Print Software Scaling Control Across Multiple Printer Brands
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing printer drivers, including standard drivers and expansion applications, lack the ability to arbitrarily change the image size during printing, particularly through numerical scaling ratios, limiting flexibility and functionality.
Innovation Solution
A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing a program that supports general-purpose print software, enabling the display of a setting screen for accepting a scaling ratio as a numerical value and transmitting this information to the printer, allowing for flexible scaling and printing across multiple manufacturers.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If a standard driver is used for printing, then compatibility with multiple manufacturers is improved, but the ability to arbitrarily change scaling ratio is lost
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an expansion application as an intermediary layer between the standard driver and the printing process. This expansion application receives print data from the standard driver, applies custom scaling ratios, and outputs modified print data to the printer. This mediator enables arbitrary scaling ratio changes while maintaining compatibility with the standard driver's multi-manufacturer support.
Solution Approach 2:
The printing system is segmented into distinct functional modules: the standard driver handles manufacturer compatibility, the expansion application handles scaling ratio adjustment, and the printer executes the printing. This segmentation allows each component to specialize in its function, enabling both broad compatibility and flexible scaling without conflict.
2Reliability
If a printer driver specific to a model is used, then printing functionality is optimized, but adaptability to different printers is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates a universal printing solution by combining the standard driver's multi-printer compatibility with an expansion application that provides universal scaling capability. The expansion application works with any printer supported by the standard driver, creating a multi-functional system that adapts to different printers while maintaining optimized printing functionality.
3Adaptability or versatility
If expansion application is associated with standard driver, then printing functionality is enhanced, but system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of completely replacing the standard driver, the patent applies partial enhancement by adding only the necessary scaling functionality through the expansion application. This partial action approach enhances printing functionality where needed (scaling) while leaving the standard driver's core compatibility functions intact, thereby limiting the increase in system complexity to only the essential expansion features.
Data Source
AI summary
A mechanism capable of changing a scaling ratio used when a print data is scaled and printed with a printer by a numerical value. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing a program supporting a general-purpose print software that generates print data printable by printers of a plurality of manufacturers and transmits the print data to a printer, the program causing a computer to execute a control method including displaying a setting accepting screen on which a scaling ratio used when the print data is scaled and printed with the printer is accepted by a numerical value, and transmitting numerical value information including the numerical value accepted on the setting accepting screen to the printer.