Device driver setting profile lock-down

• US 20060282772A1
• Filed: 06/09/2005
• Published: 12/14/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 06/09/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kyocera Technology Development Inc (Kyocera Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Kyocera Technology Development Inc (Kyocera Corporation)
• Inventors: Chamberlin, David, Gersch, Hans-Gerd
• Granted Patent: US 7,797,753 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/700
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1204 resulting in reduced user or operator actions, e.g. presetting, automatic actions, using hardware token storing data
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1208 resulting in improved quality of the output result, e.g. print layout, colours, workflows, print preview
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1219 with regard to consumables, e.g. ink, toner, paper
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1239 Restricting the usage of resources, e.g. usage or user levels, credit limit, consumables, special fonts
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1254 Automatic configuration, e.g. by driver
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1257 by using pre-stored settings, e.g. job templates, presets, print styles

Abstract

A method for providing a menu for a device, by providing a GUI for an administrator to select and lock-down device driver setting profiles, and providing a GUI for displaying to a user the locked-down profiles and permitting the user to select only from the listed profiles. Allowing a user to choose only from the pre-defined profiles makes for convenience and avoids waste from setting errors by novice users. The computer system detects the current system and job information (time, date, printer status, application, user information, etc.) using WMI and SNMP, applies mapping rules defined by an administrator, and displays only those profiles that are applicable to the current system and job status. Methods also include defining new profiles; alerting the user when no profiles are available, with mapping explanation and suggestion; profile detail display; and printer support.

Claims

1. A method for providing a menu for a device, comprising providing a GUI for an administrator to select and lock-down at least zero device driver setting profiles, and providing a GUI for displaying to a user the locked-down at least zero profiles and permitting the user to select only from the locked-down at least zero profiles.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the GUI for an administrator to select and lock-down at least zero profiles further comprises a GUI for the administrator to define a profile comprising:

selecting at least one setting value, specifying a profile name and icon, and registering the at least one setting value as a profile.

3. The method of claim 1,

wherein the GUI for an administrator to select and lock-down at least zero profiles further comprises a GUI for the administrator to define a mapping from system and job information to the at least zero profiles;

and

wherein the GUI for displaying to the user the locked-down at least zero profiles and permitting the user to select only from the locked-down at least zero profiles comprises obtaining current system and job information, and displaying to the user the locked-down at least zero profiles resulting from applying the mapping from system and job information to the at least zero profiles to the current system and job information.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the system and job information comprises time and date information, device status information, application information, and user information.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein obtaining of the current system and job information comprises obtaining local information by WMI and remote information by SNMP.

6. The method of claim 3, wherein displaying to the user the locked-down at least zero profiles resulting from applying the mapping from system and job information to the at least zero profiles to the current system and job information comprises:

alerting the user when zero profiles result from applying the mapping, and displaying explanation of the mapping and suggestion.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the GUI for displaying to a user the locked-down at least zero profiles and permitting the user to select only from the locked-down at least zero profiles further comprises a GUI for selecting a profile and displaying profile detail information in a separate display window.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least zero device driver setting profiles are printer driver setting profiles.

9. A computer program product for providing a menu for a device, comprising machine-readable code for causing a machine to perform the method steps of:

providing a GUI for an administrator to select and lock-down at least zero device driver setting profiles, and providing a GUI for displaying to a user the locked-down at least zero profiles and permitting the user to select only from the locked-down at least zero profiles.

10. The computer program product of claim 9, wherein the GUI for an administrator to select and lock-down at least zero profiles further comprises a GUI for the administrator to define a profile comprising:

selecting at least one setting value, specifying a profile name and icon, and registering the at least one setting value as a profile.

11. The computer program product of claim 9,

wherein the GUI for an administrator to select and lock-down at least zero profiles further comprises a GUI for the administrator to define a mapping from system and job information to the at least zero profiles;

and

wherein the GUI for displaying to the user the locked-down at least zero profiles and permitting the user to select only from the locked-down at least zero profiles comprises obtaining current system and job information, and displaying to the user the locked-down at least zero profiles resulting from applying the mapping from system and job information to the at least zero profiles to the current system and job information.

12. The computer program product of claim 11, wherein the system and job information comprises time and date information, device status information, application information, and user information, and wherein obtaining of the current system and job information comprises obtaining local information by WMI and remote information by SNMP.

13. The computer program product of claim 11, wherein displaying to the user the locked-down at least zero profiles resulting from applying the mapping from system and job information to the at least zero profiles to the current system and job information comprises:

alerting the user when zero profiles result from applying the mapping, and displaying explanation of the mapping and suggestion.

14. The computer program product of claim 9, wherein the GUI for displaying to a user the locked-down at least zero profiles and permitting the user to select only from the locked-down at least zero profiles further comprises a GUI for selecting a profile and displaying profile detail information in a separate display window, and wherein the at least zero device driver setting profiles are printer driver setting profiles.

15. A computing system, comprising a device driver programmed to provide a menu for a device, comprising providing a GUI for an administrator to select and lock-down at least zero device driver setting profiles, and providing a GUI for displaying to a user the locked-down at least zero profiles and permitting the user to select only from the locked-down at least zero profiles.

16. The computing system of claim 15, wherein the GUI for an administrator to select and lock-down at least zero profiles further comprises a GUI for the administrator to define a profile comprising:

selecting at least one setting value, specifying a profile name and icon, and registering the at least one setting value as a profile.

17. The computing system of claim 15,

wherein the GUI for an administrator to select and lock-down at least zero profiles further comprises a GUI for the administrator to define a mapping from system and job information to the at least zero profiles;

and

wherein the GUI for displaying to the user the locked-down at least zero profiles and permitting the user to select only from the locked-down at least zero profiles comprises obtaining current system and job information, and displaying to the user the locked-down at least zero profiles resulting from applying the mapping from system and job information to the at least zero profiles to the current system and job information.

18. The computing system of claim 17, wherein the system and job information comprises time and date information, device status information, application information, and user information, and wherein obtaining of the current system and job information comprises obtaining local information by WMI and remote information by SNMP.

19. The computing system of claim 17, wherein displaying to the user the locked-down at least zero profiles resulting from applying the mapping from system and job information to the at least zero profiles to the current system and job information comprises:

alerting the user when zero profiles result from applying the mapping, and displaying explanation of the mapping and suggestion.

20. The computing system of claim 15, further comprising a print engine, wherein the GUI for displaying to a user the locked-down at least zero profiles and permitting the user to select only from the locked-down at least zero profiles further comprises a GUI for selecting a profile and displaying profile detail information in a separate display window, and wherein the at least zero device driver setting profiles are printer driver setting profiles.