Dynamic Button Recommendation for Image Forming Apparatus
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing menu screen display methods for image forming apparatuses, such as multifunction peripherals, lack accuracy in recommending buttons to users due to not considering the specific state of the apparatus, leading to inefficient user operation.
Innovation Solution
An image forming apparatus that stores usage times of buttons in association with each state and displays them based on detected states, prioritizing buttons with higher usage times in each state, enhancing recommendation accuracy.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If buttons are displayed uniformly without considering apparatus state, then the display method is simple, but recommendation accuracy deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The menu screen dynamically changes button display order based on the detected state of the image forming apparatus. The control unit determines display order differently for each state (copying, scanning, faxing, etc.), making the interface adaptive rather than static. This resolves the contradiction by implementing state-dependent dynamics that improve recommendation accuracy without requiring fundamental system complexity changes.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the parameter of button display order based on apparatus state. Different states (copying, scanning, faxing, idle) have different recommended button sequences. This parameter change approach allows the system to provide state-appropriate recommendations while maintaining a relatively simple underlying display mechanism, thus improving accuracy without proportionally increasing complexity.
2Ease of operation
If many buttons are arranged on the menu screen, then more functions are available, but operability deteriorates due to difficulty in selecting desired button
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by providing different button display orders for different apparatus states. Instead of a uniform display approach, the system tailors the button arrangement to the specific operational context (copying, scanning, faxing, etc.). This allows users to quickly locate relevant buttons for the current task while keeping less relevant buttons lower in the display order, improving ease of operation without reducing the total number of available functions.
3Measurement precision
If button display order is fixed, then the display method is simple, but accuracy in recommending desired button deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The control unit implements dynamic button display order determination based on detected apparatus state. The system transitions from a fixed display sequence to a state-dependent dynamic sequence, where the recommended button order changes according to whether the apparatus is in copying mode, scanning mode, faxing mode, or idle state. This dynamic adaptation improves recommendation accuracy while maintaining relatively simple control logic.
Data Source
AI summary
Embodiments of the present disclosure include an apparatus that stores a button usage history for each state of the apparatus and recommends buttons to a user based on the detected state of the apparatus and the stored button usage history.