Printer Exit Tray Control Logic for Interruption Reduction
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Solution Overview
Problem
Image forming apparatuses stop printing processes unnecessarily due to independent determination of exit tray fullness and paper cassette emptiness, leading to continuous interruptions.
Innovation Solution
An image forming apparatus with a control unit that monitors the number of printing media discharged to an exit tray, stopping printing and alerting the user when the tray reaches a predetermined threshold, and also considering a secondary threshold to prevent frequent interruptions, thereby improving user convenience.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the image forming apparatus stops printing when the exit tray becomes full or the paper cassette becomes empty, then the printing process is controlled to prevent media discharge issues, but the printing process may be stopped continuously in a short period due to independent determination of stop conditions
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines the exit tray fullness detection and paper cassette emptiness detection into a unified control logic. The control unit integrates these two independent stop conditions into a single decision-making process, where both conditions are evaluated together to determine whether to stop printing. This merging prevents the independent determination that causes continuous stop-start cycles, thereby improving printing continuity while maintaining reliable control.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a predetermined time period threshold as a preliminary control mechanism. The control unit checks whether the exit tray fullness and paper cassette emptiness conditions occur within a predetermined time period of each other. If they do, the system determines that this is a coordinated occurrence rather than independent events, and accordingly adjusts the stop decision. This preliminary time-based evaluation prevents unnecessary continuous stops and maintains printing productivity.
2Device complexity
If the image forming apparatus uses independent stop conditions for exit tray fullness and paper cassette emptiness, then the control logic is simple, but the printing process stops frequently in a short period causing user inconvenience
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a new parameter - the predetermined time period - to modify the existing control logic. Instead of using simple independent boolean conditions (exit tray full OR paper cassette empty), the system now evaluates the temporal relationship between these conditions. This parameter change allows the system to distinguish between coordinated occurrences (within time period) and independent occurrences (outside time period), thereby reducing frequent stops while maintaining relatively simple control logic through the use of a single additional time-based parameter.
Data Source
AI summary
An image forming apparatus includes an exit tray, a printing unit, an output unit, and a control unit. A printing medium after printing is discharged to the exit tray. The printing unit performs printing of an image on the printing medium, and discharges the printing medium after printing to the exit tray. The output unit outputs information. The control unit causes the printing unit to stop the printing of the image on the printing medium, and causes the output unit to output alert information on discharge of the printing medium to the exit tray, if the number of printing media on the exit tray is equal to or greater than a predetermined first threshold value. The control unit causes the printing unit to stop the printing of the image on the printing medium, and causes the output unit to output the alert information, if the number of printing media on the exit tray is equal to or greater than a second threshold value which is smaller than the first threshold value, and if a predetermined printing stop condition is satisfied.