Printer Driver Customization via Setting Value Deletion
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing printer driver systems, such as the generic printer driver in Windows, do not allow companies or organizations to customize the setting items, setting values, and default values displayed in print settings, limiting their ability to manage printing settings according to their specific needs.
Innovation Solution
A control method implemented on a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium that supports printing software functions, allowing the deletion of setting values based on restriction information, thereby enabling customization of print settings beyond the defaults provided by the printer driver.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If a generic printer driver is used to support multiple printing apparatuses, then ease of operation and versatility are improved, but the ability to customize print settings according to organizational needs deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the print driver into two functional parts: a generic driver that handles compatibility with multiple printing apparatuses, and a customization module that allows organizational-specific modifications. This segmentation enables the system to maintain broad compatibility while providing targeted customization capabilities through separate, manageable components.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces an intermediary mechanism (customization module or configuration file) that sits between the generic driver and the printing apparatus. This intermediary allows organizational-specific settings to be imposed without modifying the core generic driver, thereby preserving versatility while enabling customization through a mediating layer.
2Productivity
If print settings are customized according to organizational needs, then productivity and resource conservation are improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by allowing organizations to pre-configure and store customized print settings before actual printing occurs. These pre-configured settings can be automatically applied to print jobs, thereby improving productivity without requiring complex real-time configuration during the printing process itself.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent manages device complexity by changing parameters in a controlled manner through predefined customization modules rather than allowing unrestricted configuration. This approach enables productivity improvements through parameter optimization while limiting complexity growth by constraining the parameter change space to organized, manageable categories.
3Loss of energy
If default print settings are modified to reduce printing costs, then resource conservation is improved, but reliability of printing operations may deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies partial action by allowing selective modification of only those default settings that align with organizational cost-reduction goals, while leaving other settings unchanged. This enables resource conservation through targeted parameter adjustments without excessively altering the overall printing operation reliability, as only specific non-critical parameters are modified.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent incorporates feedback mechanisms that monitor printing outcomes and allow adjustment of default settings based on actual performance data. This feedback loop enables organizations to refine their cost-reduction settings while maintaining reliability, as the system can learn from actual printing results and adjust defaults accordingly to prevent failures.
Data Source
AI summary
A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium stores an application program causing an information processing apparatus to perform a control method, the application program supporting a function of printing software. The control method includes obtaining capability information from a printer, storing print function information including information corresponding to the obtained capability information, and deleting at least one of a plurality of setting values indicated by the print function information based on restriction information about a print setting.