Printing Device Memory Offloading for Large Document Billing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional image-forming devices with small-capacity memory units face limitations in storing image data, restricting the size of original documents that can be copied, as they must store image data before billing and printing, leading to user inconvenience.
Innovation Solution
A printing system comprising a printing device and a data processing server, where the device determines whether to transmit image data to the server based on available memory capacity and predicted storage needs, allowing fee payment processing without memory constraints, enabling the device to handle larger documents by offloading data when memory is limited.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If image data is stored in the memory unit before billing and printing, then the billing process can be performed, but devices with small-capacity memory units cannot store large image data, restricting document size
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the image data storage function from the printing device to an external server. The determination unit decides whether to transmit image data to the server based on memory capacity, and when memory is insufficient, the transmission unit sends the data externally, allowing the device to handle documents of any size without being constrained by local memory capacity
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces an external server as an intermediary for storing image data. The server acts as a mediator between the printing device and the billing system, receiving image data via the transmission unit and returning billing information, thereby enabling the device to process large documents without sufficient local memory
2Adaptability or versatility
If image data is transmitted to the server for payment processing, then memory capacity restrictions are removed, but additional transmission and reception processes are required
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements dynamic decision-making through the determination unit, which adaptively decides whether to transmit image data based on real-time memory capacity assessment. This dynamic approach allows the system to switch between local storage and external transmission modes, adding complexity only when necessary rather than always transmitting
Solution Approach 2:
The determination unit performs preliminary assessment of memory capacity before transmission occurs. By evaluating whether local storage is sufficient in advance, the system avoids unnecessary transmission steps and prepares the appropriate processing path beforehand, minimizing the impact of additional process steps
Data Source
AI summary
A printing system includes: a printing device; and a data processing server. A first controller of the printing device is configured to perform: a reading process to read a reading target to generate image data; a determination process to determine whether to transmit the image data to the data processing server according to at least one of available capacity information and capacity-related information; and a data transmission process to transmit the image data to the data processing server. A second controller of the data processing server is configured to perform: a payment-related process related to a fee payment for printing based on the image data. The first controller is configured to further perform, after the fee payment is completed: an acquisition process to acquire print data corresponding to the image data; and a printing process to form an image corresponding to the print data on a printing medium.