Image Forming Apparatus Job Order Control via Identification Storage
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional cloud print services face issues with job order management when network connectivity is disrupted, leading to incomplete print jobs and incorrect prioritization of tasks, especially when multiple jobs are in progress and network disconnections occur.
Innovation Solution
An image forming apparatus with a controller that stores identification information for incomplete print jobs and inhibits new job processing until the previous job is completed, ensuring proper job order management and preventing multiple jobs from being in progress simultaneously.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If the image forming apparatus actively obtains and prints jobs from the cloud server, then the print service functionality is improved, but job order management becomes unreliable when network disconnections occur
Solution Approach 1:
The apparatus stores identification information indicating that a job is being printed before actually printing the job. This preliminary action allows the system to recognize the printing state even when network disconnection occurs, ensuring reliable job order management by preventing duplicate job acceptance.
2Productivity
If the apparatus accepts new jobs while a previous job is in progress, then productivity is improved, but job prioritization and order control deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The apparatus continuously checks whether identification information indicating an in-progress job is stored in storage. This feedback mechanism prevents acceptance of new jobs until the previous job is completed, ensuring proper job order control while maintaining productivity through automatic resumption capability.
3Reliability
If the apparatus automatically reprints jobs after network disconnection, then service reliability is improved, but the risk of multiple concurrent in-progress jobs increases
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extracts the critical state information (identification information indicating job in-progress status) and stores it separately in non-volatile storage. This separation allows the apparatus to reliably determine job status after network reconnection without complex status tracking, simplifying job management while ensuring service continuity.
4Loss of information
If the apparatus uses job tickets to link divided jobs, then job tracking is improved, but flexibility in job management deteriorates due to deletion restrictions
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of using job tickets to link divided jobs, the invention segments the tracking mechanism by storing identification information for each job independently in storage. This allows individual jobs to be tracked and managed separately, providing both accurate job tracking and the flexibility to delete or modify individual jobs without restricting entire job groups.
Data Source
AI summary
An image forming apparatus obtains first print data from an external apparatus, stores, in a storage, identification information representing that image formation based on the first print data is uncompleted, obtains second print data from the external apparatus in a status in which the identification information is not stored in the storage, and inhibits obtaining of the second print data from the external apparatus in a status in which the identification information is stored in the storage.