Printer Driver Association for Prohibition Information Transfer

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Solution Overview

Problem

In information processing apparatuses, when a second printer driver lacks prohibition information specific to a device, it fails to perform the prohibition process set by a first printer driver, leading to potential misuse of printer functions and sheet types, especially when upgrading from older printer driver architectures.

Innovation Solution

An information processing apparatus with a second printer driver that includes an association establishing unit and a receiving unit, allowing it to associate with a first printer driver and receive print settings for conversion based on the prohibition information from the first driver, enabling the second driver to perform the prohibition process even without specific prohibition information.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Adaptability or versatility

If a second printer driver is used to replace a first printer driver during upgrade, then newer version benefits are achieved, but prohibition process functionality is lost

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveprinter driver compatibilityVSAvoidprohibition process execution

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent introduces an intermediary mechanism where the second printer driver establishes an association with the first printer driver. The second driver acts as a mediator that receives print settings, converts them using the first driver's prohibition information, and transmits processed data to the printer. This allows the second driver to leverage the first driver's device-specific prohibition information without requiring the second driver to natively contain such information, thus resolving the contradiction between using a newer driver and maintaining prohibition functionality.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Ease of manufacture

If the second printer driver does not include device-specific prohibition information, then driver compatibility and ease of deployment are improved, but device-specific function restrictions fail

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvedriver deploymentVSAvoidunauthorized printer function usage

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of manufactureVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies preliminary action by having the second printer driver pre-establish an association with the first printer driver before actual printing operations. The first driver's prohibition information is retrieved and stored in advance, enabling the second driver to perform prohibition processes without needing to embed device-specific information directly in the second driver package. This approach simplifies driver deployment while preventing unauthorized printer function usage.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The first printer driver serves as an intermediary information source that provides device-specific prohibition information to the second printer driver. The second driver retrieves and uses this information through the established association, allowing it to enforce function restrictions without containing the restrictive information natively. This resolves the contradiction between ease of deployment and prevention of unauthorized usage.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

3Reliability

If print settings conversion is performed using prohibition information from the first driver, then prohibition process equivalence is achieved, but additional processing complexity is introduced

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveprohibition process equivalenceVSAvoiddriver association mechanism

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent extracts the prohibition information functionality from the first printer driver and utilizes it within the second driver through the established association. The second driver extracts and applies only the necessary prohibition information for conversion, rather than duplicating the entire first driver's functionality. This reduces the complexity burden while maintaining prohibition process equivalence.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Data Source

PatentUS11620095B2Information processing apparatus and non-transitory computer readable medium for information processing

Publication Date: 2023.04.04 FUJIFILM BUSINESS INNOVATION CORP

AI summary

An information processing apparatus includes a first printer driver, and a second printer driver. The first printer driver includes prohibition information specific to a device that is to be controlled. The second printer driver includes an association establishing unit and a receiving unit. The association establishing unit establishes an association with the first printer driver. The receiving unit receives print settings. The second printer driver transmits, to the device that is to be controlled, print data based on print settings that have been obtained through conversion performed on the basis of the prohibition information included in the first printer driver. The association establishing unit establishes the association with the first printer driver.