Printer Delivery Control for Short-Job Pickup Time
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing printers that start printing without user instruction require a locked delivery unit for retrieval, leading to longer wait times for users when printing short jobs, as unlocking the delivery unit can be time-consuming.
Innovation Solution
A control apparatus that determines printing time and user arrival time, initiating printing before the user reaches the printer for longer jobs into a locked delivery unit and after for shorter jobs into a normal delivery unit, optimizing delivery unit usage based on printing duration.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of time
If printing is started before the user reaches the printer with a locked delivery unit, then the wait time until printing is completed is shortened, but the time for the user to acquire the printed material increases due to the need to unlock the delivery unit
Solution Approach 1:
The control apparatus determines in advance whether to use the locked delivery unit or normal delivery unit based on the estimated printing time and user arrival time. For short printing jobs where the user will arrive before printing completes, the system preliminarily selects the normal delivery unit to avoid the unlocking step, thereby resolving the contradiction between early printing initiation and ease of material acquisition.
2Productivity
If a locked delivery unit is used for all print jobs, then printing can start before the user arrives, but the overall time for the user to retrieve printed material increases for short jobs
Solution Approach 1:
The system dynamically selects between locked delivery unit and normal delivery unit based on real-time conditions (printing time, user arrival time). This dynamic adaptation allows the system to maintain high productivity for long jobs using the locked delivery unit while switching to the normal delivery unit for short jobs to minimize total acquisition time, thereby resolving the contradiction between productivity and total time loss.
3Device complexity
If the printer waits for the user to arrive before starting printing, then the delivery unit type is simplified, but the wait time until printing is completed increases
Solution Approach 1:
The control apparatus performs preliminary determination of the appropriate delivery unit type before printing starts, based on estimated printing time and user arrival time. This preliminary action allows the system to use the locked delivery unit for long jobs enabling early printing initiation, while using the normal delivery unit for short jobs simplifying the retrieval process, thus resolving the contradiction between device complexity and wait time.
Data Source
AI summary
A control apparatus includes a processor configured to: execute a first control if printing time is equal to or greater than predetermined reference time, the printing time being for a case of using a printer to print on basis of print instruction received from user terminal, the first control causing the printer to start printing before user reaches the printer, and causing printed material to be delivered into a locked delivery unit that requires a key for retrieval of printed material; and execute a second control if printing time is less than reference time, the second control causing the printer to start printing after the user reaches the printer, without involving an operation of giving a print instruction performed by the user on the printer, and causing the printed material to be delivered into a normal delivery unit that does not require a key for retrieval of the printed material.