Printer Buffer Management for Peripheral Device Input Detection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing printing apparatuses are limited in their ability to perform processes based on the presence or absence of input information from multiple peripheral devices using a single command, leading to inefficiencies in communication and data acquisition.
Innovation Solution
A printing apparatus with a first communicator for the control device, a second communicator for multiple peripheral devices, and a buffer to store input information, allowing the controller to acquire and transmit buffer information indicating the presence or absence of input information for designated peripheral devices, enabling processes to be performed accordingly.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If the printing apparatus uses one type of command to perform processes for multiple peripheral devices, then the adaptability and versatility are improved, but the device complexity increases due to the need to manage multiple devices and their input information
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the management of peripheral devices by introducing a buffer that stores input information for each peripheral device separately. The controller divides the processing task by checking the buffer for each designated device individually, rather than managing all devices as a single complex system. This segmentation allows multiple devices to be handled through a unified command structure while maintaining organized, device-specific data storage and processing.
2Measurement precision
If the printing apparatus checks for input information from multiple peripheral devices using individual commands, then the measurement precision of device status is improved, but the productivity decreases due to multiple communication operations
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges multiple individual device status checks into a single unified command operation. The controller receives one command that designates a peripheral device, then checks the buffer for that device's input information. This combining of operations maintains precise device status detection while improving communication efficiency by reducing the number of separate command-transmission cycles needed.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements preliminary action by having the buffer continuously store and maintain input information from peripheral devices in advance. This pre-positioning of data allows the controller to quickly check device status without needing to initiate separate communication operations for each check, thereby maintaining measurement precision while improving productivity through faster, more efficient queries.
3Loss of information
If the printing apparatus transmits all input information from all peripheral devices, then the completeness of data transmission is improved, but the loss of energy increases due to unnecessary data transmission
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts only the necessary input information from the buffer based on the designated peripheral device in the command. Instead of transmitting all stored information from all devices, the controller selectively retrieves and transmits only the data corresponding to the specified device. This extraction approach ensures complete and accurate data transmission for the needed device while avoiding the energy waste of transmitting unnecessary data from other devices.
Data Source
AI summary
A printer includes a printer communicator configured to communicate with a host device, a device communicator configured to communicate with a plurality of devices, a printer controller performing a process based on commands acquired via the printer communicator, and a shared buffer configured to store input information corresponding to each of a plurality of devices, where the input information is acquired via the device communicator. When the printer communicator receives a device control command including a device designation parameter designating a predetermined device among a plurality of devices, the printer controller acquires, from the shared buffer, buffer information indicating whether input information corresponding to the predetermined device designated by the device designation parameter is present in the shared buffer or input information.