Automated Receipt Image Association and QR Code Generation

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing systems for cashless settlements often require manual creation and association of receipt images with settlement data, leading to inefficiencies in the expense application process.

Innovation Solution

An information processing apparatus and system that acquire a data list from an external service, determine if an image is associated with selected data, acquire an image if none is associated, save the data and image together, and generate a two-dimensional code encoding the saving destination of the image, enabling efficient printing of receipt images.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of operation

If manual creation and association of receipt images with settlement data is performed, then receipt images can be printed, but user labor and time are increased

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveease of printing receipt imageVSAvoidtime for manual association

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs preliminary actions by automatically acquiring receipt images from the external service using the settlement data, and saving them in association with the settlement data beforehand. This eliminates the need for users to manually create and associate receipt images when printing is needed, thus reducing user labor and time while enabling easy printing of receipt images.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

2Adaptability or versatility

If receipt images are not issued for cashless settlements, then cashless service can be used, but receipt printing becomes impossible without manual intervention

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveability to print receipt without image issuanceVSAvoiddifficulty of manual receipt creation

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The system enables self-service by automatically acquiring receipt images from the external service using the settlement data, and saving them in association with the settlement data. This allows the system to serve itself without user intervention, enabling receipt printing even when receipt images are not issued by the cashless service, thus improving adaptability while maintaining ease of operation.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #25Self-service

3Productivity

If existing systems require receipt image upload to external service, then settlement data and receipt image can be transmitted, but additional user tasks are required

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveefficiency of expense adjustmentVSAvoidnumber of user tasks

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The system extracts the receipt image acquisition task from the user's responsibilities and performs it automatically using the settlement data. By saving the acquired receipt image in association with the settlement data, the system eliminates the user task of uploading receipt images to the external service, thus improving productivity while reducing device complexity from the user's perspective.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Data Source

PatentUS12307312B2Information processing apparatus and medium, and information processing system

Publication Date: 2025.05.20 CANON KK

AI summary

An information processing apparatus acquires a data list from an external service, determines whether an image is associated with data selected from the acquired data list, acquires an image to be associated with the selected data in a case where determination is made that no image is associated with the selected data, saves the selected data and the acquired image in association with each other, and generates and save a two dimensional code in which a saving destination of the image is encoded.