Cloud Print State Notification Control Under Request Limits

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Solution Overview

Problem

Cloud printing services face increased processing load due to frequent device state notifications from multiple printing apparatuses, leading to errors and confusion for users when the request limit is exceeded, and existing methods either reduce state visibility or increase processing load on printing apparatuses.

Innovation Solution

A printing apparatus that manages device state notifications by suppressing user-facing errors for exceeded request limits and retrying notifications when necessary, ensuring consistent state visibility in the cloud printing service without user intervention.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If the cloud printing service processes all device state notifications from multiple printing apparatuses, then the state of all printing apparatuses can be grasped, but the processing load from requests increases and errors occur when the upper limit is exceeded

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvestate monitoring reliabilityVSAvoidprocessing load
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies partial action by selectively suppressing error notifications for device state notification requests that exceed the upper limit, while still maintaining the core functionality of state monitoring. The error notification is suppressed only when specific conditions are met (device state notification request with upper limit exceeded), rather than blocking all such requests or notifying users of every error. This resolves the contradiction by maintaining reliable state monitoring through continued processing of device state notifications while avoiding excessive error notifications that would burden the system.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #16Partial or excessive action

2Loss of information

If error notifications are sent to users when request limits are exceeded, then users are informed of system status, but user confusion occurs because the error cause is not clear

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveerror information transparencyVSAvoiduser understanding
Core Design Contradiction:
Loss of informationVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The patent extracts and removes the problematic error notification for device state notification requests from the user-facing error reporting system. By identifying that device state notification errors are generated automatically without user volition and do not require user action, the invention extracts this specific error type and suppresses its notification to users. This resolves the contradiction by maintaining error information transparency for actionable errors while removing confusing non-actionable error notifications that would reduce ease of operation.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

3Productivity

If the cloud printing service restricts the number of device state notifications per unit time, then the processing load is reduced, but errors occur indicating too many requests

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveprocessing capacityVSAvoidnotification delivery
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent converts the harmful effect of request limit restrictions into a beneficial outcome by suppressing error notifications for exceeded limits. The upper limit restriction on device state notifications creates errors that would normally indicate system constraints, but the invention transforms this by recognizing that these specific errors (device state notifications with upper limit exceeded) do not require user attention. By suppressing these error notifications while maintaining the request limit, the system preserves processing capacity management while eliminating the harmful effect of user confusion and unnecessary error alerts.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #22Blessing in disguise (Convert harm into benefit)

Data Source

PatentEP4303712B1Printing apparatus, control method, and program
Publication Date: 2026.02.18 CANON KK
  • EP4303712B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP4303712B1 patent drawingFigure 2A~2B
  • EP4303712B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

A printing apparatus that executes printing on a basis of print data obtained from a server system is provided. The printing apparatus transmits a notification of a state of the printing apparatus according to progress of the printing to the server system; receives from the server system a response to the notification of the state transmitted; outputs an error according to the response when the response received does not indicate transmission success and does not indicate that a load of the server system exceeds an upper limit; and continues processing without outputting an error when the response received indicates transmission success or indicates that the load of the server system exceeds the upper limit.