Planning Device for Print Data Path Selection
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing print systems face challenges in ensuring that print data can be properly transmitted across devices with different communication capabilities, leading to failures in printing images when direct communication paths are not established between all devices.
Innovation Solution
A planning device that determines and establishes specific communication paths to ensure print data is delivered to printers, even when direct communication is not possible between all devices, by using a converting device if necessary to format the data correctly for the printer.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a communication path is decided based on data format compatibility between devices, then data format conversion can be performed correctly, but the print cannot be performed when devices cannot directly communicate
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a planning device as an intermediary that mediates between the print instruction source and the print device. This planning device determines the optimal communication path by considering both data format compatibility and actual communication capabilities, preventing direct communication attempts between incompatible devices and ensuring reliable print execution through proper path selection.
2Device complexity
If direct communication paths are assumed between all devices, then system complexity is reduced, but print data cannot be supplied when direct communication is not possible
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by having the planning device determine the communication path in advance before actual print data transmission occurs. This preliminary path determination ensures that the communication route is validated for both format compatibility and actual connectivity, preventing transmission failures while maintaining manageable system complexity through centralized planning.
3Adaptability or versatility
If communication paths are decided without considering actual communication capabilities, then device versatility is maximized, but print data transmission fails when devices cannot communicate
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements feedback by having the planning device consider actual communication capabilities when determining communication paths. The system gathers information about which devices can actually communicate with each other and uses this feedback to make informed path selection decisions, balancing device versatility with reliable print execution through evidence-based path determination.
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3
AI summary
A planning device (10) may store communication information related to whether or not two devices composing the combination are capable of directly communicating, decide a specific communication path using the communication information. The specific communication path may be a path capable of supplying print data acquired from target data (TD) in a storage device (10, 64, 70, 80) to the print device, generate procedure data for instructing one or more devices which are present on the specific communication path to perform one or more processes sequentially for realizing print of the target image and send the procedure data to a first device among the one or more devices. The first device may be a device that is to perform a process performed first among the one or more processes.