Human Sensor Power-State Hold for Image Forming Equipment
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing image forming apparatuses face issues where they transition back to a high-power state due to detection of a user about to leave, even after being set to a low-power state, and require high-performance sensors to distinguish between approaching and leaving users, leading to inefficiencies and increased costs.
Innovation Solution
An image forming apparatus with a human detection sensor that suspends transition processing when a user is detected during a power state change, maintaining a mid-transition state for a predetermined time before restarting the process, allowing immediate return to a high-power state upon user operation, without needing advanced sensors to differentiate between approaching and leaving users.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of energy
If the image forming apparatus transitions to a power saving mode upon user departure detection, then power consumption is reduced, but the apparatus may incorrectly transition back to normal power mode when a user about to leave is detected
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary detection of user presence before executing the power state transition. By detecting whether a user is present before transitioning from normal mode to power saving mode, the system prevents incorrect transitions caused by users about to leave, thereby ensuring reliable power state management while maintaining energy efficiency.
2Measurement precision
If high-performance sensors are used to distinguish between approaching and leaving users, then detection accuracy is improved, but device cost increases
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of using complex sensors to distinguish between approaching and leaving users, the patent inverts the approach by detecting user presence and inferring departure intent from the absence of presence. This simple presence/absence detection method achieves accurate user state recognition without requiring expensive high-performance sensors, thereby reducing device cost while maintaining detection accuracy.
3Loss of energy
If the apparatus immediately transitions to power saving mode upon user departure, then energy efficiency is improved, but user responsiveness is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary detection to confirm user presence status before executing the power state transition. By verifying that no user is present before transitioning to power saving mode, the system ensures accurate departure detection while maintaining rapid response capability, thus achieving both energy efficiency and user responsiveness.
Data Source
AI summary
In an image forming apparatus, a controller executes transition processing for allowing the image forming apparatus to transition from a first power state to a second power state where less electric power is consumed than in the first power state. When a person is detected by a human detection sensor while the image forming apparatus is set to the second power state, the controller executes return processing for setting the image forming apparatus to the first power state. When a user is detected by the human detection sensor during execution of the transition processing, the controller suspends the transition processing, maintains the image forming apparatus in a state midway through transition from the first to second power state. When a period of suspension of the transition processing reaches a specific time, the controller restarts the transition processing and sets the image forming apparatus to the second power state.