Image Forming Apparatus Consumable Detection for Agreement Transition
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing methods require users to manually change settings on image forming apparatuses when replacing devices under subscription services, involving cancellation of old agreements and setup of new ones, which is cumbersome and inefficient.
Innovation Solution
An image forming apparatus equipped with a consumable that includes type information, allowing the controller to determine if it's a special consumable, enabling automatic cancellation of old agreements and facilitating the setup of new ones by transmitting print information to an external device when the special consumable is used.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If manual setting change is required when replacing image forming apparatus under subscription service, then the user can control the agreement cancellation process, but the operation becomes cumbersome and inefficient
Solution Approach 1:
The image forming apparatus automatically detects the consumable type through the consumable memory, determines whether agreement cancellation is needed, and executes the cancellation process without requiring manual user intervention. The system serves itself by autonomously managing the agreement transition when special consumables are detected.
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs agreement cancellation in advance automatically when the special consumable is attached and printing is executed, before the user would otherwise need to manually initiate the cancellation process. This preliminary automatic action eliminates the need for subsequent manual setting changes.
2Productivity
If automatic agreement cancellation is implemented, then the operation becomes simpler and faster, but the system complexity increases due to consumable memory and automatic detection mechanisms
Solution Approach 1:
The consumable memory acts as an intermediary component that stores type information about the consumable. This intermediary enables the controller to automatically detect consumable type and trigger appropriate actions without requiring complex analysis or multiple sensing mechanisms.
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses information copied from the consumable memory (consumable type information) to determine the appropriate action. Instead of directly analyzing physical properties of the consumable, the system reads pre-stored identification information, simplifying the detection process.
3Reliability
If the system waits for printing execution to trigger agreement cancellation, then the cancellation is ensured to be accurate, but the process delay occurs until printing happens
Solution Approach 1:
The system checks for special consumables and triggers agreement cancellation periodically or on-demand when printing is executed, rather than continuously monitoring. This periodic verification ensures accurate cancellation timing while avoiding unnecessary continuous operation.
Data Source
AI summary
An image forming apparatus includes: a consumable including a consumable memory storing type information; a main casing to which the consumable is attached; a communication interface; and a controller. The type information indicates whether the consumable is a special consumable that can be used when the image forming apparatus is under a concluded agreement or a normal consumable that can be used irrespective of whether or not the image forming apparatus is under the concluded agreement. The controller is configured to perform: when determining that the attached consumable is the special consumable and when printing is performed based on a print instruction after the image forming apparatus is registered to be subjected to a newly concluded agreement, transmitting to an external device print information indicating that the printing is performed based on the print instruction to cause a concluded agreement for another image forming apparatus to be cancelled.