Conditional Sheet Detection in Image Forming Apparatus
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing image forming apparatuses suffer from reduced productivity and user inconvenience due to unnecessary stopping of print jobs when the sheet type differs from the specified type, even if the differing sheet type is capable of being printed in the specified mode, as they always detect sheet types at the start of print jobs.
Innovation Solution
An image forming apparatus that receives print mode and sheet type specifications, includes a detection part to determine if the sheet type is allowed in the specified mode, and only executes printing operations when the sheet type is compatible with the prohibition mode, avoiding unnecessary detection in non-prohibition modes.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If sheet type detection is always performed at the start of a print job, then printing on prohibited sheet types is prevented, but printing productivity deteriorates due to unnecessary detection operations
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies dynamics by making the sheet type detection operation conditional rather than fixed. The detection part only operates when the print mode is determined to be a prohibition mode, adapting the detection behavior based on the specific printing conditions. This resolves the contradiction by eliminating unnecessary detection operations in non-prohibition modes while maintaining reliable prevention in prohibition modes.
2Reliability
If the print job is stopped when the fed sheet type differs from the specified sheet type, then printing on prohibited sheet types is prevented, but user convenience deteriorates when the differing sheet type is actually printable
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by making the sheet type verification process mode-specific. Instead of applying a uniform strict verification to all print modes, the system applies different levels of checking: in prohibition modes, it verifies that the sheet type is not prohibited, while in non-prohibition modes, it allows printing even if the sheet type differs from specification. This resolves the contradiction by tailoring the verification strictness to the specific print mode requirements.
Data Source
AI summary
An image forming apparatus includes: a reception part that receives specification of a print mode and specification of a sheet type to be used for printing; a sheet supply part that sends a sheet to a sheet conveyance path; a detection part that detects a type of a sheet sent to the sheet conveyance path; and a hardware processor that controls a printing operation, wherein when a sheet type received by the reception part is a type for which printing in the print mode received by the reception part is allowed, the sheet supply part sends a sheet to the sheet conveyance path, the hardware processor determines whether or not the print mode received by the reception part is a prohibition mode, when it is determined that the print mode is the prohibition mode, the detection part detects a type of a sheet sent to the sheet conveyance path.