color space consists of three components: hue, saturation, and lightness. The saturation channel is specifically used to characterize the purity or vividness of a color. By analyzing the saturation channel of the document to be printed in the HSV color space, setting a reasonable saturation threshold, and counting the proportion of pixels with saturation values ​​exceeding the threshold, the actual color proportion of the page content, i.e., the color salience, can be calculated.

[0077] For example, a document with predominantly black text and only a light red title in the header has low color saturation values ​​for most pixels, resulting in low calculated color saliency; while a promotional material containing many color photos and charts has relatively high color saturation values, resulting in higher calculated color saliency.

[0078] Understandably, based on the salience of color, it is possible to accurately distinguish between the substantive content that needs to be printed in color and the document parts that only need to be printed in black and white, thereby reducing unnecessary consumption of consumables on content that is mainly black and white, and achieving precise saving of consumables.

[0079] In one possible implementation, the process of determining page content features can involve reading images from a cross-platform computer vision library (Open Source Computer Vision Library, or OpenCV) and then processing them.

[0080] In one possible implementation, the terminal device establishes a set of intelligent printing mode recommendation rules based on the analysis results of the combination of file type and page content characteristics.

[0081] Specifically, when the document type is an internal circulation document or an informal document, the recommended printing modes include duplex printing and ink-saving mode. It is understandable that since internal circulation documents or informal documents are typically for temporary use and internal circulation, their printout durability and display requirements are relatively low. Therefore, the terminal device will recommend simultaneously enabling duplex printing and ink-saving mode to achieve significant savings in paper and consumables while ensuring basic reading needs are met.

[0082] When page content features indicate the presence of blank pages, the recommended printing mode includes a blank page skipping mode. This means that if analysis results indicate certain pages are classified as blank, i.e., these pages do not contain any valid information, the terminal device will recommend enabling blank page skipping mode to avoid wasting printing resources on these meaningless pages.

[0083] When low-quality images are detected in a document, the recommended printing mode includes a low-quality image removal mode. Understandably, low-quality images are used to represent images that lack print value due to insufficient resolution or clarity. The terminal device will suggest deleting or skipping these specific elements to prevent valuable consumables from being wasted on non-critical content that cannot guarantee output quality.

[0084] When the color salience of page content features is lower than a preset level, the recommended printing mode includes black and white printing. This means that when color salience analysis reveals that the vast majority of content in the document does not require color rendering, the terminal device will recommend using black and white printing.

[0085] It is understandable that the above correspondence makes the determined recommended printing mode have a clear direction, which can automatically adapt the material-saving measures to the applicable printing scenarios and improve the accuracy of printing resource saving.

[0086] Step S202: Display the recommended printing mode and the savings information compared to the default printing mode.

[0087] In this embodiment, after determining the recommended printing mode, the terminal device generates corresponding prompts and clearly presents them through the user interface. This interface not only shows the user the suggested printing mode but, more importantly, intuitively demonstrates the resource-saving effect achieved by using the recommended printing mode compared to the default printing mode—that is, information saving. Based on the analysis of the document to be printed, the terminal device calculates the expected amount of various resources saved by using the recommended printing mode and transforms these abstract resource savings into concrete benefit indicators that are easy for the user to understand.

[0088] In one possible implementation, the aforementioned savings information includes at least one of the following: paper saving, reduction in toner consumption, and reduction in carbon emissions.

[0089] For ease of understanding, see Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of a user interface provided in an embodiment of this application. As shown in the figure, the user interface displays: "The currently printed 'Draft Environmental Protection Plan' document is recommended to be printed using the 'double-sided + ink-saving' mode. Page 15 has been detected as an invalid blank page and is recommended to be skipped. If this recommendation is followed, 5 sheets of paper will be saved, toner consumption will be reduced by 40%, and carbon emissions will be reduced by 0.88 kg. Do you wish to print according to the recommended method?" This allows users to clearly understand the actual benefits of adopting the recommended solution.

[0090] Understandably, this comprehensive and intuitive information presentation allows users not only to understand how to set printing parameters, but also to clearly understand why these settings are necessary and what specific benefits they bring. This transparent information delivery method greatly enhances the persuasiveness of the recommended solutions, helping users make printing choices that meet both their personal needs and are beneficial to environmental protection, all while being fully informed.

[0091] In practical applications, before displaying the recommended printing mode and saving information to the user, the terminal device performs a complete environmental benefit quantification calculation process to determine the saving information. In one possible implementation, the number of pages saved and / or the reduction in toner consumption are determined based on the document to be printed, the recommended printing mode, and the default printing mode.

[0092] Specifically, based on a comprehensive analysis of the documents to be printed, the paper consumption and toner consumption differences between the recommended printing mode and the default printing mode of the terminal device are compared, and the expected number of paper pages saved and the reduction in toner consumption after adopting the recommended printing mode are calculated.

[0093] There are two methods for calculating the reduction in toner consumption. The first method is based on the average quantity, in which case the reduction in toner consumption equals the amount of paper saved multiplied by the toner consumption per sheet of paper. The toner consumption per sheet of paper is calculated by dividing the consumable capacity by the nominal page yield.

[0094] The second method involves summing up the savings across various energy-saving scenarios. For scenarios involving skipping blank pages, toner savings equal the number of skipped blank pages multiplied by the toner consumption per sheet. For scenarios using ink-saving mode, toner savings equal the number of pages in ink-saving mode multiplied by the toner consumption per sheet, then multiplied by an ink-saving efficiency factor. This factor represents the percentage of toner consumption saved in ink-saving mode; different manufacturers may use different factor values. For color-to-black-and-white conversion scenarios, toner savings equal the number of pages converted multiplied by the difference between the toner consumption per color sheet and the toner consumption per black sheet. Adding up the savings from each scenario yields the total reduction in toner consumption. By quantifying the number of pages saved and / or the reduction in toner consumption, the saving information is transformed into presentable data. This allows users to clearly understand the resource-saving effects of adopting the recommended mode when making decisions, providing an objective evaluation basis for whether to perform the recommended action.

[0095] In one possible implementation, after obtaining basic resource-saving data, these material savings are further converted into environmental benefit indicators, namely, carbon emission reductions, by introducing relevant parameters. Specifically, a preset carbon emission factor is determined based on the geographical location of the image forming apparatus; the carbon emission reduction is determined based on the number of paper pages saved, the reduction in toner consumption, and the preset carbon emission factor.

[0096] Using a preset paper carbon emission factor, the number of paper pages saved is converted into a corresponding reduction in carbon emissions; simultaneously, using a preset toner carbon emission factor, the reduction in toner consumption is converted into a corresponding reduction in carbon emissions. These carbon emission factors are scientific parameters derived from product lifecycle assessments, accurately reflecting the carbon emission equivalent generated per unit of paper or toner produced. Finally, the carbon emission reductions for the paper and toner portions are added together to obtain the carbon emission reduction after adopting the recommended printing mode. Optionally, a further carbon emission reduction can be added to the paper and toner carbon emission reductions. Specifically, the reduction in working time due to the number of paper pages saved after adopting the recommended printing mode is multiplied by the power of the image forming device to obtain the energy savings. Then, using a preset grid carbon emission factor, the energy savings are converted into a corresponding reduction in carbon emissions.

[0097] Understandably, by converting the resource savings resulting from eco-friendly printing into concrete carbon emission reductions, users gain a direct understanding of environmental benefits. By transforming resource savings into a universal environmental benefit indicator like carbon emission reductions, terminal devices not only help users understand the specific value of their eco-friendly actions but also provide a reliable data foundation for enterprise-level carbon emission statistics and environmental performance evaluation.

[0098] It should also be noted that matching the corresponding preset carbon emission factor based on the geographical location of the image forming apparatus can improve the regional adaptability of the preset carbon emission factor and the accuracy of the calculation results. The aforementioned geographical location can be obtained through a variety of parallel technical means. Specifically, firstly, the network IP address of the terminal device initiating the current print job (such as the user's mobile device or computer) is obtained, and its geographical affiliation is determined through IP address reverse resolution technology; if this cannot be obtained, the IP address of the image forming apparatus itself is attempted for resolution; if neither of these methods is available, the regional information pre-filled by the user in the print configuration or account information can be used.

[0099] After determining the geographical location using the above method, the terminal device can query and match the preset carbon emission factors corresponding to that region from a pre-set factor database. Subsequently, combined with the calculated number of paper pages saved and the reduction in toner consumption, the preset carbon emission factors are used to perform calculations, ultimately determining and generating the specific environmental benefit indicator of carbon emission reduction. It can be understood that this carbon emission reduction reflects the emission characteristics of the area where the equipment is used, improving the regional adaptability of the carbon emission calculation results.

[0100] Step S203: In response to the triggered recommended print mode confirmation operation, perform the print operation according to the recommended print mode.

[0101] In this embodiment, after displaying the recommended information, the user decision-making and execution phase begins. At this time, the terminal device remains in standby mode, waiting for the user to make final confirmation of the recommended printing plan. Once the user confirms, the printing task is executed.

[0102] Specifically, upon receiving a confirmation command, the terminal device will automatically set the parameters for the print job according to the previously recommended printing scheme. For example, the terminal device will automatically enable duplex printing, set an ink-saving mode, exclude identified invalid pages, or select an appropriate color output mode based on the document characteristics. This series of parameter adjustments is fully automated, requiring no manual intervention from the user in each print setting, significantly simplifying the operation process.

[0103] After parameter settings are completed, the terminal device will send a print command to the image forming device according to the optimized settings. At this point, the print job has been intelligently processed, automatically following predetermined resource-saving strategies during execution, including but not limited to skipping blank pages, using an economy mode for low-quality images, and enabling duplex printing on appropriate pages. The entire printing process follows the recommended printing mode, ensuring that document output needs are met while achieving the rational use of printing resources and environmental protection goals.

[0104] In actual business operations, focusing solely on the environmental benefits of a single print job is often insufficient to support comprehensive environmental management decisions. Managers typically need to understand the overall environmental impact of printing activities within a department or the entire company over a specific period, such as monthly or annually, in order to develop corresponding emission reduction strategies and conduct environmental performance evaluations.

[0105] Therefore, in one possible implementation, the predicted total carbon emissions for a preset period are determined based on the carbon emissions already generated within that preset period. Specifically, firstly, basic data such as paper consumption, toner consumption, and equipment energy consumption recorded for each print job within the preset period are extracted from the data storage module. Then, these resource consumptions are converted into the carbon emissions already generated. Based on the elapsed time of the corresponding preset period and the carbon emissions already generated corresponding to that elapsed time, the predicted total carbon emissions for the preset period are generated.

[0106] In this embodiment of the application, by analyzing the carbon emissions generated within a preset period, an effective quantitative prediction of the total carbon emissions generated by printing activities is achieved, providing data support for formulating targeted emission reduction strategies.

[0107] In one possible implementation, to calculate a more accurate total carbon emissions, the principles of product lifecycle assessment can be used to comprehensively consider carbon emissions generated from raw material acquisition, production, transportation, and final use. Specifically, the calculation of total carbon emissions involves three dimensions: carbon emissions from paper consumption, carbon emissions from consumables such as toner or ink consumption, and carbon emissions from the electrical energy consumed by the image forming apparatus during the printing process.

[0108] In calculating carbon emissions from paper consumption, the paper consumption within a preset period is first determined. Then, the total carbon emissions related to paper are calculated by combining the carbon emission factors from the paper production process with the transportation carbon emission factors and distance from the paper production site to the user's location. The transportation carbon emission factor refers to the carbon emissions generated by transporting a unit weight of goods a unit distance; its value depends on the energy type used by the transportation vehicle. For example, electric vehicles, fuel-powered vehicles, or hybrid vehicles each correspond to different transportation carbon emission factors. For instance, if a user uses ten sheets of paper, the terminal device will comprehensively calculate the carbon emissions corresponding to those ten sheets of paper based on the carbon emissions generated during the paper production process and the carbon emissions generated during the transportation of the paper from the production site to the user's location.

[0109] In calculating carbon emissions from toner or ink consumables, the consumption amount within a cycle is also considered, taking into account carbon emission factors during the production process and the transportation carbon emission factors and distance from the production site to the user's location. This process yields the total carbon emissions related to the consumables. For example, if a printing job consumes five grams of toner, the terminal device will combine the carbon emissions from the toner production process with the carbon emissions generated during the toner's transportation from the production site to the user's location to calculate the corresponding carbon emissions for that portion of the toner.

[0110] In calculating carbon emissions from equipment power consumption, the total energy consumption of the image forming apparatus over the period (e.g., the power of the image forming apparatus multiplied by the operating time) is used, combined with the regional power grid carbon emission factor of the user's location. This regional power grid carbon emission factor reflects the carbon emission characteristics of different power generation structures. For example, the calculated carbon emissions will differ depending on whether the same equipment is used in an area primarily using thermal power generation or in an area primarily using hydropower generation, even if it consumes the same amount of electricity.

[0111] The carbon emission factors involved in the above calculations need to be matched according to actual geographical locations to reflect the differences in carbon emissions during production and transportation in different regions. Specifically, the carbon emission factor for paper is determined based on the paper's place of production, the carbon emission factor for toner or ink is determined based on the toner or ink's place of production, and the carbon emissions related to the manufacturing process of image forming equipment are determined based on the equipment's place of production. Transportation carbon emission factors need to be calculated by classifying them according to the energy type used by the transportation vehicle; for example, electric vehicles and fuel-powered vehicles correspond to different transportation carbon emission factors, while hybrid vehicles correspond to another type of transportation carbon emission factor. The regional power grid carbon emission factor during use is determined based on the user's geographical location.

[0112] To obtain a user's geographic location, the following methods can be used in order of priority: First, reverse DNS lookup of the user's mobile device's network protocol address (NAT) is used to determine the user's location. For example, when a user initiates printing using a mobile phone or laptop, the terminal device can obtain the device's NAT address. If the user's mobile device's NAT address cannot be obtained, the image forming device's own NAT address is used. If it still cannot be obtained, the region the user entered in their personal information is used, such as the city or region information entered during device registration or driver installation. After determining the geographic location using the above methods, the corresponding regional power grid carbon emission factor can be automatically matched.

[0113] After obtaining the carbon emission factors and consumption amounts for each dimension, the total carbon emissions can be calculated as follows: Carbon emissions from paper consumption equal the sum of paper consumption multiplied by the paper carbon emission factor and the transportation carbon emission factor multiplied by the transportation distance. Carbon emissions from toner or ink consumables equal the sum of consumable consumption multiplied by the consumable carbon emission factor and the transportation carbon emission factor multiplied by the transportation distance. Carbon emissions from equipment electricity consumption equal the sum of equipment power multiplied by operating time and then multiplied by the local power grid carbon emission factor. Adding the carbon emissions from these three components yields the total carbon emissions for a single printing job or printing activities within a preset period.

[0114] For carbon emission statistics within a preset period, aggregation calculations can be performed at different time granularities such as daily, weekly, monthly, or yearly. For example, if a user wants to know the carbon emissions for the current month, the terminal device can sum up the carbon emissions of all printing jobs within that month to obtain the total monthly carbon emissions. If an organization has multiple image forming devices, the organization's total carbon emissions are the sum of the carbon emissions of each device within the same period. For example, if a company owns three printers, the terminal device will calculate the carbon emissions of each printer separately within a specific period, and then add the carbon emissions of the three devices together to obtain the company's total carbon emissions for that period.

[0115] In this embodiment, carbon emissions from paper and toner are calculated based on consumable consumption and corresponding carbon emission factors, while carbon emissions from equipment electricity consumption are calculated based on power consumption and regional power grid carbon emission factors. This fully considers the environmental impact of resources at each stage from production and transportation to final use, ensuring the high scientific validity and accuracy of the final total carbon emission data, and providing a solid data foundation for formulating precise emission reduction strategies.

[0116] To further enhance data usability, the terminal device also provides a visual query function for carbon emission information. Specifically, users can initiate a query request through a dedicated interface, and the terminal device will then respond and clearly display information such as the total carbon emissions within a preset period in the visual interface.

[0117] In practical implementation, this application also provides a management mechanism oriented towards carbon emission targets. In actual business operations, many organizations that have set clear emission reduction targets need to ensure that printing-related carbon emissions are controlled within predetermined limits. However, due to the dispersed and uncertain nature of printing activities, it is difficult to adjust printing strategies in a timely manner to prevent targets from being exceeded. Therefore, a dynamic monitoring and intervention mechanism for carbon emission targets has been established for terminal equipment.

[0118] Specifically, in one possible implementation, the total predicted carbon emissions for a preset period are determined based on the amount of carbon emissions already generated within that preset period; when the total predicted carbon emissions exceed a preset carbon emission threshold, at least one recommended printing mode is displayed, and / or a message is displayed indicating that the total predicted carbon emissions exceed the limit.

[0119] In practical applications, users can choose to display the recommended printing mode during daily printing or after enabling the carbon emission control function. When the user sets the recommended printing mode to be displayed after enabling the carbon emission control function, the user can pre-set the statistical period, such as a calendar year or quarter, and set a total carbon emission control target for that period, i.e., the carbon emission target value. The terminal device will calculate the carbon emissions generated within that period in real time and predict the total carbon emissions at the end of the period under the current printing mode based on the ratio of elapsed time to remaining time. When the terminal device determines that the predicted total carbon emissions are at risk of exceeding the carbon emission target value, it will automatically activate the corresponding intervention strategy. This intervention is reflected on two levels: at the printing strategy level, the terminal device will display the recommended printing mode and prioritize or automatically enable printing mode combinations with more significant energy-saving effects. For example, it may force the use of ink-saving mode on top of existing duplex printing, or recommend black and white printing for more types of documents. At the information prompt level, the terminal device will proactively show the user the real-time gap between the current carbon emission progress and the target value, visually reminding the user that the total carbon emissions may exceed the limit.

[0120] Optionally, different intervention methods can be adopted depending on whether the user has enabled the automatic carbon emission control function. If the user has not enabled the automatic carbon emission control function, the terminal device will display a recommended printing mode to the user through the display interface when the user initiates a print job. For example, the terminal device may suggest enabling duplex printing mode, ink-saving mode, or black and white printing mode, while indicating the gap between the current carbon emission progress and the target value. Alternatively, the terminal device may also proactively prompt the user to enable sleep mode or adjust the standby time to reduce device energy consumption when the image forming device is idle. It is understood that in this mode, the terminal device only provides decision-making reference, and whether to adopt the recommended mode is up to the user.

[0121] If the user enables the automatic carbon emission control function, the terminal device will automatically execute carbon emission control logic after detecting a risk of exceeding the predicted total carbon emission limit. Users can set their own carbon emission target value and corresponding statistical period when enabling this function, such as setting a limit of no more than a certain value for total carbon emissions within the next three months. Subsequently, the terminal device will monitor the resource consumption of each print job in real time. When the predicted carbon emission progress may exceed the user-set target value, the terminal device will automatically switch the default mode of subsequent print jobs to duplex printing mode or ink-saving mode. It can also automatically shorten the waiting time for the image forming device to enter sleep mode when the device is idle, or actively adjust the device's operating power.

[0122] Understandably, by predicting the total carbon emissions within a cycle based on historical data, and proactively displaying recommended printing modes or prompting excessive emissions when the predicted value exceeds the threshold, a proactive intervention mechanism is provided to provide early warning and control of carbon emissions from printing, ultimately achieving the preset carbon emission control target.

[0123] In this embodiment, the file characteristics of the document to be printed are first obtained, and at least one recommended printing mode that is more consumable-efficient than the default mode is determined. Then, the recommended printing mode and its conservation information relative to the default printing mode are displayed. Finally, in response to a user-triggered confirmation operation of the recommended printing mode, the printing operation is performed according to the recommended printing mode. It is understood that by automatically analyzing the file characteristics of the document to be printed and suggesting at least one recommended printing mode, the complexity of manually selecting energy-saving printing settings by the user is reduced, which helps to save printing resources and improve printing resource efficiency.

[0124] Corresponding to the above embodiments, this application also provides an image forming control device. Specifically, see [link to relevant documentation]. Figure 4This is a schematic diagram of an image forming control device provided in an embodiment of this application. As shown in the figure, the image forming control device 400 is illustrated. Specifically, the image forming control device 400 includes: a determining module 401 for determining at least one recommended printing mode based on the file characteristics of the document to be printed; a display module 402 for displaying the recommended printing mode and saving information relative to the default printing mode; and an execution module 403 for performing a printing operation according to the recommended printing mode in response to a triggered recommended printing mode confirmation operation.

[0125] Specifically, please refer to the detailed description in the above-described method embodiment section; this application will not repeat it here.

[0126] Corresponding to the above embodiments, this application also provides a schematic diagram of the structure of an electronic device. See also Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of an electronic device provided in an embodiment of this application. The electronic device 500 may include a processor 501, a memory 502, and a communication unit 503. These components communicate through one or more buses. Those skilled in the art will understand that the structure of the electronic device shown in the figure does not constitute a limitation on the embodiments of the present invention. It may be a bus-shaped structure or a star-shaped structure, and may include more or fewer components than shown, or combine certain components, or have different component arrangements.

[0127] The communication unit 503 is used to establish a communication channel, enabling the electronic device to communicate with other devices. It receives user data from other devices or sends user data to other devices.

[0128] The processor 501 serves as the control center of the electronic device, connecting various parts of the device via interfaces and lines. It executes software programs, instructions, and / or modules stored in the memory 502, and calls data stored in the memory to perform various functions and / or process data. The processor may be composed of integrated circuits (ICs), such as a single packaged IC or multiple packaged ICs with the same or different functions connected together. For example, the processor 501 may consist only of a central processing unit (CPU). In this embodiment, the CPU may have a single processing core or include multiple processing cores.

[0129] The memory 502 is used to store the execution instructions of the processor 501. The memory 502 can be implemented by any type of volatile or non-volatile storage device or a combination thereof, such as static random access memory (SRAM), electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM), programmable read-only memory (PROM), read-only memory (ROM), magnetic storage, flash memory, magnetic disk or optical disk.

[0130] When the execution instructions in memory 502 are executed by processor 501, the electronic device 500 is able to perform operations. Figure 2 Some or all of the steps in the illustrated embodiments.

[0131] In a specific implementation, this application also provides a computer storage medium, wherein the computer storage medium may store a program, and when the program is executed, it may include some or all of the steps in the various embodiments of the simulation scene generation method provided by this invention. The storage medium may be a magnetic disk, optical disk, read-only memory (ROM), or random access memory (RAM), etc.

[0132] In this application embodiment, "at least one" refers to one or more, and "more than one" refers to two or more. "And / or" describes the relationship between related objects, indicating that three relationships can exist. For example, A and / or B can represent the existence of A alone, the simultaneous existence of A and B, or the existence of B alone. A and B can be singular or plural. The character " / " generally indicates that the preceding and following related objects have an "or" relationship. "At least one of the following" and similar expressions refer to any combination of these items, including any combination of single or plural items. For example, at least one of a, b, and c can represent: a, b, c, ab, ac, bc, or abc, where a, b, and c can be single or multiple.

[0133] Those skilled in the art will recognize that the units and algorithm steps described in the embodiments disclosed herein can be implemented using electronic hardware, computer software, or a combination of electronic hardware and software. Whether these functions are implemented in hardware or software depends on the specific application and design constraints of the technical solution. Those skilled in the art can use different methods to implement the described functions for each specific application, but such implementation should not be considered beyond the scope of this application.

[0134] Those skilled in the art will understand that, for the sake of convenience and brevity, the specific working processes of the systems, devices, and units described above can be referred to the corresponding processes in the foregoing method embodiments, and will not be repeated here.

[0135] In the several embodiments provided in this application, any function, if implemented as a software functional unit and sold or used as an independent product, can be stored in a computer-readable storage medium. Based on this understanding, the technical solution of this application, in essence, or the part that contributes to the prior art, or a part of the technical solution, can be embodied in the form of a software product. This computer software product is stored in a storage medium and includes several instructions to cause a computer device (which may be a personal computer, server, or network device, etc.) to execute all or part of the steps of the methods described in the various embodiments of this application. The aforementioned storage medium includes various media capable of storing program code, such as USB flash drives, portable hard drives, read-only memory (ROM), random access memory (RAM), magnetic disks, or optical disks.

[0136] The same or similar parts between the various embodiments in this specification can be referred to mutually. In particular, the device embodiments and terminal embodiments are basically similar to the method embodiments, so the description is relatively simple, and the relevant parts can be referred to the description in the method embodiments.

Claims

1. An image forming control method, characterized in that, include: Based on the file characteristics of the document to be printed, at least one recommended printing mode is determined. The recommended printing mode is a printing mode that saves printing consumables compared to the default printing mode. The file characteristics are used to characterize the content information of the document to be printed. Displays the recommended printing mode and savings information relative to the default printing mode; In response to the triggered recommended print mode confirmation operation, the print operation is performed according to the recommended print mode.

2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The file characteristics include: file type and / or page content characteristics; determining at least one recommended printing mode based on the file characteristics of the file to be printed includes: The document to be printed is analyzed using natural language processing technology to determine its file type, which includes internal circulation documents and informal documents; and / or, the page content of the document to be printed is analyzed to determine its page content characteristics. Based on the file type of the document to be printed and / or the characteristics of the page content, at least one of the recommended printing modes is determined.

3. The method according to claim 2, characterized in that, The page content features include at least one of the following: whether the page is blank, whether the page content contains low-quality images, and the degree of color salience.

4. The method according to claim 3, characterized in that, The step of analyzing the page content of the document to be printed and determining the characteristics of the page content includes: When the format of the document to be printed is PDF, if all elements on any page are text elements and the content corresponding to the text elements is empty or invalid characters, then the page is determined to be a blank page; or if any page has no such elements, then the page is determined to be a blank page. When the format of the document to be printed is an image format, if the standard deviation of the pixel value corresponding to any page is less than the preset standard deviation, then the page is determined to be a blank page.

5. The method according to claim 3, characterized in that, The step of analyzing the page content of the document to be printed and determining the characteristics of the page content includes: If the resolution of an image in the document to be printed is lower than a preset resolution, then the image is determined to be a low-quality image; and / or, The variance of pixel values ​​of the grayscale image corresponding to the image in the file to be printed is calculated based on the Laplacian operator. If the variance of pixel values ​​is lower than a preset variance, the image is determined to be a low-quality image.

6. The method according to claim 3, characterized in that, The step of analyzing the page content of the document to be printed and determining the characteristics of the page content includes: The salience of the page content is determined based on the color saturation of the page content of the document to be printed.

7. The method according to claim 3, characterized in that, When the document type is the internal circulation document or the informal document, the recommended printing mode includes duplex printing mode and ink-saving mode; When the page content features indicate the presence of a blank page, the recommended printing mode includes a blank page skip mode; When the page content features indicate the presence of the low-quality image, the recommended printing mode includes a low-quality image deletion mode; When the color salience characteristic of the page content is lower than a preset level, the recommended printing mode includes a black and white printing mode.

8. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The savings information includes at least one of the following: number of paper pages saved, reduction in toner consumption, and reduction in carbon emissions; Before displaying the recommended printing mode and the savings information relative to the default printing mode, the method further includes: Based on the document to be printed, the recommended printing mode, and the default printing mode, determine the number of pages saved and / or the amount of toner consumption reduction.

9. The method according to claim 8, characterized in that, Before displaying the recommended printing mode and the savings information relative to the default printing mode, the method further includes: The corresponding preset carbon emission factor is determined based on the geographical location of the image forming device; The amount of carbon emission reduction is determined based on the number of paper pages saved, the amount of toner consumption reduction, and the preset carbon emission factor.

10. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The method further includes: Based on the carbon emissions already generated within the preset period, determine the total predicted carbon emissions for the preset period. When the predicted total carbon emissions exceed the preset carbon emission threshold, at least one of the recommended printing modes is displayed, and / or a message is displayed indicating that the predicted total carbon emissions have exceeded the limit.

11. An image forming control device, characterized in that, include: The determination module is used to determine at least one recommended printing mode based on the file characteristics of the file to be printed. The recommended printing mode is a printing mode that saves printing consumables compared to the default printing mode. The file characteristics are used to characterize the content information of the file to be printed. The display module is used to display the recommended printing mode and the savings information relative to the default printing mode; The execution module is used to perform a printing operation according to the recommended printing mode in response to a triggered recommended printing mode confirmation operation.

12. An electronic device, characterized in that, include: processor; Memory; And a computer program, wherein the computer program is stored in the memory, the computer program including instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the electronic device to perform the method of any one of claims 1 to 10.

13. A computer-readable storage medium, characterized in that, The computer-readable storage medium includes a stored program, wherein, when the program is executed, it controls the device on which the computer-readable storage medium is located to perform the method according to any one of claims 1 to 10.

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