Download Service For Device Drivers

• US 20070180445A1
• Filed: 01/30/2006
• Published: 08/02/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 01/30/2006
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Greeff, Esaias
• Application Number:
  US11/275,806
• Publication Number:
  US 20070180445A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 717/174
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/4415 Self describing peripheral devices

Abstract

Systems and methods for providing a download service for device drivers include a client and a driver download service. The client requests from the driver download service a location from which a driver for a device may be fetched. The driver download service responds with the location from which the device driver may be fetched. The client then requests the device driver from each of the locations.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

at least one client that includes a driver request component adapted for sending a first request to a device for at least one endpoint from which to fetch a driver for the device, and for sending at least a second request for the device driver to the endpoint; and

at least one driver download service for receiving the second request, and for providing a response to the second request.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the driver request component is adapted to include in the second request at least one of a device identifier (ID) indicating the device for which the location of the driver is requested, an operating system ID indicating an operating system for which the driver is requested, and an architecture ID indicating a processor architecture type for which the driver is requested.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the driver request component is adapted to include in the second request a requested language parameter indicating a human-readable language to be supported by the driver.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the driver request component is adapted to extract from the response at least one file containing the device driver, and to install the device driver on the client.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the driver request component is adapted to extract from the response a location containing the device driver, to access at least one file containing the device driver from the location, and to install the device driver on the client.

6. The system of claim 1, further comprising the device, and wherein the device includes metadata specifying the at least one endpoint from which the device driver may be requested, and wherein the device is adapted to provide the metadata to the client in response to the first request.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the driver download service includes a driver download component adapted to receive the second request, and to provide the response to the second request.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the client service is adapted to refer to metadata obtained from the device, wherein the metadata specifies at least one endpoint from which the device driver may be requested.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the client is adapted to refer to metadata obtained from the device, wherein the metadata specifies at least one of the following endpoints from which the driver may be requested:

a device endpoint;

an administrative endpoint associated with the client; and

a manufacturer endpoint associated with a manufacturer of the device.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the driver download service is adapted to send a response including at least one file for the device driver.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein the driver download service is adapted to send a response including at least one location from which the device driver may be fetched.

12. The system of claim 1, wherein the driver download service is adapted to send a response including installation information related to the device driver.

13. A method executable at least in part by a computer-based system, the method comprising:

requesting metadata from a device specifying at least one endpoint from which a driver for the device may be requested; and

requesting the device driver from at least the endpoint specified in the metadata.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising specifying at least one of an operating system, a processor architecture, and a device identifier for the driver.

15. The method of claim 13, further comprising specifying a requested language for the driver.

16. A schema implementing, at least in part, the method of claim 13.

17. A method executable at least in part by a computer-based system, the method comprising:

receiving a request for a driver for a device; and

sending a response to the request.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the method is performed by at least one endpoint specified in metadata provided by the device, wherein the metadata specifies at least one of the following locations from which the driver may be requested:

the device;

an administrative endpoint associated with the client; and

a manufacturer endpoint associated with a manufacturer of the device.

19. A schema implementing, at least in part, the method of claim 17.

20. The method of claim 17, wherein sending a response includes sending a response that contains one of:

a message indicating that the device driver is not available;

at least one file for the device driver;

or

a location from which at least one file for the device driver may be fetched.