SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR REMOTELY MANAGING AND CONFIGURING DRIVER SETTINGS

• US 20080079975A1
• Filed: 09/29/2006
• Published: 04/03/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 09/29/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha (Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Sharp Laboratories of America Incorporated (Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Ferlitsch, Andrew Rodney, Borchers, Gregory Eugene
• Granted Patent: US 8,305,602 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 358/1.13
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1205 resulting in increased flexibility in print job configuration, e.g. job settings, print requirements, job tickets
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1226 Discovery of devices having required properties
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1253 Configuration of print job parameters, e.g. using UI at the client
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1285 Remote printer device, e.g. being remote from client or server
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1288 in client-server-printer device configuration
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/125 involving control of end-device applications over a network
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/51 Discovery or management thereof, e.g. service location protocol [SLP] or web services

Abstract

A method for managing printer settings is described. Physical printers in electronic communication with a network are discovered. Installed printers, configured with a printer driver, are discovered. The physical printers are associated with the installed printers. One or more default print settings are specified. The one or more default print settings of at least one of the installed printers are updated.

Claims

1. A method for managing printer settings comprising:

discovering physical printers in electronic communication with a network;

discovering installed printers;

associating the physical printers with the installed printers;

specifying one or more default print settings; and

updating the one or more default print settings of at least one of the installed printers.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising obtaining information about the installed printers.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising storing the information about the installed printers in an installed printer database.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more default settings are specified remotely from the installed printers.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising specifying one or more groups of physical printers.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising specifying the one or more default print settings for the one or more groups of physical printers.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising identifying at least one of the installed printers based on the one or more groups of physical printers specified.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising querying a physical printer for at least one of the physical printer'"'"'s default settings.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising using a subnet or range of communication addresses to discover the physical printers.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising determining communication addresses for the physical printers associated with each discovered installed printer.

17. The apparatus of claim 6, further comprising identifying at least one of the installed printers based on the one or more groups of physical printers specified.

11. An apparatus for managing printer driver settings comprising:

a processor;

memory in electronic communication with the processor;

instructions stored in the memory, the instructions being executable to;

discover physical printers in electronic communication with a network;

discover installed printers;

associate the physical printers with the installed printers;

specify one or more default print settings; and

update the one or more default print settings of at least one of the installed printers.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, further comprising obtaining information about the installed printers.

13. The apparatus of claim 12, further comprising storing the information about the installed printers in an installed printer database.

14. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the one or more default settings are specified remotely from the installed printers.

15. The apparatus of claim 11, further comprising specifying one or more groups of physical printers.

16. The apparatus of claim 15, further comprising specifying the one or more default print settings for the one or more groups of physical printers.

18. The apparatus of claim 11, further comprising querying a physical printer for at least one of the physical printer'"'"'s default settings.

19. The apparatus of claim 11, further comprising determining communication addresses for the physical printers associated with each discovered installed printer.

20. A computer-readable medium comprising executable instructions for implementing a method for managing printer settings comprising:

discovering physical printers in electronic communication with a network;

discovering installed printers;

associating the physical printers with the installed printers;

specifying one or more default print settings; and

updating the one or more default print settings of at least one of the installed printers.