Printer Usage Condition Enforcement via Supporting Program
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current printer control technologies using standard OS printing programs lack the ability to enforce user-specific usage conditions, such as print quantity limits and color/monochrome restrictions, leading to inefficient resource utilization and potential misuse.
Innovation Solution
A supporting program executed by a personal computer connected to a printer, which determines whether printing is executable based on user identification and usage conditions set by the user, allowing for restrictions on print settings like toner saving, color usage, and page limits, and notifies the user if print settings do not meet these conditions.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If standard OS printing program is used without printer driver, then printing operation is simplified and ease of operation is improved, but ability to enforce user-specific usage conditions is lost leading to resource misuse
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a supporting program as an intermediary between the standard OS printing program and the printer. This supporting program receives print instructions from the OS printing program, obtains user identification information, retrieves usage conditions from storage, determines whether printing is executable based on these conditions, and notifies the user of any restrictions. This intermediary layer enables usage condition enforcement while maintaining the simplicity of using the standard OS printing program.
2Productivity
If usage conditions are enforced through supporting program, then resource utilization is optimized and productivity is improved, but system complexity increases due to additional determination process
Solution Approach 1:
The supporting program implements self-service by automatically obtaining user identification information, retrieving the corresponding usage conditions from storage, and autonomously determining whether printing is executable based on these conditions. This automated self-service approach minimizes manual intervention and reduces the perceived complexity for users, while still achieving optimized resource utilization through enforced usage conditions.
3Adaptability or versatility
If user identification and usage condition checking is performed, then control over printer usage is enhanced, but operation time increases due to additional processing steps
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements preliminary action by storing usage conditions in advance for each user identification information. When a print instruction is received, the supporting program quickly retrieves the pre-stored usage conditions and immediately determines whether printing is executable. This preliminary preparation of usage conditions eliminates the need for real-time complex evaluations, thereby reducing the time added to the printing process while maintaining strong user control capability.
Data Source
AI summary
A supporting program corresponding to the printer causes an information processing device to obtain user identification information and a usage condition associated with the user identification information when a general-use printing program receives a print instruction. The usage condition is a condition that determines whether printing is executable by a printer. The supporting program determines whether the printing is executable by the printer based on print settings of the print instruction and the obtained usage condition.