Printer Data Filtering for POS Transmission Efficiency

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing printers in retail systems transmit unnecessary information during printing operations, leading to inefficiencies and reduced processing efficiency in data analysis and management.

Innovation Solution

A printer and control method that discriminates and masks personal information and unnecessary data formats before transmitting print text data to a control server, using transmission discrimination and information specification formats to ensure only relevant data is processed, thereby preventing unnecessary data transmission and maintaining processing efficiency.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Loss of information

If the printer transmits all print text data to the control server, then complete information is available for analysis, but unnecessary data transmission increases processing load and reduces efficiency

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecompleteness of transmitted informationVSAvoiddata processing efficiency
Core Design Contradiction:
Loss of informationVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent extracts and removes unnecessary information from the print text data before transmission. The controller identifies and eliminates redundant data elements such as formatting commands, control instructions, and non-essential text content, transmitting only the necessary information to the control server. This extraction process maintains data completeness for analysis while reducing transmission volume and processing load.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent segments the print text data into distinct components: essential information requiring transmission and non-essential information to be discarded. By dividing the data stream into meaningful segments and selectively transmitting only the relevant portions, the system optimizes the balance between information completeness and processing efficiency.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

2Measurement precision

If the printer transmits detailed print text data, then comprehensive analysis is possible, but data transmission volume and processing time increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveaccuracy of data analysisVSAvoiddata transmission and processing time
Core Design Contradiction:
Measurement precisionVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The patent extracts only the essential information elements required for accurate analysis from the complete print text data. By removing redundant formatting data, control commands, and non-essential content, the system maintains measurement precision for critical parameters while significantly reducing the time required for data transmission and processing.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

3Loss of information

If the printer transmits all received data, then no information is lost, but unnecessary information consumes bandwidth and processing resources

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvedata completenessVSAvoidprocessing resource consumption
Core Design Contradiction:
Loss of informationVSLoss of energy

Solution Approach 1:

The patent extracts and removes unnecessary data elements from the print text before transmission, identifying and eliminating redundant information such as formatting commands, control instructions, and non-essential content. This extraction process maintains the completeness of essential information while reducing bandwidth consumption and processing resource usage.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent discards non-essential information from the print text data while preserving critical information elements. The controller selectively discards redundant data that does not contribute to the core analysis objectives, thereby conserving energy and processing resources without compromising the integrity of essential information.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #34Discarding and recovering

Data Source

PatentEP3660655B1Printer and control method thereof
Publication Date: 2024.12.18 SEIKO EPSON CORP
  • EP3660655B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3660655B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP3660655B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

There is provided a printer including: a storage that stores transmission discrimination format information and information specification format information; a printing executor that performs printing based on print data received from a POS terminal; and a controller that transmits print text data, in which information adapted to information specification format indicated by information specification format information among information included in the print text data is converted or deleted, to a control server when a format of the print text data based on the print data received from the POS terminal is adapted to a transmission discrimination format indicated by the transmission discrimination format information.