Firewall-Aware Image Routing for External Process Image Storage

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Solution Overview

Problem

Firewalls restrict direct data transfer between internal and external networks, complicating the storage of process images generated by image forming apparatuses within a firewall, leading to inefficient data handling and prolonged processing times.

Innovation Solution

An image forming apparatus installed within a firewall transmits process information and storage destination details to a server outside the firewall, enabling the server to directly store process images in designated internal or external storage locations based on specified communication protocols and IP addresses, thus bypassing firewall restrictions.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If the server transmits the process image to the image forming apparatus inside the firewall for storage, then the image forming apparatus can store process images, but the storage efficiency is reduced and processing time is prolonged due to the firewall restriction

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvestorage capabilityVSAvoidstorage efficiency

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent introduces a routing table as an intermediary mechanism that directs process images to appropriate storage destinations. The routing table contains destination information that determines whether process images should be stored inside or outside the firewall, enabling the system to bypass unnecessary firewall transmissions and improve storage efficiency while maintaining reliable storage capability

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent segments the storage system into internal storage (inside firewall) and external storage (outside firewall) based on the routing table information. This segmentation allows process images to be stored directly at the most appropriate location without being forced through the firewall, thereby resolving the contradiction between maintaining storage capability and improving storage efficiency

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

2Reliability

If the server transmits the process image to the image forming apparatus inside the firewall, then the process image can be stored, but the processing time is prolonged due to the additional transmission step

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvestorage capabilityVSAvoidprocessing time

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The patent implements preliminary action by pre-configuring the routing table with destination information before process images need to be stored. This allows the server to directly determine the optimal storage destination and transmit process images accordingly, eliminating unnecessary intermediate transmission steps and reducing processing time while ensuring reliable storage

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

3Ease of operation

If all process images are temporarily transmitted from the server to the image forming apparatus inside the firewall, then uniform storage handling is achieved, but the load on the image forming apparatus increases and storage efficiency decreases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveuniform storage handlingVSAvoidsystem load

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies dynamics by making the storage destination flexible and adaptive based on the routing table information. Instead of a fixed uniform approach, the system dynamically determines whether to store process images inside or outside the firewall, distributing the storage load appropriately and reducing the burden on the image forming apparatus while maintaining ease of operation through automated routing

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

Data Source

PatentUS12587602B2Image forming apparatus, non-transitory computer readable medium storing image forming program, and information processing system

Publication Date: 2026.03.24 FUJIFILM BUSINESS INNOVATION CORP

AI summary

An image forming apparatus installed on an inside of a firewall includes a processor configured to transmit, to an information processing apparatus installed on an outside of the firewall, an image generated in accordance with an instruction of a user, process information indicating a content of a process on the image, and storage destination information indicating a storage destination of a process image obtained in a manner that the information processing apparatus executes the process according to the process information on the image, and perform control of causing the information processing apparatus to directly store the process image in a storage destination on the outside of the firewall in a case where the storage destination of the process image obtained from the storage destination information is the storage destination on the outside of the firewall.