Motor Driver Power Management Direct Inter-IC Failure Signaling
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Solution Overview
Problem
In image forming apparatuses using multiple combined ICs with motor drivers and DC/DC converters, communication failures can occur when the CPU is supplied with electricity from a failed IC, leading to secondary failures due to inability to notify other ICs of the failure, causing operational issues and user dissatisfaction.
Innovation Solution
The apparatus includes a control unit, power supply management devices with driving circuits, an abnormality detecting circuit, signal output unit, receiving unit, halting unit, and restoring unit to detect and manage abnormalities, allowing for halting and restoring operations of power supply management devices independently, preventing secondary failures and enhancing user-friendliness.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Device complexity
If communication between combined ICs is performed via CPU, then system control is centralized, but secondary failures occur when CPU is supplied with electricity from a failed IC
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a direct communication path between combined ICs as an intermediary mechanism, bypassing the CPU for critical failure notifications. This allows combined ICs to directly alert other ICs of their failure status through dedicated signal lines, preventing secondary failures without requiring CPU intervention.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent segments the communication function into two independent paths: one for normal control operations through the CPU, and another for failure notifications directly between combined ICs. This segmentation ensures that CPU failures do not propagate to other systems, maintaining overall reliability.
2Temperature
If multiple combined ICs are employed to resolve heat generation and noises, then thermal management is improved, but communication failures occur when CPU is supplied with electricity from a failed IC
Solution Approach 1:
The patent establishes direct signal lines between combined ICs as an intermediary communication channel, eliminating the CPU as a mandatory intermediary for failure notifications. This direct path ensures that thermal management benefits from distributed IC architecture while communication reliability is maintained even when CPU power is compromised.
3Ease of operation
If CPU is used to manage power supply abnormalities, then centralized control is simplified, but CPU may not normally operate when supplied with electricity from a failed IC
Solution Approach 1:
The patent enables combined ICs to perform self-diagnosis and self-notification of failures directly to other ICs without requiring CPU involvement. This self-service capability allows the system to detect and respond to power supply abnormalities independently, maintaining reliability even when CPU operation is compromised.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces direct inter-IC signal lines as an intermediary mechanism that bypasses the CPU for critical failure communications. This allows combined ICs to directly alert other ICs of their failure status, ensuring system reliability without depending on CPU functionality.
Data Source
AI summary
An image forming apparatus is provided, which includes a control unit, one or more motors, and a plurality of power supply management devices each of which includes one or more driving circuits for driving the motors, one or more power supply circuits for supplying electricity to the control unit and an external device, a signal output unit issuing a halting signal to the other power supply management devices in response to detection of an abnormality in the power supply management device, a halting unit halting an operation of the power supply management device in response to receipt of a halting signal from one of the other power supply management devices and detection of the abnormality in the power supply management device, and a restoring unit restoring the halted operation of the power supply management device in response to a predetermined restoring condition being satisfied.