MFP Image Bus Transfer Rate Control for Parallel Processing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional multifunction peripherals (MFPs) face challenges in executing image processing tasks in parallel without unnecessarily increasing the execution time, as high-speed data transfer via the image bus often exceeds capacity, leading to congestion and halted operations.
Innovation Solution
The MFP incorporates a reading controller, image processor, and transfer unit with determination units to assess parallel processing conditions, adjusting the image data transfer rate to prevent congestion by selecting from multiple lower transfer rates based on specific processing settings, ensuring efficient data transfer without prolonging execution times.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the transfer rate of image data is reduced to prevent bus congestion during parallel processing, then the image bus congestion is prevented, but the execution time of the scan job is unnecessarily increased
Solution Approach 1:
The system dynamically adjusts the transfer rate based on real-time detection of parallel processing conditions. When another image processing is detected to be executed in parallel, the transfer rate is switched from a first transfer rate to a second transfer rate that is lower than the first transfer rate. This dynamic adjustment prevents bus congestion only when necessary, rather than always using a reduced transfer rate.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention changes the transfer rate parameter conditionally based on processing conditions. The control unit detects whether another image processing is being executed in parallel and switches between different transfer rate values (first transfer rate vs. second transfer rate) accordingly. This parameter change approach allows the system to optimize between speed and congestion prevention based on actual operational context.
2Speed
If high-speed reading is performed to increase reading speed, then the reading speed is improved, but the amount of data transfer per unit time exceeds the upper limit of the image bus capacity
Solution Approach 1:
The control unit continuously monitors the processing status to detect when another image processing is being executed in parallel. Based on this feedback information, the system adjusts the transfer rate accordingly. When parallel processing is detected, the transfer rate is reduced to ensure the data transfer amount remains within the image bus capacity limits, preventing overflow while allowing high-speed reading to continue when the bus has sufficient capacity.
Data Source
AI summary
In a multifunction peripheral, image data generated by a scanner section is transferred to an image processor via a data bus. If it is determined that an image processing and another image processing are not executed in parallel, the transfer rate of image data is set to a first transfer rate, whereas if it is determined that the image processing and the other image processing are executed in parallel, one of a plurality of different transfer rates lower than the first transfer rate is selected based on a result of determination of whether or not settings associated with the image processing are predetermined settings and a result of determination of whether or not settings associated with the other image processing are other predetermined settings, and the transfer rate of image data is set to the selected one.