Sub CPU Pre-Activation for Printing System Power and Speed Trade-off
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional printing systems with sub CPUs take time to activate the engine from deep sleep mode, leading to delayed print job initiation and potential waste of power consumption, as the main CPU activates the engine before confirming if a received packet is a print job.
Innovation Solution
The system employs a printer driver to transmit a preceding packet with power supply and hard disk activation commands before the print job packet, allowing the sub CPU to pre-activate the engine and hard disk drive, reducing the time required for the fuser to reach operational temperature and minimizing unnecessary power usage.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Use of energy by moving object
If the main CPU activates the engine after receiving a print job packet, then power consumption is reduced by avoiding unnecessary engine activation, but print job preparation time increases due to fuser heating time
Solution Approach 1:
The sub CPU performs preliminary actions by receiving the print job packet and activating the main CPU and engine in advance before the main CPU confirms it is a print job. This allows the fuser to start heating earlier, reducing the overall preparation time while the main CPU only activates the engine when needed, avoiding unnecessary power consumption.
Solution Approach 2:
The sub CPU acts as an intermediary between the network and the main CPU. It receives packets, determines if they are print jobs, and then activates the main CPU and engine accordingly. This intermediary role allows for optimized timing of engine activation, balancing power consumption and preparation time.
2Speed
If the main CPU is activated by the sub CPU before confirming the packet is a print job, then the engine can be activated faster, but power consumption increases due to potential unnecessary activation
Solution Approach 1:
The sub CPU performs preliminary activation of the main CPU upon receiving any packet, allowing the engine to be activated faster when it is indeed a print job. However, the main CPU only proceeds with full engine activation after confirming the packet is a print job, thus avoiding unnecessary power consumption for non-print packets.
Solution Approach 2:
The system dynamically adjusts the activation process based on packet type. For print job packets, the main CPU and engine are activated quickly. For other packets, the activation is halted after the sub CPU's preliminary action, optimizing the balance between speed and power consumption based on actual needs.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This approach accelerates the print job preparation and completion times by activating the engine and hard disk drive before the main CPU confirms the print job, thereby reducing power consumption and enhancing efficiency.
Implementation Method 1
a fuser in the engine requires a certain amount of heating time to reach an appropriate temperature
Data Source
AI summary
A printing system includes an information processing apparatus and a printing apparatus, the information processing apparatus including a printer driver, the print job packet containing a print job described in printer description language, the printing apparatus including: an engine including a fuser; a main CPU that performs operation control of the engine; a power supply portion that performs the following: providing power to the main CPU and delivering power to the engine by the main CPU performing the energization control while normal operation mode is ON; and shutting down power to the main CPU and the engine while power saving mode is ON; and a sub CPU that performs the following: receiving power from the power supply portion while power saving mode is ON; and giving a proxy response to the print job packet to activate the main CPU, the sub CPU consuming less power than the main CPU.