Image Forming Apparatus Job Settings Backup and Recovery

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing image forming apparatuses face challenges in efficiently backing up and recovering user settings for jobs, particularly in scenarios where power outages or system crashes occur, leading to lost settings and inefficient reconfiguration.

Innovation Solution

The proposed image forming apparatus includes a display device, an instruction acceptor, a controller, a non-volatile storage device, and a backup device. It allows users to set and save job settings on a non-volatile storage device, which are then automatically deleted after job completion. The apparatus also displays previously saved user settings when configuring similar jobs, ensuring seamless recovery and reducing user effort.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If user settings are continuously stored in non-volatile storage device, then settings can be recovered after power outages or system crashes, but storage space is wasted and settings from previous jobs may be incorrectly applied to new jobs

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvesettings recovery reliabilityVSAvoidstorage space loss

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSLoss of information

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs preliminary backup of user settings to non-volatile storage device before job execution, ensuring settings are preserved for recovery purposes. This preliminary action guarantees that even if power outage or system crash occurs during job execution, the settings can be recovered without loss.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The system automatically deletes user settings from non-volatile storage device after successful job completion. This discarding action prevents storage space waste and avoids incorrect application of settings from previous jobs to new jobs, while the recovery mechanism ensures settings are available when needed.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #34Discarding and recovering

2Quantity of substance

If user settings are deleted after job completion, then storage space is freed and settings are not incorrectly applied, but settings cannot be recovered if power outage occurs before deletion

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvestorage space availabilityVSAvoidsettings recovery reliability

Core Design Contradiction:

Quantity of substanceVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The system maintains continuous protection of user settings by storing them in non-volatile storage device throughout the job execution process. This continuous storage ensures settings remain available for recovery even if power outage occurs at any point before job completion, while still allowing storage space to be freed after successful completion.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #20Continuity of useful action

Solution Approach 2:

The system automatically deletes user settings from non-volatile storage device after successful job completion, freeing storage space. The conditional deletion ensures settings are only removed when job completes successfully, maintaining reliability for recovery purposes while optimizing storage space utilization.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #34Discarding and recovering

3Ease of operation

If settings are automatically applied from backup, then user effort is reduced, but user cannot modify settings before execution

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvesettings configuration easeVSAvoidsettings modification flexibility

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSAdaptability or versatility

Solution Approach 1:

The system provides feedback to users by detecting when user settings match backed-up settings and displaying notifications. This feedback mechanism informs users that their settings have been automatically applied or matched with backup settings, allowing users to verify and modify settings if needed while maintaining ease of operation for standard cases.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #23Feedback

Solution Approach 2:

The system automatically detects and applies user settings from backup without requiring manual user intervention. This self-service approach reduces user effort by automatically matching and applying settings when conditions are met, while still allowing users to modify settings through the settings screen when needed.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #25Self-service

Data Source

PatentUS20250077145A1Image forming apparatus capable of backing up contents of settings for job

Publication Date: 2025.03.06 KYOCERA DOCUMENT SOLUTIONS INC

AI summary

An image forming apparatus includes: a controller that allows a display device to display a settings screen for setting of a function by a user and executes a job based on a user setting made through the settings screen; and a backup device that backs up as backup data the user setting on a storage device each time the user setting is made. When execution of the job based on the user setting is completed, the controller deletes the user setting from the storage device. When, in newly displaying a settings screen on the display device for another job, the user setting for a function configurable on the settings screen is saved on the storage device, the controller determines the content of the user setting as a content of a setting for the job and allows the display device to display the settings screen showing the content of the setting.