Remote Control Path Selection for Image Processing Apparatus

Resolve Bottlenecks,
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions

Solution Overview

Problem

In remote control systems for image processing apparatuses, users face issues with continuous operation due to priority being given to other portable information devices when multiple application programs are executed, leading to disconnection and loss of control.

Innovation Solution

The system establishes multiple communication paths with remote operation devices, selects a valid path for each application program, and upon disconnection, prioritizes waiting paths connected to the same device, ensuring continuous operation by switching to alternative paths without considering sequence numbers.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If the system uses a single communication path for remote control, then the system is simple to manage, but continuous operation cannot be ensured when the path disconnects

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecontinuous operationVSAvoidcommunication path management

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The system pre-establishes multiple communication paths (first communication path and second communication path) before disconnection occurs. When the current communication path disconnects, the system can immediately switch to a pre-established alternative path, ensuring continuous operation without requiring complex real-time path establishment procedures.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The control device acts as an intermediary that manages multiple communication paths with different portable terminals. It maintains a mapping relationship between communication paths and terminals, enabling seamless switching when disconnection occurs, thus ensuring continuous control while managing complexity centrally.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Reliability

If the system allows multiple portable terminals to connect, then continuous control is enabled, but other terminals may take priority causing disconnection of the current user

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecontinuous controlVSAvoidcontrol priority

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The system pre-establishes communication paths with multiple portable terminals before disconnection occurs. When the current communication path disconnects, the system can immediately switch to a pre-established alternative path belonging to the same user, ensuring continuous operation without interruption from other terminals taking priority.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The system applies different quality attributes to different communication paths by establishing a mapping relationship between paths and specific portable terminals. This allows the system to prioritize and identify paths belonging to the current user, ensuring that when switching occurs, the alternative path maintains the same user context and control rights.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

3Reliability

If the system switches to alternative communication paths upon disconnection, then continuous operation is maintained, but path selection complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveuninterrupted controlVSAvoidpath selection logic

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The system pre-establishes multiple communication paths and creates a mapping relationship between these paths and portable terminals before disconnection occurs. This preliminary setup includes storing the correspondence between first communication paths, second communication paths, and associated terminals, which simplifies the switching decision logic to merely selecting from pre-validated alternatives.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The control device serves as an intermediary that maintains the mapping relationship between communication paths and portable terminals. This centralized management simplifies the switching logic by providing a clear lookup mechanism, reducing the complexity of path selection compared to distributed decision-making at each terminal.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Data Source

PatentUS9979849B2Communication path selection for remote control system of an image processing apparatus, remote control and communication path selection method, and non-transitory computer-readable recording medium encoded with remote control and communication path selection program

Publication Date: 2018.05.22 KONICA MINOLTA INC

AI summary

A hardware processor included in an image processing apparatus establishes a communication path with remote operation devices, selects one of the established communication paths as a valid path, executes a process in accordance with a remote operation command received via the valid path, in response to establishment of new communication paths different from the valid path, sets the new communication paths as waiting paths to which sequence numbers are supplied in a chronological order of establishment of the communication paths, determines whether a same waiting path to which a remote operation device that is the same as a remote operation device connected to the valid path is connected is present, and in the case where the same waiting path is present, in response to disconnection of the valid path, selects the same waiting path as a valid path regardless of the sequence numbers supplied to the waiting paths.