FAX Transmission Bridge for General-Purpose Printer Drivers

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Solution Overview

Problem

General-purpose printer drivers do not support FAX transmission, limiting the ability to perform FAX transmission in environments where printing processing is conducted using these drivers.

Innovation Solution

A printing control program that displays a setting image, acquires a FAX transmission destination, and passes print control data to the general-purpose printer driver to execute a FAX transmission instruction to a printer with a FAX transmission function.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Adaptability or versatility

If a general-purpose printer driver is used for printing processing, then printing functionality is achieved, but FAX transmission capability is lost

Engineering Contradiction:

ImproveFAX transmission capabilityVSAvoidsystem complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

A FAX transmission support program is introduced as an intermediary component between the general-purpose printer driver and the FAX transmission function. This mediator program receives print control data from the printer driver, adds FAX transmission parameters, and sends the enhanced data to the printer, thereby enabling FAX capability without modifying the driver itself.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

The FAX transmission support program is designed to work universally with general-purpose printer drivers while providing specialized FAX transmission functionality. It maintains compatibility with existing printing systems while adding new FAX capabilities, allowing one system to serve multiple functions (printing and FAX transmission).

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

2Adaptability or versatility

If FAX transmission function is added to general-purpose printer driver, then FAX capability is achieved, but driver compatibility is reduced

Engineering Contradiction:

ImproveFAX transmission capabilityVSAvoiddriver compatibility

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSEase of manufacture

Solution Approach 1:

The FAX transmission support program acts as a bridge between the general-purpose printer driver and the FAX transmission function. It receives standard print control data from the driver, enriches it with FAX-specific parameters, and transmits the enhanced data to the printer, thereby maintaining driver compatibility while enabling FAX capability.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

The FAX transmission functionality is segmented from the general-purpose printer driver into a separate support program. This segmentation allows the driver to remain unchanged and compatible with various systems, while the FAX capabilities are implemented independently in the support program that interfaces with both the driver and the printer.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Data Source

PatentUS20250267221A1Non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing printing control program, fax control device, and fax control method

Publication Date: 2025.08.21 SEIKO EPSON CORP

AI summary

There is provided a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing a printing control program, the printing control program causing a computer to execute display processing, acquisition processing, and instruction processing. In the display processing, a setting image is displayed in response to a request from a general-purpose printer driver. In the acquisition processing, a FAX transmission destination to be a destination of FAX is acquired via the setting image. In the instruction processing, print control data including the FAX transmission destination is passed to the general-purpose printer driver and the general-purpose printer driver is caused to execute a print instruction conforming to the print control data and serving as a FAX transmission instruction to a printer having a FAX transmission function.