Event Notification System for Printer Drivers
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Solution Overview
Problem
The existing network-based event notification systems face delays and errors in notifying hosts of events occurring in devices, such as image forming apparatuses, due to concentrated loads and incomplete subscription processes, leading to delayed job completion or missed notifications.
Innovation Solution
An event notification system that allows immediate notification of events to hosts by processing subscription requests and notifications concurrently with printing data submission, using a subscription manager and event database to manage event types and notifications, ensuring timely and accurate event reporting.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the printer driver makes the subscription request before starting printing, then the host can receive event notifications, but the processing time is extended and job completion is delayed
Solution Approach 1:
The subscription request is made in advance by the printer driver before printing starts, ensuring that the event notification mechanism is already in place and ready to receive notifications immediately when printing completes or errors occur, thus improving reliability without significantly impacting job completion time
Solution Approach 2:
The event notification system acts as an intermediary between the image forming apparatus and the host, using a standardized protocol (WS-Eventing) to efficiently transmit completion and error notifications, reducing the communication overhead and time loss
2Productivity
If the status monitor performs the subscription request simultaneously with printing data submission, then processing time is reduced, but event notifications may be missed for small data or early errors
Solution Approach 1:
The subscription request is initiated in advance by the printer driver before the status monitor starts, ensuring that the event notification subscription is established before printing begins, so that even small data or early errors are captured reliably
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs the subscription request action partially in advance (by the printer driver) and partially concurrently (by the status monitor), ensuring sufficient coverage without excessive delay, balancing productivity and reliability
3Adaptability or versatility
If the host processes notification reservation subscription requests for multiple devices, then comprehensive monitoring is achieved, but load concentrates on the host
Solution Approach 1:
Each image forming apparatus autonomously generates and sends event notifications according to the WS-Eventing protocol when events occur, without requiring the host to actively poll or manage each device individually, thus reducing host processing load while maintaining multi-device monitoring capability
Solution Approach 2:
The event notification system uses a universal standardized protocol (WS-Eventing) that can handle multiple device types and event types through a single unified interface, allowing the host to monitor multiple devices efficiently without device-specific processing overhead
Data Source
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AI summary
Upon startup of an OS, the present invention obtains an entry of a StatusMonitor key from all printer driver setting information subscribed in a registry by means of a subscriber (SO), and if a value thereof is 1, obtains an entry of a key including "Notification". If a value of an array element 0 indicates activation of notification, the present invention obtains a character string of an array element 1 as an event type, and makes a Subscribe request to an image forming apparatus (S3). The present invention stores a subscription ID being returned, and makes an Unsubscribe request to the image forming apparatus for all subscription IDs thus stored, upon shut-down of the OS.