Blank Sheet Skip Printing Insertion Position Control

Solution Overview

Problem

The simultaneous use of blank-sheet skip printing and insertion sheet functions in digital copying machines often results in an incorrect insertion position of designated insertion sheets due to blank sheets being incorrectly identified, leading to undesired printing results.

Innovation Solution

An image processing apparatus with a determination unit to identify blank sheets, a designation unit for specifying insertion sheet positions, and a control unit that ensures consistent printing by skipping blank sheets and printing non-blank sheets adjacent to insertion sheets, maintaining the desired insertion position.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Loss of energy

If blank-sheet skip printing function is used to eliminate unnecessary printing, then sheet consumption and power consumption are reduced, but the insertion position of insertion sheets becomes incorrect when used simultaneously with insertion sheet function

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvepower consumptionVSAvoidinsertion position accuracy

Core Design Contradiction:

Loss of energyVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs preliminary identification of blank sheets during the reading process before printing begins. By detecting blank sheets in advance and marking them for skipping, the system can adjust insertion sheet positioning in anticipation of which pages will be skipped, thereby maintaining correct insertion positions despite omitting blank sheet printing

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The system implements a feedback mechanism where the blank-sheet detection results are fed back to the insertion sheet positioning control. The control unit continuously monitors which pages are identified as blank sheets and dynamically adjusts the insertion position calculations based on this feedback, ensuring that insertion sheets are placed at the correct positions in the final output

Inventive Principle:

Principle #23Feedback

2Loss of substance

If blank sheets are detected and printing is skipped, then wasteful sheet consumption is reduced, but the relative position of insertion sheets in the printed matter is changed

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvesheet consumptionVSAvoidinsertion position precision

Core Design Contradiction:

Loss of substanceVSManufacturing precision

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs preliminary identification of blank sheets during the reading process before printing begins. By detecting blank sheets in advance and marking them for skipping, the system can adjust insertion sheet positioning in anticipation of which pages will be skipped, thereby maintaining correct insertion positions despite omitting blank sheet printing

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The system implements a feedback mechanism where the blank-sheet detection results are fed back to the insertion sheet positioning control. The control unit continuously monitors which pages are identified as blank sheets and dynamically adjusts the insertion position calculations based on this feedback, ensuring that insertion sheets are placed at the correct positions in the final output

Inventive Principle:

Principle #23Feedback

3Productivity

If both blank-sheet skip printing and insertion sheet functions are used simultaneously, then productivity is improved by eliminating unnecessary printing, but the insertion position designated by the user is changed

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveprinting efficiencyVSAvoiduser designation accuracy

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The system implements a feedback mechanism where the blank-sheet detection results are fed back to the insertion sheet positioning control. The control unit continuously monitors which pages are identified as blank sheets and dynamically adjusts the insertion position calculations based on this feedback, ensuring that insertion sheets are placed at the correct positions in the final output

Inventive Principle:

Principle #23Feedback

Solution Approach 2:

The control unit acts as an intermediary between the user's insertion position designation and the actual printing process. It receives the user's designated insertion positions, cross-references them with the detected blank sheets, and automatically adjusts the positioning to account for skipped pages, thereby mediating between user intent and system execution

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Data Source

PatentUS9571693B2Image processing apparatus, image processing method, and program

Publication Date: 2017.02.14 CANON KK

AI summary

An image processing apparatus includes a determination unit configured to determine whether image data obtained by reading an input original is a blank sheet, a designation unit configured to designate a page position of the image data to designate a page position in which an insertion sheet is inserted in a printed matter obtained as a result of printing the image data, and a control unit configured to perform control so that image data printed in a sheet of a page next to an insertion sheet inserted in the page position designated by the designation unit in a case where blank-sheet skip printing is instructed, and image data printed in a sheet of a page next to the insertion sheet inserted in the page position designated by the designation unit in a case where the blank-sheet skip printing is not instructed, are the same image data.