Printer Error Notification Reset for Demo Machines
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional image forming apparatuses, such as demo machines, fail to prevent continuous operation errors like paper shortages from giving bad impressions to customers, as sales personnel may overlook or forget to check for errors, leading to prolonged printer stops and continuous error notifications.
Innovation Solution
An image forming apparatus with a printing possibility determination unit, notification unit, notification time counting unit, notification release unit, and stopped state reset unit that alerts customers of errors, counts notification time, and resets the printer to a standby state after a predetermined time, ensuring continuous operation and avoiding prolonged error notifications.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If error notification is continuously displayed until a sales person restores the printer, then the error occurrence is notified to customers, but bad impressions are given to customers and the apparatus gives a continuous stopped state
Solution Approach 1:
The notification unit displays error information for a predetermined period (e.g., 10 seconds) and then automatically turns off, rather than remaining continuously on. This periodic notification ensures customers are informed of the error while avoiding continuous negative impressions, resolving the contradiction between reliable error notification and ease of operation.
2Reliability
If a sales person periodically checks the inspection apparatus, then error information can be detected, but when the sales person is preoccupied or forgets to check, the printer remains continuously stopped
Solution Approach 1:
The apparatus automatically detects errors through the printing possibility determination unit and notifies customers via the notification unit without requiring continuous manual inspection by sales personnel. The system serves itself by autonomously monitoring printing conditions and managing error notifications, thereby maintaining printer availability while ensuring reliable error detection.
3Reliability
If the printer stops operation when printing is impossible, then the error is prevented from occurring, but the apparatus remains in a stopped state until manual intervention
Solution Approach 1:
The notification unit operates periodically, displaying error information for a predetermined time and then automatically turning off. This allows the printing unit to return to a standby state after the notification period, maintaining operational continuity while still preventing printing errors through the printing possibility determination unit.
Data Source
AI summary
An image forming apparatus includes: a printing unit that performs a printing operation; a printing possibility determination unit that determines whether printing is possible, at the time of starting the printing operation; a printing stop unit that stops the printing operation, when the printing possibility determination unit determines that printing is impossible; a notification unit that notifies an error, when the printing operation is stopped; a notification time counting unit that counts a period in which an error is notified; a notification release unit that releases error notification, when the period in which an error is notified by the notification unit is counted for a predetermined time; and a stopped state reset unit that returns a stopped state of the printing unit whose printing operation is stopped, to a standby state before the printing unit performs the printing operation, when notification of an error is released.