Remote Appliance Status Retrieval via Firewall-Friendly Email Protocol

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Solution Overview

Problem

Business office appliances operating behind firewalls require manual technician visits for status retrieval, causing service disruptions and increased operational costs due to the inability to remotely access their current status.

Innovation Solution

A service management application retrieves status information from device management applications via a firewall-friendly protocol, using a proxy server to communicate instructions to the appliances for status retrieval, allowing concurrent execution with normal operating processes and returning the status through a firewall-friendly protocol.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Loss of information

If a technician visits the business office appliance to retrieve status information, then the status information can be obtained, but service disruption and increased operational costs occur

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvestatus information retrievalVSAvoidservice continuity

Core Design Contradiction:

Loss of informationVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The business office appliance automatically performs status information retrieval and transmission without requiring technician intervention. The appliance executes instructions locally, collects status data, and transmits it autonomously through the firewall using firewall-friendly protocols, enabling the system to serve itself rather than requiring external technical assistance

Inventive Principle:

Principle #25Self-service

Solution Approach 2:

A proxy server acts as an intermediary between the service management application and the device management application. The proxy server receives status requests from the service management application, forwards them to the device management application, and relays the retrieved status information back, enabling communication across firewall boundaries without direct access

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Loss of information

If a technician visits the business office appliance to retrieve status information, then the status information can be obtained, but operational costs increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvestatus information retrievalVSAvoidoperational costs

Core Design Contradiction:

Loss of informationVSLoss of energy

Solution Approach 1:

The system eliminates the need for technician travel and manual intervention by enabling automated status information retrieval. The appliance executes instructions locally and transmits status data autonomously, converting a service that required human labor and travel into an automated electronic process that incurs minimal operational costs

Inventive Principle:

Principle #25Self-service

Solution Approach 2:

The patent replaces the mechanical system of technician visits (physical travel, manual device access, handwritten or electronic documentation) with an automated electronic system that uses network protocols to transmit status information digitally, eliminating the need for physical presence and reducing operational costs associated with technician deployment

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

3Productivity

If remote status retrieval is implemented, then service disruption is reduced, but firewall compatibility challenges arise

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveservice continuityVSAvoidfirewall protocol compatibility

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The system changes the parameters of communication by using firewall-friendly protocols (such as HTTP, FTP, or SMTP) instead of direct device access protocols. The status retrieval process is packaged within email messages or web requests that firewalls typically allow through, enabling remote access without requiring firewall configuration changes or complex port forwarding

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

Solution Approach 2:

The proxy server serves as an intermediary that translates between the service management application's requests and the device management application's interface. It receives requests in firewall-friendly formats, converts them to appropriate device commands, and translates the responses back, simplifying the interaction across firewall boundaries without requiring complex direct communication protocols

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Data Source

PatentUS8719811B2Method of causing functions to be executed on business office appliances

Publication Date: 2014.05.06 RICOH CO LTD

AI summary

Status information of one or more business office appliances operating behind a firewall are retrieved remotely by a service management application. The service management application transmits, via electronic mail from a first network behind a first firewall to a second network behind a second firewall, information that identifies the one or more business office appliances. A device management application at the second network receives the information and, based on the information, communicates instructions to one or more business office appliances. The instructions are executed on the one or more business office appliances without requiring re-boot of the business office appliances. Results of executing the instructions are used to generate a response document that is sent back to the service management application and/or to a database on the first network.