Print Control Apparatus Coordinated Power Management
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing print control systems lack efficient mechanisms for coordinated power management between image forming apparatuses and print control apparatuses, leading to inconvenience and potential unintentional shut-downs due to signal fluctuations or cable issues.
Innovation Solution
A print control apparatus that communicates with an image forming apparatus via a video cable to receive power status signals, transmit shut-down notifications, and perform synchronized shut-down processing based on predetermined signals and replies, ensuring coordinated power management and preventing unintentional reactivation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If the print control apparatus is automatically powered on when the image forming apparatus is powered on, then user convenience is improved, but the print control apparatus may unintentionally power on due to signal fluctuations or cable issues
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by requiring the image forming apparatus to send a predetermined signal before the print control apparatus powers on. This advance signaling mechanism ensures that the power-on event is intentionally triggered rather than caused by random signal fluctuations or cable issues, thereby maintaining reliability while achieving automatic power-on convenience.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements feedback by having the image forming apparatus send a specific power-on signal to the print control apparatus. This feedback mechanism allows the print control apparatus to distinguish between intentional power-on commands and spurious signals, preventing unintentional activation while maintaining automatic power-on functionality.
2Reliability
If the print control apparatus is automatically powered off when the image forming apparatus is powered off, then power management coordination is improved, but the print control apparatus may unintentionally power off due to signal fluctuations
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by requiring the image forming apparatus to send a predetermined shut-down signal before the print control apparatus powers off. This advance notification allows the print control apparatus to distinguish between intentional shut-down commands and spurious signals, preventing unintentional power-off while maintaining coordinated power management.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements feedback through a dedicated shut-down signal transmission mechanism. The image forming apparatus sends a specific signal to indicate intentional power-off, allowing the print control apparatus to verify the legitimacy of the shut-down command before executing power-off, thus preventing unintentional shut-down due to signal fluctuations.
3Adaptability or versatility
If a video cable is used to transmit power status signals between apparatuses, then communication capability is improved, but the system becomes vulnerable to signal fluctuations and cable issues
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary anti-action by using predetermined signals with specific characteristics that are designed to be resistant to signal fluctuations. These predetermined signals are sent before power state changes occur, allowing the receiving apparatus to anticipate and prepare for the power state change while distinguishing it from spurious signals caused by cable issues or interference.
Data Source
AI summary
A print control apparatus communicable with an image forming apparatus and configured to be activated based on activation of the image forming apparatus includes one or more computer-readable storage media, and one or more processors, wherein the one or more processors and the one or more computer-readable storage media are configured to receive a shut-down instruction, receive a signal from the image forming apparatus, transmit a shut-down notification to the image forming apparatus, and receive a reply to the shut-down notification from the image forming apparatus, and perform, in a case where the shut-down instruction is received, shut-down processing of the print control apparatus upon receiving, as the signal, a predetermined signal from the image forming apparatus and receiving the reply to the shut-down notification.