Multifunction Peripheral Interface Customization

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Solution Overview

Problem

Multifunction peripherals (MFPs) in office environments often present complex user interfaces with numerous menus, making it difficult for users to access frequently needed functions, and businesses require customized forms and settings that vary significantly from one another, leading to inefficiencies and potential errors due to outdated or improper forms usage, especially in industries like law and medicine where confidentiality and compliance are critical.

Innovation Solution

A system and method for customizing MFPs by allowing end users or administrators to tailor user interfaces, pre-populate devices with business-specific settings, forms, and functions, and automatically select interfaces based on device location, enabling easier access to frequently used functions and ensuring compliance with industry-specific requirements through customizable menus, forms, and security settings.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Adaptability or versatility

If MFPs provide a fixed set of functions with comprehensive menus, then device functionality is complete, but user interface complexity increases and ease of operation deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvedevice functionalityVSAvoiduser interface accessibility

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The user interface is segmented into multiple customized versions, each tailored to specific business needs. Instead of presenting all functions in a single complex menu, the system divides the interface into simplified, role-specific views that display only relevant functions and forms, reducing cognitive load while maintaining access to comprehensive device capabilities.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The user interface dynamically adapts based on device location and business type. The system automatically reconfigures menus, forms, and settings according to the detected environment, transforming from a static fixed interface to a dynamic customized interface that optimizes ease of operation for each specific context.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

2Adaptability or versatility

If MFPs provide comprehensive menus with all functions, then device versatility is maintained, but device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvefunction availabilityVSAvoidmenu structure

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The system extracts and removes unnecessary menu items and functions from the default interface based on the specific business context. By taking out only the relevant functions and forms needed for each business type, the menu structure becomes simpler while still providing access to all functions when needed through alternative pathways.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Solution Approach 2:

The customization system itself becomes a universal layer that manages multiple interface configurations. A single MFP device can serve multiple business types by loading different customized interfaces, making the device universally adaptable without requiring complex permanent modifications for each business type.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

3Ease of manufacture

If businesses use standardized forms and settings, then device setup is simplified, but adaptability to specific business needs deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvedevice setupVSAvoidbusiness-specific customization

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of manufactureVSAdaptability or versatility

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs preliminary customization actions by automatically detecting the business type and pre-configuring the appropriate interface, forms, and settings before the user needs them. This preliminary setup simplifies device deployment while ensuring the interface is already adapted to specific business requirements, eliminating the need for manual post-setup customization.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The MFP system performs self-customization by automatically detecting its deployment environment and configuring itself accordingly. The device serves itself by selecting and loading the appropriate business-specific interface and settings without requiring manual intervention, thereby simplifying setup while achieving full adaptability to the specific business context.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #25Self-service

4Productivity

If MFPs use outdated or improper forms, then device maintenance is reduced, but reliability and compliance deteriorate

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvemaintenance effortVSAvoidcompliance accuracy

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The system implements feedback mechanisms that allow for automatic updates and corrections of forms and settings based on usage patterns and compliance requirements. The interface can receive feedback from users and automatically update forms to ensure they remain current and compliant, maintaining reliability without increasing maintenance burden through automated processes.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #23Feedback

Data Source

PatentUS10298789B2System and method for field customization of multifunction peripherals

Publication Date: 2019.05.21 KK TOSHIBA

AI summary

A system and method provides for automated selection and installation of device interfaces based a location of a device or a time of day at the location of the device. A current space-time state of a digital device is determined and used to select image data corresponding to at least one of a plurality of alternative user interface images or interface sets.