Function Executing Device Approval Screen Prioritization

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing remote operation systems for multi-function peripherals (MFPs) lack an efficient mechanism to manage and prioritize the display of approval screens for different functions, leading to potential security vulnerabilities and user inconvenience when handling multiple function execution requests simultaneously.

Innovation Solution

A function executing device with a communication interface and display, capable of receiving and prioritizing function execution requests from external devices, and displaying specific approval screens to manage and approve the execution of functions, ensuring that only authorized functions are executed by maintaining the display of higher-priority approval screens.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If the function executing device displays a new approval screen when receiving a second function executing request during the display of the first approval screen, then the user can approve each function request separately, but the user interface becomes complex and confusing with multiple overlapping approval screens

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvesecurity controlVSAvoiduser interface complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent extracts the approval request information from the display screen and transfers it to the external device. When a second approval request arrives during the display of the first approval screen, the system sends the second approval screen data to the external device instead of displaying it on the device's screen. This separates the information presentation function from the device's display, reducing interface complexity while maintaining security control.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Solution Approach 2:

The external device acts as an intermediary for displaying approval screens. The function executing device communicates approval requests to the external device, which then presents them to the user. This intermediary approach allows multiple approval requests to be managed through a single unified interface on the external device, avoiding the complexity of managing multiple display screens simultaneously.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Adaptability or versatility

If the function executing device displays multiple approval screens simultaneously or sequentially, then all function requests can be processed, but the processing time and user operation time increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvemulti-function request handlingVSAvoidapproval processing time

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The system prepares approval screen data in advance and stores it externally. When multiple function requests arrive, the approval screen data is already prepared and can be quickly transmitted to the external device for display, reducing the time needed to generate and present each approval screen.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The external device serves as a universal display interface for all approval requests regardless of the specific function being requested. This unified approach allows the system to handle multiple different function requests through a single interface, improving processing efficiency by avoiding the need to manage multiple specialized display screens.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

3Adaptability or versatility

If the function executing device manages multiple approval screens in memory, then all requests can be handled, but the device requires larger memory capacity and becomes more complex

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveconcurrent request managementVSAvoidmemory management complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent extracts approval screen data from the device's memory and stores it externally or transmits it directly to the external device. This reduces the memory burden on the function executing device, allowing it to handle multiple concurrent requests without requiring large amounts of memory to store multiple approval screens simultaneously.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Solution Approach 2:

The external device serves as an intermediary for storing and managing approval screen data. Instead of the function executing device maintaining multiple approval screens in its own memory, the external device handles the storage and management of approval data for multiple requests, reducing the memory management complexity of the function executing device.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Data Source

PatentUS11483440B2Function executing device displays approval screens, when executing requests receive from external devices, for executing first and second functions

Publication Date: 2022.10.25 BROTHER KOGYO KK

AI summary

A function executing device may receive a first function executing request from a first external device and receive a second function executing request from a second external device. The function executing device may display, in a case where the first function executing request is received, a first approval screen on the display. The function executing device may display, in a case where the second function executing request is received, a second approval screen on the display. In a case where the second function executing request is received under a state where the first approval screen is displayed on the display, the second approval screen may not be displayed on the display instead of the first approval screen.