Short-Range Wireless Antenna Positioning in Image Forming Apparatus
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
In image forming apparatuses with short-range wireless communication antennas, the antenna arrangement often interferes with user access and usability, particularly when the antenna is placed on the top surface of the cover, leading to decreased usability due to the distribution of user access between the portable terminal and the touch-panel device.
Innovation Solution
The image forming apparatus incorporates a short-range wireless communication antenna located inside the housing of the operation unit, separated from the touch-panel device, allowing the antenna to be positioned for optimal communication performance while maintaining user access and usability by disabling touch-panel operations during communication.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If the antenna is placed on the top surface of the cover, then the antenna arrangement is simplified and visible from above, but user access to the touch-panel device is interfered with and usability decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The antenna is moved from the top surface (2D plane) to the side surface of the cover, changing its spatial dimension. This allows the antenna to be positioned at the right side while the touch-panel device remains accessible on the front surface, resolving the conflict between antenna placement and user access.
Solution Approach 2:
The cover is functionally segmented into different regions: the front surface for the touch-panel device and the right side surface for the antenna. This spatial segmentation allows both components to coexist without interfering with each other's functionality.
2Device complexity
If the antenna is placed on the top surface of the cover, then the antenna arrangement is simplified, but user access is distributed between the portable terminal and touch-panel device leading to decreased usability
Solution Approach 1:
By relocating the antenna to the side surface rather than the top surface, the invention concentrates user access on the front touch-panel device while the antenna operates independently on the side, improving usability without increasing device complexity.
3Reliability
If the antenna is positioned for optimal communication performance, then communication distance is maximized, but user access to the operation unit is interfered with
Solution Approach 1:
The antenna is positioned on the side surface of the cover, which provides optimal communication performance while being spatially separated from the user interaction area on the front surface, thus avoiding interference with user access.
Solution Approach 2:
Different surfaces of the cover are assigned different functions: the front surface is optimized for user interaction with the touch-panel device, while the side surface is optimized for antenna placement and wireless communication, allowing each component to perform its function effectively without compromise.
Data Source
AI summary
Provided is an image forming apparatus that is able to concentrate user access, and maintain a high degree of usability. The image forming apparatus is an image forming apparatus with a short-range wireless communication antenna that includes a main unit that performs image formation, and an operation unit that includes a touch-panel device and that is attached to the front of the main unit. The antenna is located in a space at the top inside a housing of the operation unit where the touch-panel device is not located.