Web UI Status Notification via Dual Communication Methods
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Solution Overview
Problem
In apparatuses employing Web UI, users are not notified of the Web server condition when Web contents cannot be acquired, leading to unclear status and user inconvenience.
Innovation Solution
An information processing apparatus that requests Web contents using a first communication method and acquires the server condition using a second method, displaying the server condition without indicating an error when Web contents cannot be acquired, allowing user notification of the Web server status.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of information
If the apparatus displays only the alternative UI screen when Web contents cannot be acquired, then the user interface remains functional, but the user is not notified of the Web server condition
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a status information acquisition unit as an intermediary component that separately obtains Web server status information through a dedicated communication method, independent of the main Web contents acquisition process. This mediator ensures that status information is collected without interfering with the primary UI display function, resolving the contradiction between providing complete information and maintaining system simplicity.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent segments the communication process into two independent parts: a first communication method for acquiring Web contents and a second communication method for acquiring server status information. By dividing the communication function into separate modules, the system can maintain functional simplicity while obtaining comprehensive information about server conditions without complicating the overall architecture.
2Reliability
If the apparatus uses a single communication method for both Web contents and server status, then the system is simple, but reliable status notification cannot be ensured when Web contents fail
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs a dedicated status information acquisition unit as a mediator that uses a separate communication method specifically for obtaining server status. This intermediary approach ensures reliable status notification independent of Web contents availability, as the status acquisition process does not depend on the success of Web contents retrieval through the first communication method.
Solution Approach 2:
By segmenting the communication functions into two distinct methods with dedicated acquisition units, the system achieves higher reliability for status notification. The second communication method for status information remains independent and functional even when the first communication method fails, ensuring consistent user notification about server conditions without adding complex error handling logic.
3Loss of information
If the apparatus displays an error screen when Web contents cannot be acquired, then the user is notified of the problem, but the Web server condition information is not provided
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the alternative UI screen display function with the server status information display function into a unified presentation approach. Instead of showing a separate error screen, the system combines both the alternative UI content and the acquired server status information into a single integrated display, providing comprehensive information while maintaining interface simplicity.
Solution Approach 2:
The status information acquisition unit acts as an intermediary that collects server status data and makes it available for display alongside the alternative UI screen. This intermediary mechanism enables the system to present both functional UI content and diagnostic status information without requiring separate error handling flows, thus maintaining ease of operation while eliminating information loss.
Data Source
AI summary
It is possible to notify a user of a condition of a Web server in the case where Web contents cannot be acquired from the Web server in an apparatus that employs a Web UI. A request for Web contents is made to a server by using a first communication method, a screen based on the Web contents received as a response to the request is displayed on a display unit, a condition of the server is acquired from the server by using a second communication method different from the first communication method, and a screen based on the condition of the server acquired by using the second communication method is displayed on the display unit without displaying a screen indicating an error of the request on the display unit in the case where the Web contents cannot be acquired as a response to the request.