Centralized Management Server for Printer Profile Distribution
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing printing systems face delays and quality control issues due to the need for physical transportation of color chart samples between printing factories and profile preparation companies, and lack effective measures for ensuring the quality of printed materials when using non-genuine consumables.
Innovation Solution
A centralized management server facilitates the storage and distribution of printing setup information, including profiles and quality metrics, allowing for remote configuration and quality assurance of printers, enabling efficient and high-quality printing across distributed locations while ensuring the use of genuine consumables.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of time
If color chart samples are physically transported between printing factory and profile preparation company, then profile preparation can be performed, but several days are required for the process
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates a digital copy of the color chart data that can be transmitted electronically instead of physically transporting the actual color chart samples. The management server stores and distributes digital color chart information, allowing profile preparation to begin immediately without waiting for physical sample delivery, thus reducing the time from several days to nearly instantaneous while maintaining the ability to perform accurate color profiling.
2Productivity
If printing setup information is distributed through centralized management server, then setup time is reduced, but system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The management server performs multiple functions: storing color chart data, distributing printing setup information, managing printer profiles, and coordinating between different printing locations. By consolidating these diverse functions into a single universal system, the patent reduces the need for multiple separate systems while improving setup efficiency through centralized information distribution.
Solution Approach 2:
The management server acts as an intermediary between the profile preparation company and multiple printing factories. It receives printing setup information from the profile preparation company and distributes it to various printers, simplifying the coordination process and reducing direct communication overhead between multiple parties, thus improving productivity while managing system complexity through a single mediation point.
3Reliability
If genuine consumables are required for quality assurance, then printing quality is maintained, but flexibility in consumable selection is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The system incorporates feedback mechanisms where printing setup information including consumable requirements is transmitted from the management server to the printer. The printer can report back about consumable status and quality metrics, allowing the system to monitor and maintain printing quality consistency while providing information about consumable usage patterns that could inform future procurement decisions, thus balancing quality reliability with operational flexibility.
Data Source
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AI summary
A first provider for providing a printer, a second provider for providing a print medium, a client which performs printing on the print medium using the printer, and a management section for processing and storing information are coupled to each other via a network. The first provider provides the second provider with a provider printer and a profile preparation tool. The second provider executes a process of preparing a profile corresponding to a combination of the provider printer and the print medium using the same, and transmitting printing setup information including the profile to the management section with respect to one or more print media. The client receives the printing setup information corresponding to the combination of the client printer used in printing and the print medium used in printing from the management section, performs setup based on the printing setup information on software for controlling the client printer and performs printing.