Method and apparatus for remotely providing driver information

• US 20050209871A1
• Filed: 07/23/2004
• Published: 09/22/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 03/17/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Techwin Corporation (Hanwha Corporation)
• Inventors: Hwang, Jong-youl, Song, Kwang-ho, Yun, Young-chan, Han, Jae-wook
• Granted Patent: US 7,634,769 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 717/168
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/4411 Configuring for operating with peripheral devices; Loading of device drivers

Abstract

Provided is a method and apparatus for remotely providing driver information regarding a product communicatively linked to a computer. The remote control apparatus generates information regarding drivers necessary for running the product based on received information regarding the product and system information of the computer. The remote control apparatus fetches information regarding drivers installed in the computer in response to a control signal, compares the generated driver information with the retrieved driver information, and transmits to the computer at least one of information regarding drivers not installed in the computer and necessary for running the product and a command for deleting information regarding drivers installed in the computer and unnecessary for running the product, based on the result of the comparison. This allows the computer to obtain information regarding optimal drivers for running the product.

Claims

1. A method for remotely providing driver information, the method comprising:

receiving information regarding a product that is communicatively linked to a customer'"'"'s computer and system information regarding the customer'"'"'s computer;

determining, based on the received product information and system information, which driver or drivers are required for the product;

determining which driver or drivers are already installed in the customer'"'"'s computer;

comparing the required drivers with the installed drivers; and

based on the comparing step, transmitting to the customer'"'"'s computer, information regarding which of the already-installed drivers are required for the product and which of the already-installed drivers are to be deleted.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the information regarding the product comprises a model name of the product.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the information regarding the product comprises a model name of a digital camera.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the system information comprises information regarding an operating system of the customer'"'"'s computer.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the transmitting step is performed in response to an authorization signal input through the customer'"'"'s computer.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising transmitting an image of the product to the customer'"'"'s computer.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising transmitting the result of each step to the customer'"'"'s computer in real time.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising transmitting to the customer'"'"'s computer information regarding one or more drivers that are not installed in the customer'"'"'s computer but that are necessary for running the product.

9. A computer-readable recording medium having recorded thereon computer-readable instructions for performing steps comprising:

receiving information regarding a product that is communicatively linked to a customer'"'"'s computer and system information regarding the customer'"'"'s computer;

determining, based on the received product information and system information, which driver or drivers are required for the product;

determining which driver or drivers are already installed in the customer'"'"'s computer;

comparing the required drivers with the installed drivers; and

based on the comparing step, transmitting to the customer'"'"'s computer, information regarding which of the already-installed drivers are required for the product and which of the already-installed drivers are to be deleted.

10. The computer-readable recording medium of claim 9, wherein the information regarding the product comprises a model name of the product.

11. The computer-readable recording medium of claim 9, wherein the information regarding the product comprises a model name of a digital camera.

12. The computer-readable recording medium of claim 9, wherein the system information comprises information regarding an operating system of the customer'"'"'s computer.

13. The computer-readable recording medium of claim 9, wherein the transmitting step is performed in response to an authorization signal input through the customer'"'"'s computer.

14. The computer-readable recording medium of claim 9, further comprising transmitting an image of the product to the customer'"'"'s computer.

15. The computer-readable recording medium of claim 9, further comprising transmitting the result of each step to the customer'"'"'s computer in real time.

16. The computer-readable recording medium of claim 9, further comprising transmitting to the customer'"'"'s computer information regarding one or more drivers that are not installed in the customer'"'"'s computer but that are necessary for running the product.

17. A computer program product comprising:

a computer-readable recording medium having computer-readable program code embodied in the medium, the computer-readable program code comprising;

computer-readable program code for receiving information regarding a product that is communicatively linked to a customer'"'"'s computer and system information regarding the customer'"'"'s computer;

computer-readable program code for determining, based on the received product information and system information, which driver or drivers are required for the product;

computer-readable program code for determining which driver or drivers are already installed in the customer'"'"'s computer;

computer-readable program code for comparing the required drivers with the installed drivers; and

computer-readable program code for transmitting to the customer'"'"'s computer, based on the comparing step, information regarding which of the already-installed drivers are required for the product and which of the already-installed drivers are to be deleted.

18. The computer program product of claim 17, wherein the information regarding the product comprises a model name of the product, and wherein the system information comprises information regarding an operating system of the customer'"'"'s computer.

19. A remote control apparatus comprising:

a driver information generating module that performs steps comprising

receiving information regarding a product that is communicatively linked to a customer'"'"'s computer and system information regarding the customer'"'"'s computer, and

determining, based on the received product information and system information, which driver or drivers are required for the product;

a driver information comparison module that performs steps comprising;

comparing the required drivers with the installed drivers;

a remote control module that performs steps comprising

determining which driver or drivers are already installed in the customer'"'"'s computer; and

based on the comparing step performed by the driver information module, transmitting to the customer'"'"'s computer information regarding which of the already-installed drivers are required for the product and which of the already-installed drivers are to be deleted.

20. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein the information regarding the product comprises a model name of the product.

21. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein the information regarding the product comprises a model name of a digital camera.

22. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein the system information comprises information regarding an operating system of the customer'"'"'s computer.

23. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein the remote control module performs the transmitting step in response to an authorization signal input through the customer'"'"'s computer.

24. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein the remote control module performs a further step comprising transmitting an image of the product to the customer'"'"'s computer.

25. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein the remote control module performs a further step comprising transmitting the result of each step to the customer'"'"'s computer in real time.

26. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein the remote control module performs a further step comprising transmitting to the customer'"'"'s computer information regarding one or more drivers that are not installed in the customer'"'"'s computer but that are necessary for running the product.