Edge Gateway Transaction Routing During Cloud Outage Recovery

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing transaction processing systems face challenges in maintaining continuous operations during cloud failures and synchronization processes post-recovery, leading to terminal devices being unable to function normally until synchronization is complete.

Innovation Solution

An information processing system with an edge gateway that monitors network status, routes transaction data to either a cloud-based server or a local store server for processing during failures, and performs synchronization post-recovery, ensuring seamless transaction processing.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If transaction data is accumulated by POS terminals during cloud failure and synchronized after recovery, then data consistency is maintained, but terminal devices cannot operate normally during synchronization

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvedata consistencyVSAvoidterminal device operation
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The patent introduces a store server as an intermediary component between POS terminals and the cloud system. During cloud failure, the store server acts as a local processing hub that receives transaction data from terminals and handles processing independently. After cloud recovery, the store server manages the synchronization process with the cloud system, isolating terminals from the synchronization operations and allowing them to continue operating without interruption.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Reliability

If synchronization is performed after cloud recovery, then data consistency is restored, but terminal devices must wait until synchronization completes

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvedata consistencyVSAvoidterminal device downtime
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The patent implements preliminary actions by having the store server continuously maintain local transaction processing capabilities and data storage before cloud failures occur. When cloud failure happens, the system is already prepared with a functional local processing environment. After recovery, the store server continues to handle transactions locally while simultaneously performing synchronization in the background, eliminating the need to wait for synchronization completion before resuming operations.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

3Extent of automation

If cloud-based processing is used, then centralized control is maintained, but system operations stop during cloud failure

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecentralized controlVSAvoidsystem availability
Core Design Contradiction:
Extent of automationVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent implements a dynamic system architecture that automatically switches between cloud-based and local-based processing modes depending on cloud availability. During normal operation, the system uses cloud-based processing for centralized control. When cloud failure is detected, the system dynamically transitions to local processing at the store server, maintaining system availability. After cloud recovery, the system dynamically switches back to cloud-based processing, thus adapting to changing conditions while maintaining both centralized control and reliability.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

Data Source

PatentEP4207027B1Information processing system and intermediary device
Publication Date: 2026.02.25 TOSHIBA TEC KK
  • EP4207027B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP4207027B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP4207027B1 patent drawingFigure 3~4

AI summary

An information processing system includes a point-of-sale terminal, a store server, and an edge gateway connected to a first network. The store server can receive transaction data from the point-of-sale terminal and perform transaction processing. The edge gateway also receives the transaction data and can forward the data to a cloud-based server connected to a second network and to perform transaction processing based on the transaction data. The edge gateway monitors a state of the second network, sends the transaction data to the cloud-based server for transaction processing when the second network is operational, causes the store server to perform transaction processing when the second network is non-operational, and sends the transaction data to the cloud-based server for transaction processing and also causes the store server to perform transaction processing during a re-synchronization process after the second network becomes operational after being non-operational.