Image Forming Apparatus Eco-Information Ordering
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Users of image forming apparatuses face difficulty in easily ordering environmentally friendly optional devices as existing systems do not provide information on greenhouse-gas emissions during the ordering process, limiting their ability to make environmentally conscious choices.
Innovation Solution
An image forming apparatus equipped with a communication device to obtain and display option and eco-information, including greenhouse-gas emissions data, allowing users to select and order environmentally friendly optional devices while viewing emission data.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of information
If the existing ordering system is used, then the ordering process is simple, but the user cannot access environmental information about optional devices
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines the ordering system with environmental information display functionality. The image forming apparatus integrates both the order sending function and the eco-information display function into a single system, allowing users to access environmental data about optional devices directly through the ordering interface without requiring separate systems or processes.
Solution Approach 2:
The image forming apparatus serves multiple functions: it acts as both an ordering terminal and an information display device. The control section manages both sending order information to external devices and displaying eco-information about optional devices, making the system multi-functional and eliminating the need for separate dedicated devices.
2Ease of operation
If environmental information is displayed, then users can make eco-friendly choices, but the ordering interface becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The control section acts as an intermediary that automatically manages the display of eco-information. When an optional device is selected, the control section automatically retrieves and displays the corresponding environmental information without requiring manual intervention from the user, simplifying the interaction while providing comprehensive information.
Solution Approach 2:
The system prepares and displays environmental information in advance before the user completes the ordering process. By showing eco-information early in the selection process, users can make informed decisions about which optional devices to choose, rather than encountering the information too late in the ordering flow.
Data Source
AI summary
The image forming apparatus of the present invention includes an image forming main device which has a control section. The control section (a) obtains, from an external device via a communication device, option information indicative of an at least one optional device and eco-information indicative of an amount of greenhouse-gas emitted due to the at least one optional device, (b) controls a display device to display the option information and the eco-information, and (c) sends, to the external device via the communication device, an order for an optional device selected by a user via the input device out of the at least one optional device indicated by the option information displayed on the display device.