Image Forming Apparatus Shake Sensor Safety Confirmation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing image forming apparatuses face challenges in completing processing tasks, such as earthquake detection and user safety confirmation, due to communication failures or device troubles, which can lead to incomplete or unreliable information transmission.
Innovation Solution
An image forming apparatus equipped with a communication device, storage device, shake sensor, and controller that detects ground shakes and transmits safety confirmation information via multiple destination networks, using both primary and secondary communication paths to ensure reliable user response collection.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a single communication path is used for transmitting safety confirmation information, then the device complexity is reduced, but the reliability of information transmission deteriorates due to communication failures or device troubles
Solution Approach 1:
The communication path is segmented into multiple independent channels (first communication path and second communication path). Each path operates separately to transmit safety confirmation information, ensuring that failure in one path does not affect the other. This segmentation directly resolves the contradiction by improving transmission reliability through redundancy while maintaining manageable device complexity through modular architecture.
Solution Approach 2:
The system prepares multiple communication paths in advance as a cushion against potential failures. Before any communication failure occurs, the system has already established alternative paths (first and second communication paths with different destinations) that can be activated if the primary path fails. This beforehand cushioning ensures continuous reliable communication without requiring complex real-time decision-making systems.
2Reliability
If multiple communication paths are used to ensure reliable information transmission, then the reliability improves, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The image forming apparatus is designed with multi-functionality by incorporating both first and second communication paths that can serve different purposes. These paths are not just redundant backups but can independently transmit safety confirmation information to different destinations (first destination and second destination). This universality allows the system to maintain high reliability for user safety confirmation while managing complexity through standardized communication protocols and interfaces.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This solution enables reliable processing responses to earthquakes and ensures comprehensive user safety confirmation by utilizing multiple communication networks, reducing the impact of communication failures and device issues.
Implementation Method 1
a shake sensor that detects a shake
Data Source
AI summary
According to an embodiment, an image forming apparatus transmits, where a shake sensor has detected a shake of a predetermined magnitude or more, response request information to a destination indicated by destination information stored in a storage device. The image forming apparatus stores, where a response has been received from the destination, information regarding the received response in the storage device.