Printer Information Collection Apparatus with Dynamic Condition-Based Scheduling
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing information collection apparatuses for printers collect unnecessary information regularly, leading to network congestion and power consumption issues due to fixed collection intervals, even when dependency relationships between information groups are not considered.
Innovation Solution
An information collection apparatus that includes a controller which collects a first group of information and refers to a collection condition table to determine whether to collect a second group of information based on specific conditions, only collecting the second group when the first group meets the associated conditions.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If information is collected at fixed intervals, then information collection is simple and regular, but network congestion and power consumption increase due to collecting unnecessary information
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies dynamics by transitioning from fixed-interval information collection to variable-interval collection based on change detection. The system dynamically adjusts collection timing by first checking if key information has changed, and only collecting detailed information when necessary, thereby reducing unnecessary power consumption and network traffic while maintaining operational simplicity
Solution Approach 2:
The patent segments information collection into two stages: a first stage collecting key information to determine whether changes have occurred, and a second stage collecting detailed information only when the first stage detects changes. This segmentation allows the system to avoid collecting unnecessary detailed information, reducing energy loss and network congestion while preserving the simplicity of automated collection
2Loss of information
If all information groups are collected regularly, then complete information is obtained, but network congestion occurs due to unnecessary data transmission
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements partial action by collecting only the necessary portion of information. Instead of collecting all information groups regularly, the system first collects key information to determine if changes have occurred, and only then collects detailed information when needed. This partial collection approach ensures complete information is obtained when necessary while avoiding network congestion from transmitting unnecessary data
3Loss of time
If information collection interval is shortened, then information freshness is improved, but power consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies dynamics by making the information collection interval variable rather than fixed. The system dynamically determines collection timing based on whether key information has changed, allowing shorter intervals when changes occur and longer intervals when no changes are detected, thus maintaining information freshness while reducing overall power consumption
Solution Approach 2:
The patent segments the information collection process into a preliminary check stage and a detailed collection stage. The preliminary check uses minimal energy to determine if changes have occurred, and only triggers the energy-intensive detailed collection when necessary, thereby maintaining information freshness without proportionally increasing power consumption
Data Source
AI summary
A information collection apparatus for collecting information indicating a state of a printer, the PC configured to perform processing including: collecting a first group of the information; and referring to a collection condition table associating the first group of the information, a first condition, and a second group of the information, wherein when the collected first group of the information satisfies the associated first condition, a determination is made to collect the associated second group of the information, whereas when the collected first group of the information does not satisfy the associated first condition, a determination is made not to collect the associated second group of the information.