Wireless Connection Failure Diagnosis via External Server Relay

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Solution Overview

Problem

Establishing wireless connection between communication apparatuses via an external apparatus often fails, leading to user inconvenience and the need for laborious alternative communication path establishment to determine the cause of the failure.

Innovation Solution

A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium stores a program that enables an information processing apparatus to acquire network information from a communication apparatus via an external server when direct communication fails, allowing for notification of the cause of the failure without establishing a separate communication path.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of operation

If wireless communication path establishment is attempted via external access point, then connection setting processing can be performed, but connection failure occurs and requires laborious alternative path establishment to determine the cause

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveconnection setting convenienceVSAvoidtime for alternative path establishment

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The patent introduces an intermediary communication path (different from the wireless communication path via external access point) to transmit network information and determination results. This intermediary path allows the information processing apparatus to acquire network information from the communication apparatus without requiring successful wireless connection through the external access point, thereby eliminating the need for laborious alternative path establishment while still enabling cause determination.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent performs preliminary acquisition of network information from the communication apparatus before attempting wireless connection via the external access point. By acquiring network information in advance and using it for determination purposes, the system avoids the need to establish alternative communication paths solely for diagnostic purposes, thus saving time and improving operational convenience.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

2Reliability

If wireless connection via external access point fails, then user convenience deteriorates, but establishing alternative communication path is laborious

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvewireless connection reliabilityVSAvoidcommunication path establishment complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent uses an intermediary communication mechanism that does not rely on the wireless connection via external access point being successful. This intermediary approach allows the system to acquire network information and determine connection causes without adding complex alternative path establishment procedures, thereby maintaining reliability assessment capability while avoiding increased device complexity.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent extracts the essential network information acquisition function from the wireless connection establishment process. By separating these functions, the system can determine connection causes without requiring successful wireless connection or complex alternative path establishment, thus maintaining reliability assessment while simplifying the overall process.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

3Difficulty of detecting and measuring

If network information is acquired via different communication path, then cause determination is enabled, but additional communication path establishment is required

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecause determination capabilityVSAvoidcommunication path configuration

Core Design Contradiction:

Difficulty of detecting and measuringVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent employs an intermediary mechanism for acquiring network information that does not require establishing alternative communication paths in the traditional sense. The intermediary approach allows cause determination by acquiring network information through existing or simplified communication channels, thereby enabling detection capability without increasing device complexity.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Data Source

PatentUS20260025470A1Non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing program, information processing apparatus, control method of information processing apparatus, communication apparatus, and communication system

Publication Date: 2026.01.22 CANON KK

AI summary

An information processing apparatus, including: an acquisition unit configured to, when it is impossible to execute wireless communication with a communication apparatus via an external access point (AP), acquire, from the information processing apparatus, first network information concerning wireless communication between the information processing apparatus and the external AP; a request unit configured to, when it is impossible to execute wireless communication with the communication apparatus via the external AP but wireless communication with an external server can be executed, request second network information concerning wireless communication between the communication apparatus and the external AP from the external server; and a notification unit configured to make a notification for executing wireless communication with the communication apparatus via the external AP based on at least one of the first network information and a response result to the request.