Image Forming Apparatus Notification Display Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing image forming apparatus systems lack an efficient mechanism for displaying notifications from a management server on a status bar without user intervention, leading to missed notifications and increased user effort in managing consumables and maintenance.
Innovation Solution
The image forming apparatus periodically inquires about notifications from the management server, determines if a notification has arrived based on stored message information, and controls its display on a predetermined area, ensuring notifications are only shown when new messages are present and can be conveniently accessed by the user.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the image forming apparatus continuously monitors and displays notifications from the management server, then the user can be promptly informed of new messages, but the network traffic increases and user experience deteriorates due to frequent polling
Solution Approach 1:
The image forming apparatus performs periodic inquiry to the management server at predetermined intervals to check for new notifications. This periodic action balances timely notification delivery with reduced network traffic compared to continuous monitoring, resolving the contradiction between reliability and productivity.
2Loss of information
If the status bar constantly displays notification indicators, then users are immediately aware of new messages, but the display area becomes cluttered and information hierarchy is disrupted
Solution Approach 1:
The notification icon is displayed in a specific local area of the status bar (predetermined display area) rather than throughout the entire interface. This localized display approach maintains notification visibility while preserving the overall display layout and reducing visual clutter.
Solution Approach 2:
The notification icon changes its display state (e.g., appearance, color, or visibility) to indicate the presence of new notifications. This visual change mechanism provides clear notification visibility without requiring permanent structural changes to the display layout.
3Loss of time
If the image forming apparatus stores and manages message information locally, then notification display can be controlled based on message timing, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The image forming apparatus stores message information including registration timing in advance when received from the management server. This preliminary storage enables subsequent determination of whether to display notifications based on timing comparisons, ensuring accurate message delivery timing control.
Solution Approach 2:
The image forming apparatus autonomously determines whether to display notification icons by comparing stored message registration timing with current time, without requiring constant external server intervention. This self-service approach improves timing accuracy while managing complexity through automated local decision-making.
Data Source
AI summary
Provided is a method of controlling an image forming apparatus, the method including: periodically making an inquiry about an instruction to a management server; determining whether or not to display a notification indicating that a message has arrived, based on information about a registered time of the message acquired by the management server as a result of the inquiry, and information about a time when the message is displayed on the image forming apparatus; and controlling the notification indicating that a message has arrived to be displayed in a predetermined display area in accordance with at least a determination, in the determining, that the notification indicating that the message has arrived is displayed, and controlling not to display the notification indicating that the message has arrived in accordance with at least a determination, in the determining, that the notification indicating that the message has arrived is not displayed.