Virtual Printer Service Excluding Virtual Devices from Search Results
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Solution Overview
Problem
The challenge is to create a virtual image forming device that can receive print jobs from an operating system without requiring a printer driver, allowing users to select and connect to actual image forming devices on a network while preventing the creation of virtual devices that cannot perform printing due to unstarted host computers.
Innovation Solution
The solution involves an acquisition unit for responding to device search requests, a determination unit to identify virtual devices, and a presentation unit that excludes virtual devices from the list of available devices, ensuring only actual devices are selected as connection targets for virtual printers.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If a virtual device responds to searching from the OS, then the virtual device can be found and selected by the user, but a virtual device may be selected as a connection target, leading to creation of a virtual device associated with a virtual device that cannot perform printing
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts virtual devices from the list of devices presented to users during device search. The determination unit identifies virtual devices by checking if they respond to search requests, and the presentation unit excludes these identified virtual devices from the presentation list, allowing users to select only actual physical devices as connection targets.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces an intermediary verification mechanism between device search and device selection. The determination unit acts as an intermediary that checks device responses and filters out virtual devices before they reach the user interface, preventing erroneous selections without affecting the search response capability of virtual devices.
2Loss of information
If all responding devices are presented to the user, then the user has complete information to make a selection, but virtual devices are included in the list, causing potential selection errors
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts virtual devices from the complete list of responding devices. The determination unit identifies which devices are virtual by analyzing their search responses, and the presentation unit removes these identified virtual devices from the list presented to users, maintaining information completeness for actual devices while eliminating misleading virtual device options.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies different treatment to different types of devices in the search results. Actual physical devices are presented to users with full information, while virtual devices are identified and excluded from the presentation list. This local differentiation ensures users receive complete information about valid devices without being confused by virtual device options.
Data Source
AI summary
A virtual printer service according to the present disclosure acquires a response to a device search request from an actual printer and a virtual printer, determines based on the acquired response whether or not each device that has responded to the device search request is a virtual device, and presents, to a user, information on one or more devices in which a device determined as the virtual printer is excluded from the plurality of devices that have responded. A virtual device that transmits a print job to one device is then created based on information on the one device selected by the user from the presented information on one or more devices.