Fuser Power Reduction Controller for Printers
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Solution Overview
Problem
Printers consume significant electrical power, particularly due to the fuser device, which heats to fuse marking material onto print media, and existing methods fail to efficiently reduce power consumption without compromising image quality or introducing delays in temperature adjustments.
Innovation Solution
A controller determines the marking material density per unit area before rasterization, adjusting the fuser temperature accordingly, and uses an ultra-low resolution image to estimate localized area coverage, allowing for earlier temperature adjustments and reduced power usage by maintaining higher temperatures only for high area coverage images.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Use of energy by moving object
If the fuser temperature is reduced for lower area coverage images, then power consumption is reduced, but image quality may be compromised if temperature is insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The system applies different fuser temperatures based on local area coverage characteristics of different images. By analyzing the marking material density per unit area for each image and comparing it against threshold values, the controller selectively adjusts temperature only when appropriate, ensuring high quality for high coverage areas while saving power for low coverage areas.
Solution Approach 2:
The system dynamically changes the fuser operating temperature parameter based on the determined marking material density. The controller adjusts the temperature parameter between a first temperature (for high area coverage) and a second temperature (for low area coverage), optimizing both power consumption and image quality based on the specific image characteristics.
2Measurement precision
If the fuser temperature is adjusted after rasterization, then accurate temperature control is achieved, but time delays occur in the printing process
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs the marking material density determination and fuser temperature selection before the rasterization process completes. By calculating the area coverage using the rasterized image data as it becomes available, the controller has sufficient time to determine the appropriate temperature and begin heating the fuser in advance, eliminating wait times while maintaining accurate temperature control.
3Reliability
If the fuser maintains high temperature continuously, then image quality is ensured for all images, but power consumption increases significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The system applies the higher fuser temperature only partially - specifically, only when the marking material density exceeds a second threshold value indicating high area coverage. For images with lower area coverage where the density remains below this threshold, the system uses the lower temperature, thereby avoiding excessive power consumption while maintaining sufficient image quality through the threshold-based selection criteria.
4Measurement precision
If the marking material density is determined after rasterization, then accurate density measurement is achieved, but processing time increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system determines the marking material density per unit area during the rasterization process itself, rather than after completion. By utilizing the rasterized image data as it is being generated and calculating area coverage metrics concurrently, the system achieves accurate density measurement without adding separate processing steps, thereby maintaining high processing speed and productivity.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This approach reduces fuser power consumption by up to 20% for lower area coverage images while ensuring image quality by maintaining sufficient fuser temperatures for high area coverage areas, eliminating delays in temperature adjustments and improving energy efficiency.
Implementation Method 1
a heating device (e.g., fuser) adapted to heat the marking material on the print media
Implementation Method 2
cause the heating device to fuse the marking material to the print media
Data Source
AI summary
Printing apparatuses include a photoreceptor adapted to print an image by applying marking material to print media, a fuser adapted to heat the marking material on the print media, and a controller. The controller determines the amount of marking material per unit area of the image before the fuser heats the marking material on the print media. The controller rasterizes the image to produce a bitmap of the image, but the amount of marking material per unit area for the image is determined before completion of rasterization and marking of the image. The controller also adjusts the operating temperature of the fuser to a fusing temperature based on the amount of marking material per unit area of the image, causes the photoreceptor to print the image on the print media using the bitmap of the image, and causes the fuser to fuse the marking material to the print media.