Portable Terminal Orientation Detection for Automatic Print Format Selection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Users of multifunctional printing devices face cumbersome operations when setting print formats, leading to confusion and errors, especially for those unfamiliar with the process, which disrupts the printing process for others waiting.
Innovation Solution
A data printing system that includes a printing device and a portable terminal device, equipped with a state identifying section, determining section, and printing section, which detects the orientation of the portable terminal device and automatically determines the print format based on its placement state, allowing intuitive operation and simplified printing.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If users manually set print format on multifunctional printing devices, then printing functionality is achieved, but operation complexity increases and user confusion occurs
Solution Approach 1:
The portable terminal device automatically determines print format settings based on its own placement state (portrait or landscape orientation) without requiring manual user input. The state identifying section detects the terminal's orientation, and the determining section automatically sets the corresponding print format, allowing the system to serve itself rather than requiring user configuration.
Solution Approach 2:
The print format is determined in advance based on the placement state of the portable terminal device before the actual printing process begins. By pre-determining the print format according to the terminal's orientation, the system eliminates the need for users to perform format setting operations at the time of printing.
2Manufacturing precision
If users manually configure printing parameters, then print control precision is improved, but operation time increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system automatically determines the appropriate print format by detecting the portable terminal device's placement state, eliminating the time users would spend manually configuring print parameters while maintaining accurate format settings that correspond to the terminal's orientation.
Solution Approach 2:
The print format is predetermined based on the terminal's placement state before printing begins, so the format accuracy is ensured through automatic determination while the setup time is reduced to nearly zero since no manual configuration is needed.
3Ease of operation
If automated print format determination is implemented, then ease of operation is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The portable terminal device acts as an intermediary that contains the state identifying section and determining section. Instead of adding complex detection and control mechanisms to the multifunctional printing device, the automation functionality is embedded in the terminal device itself, which then communicates with the printer to initiate printing with pre-determined formats.
Data Source
AI summary
The present invention allows desired printing to be easily achieved not with complex operation but with intuitive operation. In the present invention, short-range communications can be made between a portable terminal device and a copy machine. When the portable terminal device is placed on a placement table of the copy machine, the copy machine detects the placement state of the portable terminal device (for example, landscape orientation or portrait orientation), determines a print format (for example, printing in a vertical direction or a horizontal direction as a printing direction) according to this placement state, and performs printing of print data received from the portable terminal device according to the print format.