Communication Terminal Service Availability Display
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional techniques fail to distinguish between image forming apparatuses that do not support print services and those that have print service settings disabled, leading to undisplayed devices that could become usable if their settings are changed, thus preventing users from identifying and utilizing potentially functional printers.
Innovation Solution
A communication terminal and method that searches for image forming apparatuses and displays search results indicating which devices can use a predetermined service and which cannot due to disabled settings, providing a user interface to change these settings, enabling users to identify and enable previously non-functional printers.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If the client terminal determines that an image forming apparatus cannot provide print service based on search response attributes, then the apparatus is excluded from search results, but this prevents users from identifying apparatuses that could become usable if settings are changed
Solution Approach 1:
The search results are segmented into multiple categories: apparatuses that can provide the service, apparatuses that cannot provide the service, and apparatuses whose service is disabled but could be enabled. This segmentation allows users to distinguish between apparatuses that fundamentally don't support print service and those that merely have the setting disabled, resolving the information loss while maintaining accurate determination.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces an intermediary display mechanism that shows disabled apparatuses with special indicators (such as grayed-out appearance or specific icons) between the fully functional and completely non-functional categories. This intermediary representation preserves information about potentially usable apparatuses while maintaining the accuracy of service availability determination through visual differentiation.
2Adaptability or versatility
If all image forming apparatuses are displayed in search results regardless of service status, then users can see all available devices, but this creates confusion between apparatuses that support service and those that don't
Solution Approach 1:
Different visual qualities are applied to different categories of apparatuses in the search results. Fully functional apparatuses display with normal appearance, while disabled apparatuses display with special visual indicators (such as reduced opacity, different icons, or status labels). This local quality differentiation maintains complete device listing while making service capability determination easy through visual cues.
3Ease of operation
If the system provides detailed information about service status for each apparatus, then users can make informed decisions, but this increases the complexity of the user interface
Solution Approach 1:
The patent provides partial information about service status through visual indicators in the main search results, and offers more detailed information only when users request it or interact with specific apparatuses. This partial action approach enables informed decision-making through sufficient visual cues while avoiding excessive information that would complicate the interface.
Data Source
AI summary
A mobile terminal (a communication terminal) searches for image forming apparatuses that can use a predetermined service (a print service), and displays, as search results, one or more image forming apparatuses that responded to the search. Furthermore, in the search results, the mobile terminal identifiably displays, in accordance with the response from each image forming apparatus, image forming apparatuses that can use the predetermined service, and image forming apparatuses that cannot use the predetermined service because a setting for the service is set to disabled.