Printer Controller Centralizes Print Settings

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Solution Overview

Problem

Users face the burden of setting and registering the same favorite printing conditions in both printer drivers and reprinting utilities, which is time-consuming and inefficient, and existing solutions require frequent downloads from a server, leading to waiting times.

Innovation Solution

A printing system where a terminal apparatus generates print data with setting information and instruction to register printing conditions, which is transmitted to a printing control apparatus that recognizes and stores the conditions, allowing for centralized management and reduction of user effort.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If the favorite setting is registered in both the printer driver and the reprinting utility, then the printing condition can be consistently applied, but the user burden increases due to duplicate registration

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveprinting condition consistencyVSAvoiduser burden

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The patent merges the favorite setting registration function into the printer controller, which already stores printing conditions for the reprinting utility. By combining these two storage functions into a single location, the system eliminates the need for duplicate registration while maintaining consistent printing conditions across both the printer driver and reprinting utility.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

2Ease of operation

If the favorite setting is downloaded from a server apparatus, then the user can set printing conditions without duplicate registration, but a waiting time is required for each download

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveuser burdenVSAvoidwaiting time

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The patent extracts the favorite setting storage function from the server apparatus and relocates it to the printer controller. This allows the printer controller to store and manage favorite settings locally, eliminating the need for frequent downloads from the server and thereby reducing waiting time while maintaining ease of operation.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Data Source

PatentUS8908211B2Printing system, printing control apparatus, and non-transitory computer readable recording medium stored with printing control program

Publication Date: 2014.12.09 KONICA MINOLTA BUSINESS TECH INC

AI summary

A printing system includes a terminal apparatus and a printing control apparatus. The terminal apparatus includes a setting unit for setting a printing condition for a document, a generating unit for generating print data containing data of the document, setting data indicating the printing condition, and instruction information instructing to register the printing condition, and a transmitting unit for transmitting the print data. The printing control apparatus includes a storage unit for storing the printing condition and name information specifying the printing condition, a receiving unit for receiving the print data, a recognizing unit for recognizing that the print data contains the instruction information, and a registering unit for causing the printing condition indicated by the setting data to be stored in the storage unit if it is recognized that the print data contains the instruction information.