IP Address Reuse Logic for Network Connectivity Stability

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Solution Overview

Problem

In environments where the DHCP server operations are unstable, information processing apparatuses face challenges in maintaining network connectivity due to IP address reassignment and potential overlap, leading to communication failures and operational issues, especially for devices like office printers that require continuous network access.

Innovation Solution

An information processing apparatus is designed to obtain an IP address from a DHCP server and includes a determination unit that, upon failure in obtaining a new IP address, decides whether to continue using a previously assigned IP address based on user settings, allowing for uninterrupted network access by either releasing or reusing the IP address.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Productivity

If the DHCP server reassigns IP addresses to different information processing apparatuses, then the IP address pool is efficiently utilized, but IP address overlap occurs causing communication failures

Engineering Contradiction:

ImproveIP address utilization efficiencyVSAvoidcommunication reliability

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The information processing apparatus performs preliminary detection to determine whether a previously used IP address is currently being used by another device before reusing it. This preliminary check prevents IP address overlap and communication failures while allowing efficient reuse of IP addresses from the DHCP server.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

2Reliability

If the information processing apparatus continues to use a previously assigned IP address when DHCP obtainment fails, then network connectivity is maintained, but IP address overlap may occur with other devices

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvenetwork connectivity reliabilityVSAvoidIP address overlap

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The apparatus implements a feedback mechanism where it detects whether a previously used IP address is currently in use by another device before continuing to use it. This feedback loop allows the system to maintain network connectivity when DHCP fails while preventing IP address overlap through active detection of address conflicts.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #23Feedback

3Reliability

If the DHCP server operations are unstable, then network configuration management becomes unreliable, but devices still need to maintain continuous network access

Engineering Contradiction:

ImproveDHCP server operation reliabilityVSAvoidcontinuous network access

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The information processing apparatus serves itself by autonomously determining whether to continue using a previously assigned IP address when DHCP server operations fail. The device performs self-detection and self决策 to maintain network connectivity without requiring manual intervention or a stable DHCP server, thereby ensuring continuous network access despite DHCP instability.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #25Self-service

Data Source

PatentUS10645058B2Information processing apparatus, control method thereof, and storage medium

Publication Date: 2020.05.05 CANON KK

AI summary

An information processing apparatus obtains an IP address from a DHCP server, and in the case where the obtainment of an IP address from the DHCP server has failed, determines whether or not to continue to use an IP address used previously, on the basis of a setting in the information processing apparatus.