Image Forming System with Valid-Consumable Usage Reporting
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing techniques for estimating consumable item usage in image forming apparatuses are inefficient and do not effectively manage communication volume, leading to unnecessary data transmission and resource management challenges.
Innovation Solution
An image forming system with an image forming apparatus and an information processing apparatus that utilizes consumable item setting information to designate valid consumable items, reducing unnecessary data transmission by only reporting consumption information for these items, using RFID readers and sensors to manage toner containers efficiently.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of information
If consumption information is transmitted for all consumable items, then complete usage data is available, but communication volume increases and efficiency decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts and transmits only the consumption information of valid consumable items (those actually supplying materials) while excluding invalid items. This selective extraction reduces communication volume while maintaining the completeness of useful information, directly resolving the contradiction between information completeness and communication efficiency.
2Reliability
If consumption information is transmitted for all consumable items, then comprehensive monitoring is achieved, but data exchange overhead increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system identifies and extracts only the consumption data of valid consumable items that are actually in use. By filtering out invalid items that do not supply materials, the system maintains accurate monitoring of relevant consumables while significantly reducing the energy and resources consumed during data transmission.
3Ease of operation
If all consumable items are managed uniformly, then management simplicity is maintained, but resource waste occurs on invalid items
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies different management approaches to different consumable items based on their validity status. Valid consumable items receive detailed consumption tracking and management, while invalid items are excluded from transmission. This localized differentiation maintains operational simplicity for valid items while eliminating waste associated with managing invalid items.
Data Source
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AI summary
An image forming system (Sy) includes an image forming apparatus (10) and an information processing apparatus (30). In the image forming apparatus (10), a first controller (21) designates consumable items that can supply a consumable material, as valid consumable items, generates consumable item setting information indicating the valid consumable items, causes a first communication device (14) to transmit the consumable item setting information to the information processing apparatus (30), generates consumption information of the valid consumable items, when the first communication device (14) receives a request for the consumption information, and causes the first communication device (14) to transmit the consumption information to the information processing apparatus (30). In the information processing apparatus (30), a second controller (41) causes a second communication device (34) to transmit the request for the consumption information to the image forming apparatus (10), and stores the consumption information of each of the valid consumable items in a storage device (38), when the second communication device (34) receives the consumption information.