NFC Tag Authentication for Portable Print Terminals
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
In printing systems equipped with NFC technology, users often need to input authentication information twice, once for logging in with an IC card and again when instructing a portable terminal to print, which is time-consuming and inconvenient.
Innovation Solution
A printing system that includes an NFC tag, an authentication unit, a writing unit to store user information in the NFC tag after successful authentication, and a portable terminal with a reading unit to extract and transmit this information, allowing the system to process print jobs without requiring additional authentication input from the user.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a user logs in with an IC card to the printing apparatus, then user authentication is completed and user information is obtained, but the user still needs to input authentication information separately on the portable terminal when instructing to print, which increases operation time and reduces convenience
Solution Approach 1:
The printing apparatus performs preliminary authentication when the user logs in with an IC card, and stores the authenticated user information in the NFC tag. This preliminary action eliminates the need for repeated authentication input on the portable terminal, resolving the contradiction by preparing the authentication data in advance.
Solution Approach 2:
The NFC tag serves as an intermediary that transfers user information from the printing apparatus to the portable terminal. This intermediary mechanism allows the portable terminal to obtain authenticated user information without requiring the user to re-input credentials, thus improving ease of operation while maintaining authentication reliability.
2Loss of information
If a user inputs authentication information separately on a portable terminal when instructing to print, then user information can be included in print data, but this process takes additional time and is inconvenient
Solution Approach 1:
The NFC tag acts as an intermediary to transfer pre-authenticated user information to the portable terminal. This eliminates the time-consuming manual input process while ensuring user information is properly included in the print data, as the information is automatically populated from the NFC tag.
Solution Approach 2:
The user information is copied from the printing apparatus to the NFC tag and then to the portable terminal. This copying mechanism preserves the authenticated user information without requiring re-input, thus preventing information loss while eliminating time waste.
3Adaptability or versatility
If user information is not included in print data from a portable terminal, then the printing apparatus cannot perform processes for specific users, but requiring separate authentication input defeats the purpose of IC card login convenience
Solution Approach 1:
The NFC tag serves as a mediator that bridges the portable terminal and printing apparatus, transferring user information that enables user-specific processes. This intermediary solution maintains ease of operation by avoiding additional input requirements while achieving adaptability for user-specific printing functions.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention merges the authentication function and user information storage into the NFC tag. By combining these functions, the system achieves both user-specific process capability and operational convenience, as the same NFC interaction that establishes connection also provides authenticated user information.
Data Source
AI summary
A printing system that is capable of saving time for inputting authentication information at the time of instructing job process from the portable terminal. A printing system comprises a printing apparatus and a portable terminal. The printing apparatus comprises an NFC tag, an authentication unit, a writing unit that writes data including user information about a user whose authentication succeeds into the NFC tag when the user authentication succeeds, a reception unit that receives print data, and a processing unit that processes the print data based on the user information included in the print data received. The portable terminal comprises a reading unit that read data from the NFC tag, an extraction unit that extracts the user information from the data read, a generation unit that generates print data using the user information extracted, and a transmission unit that transmits the print data generated to the printing apparatus.