Multi-Wallet Fund Segmentation for Printing Budget Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional budget control systems for printing and copying in institutions face challenges in managing user funds, particularly in identifying and refunding personal contributions when free allowances are provided, as funds are often mixed and difficult to separate.
Innovation Solution
A system utilizing a server to manage user account information with multiple wallets, where each wallet represents available funds, allowing users to authorize printing or copying requests based on available funds, and enabling clear identification of source funds for refunds.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a single fund pool is used to manage user printing/copying funds, then the system is simple to operate, but it becomes difficult to identify and refund personal contributions when free allowances are provided
Solution Approach 1:
The fund pool is segmented into multiple wallets (free allowance wallet and personal funds wallet) that are logically separated within the system. Each wallet tracks funds from different sources independently, allowing the system to maintain simplicity while preserving information about fund origins. This segmentation enables accurate identification of personal contributions for refund purposes.
2Loss of information
If multiple wallets are implemented to separate different fund sources, then fund source identification is improved, but the system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The server acts as an intermediary that manages the multiple wallets and handles the complexity of fund tracking. The server automatically determines which wallet to use for each printing/copying operation and manages the allocation between free allowance and personal funds. This intermediary approach allows multiple wallets to exist without requiring complex user-side implementation.
Solution Approach 2:
The wallet system is designed to be universal and adaptable to different funding scenarios. The same wallet structure handles both free allowance tracking and personal funds management, and can accommodate various institutional policies. This multi-functionality reduces the need for separate specialized systems for different fund types.
3Ease of manufacture
If conventional single-wallet fund management is used, then the system is easier to implement, but accurate refunds of personal contributions cannot be ensured
Solution Approach 1:
By segmenting the fund management into separate wallets for free allowance and personal funds, the system ensures that refunds can be accurately calculated by referencing the personal funds wallet balance. This segmentation maintains reasonable implementation complexity while significantly improving refund accuracy and reliability.
Data Source
AI summary
A printing and copying system is provided that includes a server configured to manage user account information related to a user, and an apparatus connected to the server, the apparatus configured to send a printing request or a copying request to the server. The user account information includes a plurality of wallets associated with the user, and the plurality of wallets each represent funds available to the user. The server is configured to determine whether to authorise the printing request or copying request based on the funds available in the plurality of wallets.