Image Forming Apparatus Abnormal Region Detection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing image forming technologies fail to effectively manage abnormalities in the print medium, such as positional shifts and defects, leading to inefficient ink discharge and potential print failures, with existing solutions either not addressing small defects or causing erroneous detections.
Innovation Solution
An image forming apparatus and method that includes an image forming device, conveyance device, and control device, which generates contrast image and medium region data to detect abnormal regions and limit ink discharge, providing abnormality-related information to the user for corrective action.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If existing image forming technologies are used without medium abnormality detection, then printing can proceed at normal speed, but ink may be discharged onto abnormal regions causing print failures and waste
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary detection of medium abnormalities (holes, bends, stains, foreign objects) using the medium reading device before the image forming device discharges ink. This advance detection allows the control device to identify abnormal regions and prevent ink discharge onto these regions, ensuring print quality without causing waste or rework.
Solution Approach 2:
The control device acts as an intermediary between the medium reading device and the image forming device. It receives detection results from the medium reading device, processes the information to identify abnormal regions, and controls the image forming device to limit ink discharge to normal regions only. This intermediary function coordinates the detection and execution to maintain both reliability and productivity.
2Reliability
If medium reading device is added to detect abnormalities, then print quality and abnormality management improve, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The medium reading device is designed to detect multiple types of abnormalities (holes, bends, stains, foreign objects) simultaneously using a single device. This multi-functional approach improves abnormality detection accuracy without requiring separate detection devices for each type of defect, thereby limiting the increase in device complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The system merges the medium reading device with the existing image forming apparatus, integrating the detection function into the printing workflow. The control device combines the functions of receiving detection results, processing abnormality information, and controlling ink discharge, creating a unified system that manages both detection and execution without requiring entirely separate systems.
3Measurement precision
If comprehensive medium inspection is performed, then detection precision improves, but processing time increases
Solution Approach 1:
The medium reading device continuously reads and detects abnormalities on the medium as it passes through the conveyance path, rather than performing discrete inspections at separate stages. This continuous detection maintains high detection precision by examining the entire medium surface while minimizing additional processing time, as the detection occurs during the normal medium conveyance without requiring separate inspection steps.
Data Source
AI summary
An image forming apparatus includes: an image forming device forming an image on an image forming medium based on image data; a medium reading device acquiring, on a conveyance path, medium image data representing the image forming medium; an abnormality detector using the image data to generate contrast image region data for specifying an image formation target region that is a region targeted for image formation, using the medium image data to generate contrast medium region data for specifying an image formation permitted region that is a region on the image forming medium where the image formation is enabled, and detecting, as an abnormal region, the image formation target region present outside of the image formation permitted region or a region corresponding to deficiency present within the image formation permitted region; and an abnormality related information output device using the medium image data to output abnormality related information.