Printer Selection via BLE Beacon Proximity

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Solution Overview

Problem

In dynamic warehouse environments with changing layouts and mobile printers, determining the nearest printer for a print job is challenging due to the constant movement of printers and changing layouts, which affects efficiency and peak performance.

Innovation Solution

A system utilizing Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) beacons to broadcast transmissions, allowing mobile printers to determine their proximity and associate with specific zones, enabling the host server to select the nearest printer for a print job based on signal strength and beacon location, ensuring the print job is sent to the appropriate printer within the target zone.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If a central printer is used for all print jobs, then printer availability is ensured, but worker productivity decreases due to retrieval time

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveprinter availabilityVSAvoidworker productivity

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The system divides the warehouse into multiple zones with multiple printers distributed throughout, segmenting the centralized printing function into distributed printing nodes. This allows workers to access printers locally in their zones rather than traveling to a central printer, improving productivity while maintaining availability through redundancy.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The system adds the spatial dimension to printer selection by using BLE beacon technology to determine printer proximity to workers. Instead of a simple centralized model, the system creates a multi-dimensional selection process that considers geographic location, signal strength, and zone assignment to route print jobs to the nearest available printer.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #17Another dimension (Dimensionality change)

2Productivity

If multiple printers are distributed throughout the warehouse, then worker productivity improves, but determining the nearest printer becomes complex due to changing layouts and mobile printers

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveworker productivityVSAvoidprinter selection complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The system implements continuous feedback loops where mobile printers periodically broadcast their location and status, BLE beacons provide location data, and the server continuously updates printer assignments based on current positions. This real-time feedback mechanism automatically adapts to changing layouts and mobile printer positions without requiring complex manual reconfiguration.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #23Feedback

Solution Approach 2:

Mobile printers autonomously report their own location and availability status to the server through BLE communications. The system self-manages printer location tracking and assignment without requiring external intervention or complex centralized control, reducing the effective complexity of managing distributed mobile printers.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #25Self-service

3Adaptability or versatility

If printers are made mobile to increase flexibility, then adaptability improves, but location tracking and printer selection becomes more difficult

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveprinter mobilityVSAvoidprinter location tracking

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSDifficulty of detecting and measuring

Solution Approach 1:

The system introduces BLE beacons as intermediary devices that facilitate location tracking of mobile printers. Instead of directly tracking printer positions, the system uses beacons placed throughout the warehouse as reference points, and printers determine their location based on signal strength measurements from multiple beacons, simplifying the tracking process.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

The system replaces mechanical or manual location tracking methods with wireless BLE technology. Mobile printers use radio frequency communications to automatically report their positions to the server, eliminating the need for physical tracking infrastructure or manual location recording, thereby reducing the difficulty of detecting and measuring printer locations.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

Applied Scientific Principles

This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.

Function Achieved in This Case

This solution ensures efficient on-demand printing by accurately identifying and routing print jobs to the nearest available printer, enhancing worker productivity and reducing the need for workers to retrieve labels from a central printer, thereby improving operational efficiency in dynamic environments.

Implementation Method 1

a beacon to broadcast a transmission having a beacon ID; a mobile printer to: receive the transmission, determine a received signal strength indicator for the transmission

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectElectromagnetic radiation propagation: Electromagnetic Induction

Data Source

PatentUS20230359410A1Selecting a Printer Based on Proximity

Publication Date: 2023.11.09 ZEBRA TECHNOLOGIES CORP

AI summary

An application server is disclosed herein. The application server comprises a memory and a processor. The processor is capable of operating a process comprising: receiving a print request, the print request comprising a print job and a print zone; requesting a list of printers located in the print zone; selecting a printer from the list of printers; and transmitting the print job to the selected printer.