Cloud Print Job Codes for Secure Cross-Tenant Guest Printing

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing cloud print services face challenges in securely facilitating guest printing across different tenants without exposing user information, particularly when company and shared office tenants are managed by different cloud print services, leading to vulnerabilities in data transmission.

Innovation Solution

A system and method that enables secure guest printing by transmitting job codes without exposing user information, allowing users to manage print jobs and settings remotely through a shared office tenant using a cloud print service that integrates multiple tenants, including in-house and shared office systems, while maintaining data security.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Adaptability or versatility

If user information (mail address) is transmitted from company tenant to shared office tenant for job code notification, then guest printing functionality is enabled, but data security and vulnerability protection are compromised

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveguest printing functionalityVSAvoiddata security
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent extracts the mail address information from the data transmission process by using it only within the company tenant's CPS for generating and notifying the job code, while transmitting only the job code itself to the shared office tenant's CPS. This separation prevents sensitive user information from being exposed across tenant boundaries while maintaining guest printing functionality.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Solution Approach 2:

The company tenant's CPS acts as an intermediary that generates the job code and uses the mail address internally to notify the user, while only transmitting the job code to the shared office tenant's CPS. This intermediary role allows the system to enable guest printing without directly transmitting sensitive user information between tenants.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Adaptability or versatility

If different CPSs are used for company tenant and shared office tenant, then organizational flexibility is improved, but vulnerability countermeasure guarantee becomes difficult

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveorganizational flexibilityVSAvoidvulnerability protection
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent segments the CPS system into distinct company tenant CPS and shared office tenant CPS, allowing independent operation and management of each tenant while maintaining secure communication through standardized job code transmission protocols. This segmentation enables organizational flexibility while preserving security boundaries.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The job code serves as an intermediary data element that enables communication between different CPSs without requiring direct exposure of internal systems or sensitive information. The company tenant's CPS generates and transmits the job code to the shared office tenant's CPS, facilitating cross-tenant functionality while maintaining vulnerability protection.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

3Ease of operation

If user information is transmitted to shared office, then job code notification is enabled, but information exposure and security vulnerability increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvejob code notificationVSAvoidinformation exposure
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The patent extracts only the necessary job code information from the company tenant's CPS and transmits it to the shared office tenant's CPS, while keeping the mail address and other sensitive user information confined to the company tenant's internal system. This selective extraction enables job code notification without information exposure.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Data Source

PatentEP4075255B1System and method of controlling system
Publication Date: 2025.08.20 CANON KK
  • EP4075255B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP4075255B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP4075255B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

The system according to the present disclosure includes a cloud print service (CPS) 170 connected to a client terminal 120 via a network, and a CPS 160 connected to an image forming apparatus 130 through a network. The CPS 170 receives a job executed by the image forming apparatus 130 from the client terminal 120, and transmits the job to the CPS 160. The CPS 160 receives a job transmitted from the CPS 170, issues a job code for the job, and transmits the job code to the CPS 160. The CPS 160 receives the job code issued by the CPS 170, and notifies the client terminal 120 of the job code.