Systems and methods for driver installation

• US 20030217192A1
• Filed: 05/17/2002
• Published: 11/20/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 05/17/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Inventors: White, Scott A., Pacella, John
• Granted Patent: US 6,976,252 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 719/321
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/4411 Configuring for operating with peripheral devices; Loading of device drivers

Abstract

Systems and methods for installing device drivers are provided. In one arrangement, the systems and methods pertain to consulting an installation instructions file of a driver package, the installation instructions file containing instructions as to the manner in which the driver package is to be installed, installing the device driver with the operating system installation utility, and activating a auxiliary component installer of the driver package, the auxiliary component installer being configured to install auxiliary code on the host device that provides functionality not provided by the device driver. In another arrangement, the systems and methods pertain to receiving a call from an operating system installation utility configured to install a device driver, and installing auxiliary code on the host device, the auxiliary code being configured to provide functionality not provided by the device driver.

Claims

1. A method for installing a device driver on a host device using an operating system installation utility, comprising:

consulting an installation instructions file of a driver package, the installation instructions file containing instructions as to the manner in which the driver package is to be installed;

installing the device driver with the operating system installation utility; and

activating a auxiliary component installer of the driver package, the auxiliary component installer being configured to install auxiliary code on the host device that provides functionality not provided by the device driver.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of consulting an installation instructions file comprises consulting an .INF file.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of activating a auxiliary component installer comprises calling at least one executable function of the auxiliary component installer.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the step of calling at least one executable function comprises calling at least one executable function of a dynamic link library of the auxiliary component installer.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of downloading the driver package prior to consulting the installation instructions file.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the step of downloading the driver package comprises downloading the driver package from a network.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of installing the auxiliary code on the host device.

8. A system for installing a device driver on a host device using an operating system installation utility, comprising:

means for consulting an installation instructions file of a driver package;

means for installing the device driver; and

means for activating a auxiliary component installer of the driver package, the auxiliary component installer being configured to install auxiliary code on the host device that provides functionality not provided by the device driver.

9. A method for installing code on a host device, comprising:

receiving a call from an operating system installation utility configured to install a device driver; and

installing auxiliary code on the host device, the auxiliary code being configured to provide functionality not provided by the device driver.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the step of installing auxiliary code comprises installing auxiliary code with an executable function of a dynamic link library.

11. A system for installing code on a host device, comprising:

means for receiving a call from an operating system installation utility; and

means for installing auxiliary code on the host device, the auxiliary code being configured to provide functionality not provided by a device driver.

12. A system for installing a device driver on a host device, comprising:

an operating system installation utility configured to install device drivers on the host device; and

a driver package, the driver package including;

an installation instructions file that contains instructions for the operating system installation utility that dictate how the driver package is to be installed,

a device driver that includes code used to access and control a peripheral device,

a auxiliary component installer that comprises executable functions that can be called by the operating system installation utility to complete low-level tasks associated with installing auxiliary code, and

auxiliary code that provides functionality not provided by the device driver.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the installation instructions file comprises an .INF file.

14. The system of claim 12, wherein the auxiliary component installer comprises a dynamic link library that comprises a plurality of executable functions configured to install portions of auxiliary code.

15. A driver package stored on a computer-readable medium, the driver package comprising:

a device driver;

auxiliary code that provides functionality not provided by the device driver; and

logic configured to install the auxiliary code on a host device.

16. The driver package of claim 15, wherein the logic configured to install the auxiliary code comprises at least one executable function.

17. The driver package of claim 16, wherein the logic configured to install the auxiliary code comprises a dynamic link library that includes a plurality of executable functions configured to install portions of auxiliary code.

18. The driver package of claim 15, further comprising an installation instructions file that contains instructions for an operating system installation utility that dictate how the driver package is to be installed.