USB Printer Device-Class Switching Through Cover and Button Inputs

Solution Overview

Problem

USB devices with simple configurations, such as thermal printers, face challenges in easily changing device classes due to limited device drivers, leading to communication failures with host devices.

Innovation Solution

An electronic device equipped with a housing, a connector, a button, a sensor, and a storage device that stores multiple protocols, allowing the device to change communication protocols in response to user inputs, enabling easy switching between device classes.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of manufacture

If a printer device has a simple configuration with omitted operation interfaces to reduce size and costs, then manufacturing costs and device size are reduced, but the device class cannot be easily changed

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvemanufacturing costVSAvoiddevice class changeability

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of manufactureVSAdaptability or versatility

Solution Approach 1:

The printer device enables users to change device classes independently without requiring external programming tools or complex operation interfaces. The cover opening/closing operations and button presses provide a self-contained method for users to reconfigure the device themselves, eliminating the need for additional interface components.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #25Self-service

Solution Approach 2:

The invention changes the operational parameters of existing simple components (cover and button) to enable device class switching. By detecting cover opening/closing states and combining them with button press sequences, the system transforms basic mechanical operations into a configuration mechanism that changes the communication protocol parameter without adding new interface hardware.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

2Volume of moving object

If a printer device has a simple configuration with omitted operation interfaces to reduce size and costs, then device size is reduced, but the device class cannot be easily changed

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvedevice sizeVSAvoiddevice class changeability

Core Design Contradiction:

Volume of moving objectVSAdaptability or versatility

Solution Approach 1:

The printer device enables users to change device classes independently without requiring external programming tools or complex operation interfaces. The cover opening/closing operations and button presses provide a self-contained method for users to reconfigure the device themselves, eliminating the need for additional interface components.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #25Self-service

Solution Approach 2:

The invention changes the operational parameters of existing simple components (cover and button) to enable device class switching. By detecting cover opening/closing states and combining them with button press sequences, the system transforms basic mechanical operations into a configuration mechanism that changes the communication protocol parameter without adding new interface hardware.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

3Reliability

If device drivers of the host device do not match the device class indicating the type of a USB device to be connected, then communication cannot be established, but adding multiple device drivers increases device complexity

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecommunication reliabilityVSAvoiddevice driver compatibility

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The printer device dynamically changes its device class based on user input sequences. The system transitions from a static device class configuration to a dynamic one where the device class can be changed at runtime through cover opening/closing operations combined with button presses, allowing adaptation to different host device drivers.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

Solution Approach 2:

The invention changes the operational parameters of existing simple components (cover and button) to enable device class switching. By detecting cover opening/closing states and combining them with button press sequences, the system transforms basic mechanical operations into a configuration mechanism that changes the communication protocol parameter without adding new interface hardware.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

Data Source

PatentUS20250258630A1Electronic device, method, and storage medium

Publication Date: 2025.08.14 TOSHIBA TEC KK

AI summary

An electronic device connectable to a host device includes a housing including a cover, a connector, a button on an outer surface of the housing, a sensor attached to the cover, a storage device that stores first information indicating a plurality of protocols each for establishing communication with a device of a different device class, and a processor configured to perform a process of establishing communication with a host device connected to the connector using one of the protocols, and change said one of the protocols to another protocol to communicate with the host device upon receipt of an input operation through the button and a first signal from the sensor in a predetermined order.