Print and Postprocessing Emission Tracking for Finished Output
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing technologies fail to calculate the total greenhouse gas emissions from both image forming and postprocessing operations, such as lamination or cutting, which are essential for a comprehensive environmental impact assessment.
Innovation Solution
An information processing system that integrates an image forming apparatus, postprocessing apparatuses, and an environmental load calculation server to track and calculate greenhouse gas emissions from both stages, including the use of a memory device and processor to gather and analyze data on consumables and energy usage.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If only image forming apparatus emissions are calculated, then the calculation system remains simple, but the environmental impact assessment is incomplete
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the calculation systems of the image forming apparatus and postprocessing apparatus into a unified environmental impact assessment system. The management server integrates emission data from both apparatus types, combining previously separate calculation processes into a single comprehensive system that calculates total greenhouse gas emissions across the entire document processing workflow.
Solution Approach 2:
The management server is designed with universal functionality to handle emission calculations for multiple types of apparatus (image forming apparatus and postprocessing apparatus). It can process different kinds of operation data, consumable information, and emission factors various apparatus types, making the system adaptable to diverse equipment while maintaining a unified calculation framework.
2Loss of information
If total emissions from both image forming and postprocessing are calculated, then comprehensive environmental assessment is achieved, but data collection complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The management server acts as an intermediary that centralizes data collection from multiple apparatus types. Instead of requiring direct integration between image forming and postprocessing apparatus, the management server receives operation data, consumable information, and emission data from both sources, processes this information centrally, and produces comprehensive emission calculations, thereby simplifying the overall data collection architecture.
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs preliminary data preparation by collecting and storing operation data, consumable information, and emission factors in advance in the management server's storage unit. This preliminary organization of data enables efficient subsequent calculation processes and reduces the complexity of real-time data gathering during emission assessment operations.
Data Source
AI summary
An information processing system capable of obtaining a total emission of greenhouse gas emitted until a secondary product is obtained by processing a primary product that is a printed matter. The information processing system includes a memory device storing instructions, and a processor executing the instructions to: obtain first information related to a process until a primary product, which is a printed matter obtained by an image forming apparatus printing on a print medium, is output, obtain second information related to a process until a second product, which is obtained by a postprocessing apparatus processing the primary product, is output, calculate emissions of greenhouse gas emitted from the image forming apparatus and the postprocessing apparatus based on the first information and the second information, and calculate a total emission of the greenhouse gas based on the emissions of greenhouse gas.