Image Forming Apparatus Operation Guide Access via Terminal Intermediary
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Solution Overview
Problem
Image forming apparatuses cannot display operation guides when a network communication failure occurs, preventing users from accessing essential guidance for operating the device.
Innovation Solution
Incorporating a displayer, a first communicator for network communication, and a second communicator for short-range wireless communication, allowing the controller to notify a user's terminal of access information to an external server for acquiring the operation guide, even if the primary communication fails.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the image forming apparatus uses network communication to acquire operation guides from external servers, then the operation guides can be updated and accessed, but the apparatus cannot acquire operation guides when network communication fails
Solution Approach 1:
The terminal device serves as an intermediary between the user and the external server. When the image forming apparatus cannot access the server due to network failure, the terminal device receives access information from the apparatus and independently accesses the server to retrieve operation guides, thereby mediating the communication breakdown.
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of having the image forming apparatus directly access the server (original approach), the system inverts the access path by having the terminal device access the server on behalf of the apparatus. This reversal allows operation guide acquisition to proceed through an alternative route when direct access fails.
2Ease of operation
If the image forming apparatus provides operation guides only through its own display, then the apparatus maintains simple operation, but users cannot access operation guides when the apparatus communication function fails
Solution Approach 1:
The terminal device acts as an intermediary that enables operation guide access when the apparatus's direct communication fails. The apparatus provides access information to the terminal, which then retrieves and displays the operation guide, maintaining ease of access while reducing communication dependency on the apparatus.
Solution Approach 2:
The system creates a copy of the operation guide access functionality by enabling the terminal device to retrieve and display operation guides independently. This copying of the access function to an external device ensures continuity of operation guide availability even when the apparatus's communication function is unavailable.
Data Source
AI summary
An image forming apparatus includes a displayer capable of displaying an operation guide for the image forming apparatus; a first communicator that performs communication for acquiring the operation guide from an external device via a network; a second communicator that performs short-range wireless communication with a terminal of a user operating the image forming apparatus; and a controller that performs control of notifying, from the second communicator, the terminal of access information of accessing the external device for acquiring the operation guide, in a case where a failure has occurred in communication by the first communicator.