User-Specific Print Job Restriction via Intermediary Program
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional printing systems lack the ability to manage printer availability based on user identification information, as standard OS printing programs do not provide a means to associate user IDs with print jobs, making it difficult to enforce usage conditions set by users.
Innovation Solution
A non-transitory computer-readable medium containing computer-executable instructions that obtain user identification information and associate it with print jobs, allowing the printer to determine whether to execute the print job based on usage conditions set by the user, implemented in an information processing device connected to a printer with a restriction function.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If standard OS printing program is used without printer driver, then printing operation is simplified and ease of operation is improved, but user identification information cannot be associated with print jobs, making user-specific printer availability management difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a supporting program as an intermediary component between the standard OS printing program and the printer. This supporting program captures print job information including user identification, associates it with the print job, and transmits it to the printer, thereby enabling user-specific management while maintaining the simplicity of using the standard printing program
Solution Approach 2:
The supporting program automatically obtains user identification information from the OS without requiring manual user input or configuration. The system self-services by automatically associating the current user's identification with the print job, enabling user-specific printer availability management transparently
2Reliability
If printer driver is used to associate user identification with print jobs, then user-specific printer availability management is enabled, but printing operation becomes more complex and device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The supporting program serves as a lightweight intermediary that adds user identification association functionality without requiring the full complexity of a traditional printer driver. It intercepts print jobs from the standard OS printing program, adds necessary user information, and forwards them to the printer, thereby enabling user-specific management with minimal added complexity
Solution Approach 2:
The patent separates the user identification association function from the traditional printer driver into a standalone supporting program. This segmentation allows the standard OS printing program to remain simple while the supporting program handles the specific task of user identification management, reducing overall system complexity
Data Source
AI summary
When a print instruction making a printer to print an image is received from an application program implemented in an information processing device for a general-use printing program embedded in the information processing device, a supporting program causes the information processing device to obtain identification information which identifies a user, and transmit a print job associated with the identification information to the printer. The printer determines whether printing in accordance with the print job is to be performed based on a usage condition of the user identified by the identification information associated with the print job.