MFP Screen Selection via User Interface Authentication
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Complexity in operations of composite machines with multiple user interfaces leads to displaying an inappropriate initial screen, resulting in increased screen switching times and decreased operability.
Innovation Solution
An image processing apparatus with multiple user interfaces that includes an authentication portion, a process executing portion, a first association data storing portion, and a determining portion to associate user authentication information with data input processes and screen settings, allowing for the determination of the appropriate screen for executing processes based on user authentication.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a single initial screen is displayed for all user interfaces, then the system structure remains simple, but the operability deteriorates because the displayed screen may not match the user's intended use
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary actions by storing association data between user interfaces and process screens in advance, and by pre-establishing the correspondence between authentication information input interfaces and appropriate process screens. When authentication occurs, the system can immediately display the correct screen without requiring manual navigation, thus improving operability without adding significant operational complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The system implements feedback by monitoring which user interface the user actually uses to input authentication information, and then automatically displaying the corresponding appropriate screen. This feedback mechanism ensures that the displayed screen matches the user's intended use, resolving the contradiction between simple system structure and good operability.
2Ease of operation
If multiple screen types are supported for different user interfaces, then operability improves, but the number of screen switching times increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary action by pre-storing the association data between user interfaces and appropriate process screens. When authentication information is input through a specific user interface, the system immediately retrieves and displays the corresponding screen from the pre-established associations, eliminating the need for manual screen switching and reducing time loss.
3Loss of information
If the system displays a generic initial screen, then device complexity remains low, but information accuracy deteriorates because the screen may not correspond to the actual user interface used
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary action by pre-establishing and storing the association data between user interfaces and appropriate process screens in a structured format. This preliminary organization of information ensures that when authentication occurs, the system can accurately retrieve the correct screen information without complex real-time processing, thus improving information accuracy while keeping data management complexity manageable.
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses feedback by detecting which user interface was actually used for authentication and automatically selecting the corresponding accurate screen based on pre-stored associations. This feedback mechanism ensures that the displayed screen accurately reflects the user's actual interface usage, resolving the contradiction between information accuracy and data management complexity.
Data Source
AI summary
In order to improve operability by decreasing the number of times of switching between screens, an MFP includes an authentication portion which authenticates a user using authentication information input into one of first to third user I/Fs, a process executing portion which executes processes according to settings input, a first association data storing portion which stores first association data associating input data with the authenticated user, a second association data storing portion which stores second association data associating processes executed for the input data with the respective user I/Fs, and a determining portion which determines, in response to authentication by the authentication portion, a screen for the process associated by the second association data with one of the first to third user I/Fs that accepted the authentication information used for the authentication, if data associated with the authenticated user by the first association data is stored.