Image Forming Apparatus Web Server Status Notification
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Solution Overview
Problem
In image forming apparatuses, existing techniques fail to provide real-time updates and notifications to users when the web server is in a busy or down state, leading to user operability issues as the abnormal state is only recognized after a period of unresponsiveness, and notifications are difficult due to reliance on the web server for problem notification.
Innovation Solution
An image forming apparatus with a display control unit, task monitoring unit, determination unit, and notification unit that independently monitors the web server's state, determines accessibility, and changes the user interface screen content to notify users of an inaccessible web server, allowing real-time reflection of the web server's state.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Device complexity
If the web server is used to notify the web browser of its own problems, then the notification mechanism is simple, but the web browser cannot receive notifications when the web server is in a busy or down state
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a task monitoring unit as an intermediary component that independently monitors the web server's task status. This mediator can detect when the web server is in a busy or down state and trigger notifications through alternative means (such as displaying status indicators on the user interface), breaking the direct dependency where the web server must notify the web browser to receive notifications.
2Ease of operation
If the web browser waits for web server response to detect abnormal state, then the detection method is passive and simple, but the user operability deteriorates due to unrecognized abnormal states
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements an active feedback mechanism where the task monitoring unit continuously monitors the web server's task status and provides real-time information about the server's state (busy or down) to the user interface. This feedback loop ensures that users are immediately informed of abnormal states without needing to wait for web server unresponsiveness, improving user operability by preventing information loss about server status.
3Stability of the object's composition
If the display screen remains unchanged when web server is inaccessible, then the interface remains stable, but the user cannot recognize the abnormal state
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs visual status indicators on the user interface that change appearance (such as color changes or status icon modifications) to reflect the web server's accessibility state. When the task monitoring unit detects that the web server is in a busy or down state, the interface displays distinctive visual cues (e.g., red indicators, disabled button states) to communicate the abnormal state to users while maintaining the overall interface structure, thus preserving stability while preventing information loss.
Data Source
AI summary
An image forming apparatus includes a display control unit that displays a user interface screen based on web page data that is received from a web server, using a web browser that communicates with the web server within the image forming apparatus, a task monitoring unit that operates independently of the web server, monitors a state of a task on the web server, and acquires status information on the task, a determination unit that determines whether or not the web server is accessible, based on the status information, and a notification unit that, in response to the determination that the web server is inaccessible, notifies an operating user of the fact that the web server is inaccessible by changing a display content of the user interface screen.