Consumables Usability Determination System
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Solution Overview
Problem
Users face the inconvenience of having to take photographic or handwriting notes of consumables' item numbers before purchasing replacements, as existing systems do not facilitate direct determination of consumables usability without manual note-taking.
Innovation Solution
A computer-readable medium with a consumables-usability determination program that enables a portable terminal to input model and consumables information, determine usability, and report results, using a system comprising a mobile phone and server for image-based input and pattern matching to verify consumables compatibility.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of information
If users manually take photographic or handwriting notes of consumables item numbers, then they can obtain consumables information, but the operation becomes inconvenient and time-consuming
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses the portable terminal's imaging device to photograph the consumables container, automatically extracting item number information from the image. This replaces manual note-taking with automated optical character recognition, resolving the contradiction between information acquisition and operational convenience
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the mechanical process of manual writing or photographing notes with an automated information processing system. The terminal automatically captures the container image, extracts text information, and processes it without requiring manual intervention, thus improving ease of operation while maintaining information accuracy
2Productivity
If users directly go to shop to purchase consumables, then they can obtain consumables quickly, but they cannot ensure compatibility without prior note-taking
Solution Approach 1:
The patent performs compatibility determination at the moment of purchase by imaging the consumables container at the shop. The terminal automatically extracts item number information and determines compatibility with the image forming apparatus, enabling users to make immediate purchase decisions without prior note-taking while ensuring compatibility
Solution Approach 2:
The patent provides immediate feedback on consumables compatibility by comparing the extracted item number information with registered data. The system determines whether the consumables are compatible with the specific image forming apparatus model and reports the result to the user, enabling informed purchase decisions at the point of sale
3Measurement precision
If a system automatically determines consumables usability, then compatibility accuracy improves, but system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent utilizes the portable terminal's existing imaging device and information processing capabilities to perform consumables compatibility determination. By leveraging the terminal's multi-functional nature (photography, text recognition, data processing), the system achieves accurate compatibility determination without adding dedicated complex hardware
Solution Approach 2:
The patent enables the portable terminal to autonomously perform information extraction and compatibility determination by imaging the consumables container and processing the captured data. The terminal's processor automatically extracts item number information and determines compatibility without requiring external complex systems, thus improving accuracy while limiting complexity growth
Data Source
AI summary
A computer readable medium has a consumables-usability determination program product stored thereon. The program product directs a portable terminal to perform as: a model-information inputting section for inputting model information indicating a model of an image forming apparatus; a consumables-information inputting section for inputting consumables information indicating consumables; a first determining section for determining whether the consumables indicated by the consumables information inputted by the consumables-information inputting section is usable to the model indicated by the model information inputted by the model-information inputting section; and a first reporting section for reporting a result determined by the first determining section to the user.