Image Forming Device Failure Detection via History Correlation

Solution Overview

Problem

Existing image forming devices require attaching sensors to all components or units and setting threshold values for sensor signals, which is time-consuming and costly, and does not efficiently detect failures.

Innovation Solution

An image forming device equipped with a memory to store execution and adjustment histories, and a processor to detect events by correlating these histories, allowing for the detection of failures without the need for extensive sensor installation.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If sensors are attached to all components or units and threshold values are set for sensor signals, then failure detection capability is improved, but manufacturing time and cost increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvefailure detection capabilityVSAvoidmanufacturing time

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The patent extracts the failure detection function from direct sensor monitoring and relocates it to a correlation analysis mechanism. Instead of requiring sensors on all components, the system monitors and correlates execution histories and adjustment histories to infer component failures, thereby reducing sensor installation requirements and manufacturing time while maintaining detection capability

Inventive Principle:

Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent introduces execution histories and adjustment histories as intermediary data structures between component operations and failure detection. These histories serve as mediators that capture operational patterns and adjustment information, enabling failure inference through correlation analysis without requiring direct sensor monitoring of all components

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Reliability

If sensors are attached to all components or units and threshold values are set for sensor signals, then failure detection capability is improved, but manufacturing cost increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvefailure detection capabilityVSAvoidmanufacturing cost

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSEase of manufacture

Solution Approach 1:

The patent extracts the failure detection function from direct sensor monitoring and relocates it to a correlation analysis mechanism. Instead of requiring sensors on all components, the system monitors and correlates execution histories and adjustment histories to infer component failures, thereby reducing sensor installation requirements and manufacturing cost while maintaining detection capability

Inventive Principle:

Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Solution Approach 2:

The system uses its own operational data (execution and adjustment histories) to detect failures without requiring external sensor infrastructure. The image forming device monitors its own execution patterns and adjustment operations to identify anomalies, enabling self-diagnosis and reducing dependency on additional sensing hardware

Inventive Principle:

Principle #25Self-service

3Measurement precision

If extensive sensor networks are deployed, then failure detection accuracy is improved, but device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvefailure detection accuracyVSAvoidsensor network complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

Measurement precisionVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent extracts the failure detection function from direct sensor monitoring and relocates it to a correlation analysis mechanism. Instead of requiring sensors on all components, the system monitors and correlates execution histories and adjustment histories to infer component failures, thereby reducing sensor installation requirements and device complexity while maintaining detection accuracy

Inventive Principle:

Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent introduces execution histories and adjustment histories as intermediary data structures between component operations and failure detection. These histories serve as mediators that capture operational patterns and adjustment information, enabling failure inference through correlation analysis without requiring direct sensor monitoring of all components

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Data Source

PatentUS12293118B2Image forming device

Publication Date: 2025.05.06 TOSHIBA TEC KK

AI summary

According to one embodiment, an image forming device includes a memory and a processor. The memory is configured to store an execution history of image processing and an adjustment history of the image processing. The processor is configured to detect an occurrence of an event based on a correlation between the execution history and the adjustment history, and to execute instructing to output information according to a detection result.