MFP Scan Data Advertisement Insertion Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional methods for providing scan data fail to meet user preferences by embedding advertisement data, which may not be desired by all users, leading to an unsatisfactory user experience and inadequate advertisement effectiveness.
Innovation Solution
An image forming apparatus and system that includes a scanner, an insertion unit for embedding advertisement data into scan data, a specification unit for determining the forwarding destination, and a controller to decide whether to insert advertisement data based on the destination, allowing for customizable advertisement inclusion in scan data transfer.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If advertisement data is embedded into scan data, then advertisement effectiveness is improved, but user convenience deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The system dynamically adjusts whether to embed advertisement data based on the forwarding destination type. For email destinations, advertisement data is embedded to improve advertisement effectiveness. For other destinations like web servers or direct file transfer, advertisement data is not embedded to maintain user convenience. This dynamic adaptation resolves the contradiction by making the advertisement embedding conditional rather than fixed.
Solution Approach 2:
The system applies different quality treatments to different parts of the data transmission process. For email communications, the scan data is modified to include embedded advertisement data. For other transmission types, the original scan data is preserved without modification. This local differentiation allows advertisement effectiveness to be improved in appropriate contexts while maintaining user convenience in contexts where it is not needed.
2Reliability
If advertisement data is embedded into scan data, then advertisement effectiveness is improved, but scan data purity deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The system dynamically determines whether to embed advertisement data based on the forwarding destination. For email destinations, advertisement data is embedded to improve advertisement effectiveness. For other destinations, the scan data remains pure without embedded advertisements. This dynamic approach allows the system to prioritize advertisement effectiveness only when appropriate while maintaining scan data purity in other contexts.
3Ease of operation
If advertisement data is not embedded into scan data, then user convenience is improved, but advertisement effectiveness deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The system dynamically adjusts advertisement embedding based on the forwarding destination type. For email destinations, advertisement data is embedded to improve advertisement effectiveness. For other destinations like web servers or direct file transfers, advertisement data is not embedded to maintain user convenience. This dynamic adaptation ensures that user convenience is improved in appropriate contexts while advertisement effectiveness is maintained in contexts where it is beneficial.
Solution Approach 2:
The system applies different quality treatments to different transmission scenarios. For email communications, the scan data includes embedded advertisement data to improve advertisement effectiveness. For other transmission types, the original pure scan data is transferred to maintain user convenience. This local differentiation resolves the contradiction by optimizing for user convenience in contexts where advertisement embedding is not appropriate.
Data Source
AI summary
When a user selects not to insert advertisement data into scan data when transferring the scan data from an MFP to a Web server, the MFP converts the advertisement data into an HTML format to transfer to the Web server in association with the scan data. Accordingly, a PC accessing the Web server displays a Web page showing contents of the advertisement and information including an icon functioning as means for requesting download of the scan data. The scan data inserted with no advertisement data is downloaded to the PC by operating the icon.