Automatic IC Card User Registration in Image Forming Apparatus

Resolve Bottlenecks,
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions

Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional image forming apparatuses require preregistration of IC cards for user authentication, which is time-consuming and burdensome, and do not allow for immediate use without prior registration.

Innovation Solution

An image forming apparatus with a controller and display that enables user authentication using an IC card or face recognition, allowing automatic registration and login without prior preregistration, by detecting the IC card or face and prompting for additional information only when necessary.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If IC card preregistration is required for user authentication, then user authentication security is improved, but user operation complexity and time consumption increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveuser authentication securityVSAvoiduser operation complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs automatic user registration without requiring user intervention. When an unregistered IC card is presented, the system automatically registers the user information and enables authentication, eliminating the need for users to manually operate registration screens or provide additional information.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #25Self-service

Solution Approach 2:

The system pre-configures automatic registration functionality and maintains a registration setting state in advance. This allows the system to immediately register new users when they present their IC cards, without requiring preliminary manual registration operations.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

2Reliability

If IC card preregistration is required, then user information management control is improved, but time consumption for registration increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveuser information management controlVSAvoidregistration time consumption

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The system automatically completes the entire user registration process including information extraction, validation, and database storage without requiring user interaction with registration screens or manual input, significantly reducing registration time while maintaining information management control.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #25Self-service

Solution Approach 2:

The system skips the traditional multi-step manual registration process by directly detecting IC card information and automatically completing registration in a single action, rushing through what would otherwise be a time-consuming multi-screen operation.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #21Skipping (Rushing through)

3Manufacturing precision

If manual IC card registration through user management screen is required, then registration accuracy is improved, but operation effort increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveregistration accuracyVSAvoidoperation effort

Core Design Contradiction:

Manufacturing precisionVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The system automatically extracts IC card information, validates it against registration criteria, and completes the registration process without requiring users to navigate user management screens or manually input data, eliminating operation effort while maintaining accuracy through automated validation.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #25Self-service

Solution Approach 2:

The system replaces manual mechanical operations (screen navigation, button pressing, data entry) with automated electronic processes that detect IC card information and perform registration programmatically, reducing operation effort to zero while maintaining registration accuracy.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

4Reliability

If dedicated login screen is used for IC card authentication, then authentication reliability is improved, but device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveauthentication reliabilityVSAvoidinterface complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The system integrates authentication functionality into the main menu screen, allowing the same interface to serve both as a function selection menu and as an authentication interface when an IC card is detected, eliminating the need for a separate dedicated login screen.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

Solution Approach 2:

The system merges the authentication interface with the main menu screen, combining what would traditionally be separate functions (menu display and login authentication) into a single unified interface that adapts its behavior based on whether an IC card is present.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Data Source

PatentUS11503185B2Image forming apparatus for automatic registration of users using an IC card to login

Publication Date: 2022.11.15 CANON KK

AI summary

An image forming apparatus comprising a display and a reader that reads an IC card. The image forming apparatus performs settings for user authentication and displays on the display a menu screen for selecting a function of the image forming apparatus. In a case where in user authentication by the IC card and automatic registration of user information are set in the settings, a user of an IC card is able to log in the image forming apparatus using information of the IC card when the reader detects the IC card of the user.