Function Execution Apparatus Single Scan Multiple Operations
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional function execution apparatuses require repeated scanning operations when multiple shortcuts with common steps are executed, leading to increased processing time and user inconvenience, especially when handling multiple original documents.
Innovation Solution
A function execution apparatus with a display device, scanner, and controller that allows multiple functions to be assigned to a single shortcut key, enabling a single scanning operation to generate scan data, which is then used for executing multiple functions without repeating the scanning process for each function.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If multiple shortcuts with common steps are executed individually, then each function can be completed, but the processing time increases due to repeated scanning operations
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple shortcuts that share common scanning steps into a single integrated shortcut. When this combined shortcut is executed, the scanning operation is performed once and the resulting scan data is reused across all associated functions (e.g., email transmission, web server upload), eliminating redundant scanning operations and reducing total processing time.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent performs the scanning operation in advance as a preliminary step before executing multiple functions. The scan data generated by this preliminary scanning is then stored and reused for subsequent functions, avoiding the need to repeat the scanning process for each individual function.
2Productivity
If multiple shortcuts with common steps are executed individually, then each function can be completed, but the device complexity increases due to multiple separate scanning operations
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges multiple shortcuts sharing common scanning steps into a single combined shortcut. This integration reduces the complexity of managing and executing multiple separate scanning operations while maintaining the ability to perform multiple functions using the same scan data.
3Productivity
If automatic document feeder is used for scanning, then multiple original documents can be scanned automatically, but user convenience decreases due to requiring setup for each shortcut
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple shortcuts into one, allowing users to execute multiple functions with a single operation. This eliminates the need to separately configure and execute each shortcut, significantly improving ease of operation while maintaining the automated scanning capability.
Data Source
AI summary
A function execution apparatus has a display, a scanner, and a controller. The controller is configured to execute a key display process in which at least one shortcut key is displayed on a display, and a multiple functions assigning process in which the controller assigns multiple particular functions to a multiple-function assigned key which is a shortcut key. Each of the multiple functions is associated with a scanning operation in which a scanner scans an image on the original, and a multiple functions execution process in which the controller executes the multiple functions assigned to the multiple-function assigned key when a user operation to select the multiple-function assigned key is done such that only one scanning operation is executed and the multiple functions are executed based on scan data obtained by one scanning operation instead of executing the scanning operation for each of the multiple functions.