Scanner Engine Data Transfer to External Storage
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional image forming apparatuses require significant time for software development and face inefficiencies in managing and accessing scanned data, especially in multi-user environments where data storage failures can occur, leading to poor data usage and storage capacity issues.
Innovation Solution
An image forming apparatus with a scanner engine and operation panel that allows users to select and transfer scanned data to various destinations, including Web servers, mail, and shared network areas, with authentication options and data type conversion capabilities, enabling efficient data management and protection.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If scanned data is stored in the compound machine's internal storage, then data accessibility is improved, but storage capacity is consumed and data loss risk increases upon machine failure
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the scanned data from the compound machine's internal storage and transfers it to external storage locations such as network servers, personal computers, or portable storage devices. This extraction resolves the contradiction by removing data from the machine's limited internal storage (reducing storage capacity consumption) while maintaining accessibility through external storage locations (preserving reliability).
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces network servers and other external storage systems as intermediaries between the compound machine and the scanned data. These intermediaries enable data to be stored externally while remaining accessible to users, thus resolving the contradiction between storage capacity constraints and data accessibility requirements.
2Reliability
If multiple compound machines store scanned data locally, then data accessibility is improved, but data management complexity increases and efficiency decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a universal network-based storage system that serves multiple compound machines simultaneously. Instead of each machine having separate local storage, a centralized network storage location provides universal access to all machines, reducing data management complexity while maintaining accessibility for all users.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent merges the storage functions of multiple compound machines into a single centralized network storage location. This consolidation eliminates the need for separate local storage management on each machine, reducing overall system complexity while maintaining data accessibility through the network.
3Quantity of substance
If scanned data is transferred to external destinations, then storage capacity is saved and data security is improved, but transfer time is required
Solution Approach 1:
The patent performs preliminary actions by transferring scanned data to external storage locations immediately after scanning completes. This preliminary transfer ensures data is saved externally before the machine's internal storage fills up or fails, preserving storage capacity while accepting the necessary transfer time as a one-time cost.
Data Source
AI summary
An image forming apparatus including a scanner engine and an operation panel is provided, in which the image forming apparatus includes: a display part for displaying a selection screen for selecting a transfer destination of scanned data from among a plurality of transfer destinations on the operation panel; a scanning process part for causing the scanner engine to scan a document to produce scanned data; and a transfer part for transferring the scanned data to one or more selected transfer destinations.