Power Off Error Notification for Electronic Devices
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional image forming apparatuses face inefficiencies in diagnosing power off failures, as they cannot distinguish between mechanical relay driving errors and power supply issues, leading to incorrect component replacements and reduced service efficiency.
Innovation Solution
An electronic device with a power switch that can be manually set to ON/OFF, featuring an actuator, controller, and memory to notify the user of the power supply state after attempting to set the power switch to OFF, allowing for accurate identification of the error cause.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of information
If a single error code is displayed for power off failure, then the error notification is simple, but the service person cannot identify the specific cause leading to incorrect component replacement
Solution Approach 1:
The error notification system is segmented into multiple distinct error codes corresponding to different failure causes. Instead of using a single generic error code for power off failure, the system divides the error notification into specific categories (e.g., one code for actuator failure, another for power supply failure), enabling precise identification of the faulty component without increasing overall system complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The controller acts as an intermediary that monitors the power supply state to the actuator and translates the underlying technical state into distinct error codes. By introducing this intermediary monitoring function, the system can provide detailed error information without requiring complex direct communication between all system components.
2Ease of repair
If the service person replaces components based on generic error codes, then the replacement process is straightforward, but wastefulness occurs due to incorrect component selection and repeated replacement operations
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary diagnosis by monitoring the power supply state to the actuator before the service person arrives. Error codes are generated in advance based on the specific failure mode detected, allowing the service person to immediately identify the correct component to replace without trial-and-error replacement of multiple components.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the mechanical trial-and-error replacement process with an electronic diagnostic system that provides precise error codes. Instead of physically testing components one by one, the electronic monitoring system substitutes by providing direct feedback on the failure cause through distinct error codes, eliminating wasteful repeated replacement operations.
3Productivity
If automatic power off function is implemented, then power management is improved, but the system cannot distinguish between actuator failure and power supply failure when power off fails
Solution Approach 1:
The controller implements feedback monitoring of the power supply state to the actuator during the automatic power off process. By continuously monitoring whether power is successfully supplied to the actuator, the system can distinguish between actuator failure (power supplied but switch not actuated) and power supply failure (power not supplied), enabling precise failure cause detection while maintaining automatic power off functionality.
Data Source
AI summary
An electronic device and a method of presenting an error in power off of the electronic device are provided. The electronic device includes a power switch that is manually set to ON and OFF, an actuator that sets the power switch to OFF, and a controller that outputs a control signal for controlling whether to supply power to the actuator. The electronic device notifies different information based on whether or not the power has been supplied to the actuator after the controller has output the control signal.