language: en

Modeling a Copier Paper Path: A Case Study in Modeling Transportation Processes

Vineet Gupta Peter Struss
TR-95-019

Abstract We present a compositional model of paper transportation in a photocopier that is meant to support different problem solving tasks like simulation and diagnosis, and to be applicable to a variety of configurations. Therefore, we try to avoid making hard-wired implicit assumptions about design principles and possible scenarios. In order to simplify our analysis, the model abstracts away from the physical forces and reasons only about velocities. Nonetheless, it succeeds in determining essential features of the motion of the sheet of paper like buckling and tearing. The framework provided is quite generic and can be used as a starting point for developing models of other transportation domains.

Xerox Palo Alto Research Center,
3333 Coyote Hill Road, Palo Alto CA 94304 USA.
(vgupta@parc.xerox.com)
Technical University of Munich,
Orleansstr. 34, D-81667 Munich, Germany.
(struss@informatik.tu-muenchen.de)