Subscription Management Server for Print Material Consumption

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Solution Overview

Problem

Users and service providers face challenges in accurately determining print material consumption by image rendering devices, leading to sub-optimal subscription plans that result in additional costs and timely procurement issues due to the lack of data on consumption rates, content types, and printing volumes.

Innovation Solution

A subscription management server collects and analyzes data on print material consumption, including the number of media printed, printing mode, and content type, to determine an optimal subscription plan for image rendering devices, automatically generating notifications for users and service providers to select suitable plans.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Measurement precision

If users manually estimate print material consumption to select subscription plans, then the selection process is simple and quick, but the accuracy of consumption prediction is low leading to sub-optimal plan selection

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveconsumption prediction accuracyVSAvoiddata collection and analysis system
Core Design Contradiction:
Measurement precisionVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The image rendering device automatically monitors and reports its own print material consumption data to the subscription management server, eliminating the need for manual user estimation while enabling accurate consumption-based plan selection

Inventive Principle:
Principle #25Self-service

Solution Approach 2:

The system implements a feedback loop where consumption data from the image rendering device is continuously collected, analyzed by the subscription management server, and used to generate personalized subscription plan recommendations, improving prediction accuracy over time

Inventive Principle:
Principle #23Feedback

2Reliability

If subscription plans are based on generic assumptions rather than actual consumption data, then plan selection is easier, but procurement timeliness deteriorates due to mismatched plans

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveprocurement timelinessVSAvoidplan selection process
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The subscription management server proactively analyzes consumption patterns and generates personalized subscription plan recommendations before the user needs to make a selection, ensuring the optimal plan is ready in advance based on actual device usage data

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The system continuously monitors actual consumption against predicted consumption from selected plans and provides feedback to refine future recommendations, ensuring procurement timeliness while maintaining ease of selection

Inventive Principle:
Principle #23Feedback

3Quantity of substance

If users select subscription plans without accurate consumption data, then the plan selection process is faster, but additional costs are incurred due to sub-optimal plan selection

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecost efficiencyVSAvoidplan selection time
Core Design Contradiction:
Quantity of substanceVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The image rendering device automatically generates and transmits consumption data to the subscription management server, enabling cost-optimized plan selection without requiring time-consuming manual data collection or analysis by the user

Inventive Principle:
Principle #25Self-service

Solution Approach 2:

The system performs consumption analysis and generates personalized plan recommendations in advance, allowing users to make cost-effective selections quickly without needing to spend time on manual estimation or comparison

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Data Source

PatentEP3814883B1Print material subscription plans
Publication Date: 2024.05.15 HEWLETT PACKARD DEVELOPMENT COMPANY LP
  • EP3814883B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3814883B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP3814883B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

Examples techniques to determine print material subscription plans for image rendering devices are described. In an example, data indicative of print material consumption by an image rendering device for a period of time is received at a server. Based on the received data, a print material subscription plan is determined for the image rendering device. Signals to enable provision of a notification corresponding to first print material subscription plan are transmitted to the image rendering device.