NFC Image Scanner Preview via Mobile Server Relay
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Solution Overview
Problem
Users of image forming apparatuses cannot rapidly view formed images when the device lacks a display unit or has a display capable only of text, limiting their ability to quickly assess scanned documents.
Innovation Solution
Incorporating a near-field communication (NFC) function that allows the image forming apparatus to transmit scan data to a server, generate access information, and tag a mobile terminal for previewing the scan data, enabling the mobile terminal to access and display a preview image of the scan data stored on the server.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If the image forming apparatus includes a display unit, then users can view formed images directly on the device, but the device complexity and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the display function from the image forming apparatus itself and relocates it to the user's mobile terminal. The scanner transmits scan data to a server, which then provides preview images to the mobile terminal for display. This eliminates the need for a display unit in the image forming apparatus while maintaining the ability to view formed images.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a server as an intermediary between the image forming apparatus and the user's mobile terminal. The server receives scan data from the scanner, stores it, and provides preview images to the mobile terminal. This intermediary system enables image viewing without requiring a display unit in the scanner.
2Productivity
If the image forming apparatus includes a display unit capable of displaying images, then users can rapidly view formed images, but the manufacturing cost increases
Solution Approach 1:
The display capability is extracted from the image forming apparatus and transferred to the user's existing mobile terminal. The scanner system manufactures and transmits scan data to a server, which then delivers preview images to the mobile terminal for immediate display, achieving rapid viewing without adding display hardware to the scanner.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates preview images (copies) of the original scanned documents and transmits these copies to the mobile terminal for display. This allows users to view rapid previews of scanned content without requiring the original scanner to have display capabilities, as the preview copies are rendered on the mobile device.
3Device complexity
If the image forming apparatus has no display unit or text-only display, then the device complexity and cost are reduced, but users cannot rapidly assess scanned documents
Solution Approach 1:
The server acts as an intermediary that receives scan data from the simplified scanner, processes it into preview images, and delivers them to the user's mobile terminal. This intermediary system enables rapid document assessment without requiring complex display hardware in the scanner itself.
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs preliminary processing of scan data to generate preview images before they are transmitted to the mobile terminal. The server prepares the visual content in advance, allowing users to rapidly assess scanned documents on their mobile devices without waiting for complex real-time processing at the scanner.
Data Source
AI summary
An image forming apparatus supporting a near-field communication (NFC) function generates scan data by scanning a document, transmits the scan data to a server, receives access information for accessing a preview image of the scan data stored in the server, tags a mobile terminal on which the preview image is to be displayed through NFC, and transmits the access information to the tagged mobile terminal.