Print Relay Server Proxy for Legacy Printer Cloud Connectivity
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing image forming apparatuses, or legacy printers, cannot be easily connected to cloud-based printing services due to the need for dedicated interfaces and communication modules conforming to specific vendor specifications, leading to high costs and complexity, and they often cannot interpret print data formats like PDF, limiting their functionality.
Innovation Solution
A print relay server system that acts as a proxy between the print server and image forming apparatus, using relay virtual printers to transmit print jobs and acquire apparatus information, allowing communication without requiring specific vendor-compliant communication modules, enabling push printing from multiple users and services without holding user account information.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If a dedicated interface conforming to vendor specifications is implemented in the image forming apparatus, then connectivity to cloud-based printing services is achieved, but device complexity and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a gateway device as an intermediary between the image forming apparatus and the print server system. The gateway translates print jobs from the cloud-based service protocol into a format compatible with legacy printers, enabling connectivity without modifying the printer's existing interface. This resolves the contradiction by providing adaptability through the gateway while keeping the image forming apparatus simple and unchanged.
2Adaptability or versatility
If a dedicated communication module conforming to vendor specifications is implemented in the image forming apparatus, then connectivity to cloud-based printing services is achieved, but cost increases
Solution Approach 1:
The gateway device serves as a cost-effective intermediary that handles protocol translation and communication with cloud services. Instead of requiring each legacy printer to purchase expensive vendor-specific communication modules, the gateway provides this functionality centrally, reducing per-device costs while maintaining connectivity capabilities.
3Productivity
If the image forming apparatus directly receives print data from the print server system, then printing functionality is achieved, but compatibility issues arise when the apparatus cannot interpret the data format
Solution Approach 1:
The gateway acts as a format translation intermediary between the print server system and the image forming apparatus. It receives print data in various formats from the cloud service, converts it into a compatible format, and forwards it to the printer. This ensures productivity is maintained while achieving universal format compatibility without requiring the printer to support multiple formats natively.
4Ease of operation
If user account information is stored on the server for push printing functionality, then multi-user printing is enabled, but security risks increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts and removes sensitive user account information from the server environment. Instead of storing credentials on the server, the system uses token-based authentication where the gateway handles authentication externally and only receives authorization tokens. This enables multi-user push printing functionality while eliminating the security risk of storing user account information on the server.
Data Source
AI summary
A print relay server includes an interface (proxy) for relaying a printing service and an image forming apparatus and for communicating with each printing service on a printing service basis and on a user basis, and registers a virtual printer substituting for the image forming apparatus.