Image Forming Apparatus Wireless Tag Data Writing Failure Notification
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Solution Overview
Problem
Users may not recognize data writing failures on wireless tags attached to printing paper due to lack of visible notification when the data writing process fails.
Innovation Solution
An image forming apparatus with a printing unit, reversing unit, and control unit that reverses the medium twice upon data writing failure and prints an image indicating the failure on the medium, allowing users to easily recognize the issue.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of information
If data writing failure notification is printed on the medium, then user awareness of failure is improved, but the notification may not be visible to the user if the medium is not properly oriented
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies inversion by reversing the medium an abnormal number of times (e.g., 3 times instead of the normal 0 or 1 time) to ensure the notification is printed on the visible side. This counterintuitive approach guarantees that the failure notification becomes visible to the user by inverting the normal printing orientation logic.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses different print colors (e.g., yellow for normal failures, red for abnormal failures) to distinguish the visibility and urgency of notifications. This visual change ensures users can easily recognize and differentiate between normal and abnormal data writing failures.
2Loss of information
If the medium is reversed to ensure notification visibility, then user recognition is improved, but the complexity of the control process increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses feedback by detecting whether data writing to the wireless tag succeeded or failed, then automatically adjusting the medium reversal count and notification printing based on this feedback. The control unit receives the writing result and dynamically modifies the subsequent processing steps accordingly.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes parameters such as the number of medium reversals and print color based on the data writing result. Normal failures use 1 reversal and yellow print, while abnormal failures use 3 reversals and red print, allowing the system to handle different failure types with standardized parameter adjustments.
3Productivity
If abnormal failure handling is distinguished from normal failure, then troubleshooting efficiency is improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by providing different notification characteristics (color, reversal count) for different failure locations or types. Normal failures and abnormal failures are treated differently through localized quality changes in the notification output, enabling users to quickly identify the nature of the problem.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses color changes to differentiate between normal and abnormal failures, with yellow indicating normal failures and red indicating abnormal failures. This visual differentiation simplifies troubleshooting by allowing users to immediately identify the severity and type of failure without complex analysis.
Data Source
AI summary
An image forming apparatus includes a printing unit, a reversing unit, a writing unit, and a control unit. The printing unit forms an image on a sheet-like medium to which a wireless tag is attached. The reversing unit reverses a front and back of the medium. The writing unit writes data on the wireless tag. The control unit controls the reversing unit so that the medium is reversed twice upon the writing of data on the wireless tag failing and controls the printing unit so that an image indicating that the writing of data fails is formed on the medium reversed twice.