Kiosk Parallel Job Processing Single Payment
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing pay-per-use kiosks in public locations require serial execution of jobs, which is inefficient and makes it difficult for users to manage multiple jobs within a budget.
Innovation Solution
A kiosk with a graphical user interface (GUI) and a payment processing module that allows users to submit multiple job requests, view and manage their costs, and execute all requests in parallel with a single payment.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If jobs are executed serially on pay-per-use kiosks, then each job can be processed individually with separate payments, but the execution efficiency is low and users cannot manage multiple jobs within a budget effectively
Solution Approach 1:
The system allows users to pre-submit multiple job requests before execution, and pre-authorize a total payment amount. The payment processing module stores these pending requests and processes them in parallel once authorized, eliminating the need for sequential payment and execution of each job individually.
Solution Approach 2:
The system dynamically manages job queues and payment authorization levels. Users can add or remove job requests from their pending queue before execution, and the system adjusts the total authorized amount accordingly. This dynamic flexibility allows users to manage their budget and job portfolio adaptively.
2Productivity
If multiple jobs are submitted individually with separate payments, then payment processing is simple and straightforward, but the total execution time increases and operational efficiency decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The system merges multiple individual job requests into a single batch execution process. Once users authorize a total payment amount, all pending job requests are executed in parallel rather than sequentially, significantly reducing total execution time while maintaining individual job integrity through unique identifiers.
Solution Approach 2:
The system maintains continuous processing of job requests by keeping them in a pending state with pre-authorized payment, ready for immediate parallel execution. This eliminates idle time between individual job completions and payments, ensuring continuous productive action.
3Ease of operation
If users manage multiple jobs with separate transactions, then each job cost is clearly defined, but budget management becomes difficult and user experience deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The system provides real-time feedback to users about their pending job requests and the total authorized amount. The GUI displays a summary of all pending jobs with individual costs and the cumulative total, allowing users to monitor their budget consumption and make informed decisions about adding or removing jobs before execution.
Solution Approach 2:
The payment processing module serves multiple functions: it authorizes total payment amounts, tracks individual job costs within that authorization, manages pending job queues, and executes parallel processing. This multi-functional approach simplifies the user interface while handling complex transaction management internally.
Data Source
AI summary
A kiosk is disclosed. For example, the kiosk includes a graphical user interface (GUI), a payment processing module to receive payment, a processor, and a non-transitory computer-readable medium storing a plurality of instructions, which when executed by the processor, causes the processor to perform operations. The operations include receiving a plurality of job requests, providing a total cost of the plurality of job requests on the GUI, receiving confirmation of the total costs via the GUI, receiving a single payment for the plurality of job requests via the payment processing module, and executing the plurality of job requests.