Group Printer Association in Message Apps

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Solution Overview

Problem

In a cloud printing system, users face low convenience when sharing a printer among multiple users, as each user must individually register the printer with the bot application, leading to inefficient and interactive processes.

Innovation Solution

An information processing method that allows a group in a message application to be associated with a printer, enabling print target data to be output to the printer upon instruction, thereby facilitating printer sharing among group members without individual registration.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of operation

If each user individually registers the printer with the bot application, then the printer can be used by that user, but the registration process becomes inefficient and user convenience deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveprinter sharing convenienceVSAvoidregistration time

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The patent merges multiple individual registration operations into a single group-level registration. By associating the printer with a message application group rather than individual user accounts, the system allows one registration action to enable multiple users within the group to access the printer, thereby resolving the contradiction between ease of operation and time consumption.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent implements universality by creating a group association mechanism that serves multiple users simultaneously. The printer registration becomes a universal solution for the entire group rather than requiring individualized registration for each user, improving convenience while reducing total registration time across all users.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

2Adaptability or versatility

If individual registration is required for each user, then user-specific control is maintained, but the system complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveuser-specific controlVSAvoidregistration system complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent segments the registration system into two levels: group-level registration and user-level access. This segmentation allows the system to maintain user-specific control capabilities while simplifying the actual registration process to a single group-level operation, thereby reducing system complexity without sacrificing adaptability.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The patent introduces a group association as an intermediary layer between individual users and the printer. This intermediary mechanism simplifies the registration process by handling user management at the group level, reducing the complexity of individual user registrations while preserving the ability to control access for each user within the group context.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Data Source

PatentUS11831820B2Information processing method that associates an image recording device with a message application group, information processing system, information processing device, and non-transitory computer-readable storage medium

Publication Date: 2023.11.28 CANON KK

AI summary

There is provided an information processing method executed by an information processing system cooperatively operating with a message application. The method comprises: registering by associating a group in the message application a predetermined image recording device in response to an instruction by a first account in the group; and outputting print target data transmitted from the message application to the predetermined image recording device in response to a message transmitted by a second account in the group.