Portable Terminal Print Control for Consistent Portrait Orientation

Resolve Bottlenecks,
Find Innovative Solutions
Generate Solutions

Solution Overview

Problem

Existing technologies fail to consider the orientation of images relative to the display when printing from portable devices, resulting in inconsistent and non-standardized printouts.

Innovation Solution

A print application for portable devices that adjusts image orientation based on the device's posture, allowing for portrait printing regardless of the display orientation, and includes a controlling method and a non-transitory computer readable storage medium to manage print applications.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Adaptability or versatility

If the image orientation is adjusted based on display orientation, then the printing adapts to different device postures, but the printout becomes non-standardized and inconsistent

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveadaptation to different device posturesVSAvoidprintout standardization
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSManufacturing precision

Solution Approach 1:

Instead of adjusting the printout orientation to match the display orientation, the patent inverts the approach by maintaining a fixed portrait orientation for all printouts regardless of how the device is held. The system detects display orientation and uses this information to ensure consistent portrait-mode printing, thereby solving the contradiction between adaptability and standardization.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #13The other way round (Inversion)

2Productivity

If the image is rotated to match display orientation, then the display utilization is optimized, but the number of pages required for printing increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvedisplay utilization efficiencyVSAvoidnumber of print pages
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSQuantity of substance

Solution Approach 1:

The patent performs preliminary detection of the display orientation before initiating the print process. By detecting whether the display is in portrait or landscape mode and using this information in advance, the system can pre-calculate the appropriate print data configuration to ensure efficient portrait-mode printing, thereby optimizing both display utilization and print page reduction.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

3Ease of operation

If the display orientation is freely adjustable, then the user interface flexibility is improved, but the print output consistency deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveuser interface flexibilityVSAvoidprint output consistency
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSStability of the object's composition

Solution Approach 1:

The patent introduces an intermediary processing layer that sits between the flexible display orientation system and the print output system. This intermediary detects the display orientation and transforms it into a standardized portrait-mode print configuration, thereby maintaining user interface flexibility while ensuring print output consistency through the mediating transformation process.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Data Source

PatentEP3570156B1Controlling device mounted on portable type terminal device
Publication Date: 2025.09.03 BROTHER KOGYO KK
  • EP3570156B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3570156B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP3570156B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

A portable type terminal device (10) may switch between a first state in which a specific image (80) is shown in a display (12) such that an up-down direction of the specific image (80) is along a first direction, and a second state in which the specific image (90) is shown in the display (12) such that the up-down direction of the specific image (90) is along a second direction. A controlling device (20) mounted on the portable type terminal device (10) may create print data for causing a printer (60) to perform a first type of a print in both of a first case where a print of the specific image (80, 90) is instructed in the first state and a second case where the print of the specific image (80, 90) is instructed in the second state. In the first type of the print, the left-right direction of the specific image (80, 90) may be along a short side of a print medium (300).