Selective HTTP Redirection for MFP Communication Efficiency

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Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional Multi Functional Peripherals (MFPs) perform unnecessary HTTP redirection to HTTPS servers for all HTTP requests designating port 80, leading to inefficient communication and potential failure in communication with devices that cannot interpret HTTP redirection messages.

Innovation Solution

The MFP selectively registers transfer port numbers for HTTP redirection, allowing for intelligent servlet registration and redirection only when necessary, enabling the MFP to determine whether to register a transfer servlet based on the program code's requirements and avoiding unnecessary HTTPS communication.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If HTTP redirection is performed for all HTTP requests designating port 80, then security is improved by forcing encrypted communication, but communication performance deteriorates due to unnecessary encryption

Engineering Contradiction:
ImprovesecurityVSAvoidcommunication performance
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies local quality by making the redirection behavior application-specific rather than universal. Each Web application can independently specify whether it should receive redirected requests from port 80, allowing encrypted communication only where needed while maintaining unencrypted communication for applications that don't require it, thus resolving the contradiction between security and communication performance

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

2Adaptability or versatility

If HTTP redirection messages are transmitted to all external devices, then compatibility with HTTPS servers is improved, but communication fails with devices that cannot interpret HTTP redirection messages

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecompatibility with HTTPS serversVSAvoidcommunication reliability
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent enables selective redirection at the application level, where each Web application can specify whether it accepts redirected requests. This allows the system to maintain compatibility with HTTPS servers for applications that need it while avoiding communication failures with devices that cannot interpret redirection messages, by simply not applying redirection to those applications

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

Solution Approach 2:

The patent introduces dynamic control over redirection behavior through program code that can specify redirection preferences. The redirection mechanism is no longer static and universal but can be dynamically enabled or disabled on a per-application basis, allowing the system to adapt to different device capabilities and requirements

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

Data Source

PatentEP2439898B1Redirecting processing requests to a port number for encrypted communication
Publication Date: 2017.09.13 CANON KK
  • EP2439898B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP2439898B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP2439898B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

The information processing apparatus (101) registers a Web application in association with a predetermined port number, and registers the transfer application in association with a transfer port number if it determines that the transfer application is to be registered. The information processing apparatus (101) receives a request from the external device (102, 103), and if a Web application indicated by identification information included in the received request is registered in association with the port number included in the request, executes that Web application, whereas if the Web application indicated by the identification information included in the received request is registered as a transfer application in association with the port number included in the request, the apparatus (101) transmits, to the external device (102, 103), a redirection message for transfer to the Web application by executing the transfer application, and causes the external device (102, 103) to automatically transmit a request for the registered port number and the Web application.