Image Forming Device Controller Using Communication Destination List
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional image forming devices lack a mechanism to manage processes based on the identity of terminal devices issuing instructions, leading to potential unauthorized use and misuse, such as unintended consumables consumption and data leakage.
Innovation Solution
An image forming device with a controller that maintains a communication destination list, where processes are executed or restricted based on whether the terminal device is listed in the list, ensuring that only authorized devices can perform specific actions like printing or setting changes.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If filtering setting is available using port numbers, then communication security is improved, but the ability to manage processes based on terminal device identity is lost
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the filtering parameter from port numbers to terminal device identifiers (MAC addresses). The controller obtains a communication destination list containing terminal device identifiers and uses these identifiers to determine whether to execute processes based on the terminal device's identity, thereby maintaining security while enabling process management based on device identity.
2Ease of operation
If multiple terminal devices can connect without restriction, then ease of operation is improved, but unauthorized use and misuse increase
Solution Approach 1:
The controller obtains a communication destination list from an external device before processing instructions from terminal devices. This preliminary action establishes authorized terminal devices in advance, allowing the system to distinguish between authorized and unauthorized devices and prevent harmful factors while maintaining ease of operation for authorized users.
3Device complexity
If no communication destination list is maintained, then device complexity is reduced, but process management according to terminal device identity becomes impossible
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an external device as an intermediary that provides the communication destination list. Instead of maintaining the list internally, the image forming device obtains the list from the external device, which simplifies the internal structure while enabling process management capability based on terminal device identity.
Data Source
AI summary
An image forming device is provided with an image forming engine, a communication interface configured to communicate with terminal devices, and a controller. The controller is configured to perform obtaining, from an external device, a communication destination list in which statuses of the image forming device and one or more of the terminal devices are stored, and for each of the one or more of the terminal devices, executing a process corresponding to an instruction from the terminal device or restricting a process corresponding to the instruction from the terminal device depending on whether the terminal device is included in the communication destination list obtained in the obtaining.