# US 11,909,925 B2 · Information processing apparatus and method of detecting malfunction in data communication

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- Number: US 11,909,925 B2
- Document ID: US11909925B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 18/137,096
- Filed: 2023-04-20
- Published: 2023-12-07
- Granted: 2024-02-20
- Earliest claimed: 2022-06-01
- Assignees: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
- Applicants: Nobuyuki Nitta; Ryuuichi Satoh
- Inventors: Nobuyuki Nitta; Ryuuichi Satoh
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11909925B2

## CPC

- H04N 1/00084: {Recovery or repair, e.g. self-repair}
- H04N 1/00037: {Detecting, i.e. determining the occurrence of a predetermined state (H04N1/00031 takes precedence)}
- H04N 1/00938: {Software related arrangements, e.g. loading applications (program loading in general G06F9/445)}
- H04N 2201/0094: Multifunctional device, i.e. a device capable of all of reading, reproducing, copying, facsimile transception, file transception
- H04N: PICTORIAL COMMUNICATION, e.g. TELEVISION

## Abstract

An information processing apparatus, an image forming apparatus, an information processing method, and a non-transitory recording medium. The information processing apparatus in response to completion of a specific software activation process in the controller, transmits an activation completion notification to the operation device and the operation device in response to receiving the activation completion notification, updates a timeout period of a timer started after activation of software of the operation device to a shorter period of time and restart the timer, and in a case data communication is not established on the communication path within the updated timeout period, detects a malfunction and notifies the controller of the malfunction, and the controller performs a recovery process.

## Claims

### Claim 1

An information processing apparatus comprising a controller and an operation device communicably connected to each other through a communication path,
the controller including circuitry configured to, in response to completion of a specific software activation process in the controller, transmit an activation completion notification to the operation device, and
the operation device including circuitry configured to:
in response to receiving the activation completion notification, update a timeout period of a timer started after activation of software of the operation device to a shorter period of time and restart the timer; and
in a case where data communication is not established on the communication path within the updated timeout period, detect a malfunction and notify the controller of the malfunction; and
the circuitry of the controller is configured to perform a recovery process.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The information processing apparatus of claim 1 wherein
the circuitry of the controller includes first circuitry and second circuitry,
the first circuitry being configured to notify the second circuitry of the completion of activation of the specific software of the controller, and
the second circuitry being configured to transmit the activation completion notification to the circuitry of the operation device, in response to the notification from the first circuitry.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

An image forming apparatus comprising:
the information processing apparatus of claim 1; and
an image forming device that forms an image processed by the information processing apparatus.

### Claim 4

An information processing method executed by an information processing apparatus comprising a controller and an operation device, the method comprising:
with the controller, in response to completion of specific software activation process in the controller, transmitting an activation completion notification to the operation device;
with the operation device, in response to receiving the activation completion notification, updating a timeout period of a timer started after activation of software of the operation device to a shorter period of time, and restarting the timer; and
in a case where data communication is not established on a communication path between the controller and the operation device within the updated timeout period, detecting a malfunction and notifying the controller of the malfunction; and
with the controller, performing a recovery process.

### Claim 5 (depends on 4)

The information processing method of claim 4 wherein
the controller includes first circuitry and second circuitry,
the method further comprises:
with the first circuitry, notifying the second circuitry of the completion of activation of the specific software of the controller, and
the transmitting comprises transmitting, with the second circuitry, the activation completion notification to the operation device in response to the notification from the first circuitry.

### Claim 6

A non-transitory recording medium storing a plurality of instructions which, when executed by one or more processors on an information processing apparatus comprising a controller and an operation device, causes the processors to perform an information processing method, including:
with the controller, in response to completion of specific software activation process in the controller, transmitting an activation completion notification to the operation device;
with the operation device, in response to receiving the activation completion notification, updating a timeout period of a timer started after activation of software of the operation device to a shorter period of time, and restarting the timer; and
in a case where data communication is not established on a communication path between the controller and the operation device within the updated timeout period, detecting a malfunction and notifying the controller of the malfunction; and
with the controller, performing a recovery process.