Information Processing Device Thumbnail Page Selection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional printers lack an efficient method to easily recognize and index the contents of files stored on removable media, particularly for documents with multiple pages containing both text and images, limiting user understanding of file structure and content.
Innovation Solution
An information processing device with an acquiring unit, image/page selecting unit, reducing unit, and outputting unit that generates and prints/display reduced-size images of selected pages, including leading pages, color images, and specific pages, allowing users to easily grasp file contents by printing/displaying these images along with file names and page numbers.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of information
If all pages of a multi-page document are printed at full size, then complete content visibility is achieved, but paper consumption and printing time increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the document into multiple pages and selectively processes only specific pages (first page, pages with images, or user-designated pages) rather than printing all pages. This segmentation allows the system to reduce paper consumption while maintaining essential content visibility through strategic page selection and thumbnail generation.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates thumbnail copies of selected pages instead of printing full-size originals. These reduced-size copies provide a condensed overview of document contents, enabling users to review multiple pages on less paper while still accessing the essential information through the thumbnail representations.
2Quantity of substance
If only the first page of each document is printed as a thumbnail, then paper consumption is reduced, but users cannot recognize contents of documents with important information on subsequent pages
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by differentiating the processing of different pages based on their content characteristics. Pages containing images are identified and selected for thumbnail generation, while text-only pages may be handled differently. This selective approach ensures that pages with visually important content are represented in the thumbnail set, improving content recognition while maintaining paper reduction benefits.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces dynamic page selection capabilities that allow users to specify which pages should be included in the thumbnail output. Users can designate particular pages or page ranges based on their specific needs, making the thumbnail generation process adaptive and flexible rather than static and uniform.
3Ease of operation
If users want to review specific pages of a multi-page document, they must access the document on a computer, but direct printing from removable media is the intended convenience
Solution Approach 1:
The patent enables the printing device to perform page selection and thumbnail generation autonomously without requiring external computer intervention. The system automatically identifies and processes selected pages based on predefined criteria or user inputs directly at the printing device, allowing users to maintain the convenience of direct printing from removable media while achieving specific page review capabilities.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent performs preliminary page analysis and selection before the actual printing process. By pre-identifying which pages contain images or match user criteria, the system prepares the thumbnail set in advance, enabling efficient processing and maintaining the streamlined direct-printing workflow without requiring post-processing or computer access.
4Loss of information
If the printer processes and displays detailed information from all pages, then complete content understanding is achieved, but processing time and device load increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies partial action by processing only a subset of pages rather than analyzing every page in detail. By focusing on the first page, pages containing images, or user-specified pages, the system achieves sufficient content understanding for most user needs while significantly reducing processing time and device load compared to comprehensive full-document analysis.
Data Source
AI summary
An information processing device includes an acquiring unit, an image page selecting unit, a reducing unit, and an outputting unit. The acquiring unit acquires a file including a plurality of pages. At least one of a character and an image is carried on each page. The image page selecting unit selects a page containing the image from the plurality of pages. The reducing unit generates a reduced-size page carrying a reduced-size image from the selected page. The outputting unit outputs the reduced-size image.