Image Processing Apparatus Wireless Billing Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing image processing apparatuses, such as printers and copying machines, face difficulties in performing billing control when receiving jobs from external devices via Wi-Fi Direct, as it requires installing a dedicated application, making the process cumbersome.
Innovation Solution
The apparatus includes a data processing part, storage for billing information with wireless communication identifiers and usage histories, and a control part that determines the appropriate identifier for communication, allowing billing control without a dedicated application by updating usage histories based on received jobs.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If billing control is implemented using a dedicated application on external devices, then billing accuracy is improved, but ease of operation deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The image processing apparatus autonomously performs billing control by automatically identifying the external device through wireless communication identifiers and updating usage histories without requiring dedicated applications on external devices. The system serves itself by integrating billing functionality into the image processing apparatus rather than relying on external device software.
Solution Approach 2:
The image processing apparatus integrates multiple functions including image processing, wireless communication, device identification, and billing control into a single system. This multi-functional approach eliminates the need for separate dedicated applications on external devices, simplifying operation while maintaining billing accuracy.
2Adaptability or versatility
If multiple wireless communication identifiers are stored for different billing scenarios, then adaptability is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The control part acts as an intermediary that manages multiple wireless communication identifiers and their associated billing information. It automatically selects the appropriate identifier based on the communication scenario, shielding users from the complexity of managing multiple identifiers while maintaining adaptability to different billing situations.
Solution Approach 2:
Multiple wireless communication identifiers and their associated billing information are pre-stored in the storage part of the image processing apparatus. This preliminary preparation allows the system to quickly adapt to different billing scenarios without requiring complex real-time decision-making or user intervention.
Data Source
AI summary
An image processing apparatus includes a data processing part that processes image data: a storage part that stores billing information including a plurality of wireless communication identifiers and usage histories of the data processing part, each of the usage histories being associated with wireless communication identifiers, a communication part that establishes a wireless communication associated with one of the wireless communication identifiers such that the communication part wirelessly communicates with an external device, and a control part that, when receiving an image processing job from the external device through the communication part, determines one of the wireless communication identifiers that is used to establish the wireless communication wherein the one of the wireless communication identifiers is defined as a destination identifier, controls the data processing part based on the image processing job and updates one usage history that is associated with the destination identifier.