Image Forming Consumable Tracking to Reduce Data Transmission
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing image forming systems face inefficiencies in managing and communicating consumption information of consumable items, such as toner and ink, leading to unnecessary communication volume and potential mismanagement of resources.
Innovation Solution
An image forming system that includes an image forming apparatus and an information processing apparatus, with controllers and communication devices, to designate valid consumable items, generate and transmit consumable item setting information, and collect consumption information efficiently, reducing unnecessary communication by only managing and reporting on necessary consumable items.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of information
If consumption information of all consumable items is transmitted and managed, then complete consumption data is available, but communication volume increases and processing complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts and transmits only the consumable item setting information (identifying which consumable items are valid) separately from the consumption information. This allows the information processing apparatus to filter and manage only the relevant consumption data corresponding to valid consumable items, reducing unnecessary communication and processing while maintaining data completeness.
2Loss of information
If consumption information of all consumable items is transmitted, then complete consumption data is available, but communication volume increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts and transmits only the consumable item setting information (identifying which consumable items are valid) separately from the consumption information. This allows the information processing apparatus to filter and manage only the relevant consumption data corresponding to valid consumable items, reducing unnecessary communication and processing while maintaining data completeness.
3Ease of operation
If all consumable items are managed without distinction, then simple management process, but resource utilization efficiency decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies different management approaches to different consumable items based on their validity status. Valid consumable items receive detailed consumption tracking and management, while invalid items are excluded from consumption information transmission. This differentiated approach improves resource utilization efficiency while maintaining operational simplicity through automated classification.
Data Source
AI summary
An image forming system includes an image forming apparatus and an information processing apparatus. In the image forming apparatus, a first controller designates consumable items that can supply a consumable material, as valid consumable items, generates consumable item setting information indicating the valid consumable items, causes a first communication device to transmit the consumable item setting information to the information processing apparatus, generates consumption information of the valid consumable items, when the first communication device receives a request for the consumption information, and causes the first communication device to transmit the consumption information to the information processing apparatus. In the information processing apparatus, a second controller causes a second communication device to transmit the request for the consumption information to the image forming apparatus, and stores the consumption information of each of the valid consumable items in a storage device, when the second communication device receives the consumption information.