Image Forming Control by Check-Level Adjustment Frequency
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing image forming systems fail to maintain consistent image quality over time due to variations in components and materials, leading to increased instances of abnormal prints beyond user-set quality thresholds.
Innovation Solution
An image forming system with a printing unit, inspection unit, and adjustment unit that dynamically adjusts image forming conditions based on predefined check levels and frequencies, ensuring higher accuracy checks are performed on smaller numbers of sheets to maintain quality.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If image forming condition adjustment is performed at fixed time intervals, then image quality can be maintained over time, but the number of abnormal sheets increases when temporal variations exceed the check level threshold
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies dynamics by making the adjustment frequency adaptive rather than fixed. The control unit dynamically adjusts the image forming condition adjustment frequency based on the check results from the inspection unit. When inspection abnormalities are detected, the system increases adjustment frequency; when quality is stable, it maintains or reduces frequency. This dynamic adaptation resolves the contradiction between maintaining reliability and avoiding excessive adjustments that reduce productivity.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements feedback control where the inspection unit continuously monitors printed sheets and provides feedback to the control unit. The control unit uses this feedback information to determine whether adjustment is needed and at what frequency. This closed-loop feedback mechanism ensures that adjustments are performed only when necessary to maintain image quality, preventing both quality degradation and unnecessary adjustments that would reduce productivity.
2Reliability
If adjustment frequency is increased to maintain quality under high check levels, then fewer abnormal sheets occur, but productivity decreases due to more frequent adjustments
Solution Approach 1:
The system dynamically adjusts the adjustment frequency based on actual inspection results rather than using a fixed high frequency. The control unit analyzes inspection data and determines the optimal adjustment frequency to satisfy the set check level while minimizing disruptions to productivity. This dynamic approach allows the system to adapt to varying quality conditions and avoid unnecessary adjustments.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the parameter of adjustment frequency based on inspection outcomes and check level settings. The control unit modifies this parameter dynamically to balance quality requirements with productivity. When quality is stable, the adjustment frequency parameter is reduced; when quality drift is detected, the parameter is increased to restore compliance with the check level.
3Manufacturing precision
If adjustment is performed on all sheets, then image quality is consistently maintained, but time and resources are wasted on unnecessary adjustments
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies partial action by performing adjustments only on a subset of sheets rather than all sheets. The control unit determines which sheets require adjustment based on inspection results and the current quality state. This selective adjustment approach maintains manufacturing precision for sheets that need it while avoiding time loss from adjusting sheets that are already within acceptable quality ranges.
Solution Approach 2:
The inspection unit continuously monitors image quality and enables the system to self-regulate adjustment needs. The control unit uses inspection feedback to determine when adjustment is necessary, allowing the system to serve its own quality control needs without external intervention. This self-service mechanism reduces unnecessary adjustments and optimizes the use of adjustment operations.
Data Source
AI summary
An image forming system includes a printing unit configured to print an image on a sheet, an inspection unit configured to check an image formed on the sheet, based on a check level set from among a plurality of check levels, an adjustment unit configured to adjust an image forming condition of the printing unit, and a controller configured to control, in a case in which a first check level is set, the adjustment unit to perform adjustment of the image forming condition in a case where the printing unit forms images on a first number of sheets, and control, in a case in which a second check level is set, the adjustment unit to perform adjustment of the image forming condition in a case where the printing unit forms images on a second number of sheets.