Printing Mode Recommendation System for Energy Savings

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Solution Overview

Problem

It is challenging for administrators to promote resource saving in printing operations across network-connected image forming apparatuses, as they lack understanding of individual user usage patterns and business operations, making it difficult to confirm and optimize resource usage effectively.

Innovation Solution

An information processing system that includes a determination part to assess printing modes against recommended settings, a history storage part to record actual and provisional printing histories, and a changing part to adjust recommended printing modes based on usage data, prompting users to adopt energy-saving settings while tracking and optimizing resource consumption.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Loss of energy

If administrators manually monitor and manage printing operations, then resource saving can be promoted, but the complexity of management increases and requires deep understanding of each user's business operations

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveprinting resource consumptionVSAvoidmanagement complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

Loss of energyVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The system automatically monitors printing operations, determines whether recommended printing modes should be enforced, and manages resource saving without requiring administrator intervention. The determination part autonomously analyzes printing histories and provisional printing histories to make management decisions, eliminating the need for manual monitoring and deep understanding of individual user needs.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #25Self-service

Solution Approach 2:

The system continuously collects printing history data, compares it with recommended printing modes, and adjusts management strategies based on actual usage patterns. The feedback loop allows the system to learn from real printing behaviors and refine its determination of when to enforce resource-saving modes, improving management effectiveness over time without increasing complexity.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #23Feedback

2Loss of energy

If the system automatically determines and enforces recommended printing modes, then resource saving is promoted, but user convenience may be compromised

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveprinting resource consumptionVSAvoiduser convenience

Core Design Contradiction:

Loss of energyVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The system applies recommended printing modes selectively rather than universally. The determination part analyzes specific printing jobs and only enforces resource-saving modes when appropriate, allowing users to maintain their preferred settings when necessary. This partial enforcement approach balances resource saving goals with user convenience by avoiding unnecessary restrictions.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #16Partial or excessive action

Solution Approach 2:

The system dynamically adjusts the degree of enforcement for recommended printing modes based on analyzing printing histories and provisional printing histories. By changing the parameter of enforcement strictness, the system can promote resource saving in situations where it benefits the organization while maintaining user convenience in situations where user preferences are clearly demonstrated through usage patterns.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

3Productivity

If printing histories are stored and analyzed to optimize resource saving, then management effectiveness improves, but information storage requirements increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvemanagement effectivenessVSAvoidstorage capacity

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSQuantity of substance

Solution Approach 1:

The system extracts only the necessary information from printing operations for analysis and management decisions. Rather than storing complete printing histories indefinitely, the system processes and analyzes the essential data points needed to determine when recommended modes should be enforced, then discards or summarizes the rest. This extraction approach reduces storage requirements while maintaining management effectiveness.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Solution Approach 2:

The system performs preliminary analysis of printing histories to identify patterns and determine enforcement strategies before full-scale enforcement begins. By conducting preliminary actions to understand usage patterns and calculate resource-saving potential, the system can make more informed storage and management decisions, reducing the need for extensive long-term storage while improving management effectiveness.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Data Source

PatentUS9071777B2Information processing system, information processing method, and computer readable medium for recommending printing modes for energy-savings

Publication Date: 2015.06.30 FUJIFILM BUSINESS INNOVATION CORP

AI summary

An information processing system includes a determination part, a history storage part, a provisional history storage part, and a changing part. The determination part determines whether or not a printing mode of a job set at a terminal matches a recommended printing mode. The history storage part stores printing histories of plural jobs. The provisional history storage part stores, in a case where the printing mode does not match the recommended printing mode, provisional printing histories including resource-saving effect which represents an effect of reduced resources based on an assumption that the jobs are printed in accordance with the recommended printing mode. The changing part changes the recommended printing mode, based on the stored printing histories and the provisional printing histories.