Image Forming Apparatus Preview Display for Verification

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Solution Overview

Problem

In existing image forming apparatuses, users face inconvenience and risk of mistakenly collecting printed materials belonging to others due to the difficulty in verifying the content of printed materials before collection.

Innovation Solution

An image forming apparatus equipped with a storage part, image forming part, condition determining part, and display part, which displays a preview image on a liquid crystal panel when a predetermined condition is satisfied, allowing users to easily verify the content of printed materials before collection.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Productivity

If the image forming apparatus automatically prints and discharges materials without user verification, then printing efficiency is improved, but the risk of mistakenly collecting wrong printed materials increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveprinting efficiencyVSAvoidaccuracy of material collection

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent displays a preview image (a visual copy) of the printed material on the display unit before the material is discharged. This allows the user to verify the content without physically handling the printed material, maintaining printing efficiency while enabling accurate verification through the visual copy.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #26Copying

2Reliability

If the user checks the content of printed materials before collection, then the accuracy of material collection is improved, but the time required for collection increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveaccuracy of material collectionVSAvoidverification time

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

Instead of requiring the user to physically examine the printed material, the system displays a preview image (visual copy) on the display unit. This allows rapid visual verification of the printed content without the time-consuming process of physically checking each material.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #26Copying

Solution Approach 2:

The preview image is displayed before the printed material is discharged to the user. This preliminary display of the content allows the user to verify the material in advance, ensuring accuracy before the actual collection occurs.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

3Ease of operation

If the image forming apparatus displays preview images for all print jobs, then the ease of verification is improved, but the energy consumption increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveease of verificationVSAvoidenergy consumption

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSUse of energy by moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The system dynamically controls the display based on detected user presence. When a user approaches the apparatus, the display unit shows the preview image for verification. When no user is present, the display remains off or in sleep mode, reducing energy consumption while maintaining ease of verification when needed.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

Data Source

PatentUS10725413B2Image forming apparatus, control program, and control method

Publication Date: 2020.07.28 SHARP KK

AI summary

To enable the content of a printed material to be easily checked and inconvenience when a user collects the printed material to be avoided.An image forming apparatus 10 includes an image forming part (14) and a display panel 48, and the display panel 48 displays a preview image 110 corresponding to image data for printing an image on a sheet. For example, the preview image 110 is displayed on the display panel 48 from when a print job is started and the first sheet in the print job is fed until the last sheet in the print job is discharged into a sheet discharge part 16.