Printer Index Image Generation Using Document Structure Analysis
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional printers fail to effectively print index images for document files, often selecting pages that do not provide useful information about the file's contents, limiting the utility of the index printing function.
Innovation Solution
A printer equipped with a retrieving unit, index image generating unit, and list printing unit that acquires table of contents information from document files and generates index images, ensuring that useful information is printed, even if the file lacks explicit contents data, by utilizing headings and page structures to create legible and informative index images.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If a page having a specific page number (e.g., first page) is uniformly determined as the page to be index-printed, then the index printing process is simple and fast, but the printed index image may not contain useful information that helps users recognize the substance of the file
Solution Approach 1:
The printer performs preliminary analysis of the document structure before printing the index image. It extracts the table of contents and identifies representative pages in advance, so that when index printing is requested, the most informative page can be selected without sacrificing printing speed.
Solution Approach 2:
The system enables the document itself to select its own representative page for indexing. By automatically analyzing the document structure and identifying pages containing table of contents or headings, the system allows the document to serve itself in choosing the most informative page, eliminating the need for manual selection while ensuring useful information is captured.
2Loss of information
If the printer automatically analyzes document structure to select the most informative page for index printing, then useful information about file contents is preserved, but the processing time and complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The printer extracts only the essential structural elements needed for index printing - specifically the table of contents and heading information - from the document. By taking out only these critical components rather than analyzing the entire document, the system reduces processing complexity while still achieving informative index images.
Solution Approach 2:
The printer implements a universal index printing function that can handle multiple document types and structures. The same basic process of extracting table of contents and headings works across different document formats and styles, simplifying the overall system design while maintaining effectiveness across diverse file types.
3Ease of operation
If the printer uniformly prints the first page as index image, then the printing process is straightforward, but users cannot easily recognize the substance of the document file
Solution Approach 1:
The document automatically identifies and presents its own representative content through extracted table of contents and headings. This self-service approach maintains operational simplicity for the user while ensuring the index image contains meaningful information about the document substance.
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes the selection parameter from a fixed position (first page) to a content-based criterion (pages containing table of contents or headings). This parameter change maintains the automatic selection process simplicity while dramatically improving the informational value of the index image.
Data Source
AI summary
A printer includes a retrieving unit, an index image generating unit, and a list printing unit. The retrieving unit retrieves a file including document data. The content acquiring unit acquires information of a table of contents of the document data from the file. The index image generating unit generates an index image depicting the table of contents of the file based on the information of the table of contents. The list printing unit prints a list image containing the index image.