Image Processing Management System for Driver Automation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Managing printer drivers across multiple image forming apparatuses connected via a network is cumbersome, requiring multiple drivers for different operating systems and firmware updates, leading to complex management and user dissatisfaction.
Innovation Solution
An image processing management system comprising a registrar, session manager, and service manager that receives device information and user instructions to determine the capability of service providing apparatuses to perform specific image processing tasks, generating instructions for the appropriate apparatuses to execute the requested operations.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If multiple printer drivers are installed on client apparatuses to support different image forming apparatuses and operating systems, then compatibility with various devices and OS versions is improved, but device complexity and management difficulty increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a server as an intermediary between client apparatuses and image forming apparatuses. The server stores multiple printer drivers and manages the mapping between clients and image forming devices. When a printing request is received, the server automatically selects and provides the appropriate driver, eliminating the need for clients to manually install and manage multiple drivers themselves.
Solution Approach 2:
The server is designed to perform multiple functions: storing drivers for various image forming apparatuses, managing client apparatus information, determining compatibility between clients and devices, and providing appropriate drivers. This multi-functional approach allows a single server to replace what would otherwise require multiple individual driver installations on each client.
2Reliability
If printer drivers are manually maintained on client apparatuses to keep them current with firmware updates, then driver up-to-date status is improved, but loss of time and operational efficiency deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The server automatically performs driver maintenance by storing updated drivers for various image forming apparatuses and making them available on-demand. When firmware updates are released, the server administrator can update the drivers on the server, and clients automatically receive the updated versions when they next access the service, eliminating manual intervention at the client level.
Solution Approach 2:
The server pre-stores multiple versions of printer drivers and maintains them ready for distribution. This preliminary preparation ensures that when clients need to print, the appropriate current version of the driver is already available on the server, eliminating the need for clients to perform time-consuming manual updates.
3Adaptability or versatility
If each client apparatus is provided with printer drivers for multiple operating systems, then support for different OS versions is improved, but device complexity and installation burden increase
Solution Approach 1:
The server acts as an intermediary that handles operating system compatibility. It stores printer drivers for multiple operating systems and automatically determines which driver version is appropriate for each client based on its OS. The client only needs to interact with the server once, and the server handles the complexity of providing the correct OS-specific driver.
4Ease of operation
If manual management of printer drivers is performed, then flexibility in customization is maintained, but productivity and operational efficiency decrease
Solution Approach 1:
The system enables self-service printing where clients can directly access the server to obtain appropriate drivers and submit printing requests without manual intervention. The server automatically matches clients with compatible image forming apparatuses and provides the necessary drivers, significantly improving management efficiency while maintaining flexibility through automated decision-making algorithms.
Data Source
AI summary
In an image processing system, when a user request is received from a client apparatus, an image processing management apparatus determines whether the user request can be processed by the image processing system to generate a determination result, and generate an instruction indicating how the image processing system should operate based on the determination result.