Image Forming Apparatus Diagnosis Interruption for Faster Job Execution
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing image forming apparatuses face issues with prolonged waiting times due to diagnostic processes interfering with user jobs, especially in shared environments where multiple processes are executed simultaneously, causing inconvenience and inefficiency.
Innovation Solution
The apparatus includes a reception unit to receive jobs, an execution unit to execute these jobs, and a diagnostic unit that interrupts ongoing diagnostic processes when a job is received, allowing priority execution of user jobs based on type and priority determination.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If the diagnostic unit executes a diagnosis to identify the cause of failure, then the diagnostic accuracy is improved, but the waiting time for user jobs increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements dynamic process management by allowing the diagnostic process to be interrupted when a user job is received. The system dynamically switches between diagnostic execution and job processing based on incoming requests, ensuring that time-critical user jobs are not blocked by lengthy diagnostic operations while still allowing diagnostics to run when the system is idle.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the operational state parameter of the diagnostic process from 'continuous execution' to 'interruptible execution'. By modifying the diagnostic process to check for incoming jobs at intervals and pause when necessary, the system balances diagnostic completeness with user job responsiveness, reducing waiting time without completely abandoning diagnostic accuracy.
2Speed
If the diagnostic process is interrupted when a job is received, then the user job execution speed is improved, but the diagnostic process completeness may be compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements preliminary checks before interrupting the diagnostic process. The reception unit checks whether a received job is time-critical or can wait, and only interrupts the diagnostic if the job requires immediate processing. This preliminary assessment ensures that diagnostic completeness is preserved for non-critical timing scenarios while allowing speed improvement for urgent jobs.
Solution Approach 2:
The system implements feedback mechanisms where the diagnostic unit and reception unit communicate continuously. When a job is received during diagnosis, the system evaluates the diagnostic progress and job urgency, providing feedback to determine whether to interrupt. This feedback loop ensures that diagnostic completeness is maintained when possible while allowing interruptions when necessary, balancing both requirements.
Data Source
AI summary
An image forming apparatus that forms an image on a recording material includes a reception unit configured to receive a job to be executed by the image forming apparatus, an execution unit configured to execute the job received by the reception unit, and a diagnostic unit configured to execute a diagnosis to diagnose a state of the image forming apparatus, wherein, in a case where the reception unit receives the job during the diagnosis by the diagnostic unit, the diagnosis being executed is interrupted, and the execution unit executes the job.