Session Relay System for Secure Remote Maintenance of Image Forming Apparatus
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current systems for remote communication and maintenance of image forming apparatuses lack secure and efficient methods for establishing and managing sessions between devices across different networks, particularly when controlling devices from outside their local network.
Innovation Solution
A remote communication control system that includes a session relay system to associate connections between an image forming apparatus and a connection terminal outside its network, a remote maintenance system for executing maintenance instructions, and a session management unit to manage and terminate sessions as needed, ensuring secure and efficient remote operation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If direct connection is established between image forming apparatus and external electronic device, then communication efficiency is improved, but security risk increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a session relay system as an intermediary component that establishes separate connection segments between the image forming apparatus and external electronic devices. This mediator enables communication while maintaining security boundaries, allowing efficient data transmission without direct exposure between endpoints.
2Ease of operation
If session is maintained continuously for remote operation, then operational convenience is improved, but session stability deteriorates during maintenance operations
Solution Approach 1:
The session management system dynamically adjusts session states based on operational context. Sessions are automatically terminated when maintenance operations are detected, and restarted when normal operations resume. This dynamic behavior maintains convenience during normal use while ensuring stability during maintenance by preventing conflicting session states.
Solution Approach 2:
The system implements feedback mechanisms that monitor the state of the image forming apparatus and automatically respond to maintenance conditions. When maintenance is detected, the system receives feedback about the maintenance state and responds by terminating sessions, thereby preventing session conflicts and maintaining overall system reliability.
3Adaptability or versatility
If multiple sessions are established simultaneously, then service availability is improved, but system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system segments session management into distinct functional components: session establishment, session maintenance, session termination, and maintenance detection. Each component handles specific aspects of session management independently, allowing multiple sessions to be managed simultaneously through modular operations rather than monolithic control logic.
Data Source
AI summary
A remote communication control system includes a session relay system, a session management unit, and a remote maintenance unit. The session relay system associates a connection established with an image forming apparatus with a connection established with an electronic device located outside a network to which the image forming apparatus belongs, so as to relay a session between the image forming apparatus and the electronic device. The session management unit manages the session. The remote maintenance unit executes a remote maintenance to the image forming apparatus corresponding to an instruction from the electronic device. When the remote maintenance corresponding to the instruction is a specific remote maintenance, the session management unit terminates the session established to the image forming apparatus as a target for the remote maintenance corresponding to the instruction.