Image Forming Device with Printed Wireless Tag Writing Diagnostics

Resolve Bottlenecks,
Find Innovative Solutions
Generate Solutions

Solution Overview

Problem

Existing image forming apparatuses face challenges in efficiently investigating the cause of failures in writing data to wireless tags, as conventional methods are time-consuming and inefficient.

Innovation Solution

The apparatus includes a wireless tag communication device that writes and reads data from wireless tags, with a controller determining successful data writing and generating investigation support information when failures occur, forming an image on the sheet with detailed or summary information, optionally using two-dimensional codes to facilitate easy investigation.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Loss of time

If a serviceman manually searches for job information in the operation log to investigate tag writing failure, then the investigation can be completed, but the process is time consuming

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvetime required for failure investigationVSAvoidease of failure investigation
Core Design Contradiction:
Loss of timeVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs preliminary actions by automatically generating and printing investigation support information on the sheet at the time of tag writing failure. This includes printing error codes, job information, and troubleshooting guidance directly on the sheet, so that when a failure occurs, the serviceman immediately has all necessary diagnostic information without needing to manually search operation logs.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The printed investigation support information on the sheet acts as an intermediary between the system's internal error data and the serviceman. Instead of requiring the serviceman to access and search through electronic operation logs, the system translates all necessary diagnostic information into a physical, immediately accessible format on the sheet itself, facilitating faster investigation.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Productivity

If detailed investigation information is provided on the sheet, then troubleshooting efficiency is improved, but the sheet becomes more complex

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvetroubleshooting efficiencyVSAvoidsheet complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The investigation support information is segmented into distinct sections including error codes, job information, and troubleshooting guidance. This segmentation allows the sheet to present comprehensive diagnostic information in an organized, easy-to-navigate format, improving troubleshooting efficiency while maintaining clarity despite the increased information content.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Data Source

PatentEP4016979B1Image forming apparatus with notifications related to read/write operation in a wireless tags embedded in a sheet
Publication Date: 2025.07.02 TOSHIBA TEC KK
  • EP4016979B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP4016979B1 patent drawingFigure 2~3
  • EP4016979B1 patent drawingFigure 4~7

AI summary

An image forming apparatus including a wireless tag communication device to write data to, and read data from, a wireless tag attached to a sheet. An image forming device in the apparatus is configured to form an image on the sheet. A controller in the apparatus is configured to determine whether a writing of data to a wireless tag was successful based on a notification from the wireless tag communication device and generate investigation support information if the writing was not successful and control the image forming device to form an investigation support image corresponding to the investigation support information if the writing was not successful.