Image Reading Device Error Recovery and Batch Scanning
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Solution Overview
Problem
Image reading devices require users to restart scanning from the beginning when errors occur, such as paper jams, especially when dealing with large documents, making the process time-consuming and inconvenient.
Innovation Solution
An image reading device with error detection and restart capabilities, allowing it to stop scanning, store data, and resume from the correct page, then convert the entire data set into a single file, eliminating the need to restart from the first page.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Extent of automation
If the image reading device carries documents one by one through an automatic document feeder to read images, then the scanning process can be automated and continuous, but when an error occurs during scanning, the user must restart from the beginning, causing significant time loss
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary actions by continuously storing scanned data in a storage unit during the scanning process, even before the scanning is complete. This allows the data to be preserved and reused if an error occurs, eliminating the need to restart scanning from the beginning. The storage unit acts as a buffer that maintains the scanning progress state.
Solution Approach 2:
The error detection unit continuously monitors the scanning process and provides feedback about errors to the control unit. When an error is detected, the control unit uses this feedback to determine the restart position and coordinates the resuming of scanning from that specific page rather than from the beginning, thus reducing time loss.
2Productivity
If the user places all documents on the ADF and executes image scanning, then批量 scanning can be performed efficiently, but if an error occurs at a late page (e.g., 99th page of 100 pages), the user must re-scan from the first page, which is very time consuming and troublesome
Solution Approach 1:
The storage unit continuously stores scanned data during the batch scanning process, preserving the scanning progress. When an error occurs, the control unit retrieves the stored data up to the error point and uses it to determine the restart position, allowing the user to resume scanning from the specific page where the error occurred rather than restarting the entire batch scan.
Solution Approach 2:
The error detection unit provides feedback about the error occurrence, and the control unit uses this feedback along with the stored data to calculate and determine the appropriate restart position. This feedback mechanism enables the system to intelligently resume scanning from the correct page, maintaining batch scanning efficiency even after errors.
3Productivity
If the reading unit carries documents one by one through the ADF, then continuous scanning of multiple documents is enabled, but error detection and restart functionality requires additional control units and data management complexity
Solution Approach 1:
The control unit performs multiple functions: it controls the reading unit for continuous document feeding, manages data storage in the storage unit, detects errors through the error detection unit, determines restart positions, and coordinates the resuming of scanning. By consolidating these functions in a single control unit, the patent avoids the need for separate dedicated components for each function, thereby managing complexity while enabling continuous scanning with error recovery.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent merges the data management function with the scanning control function by using the storage unit as both a temporary buffer during scanning and a repository for error recovery. This consolidation simplifies the system architecture compared to having separate systems for real-time scanning control and data management, reducing overall system complexity while maintaining continuous scanning capability.
Data Source
AI summary
Images from a set of documents may be read by an image reading device by, in one example, carrying the documents one by one. The read data may be stored and errors in an operation in the reading may be detected. When an error is detected, the reading of the documents may be stopped. Additionally, reading of the documents may be restarted when the error is no longer detected. According to one or more aspects, the reading may be restarted such that the read data obtained after restart of reading continues from the read data obtained before detection of the error. According to further aspects, the entire read data of the documents may be converted into a single file having a predetermined format.