Printer Trouble Notification via Interface Segmentation

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing network systems for printing devices fail to provide adequate trouble notification to management devices based on the specific environment and communication interfaces, leading to inefficient management and potential security breaches.

Innovation Solution

A network system with a printing device equipped with multiple communication interfaces and a trouble notification management system that stores information on the corresponding relationship between management devices, communication interfaces, and notification methods, allowing for targeted and secure delivery of trouble notifications based on the network environment.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If a printing device sends trouble notifications to all management devices via all communication interfaces, then the notification coverage is maximized, but network security is compromised and information may leak across sub-networks

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvenotification delivery reliabilityVSAvoidinformation leak risk

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The patent segments the notification delivery process by creating a mapping relationship between communication interfaces and management devices. Each interface is configured to notify only specific management devices appropriate for its network segment, preventing unauthorized cross-sub-network notifications while ensuring reliable delivery within authorized segments.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The patent applies local quality by assigning different notification destinations to different communication interfaces based on their network environments. Each interface has customized notification settings that match its specific sub-network context, ensuring secure and appropriate notification delivery for each local network segment.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

2Adaptability or versatility

If a printing device uses multiple communication interfaces for notifications, then the adaptability to different network environments is improved, but the device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvenetwork environment adaptabilityVSAvoidnotification management complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent reduces operational complexity by performing preliminary configuration of the mapping relationship between communication interfaces and management devices. This setup is done in advance through the notification setting unit, so that during actual trouble notification, the device can automatically select the appropriate interface and destination without requiring complex real-time decision-making.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The patent introduces a mapping relationship table as an intermediary structure that simplifies the connection between multiple communication interfaces and multiple management devices. This intermediary organization allows the system to handle multiple interfaces adaptably while maintaining manageable complexity through structured association.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

3Loss of information

If a printing device notifies all management devices of all troubles, then the management comprehensiveness is improved, but the loss of time for processing notifications increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvemanagement information completenessVSAvoidnotification processing time

Core Design Contradiction:

Loss of informationVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The patent segments the notification process by establishing specific mappings between communication interfaces and relevant management devices for particular trouble types. This segmentation ensures that only necessary management devices receive specific notifications, maintaining information completeness for each device while reducing the total number of notifications sent and processed.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The patent applies partial action by notifying only the specific management devices that are relevant to each trouble type through the configured mapping relationships. Rather than notifying all management devices of all troubles, the system sends targeted notifications to the appropriate subset of devices, reducing processing time while maintaining necessary management comprehensiveness.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #16Partial or excessive action

Data Source

PatentUS7725775B2Network system, printing device, and control program for printing device

Publication Date: 2010.05.25 BROTHER KOGYO KK

AI summary

A network system comprises a printing device, and a plurality of management devices that manages the printing device via a network. The printing device comprises a plurality of communication interfaces individually connected to the network, a trouble detecting system that detects troubles caused in the printing device, a trouble notification management information storing system that stores trouble notification management information representing a relationship among information on a management device to be notified of a trouble, information on a communication interface used by the management device, and information on a method of delivering trouble notifying information, and a trouble notifying system that delivers the trouble notifying information to the management device in a corresponding method via a corresponding communication interface by reference to the trouble notification management information. Each of the plurality of the management devices comprises a receiving system that receives the trouble notifying information.