Accessing a Printer Resource Provided by a Real Computer From Within a Virtual Machine

• US 20070300221A1
• Filed: 03/21/2007
• Published: 12/27/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 06/23/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Sentillion Incorporated (Microsoft Corporation)
• Inventors: Hartz, George, Fontana, Eric, Fusari, David
• Granted Patent: US 9,213,513 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 718/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1222 Increasing security of the print job
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1238 Secure printing, e.g. user identification, user rights for device usage, unallowed content, blanking portions or fields of a page, releasing held jobs
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1288 in client-server-printer device configuration
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/56 Provisioning of proxy services store-and-forward switching systems in data switching networks H04L12/54
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/565 Conversion or adaptation of application format or content adding application control or application functional data H04L67/561

Abstract

A virtual printer driver or proxy printer driver executed by a virtual machine communicates with a real printer driver executed by a host computer to enable application programs executed by the virtual machine to print data on printers that are accessible by the host computer.

Claims

1. A method of accessing a printer available through a host computer having a printer driver and a host operating system, the host computer executing a virtual machine, the method comprising:

in response to a print request, producing an intermediate description of the print request; and

passing the intermediate description from the virtual machine to the printer driver.

2. A method according to claim 1, further comprising storing the intermediate description on the host computer.

3. A method according to claim 2, wherein the intermediate description is in a portable document format (PDF).

4. A method according to claim 1, wherein the intermediate description comprises at least one command.

5. A method according to claim 4, wherein the at least one command comprises at least one graphic device interface (GDI) command.

6. A computer printing system, comprising:

a host computer;

a real printer driver being executed by the host computer;

a virtual machine operating within the host computer; and

a virtual printer driver being executed by the virtual machine, the virtual printer driver being operative, in response to a print request, to produce an intermediate description of the print request and to pass the intermediate description to the real printer driver.

7. A computer printing system according to claim 6, wherein the intermediate description comprises a file stored on the host computer.

8. A computer printing system according to claim 7, wherein the file is a portable document format (PDF) file.

9. A computer printing system according to claim 6, wherein the intermediate description comprises at least one command.

10. A computer printing system according to claim 9, wherein the at least one command comprises at least one graphic device interface (GDI) command.