Print Server Job Address Table for Event Notification Filtering
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Solution Overview
Problem
In image forming systems with shared image forming apparatuses and multiple client apparatuses connected via a network, excessive network communication traffic occurs due to unnecessary event notifications from the print server to each client apparatus, increasing network traffic and user information overload.
Innovation Solution
The system includes a client apparatus with a status monitor and printer driver that converts document data into print job data, generates a job ID, and transmits it to the print server, while the print server uses a job address table to register the job ID and IP address, filtering and transmitting only relevant event content from the image forming apparatus to the client apparatus, thereby reducing unnecessary notifications.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of information
If the print server notifies each client apparatus of all status changes in the image forming apparatus, then users can know the status of their jobs, but the amount of network communication traffic increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts only the necessary information (job status changes relevant to each client) from the complete set of status changes in the image forming apparatus. The notification system selectively transmits only those status changes that affect a specific client's job, filtering out unrelated notifications. This reduces network traffic while ensuring users receive all necessary job status information.
2Loss of information
If the print server notifies each client apparatus of all event changes, then users can monitor apparatus status, but user information overload occurs
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by tailoring the notification content to each client's specific needs and context. Each client receives notifications customized to their job status rather than a uniform stream of all apparatus events. This selective notification approach reduces information overload while maintaining comprehensive job status monitoring for each user.
3Loss of information
If all status change notifications are transmitted to all clients, then complete information is provided, but network efficiency decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the notification process by dividing clients into groups based on their job status requirements. Each client receives notifications segmented according to their specific job ID and status changes, rather than receiving all apparatus status changes. This segmentation maintains information completeness for each user while significantly improving network communication efficiency by reducing redundant transmissions.
Data Source
AI summary
An image forming system includes a client apparatus, a print server, and an image forming apparatus, each of which are coupled via a network to one another. The client apparatus provides a job ID together with an IP address of the client apparatus to the print server, and transmits print job data to the image forming apparatus via the print server. The print server registers the job ID and the IP address in a job address table, receives content of an event transmitted from the image forming apparatus, reads an IP address associated with a job ID included in the content of the event from the job address table when the event is a change in job status, and transmits the content of the event to a client having the read IP address.