Method for automatically creating network printer ports on a workstation
First Claim
1. A method of creating network printer ports on a computer workstation, said computer workstation having an operating system that includes a print subsystem, comprising the steps of:
- providing a network;
communicatively coupling said computer workstation to said network;
communicatively coupling at least one printer to said network;
said computer workstation performing the steps of;
transmitting a discovery packet to which a first printer of a designated type can respond;
receiving a response packet from said first printer, said response packet including printer-specific network information of said first printer;
identifying whether a network port exists for said first printer; and
if no such network port exists, then creating a first network printer port for said first printer based on said printer-specific network information for said first printer.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A method of creating network printer ports on a computer workstation includes the steps of providing a network; communicatively coupling the computer workstation to the network; and communicatively coupling at least one printer to the network. The computer workstation performs the steps of transmitting a discovery packet to which a first printer of a designated type can respond; receiving a response packet from the first printer, the response packet including printer-specific network information of the first printer; identifying whether a network port exists for the first printer; and if no such network port exists, then creating a first network printer port for the first printer based on the printer-specific network information for the first printer.
48 Citations
12 Claims
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1. A method of creating network printer ports on a computer workstation, said computer workstation having an operating system that includes a print subsystem, comprising the steps of:
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providing a network;
communicatively coupling said computer workstation to said network;
communicatively coupling at least one printer to said network;
said computer workstation performing the steps of;
transmitting a discovery packet to which a first printer of a designated type can respond;
receiving a response packet from said first printer, said response packet including printer-specific network information of said first printer;
identifying whether a network port exists for said first printer; and
if no such network port exists, then creating a first network printer port for said first printer based on said printer-specific network information for said first printer. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
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8. A computer program for automatically creating network printer ports on a computer workstation coupled to a network, said computer program including instructions for performing the steps of:
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transmitting a discovery packet to which a printer of a designated type coupled to said network can respond;
receiving a response packet from said printer thereby identifying said printer as being of said designated type, said response packet including printer-specific network information of said printer;
identifying whether a network port exists on said computer workstation for said printer; and
if no such network port exists, then, creating a first network printer port for said printer based on said printer-specific network information for said printer. - View Dependent Claims (9)
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10. A method of automatically creating a network printer port on a workstation connected to a network, comprising the steps of:
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providing a Windows operating system at said workstation, said Windows operating system including a print subsystem;
providing a Windows print spooler at said workstation having an Add Port mechanism;
providing a port monitor at said workstation;
invoking said Windows print spooler to initialize said port monitor; and
upon initialization of said port monitor, said port monitor sending a proprietary broadcast message to which each printer of a designated type on said network can respond, said each printer of said designated type responding to said proprietary broadcast message with a unique data packet including printer-specific network information;
said port monitor receiving said printer-specific network information; and
for each identified printer of said designated type for which no port exists, said port monitor invoking said Add Port mechanism of said Windows print spooler, and thereafter, said port monitor passing said printer-specific network information to said Windows print spooler for creation of said network printer port on said workstation. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12)
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Specification