Image Forming Apparatus Dynamic Printing Order Adjustment

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing image forming apparatuses lack the ability to dynamically change the printing order of multiple jobs based on user instructions, leading to potential misalignment of print orders when new jobs are added, and do not effectively handle unpresented jobs during filtering.

Innovation Solution

An image forming apparatus with an instruction acquiring unit, internal priority setting unit, and list adjusting unit that filters jobs, presents a job list, acquires change instructions, sets internal priorities different from set priorities, and adjusts the printing order based on user inputs, allowing for movement of jobs and handling of unpresented jobs during filtering.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of operation

If filtering is applied to present only selected jobs in the job list, then the user interface becomes cleaner and more manageable, but unpresented jobs may be overlooked or mishandled during priority changes

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvejob list manageabilityVSAvoidjob handling completeness

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent introduces an intermediary notification mechanism that alerts users to the presence of unpresented jobs when they attempt to change priority. This mediator (notification) bridges the gap between the filtered view and the complete job set, ensuring users are aware of all jobs without exposing all jobs in the interface, thus maintaining both ease of operation and reliability

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

The system provides feedback to the user when unpresented jobs exist during priority change operations. This feedback loop ensures users are informed about the complete state of the system (all jobs including unpresented ones) while maintaining the simplified filtered view, resolving the contradiction between interface simplicity and operational completeness

Inventive Principle:

Principle #23Feedback

2Ease of operation

If the printing order is changed based on user instructions, then user convenience is improved, but the system complexity increases due to dynamic priority adjustment mechanisms

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveprinting order controlVSAvoidpriority adjustment mechanism

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

Instead of having users directly manipulate complex priority values or positions in the job queue, the patent inverts the approach by allowing users to select desired print order positions directly. The system then automatically adjusts priorities to match the user-specified order, simplifying user interaction while maintaining the necessary internal complexity for dynamic adjustment

Inventive Principle:

Principle #13The other way round (Inversion)

Solution Approach 2:

The system performs automatic priority recalculation and job list reordering based on user selections without requiring users to understand or manually configure the underlying priority mechanisms. The system serves itself by automatically handling the complex adjustments needed to implement user intent, reducing operational complexity while maintaining flexibility

Inventive Principle:

Principle #25Self-service

3Adaptability or versatility

If new jobs are added to the queue, then the system remains flexible and adaptable, but the alignment of print orders may become misaligned without dynamic adjustment

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvejob queue flexibilityVSAvoidprint order alignment

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSManufacturing precision

Solution Approach 1:

The patent implements dynamic priority adjustment that automatically adapts when new jobs are added to the queue. Instead of static priority assignments, the system continuously recalibrates priorities based on current queue state and user preferences, maintaining print order alignment flexibility while ensuring precision in the final output sequence

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

Solution Approach 2:

The system monitors job queue changes and provides feedback-driven automatic adjustments to maintain proper print order alignment. When new jobs are detected, the system evaluates their impact on existing priorities and makes necessary adjustments, ensuring continuous alignment between user intent and actual print sequence despite queue dynamics

Inventive Principle:

Principle #23Feedback

Data Source

PatentUS11816375B1Image forming apparatus and image forming method capable of changing the internal priority of printing order in consideration of filtering

Publication Date: 2023.11.14 KYOCERA DOCUMENT SOLUTIONS INC

AI summary

Provided is an image forming apparatus capable of appropriately setting and adjusting the order of printing jobs by considering of filtering. An instruction acquiring unit that performs filtering the plurality of jobs under a specific condition, presents a job list in which presented jobs are selected and arranged in printing order, and it acquires an instruction to change the printing order. An internal priority setting unit sets an internal priority different from the set priority specified for each of the plurality of jobs based on the change instruction. The internal priority setting unit, in a case of moving the job instructed by the change instruction in the job list, when there is an unpresented job by the filtering, presents the existence of the unpresented job, and sets the internal priority according to a move instruction to whether or not to skip and move the unpresented job.