Generic Device Driver Replacement

• US 20080189722A1
• Filed: 02/02/2007
• Published: 08/07/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 02/02/2007
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Cobb, Jason T., Lin, Eugene S., Cavalaris, James G.
• Application Number:
  US11/670,745
• Publication Number:
  US 20080189722A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 719/321
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 13/102 where the programme performs an interfacing function, e.g. device driver G06F13/105 takes precedence; scheduling within device drivers G06F9/52; contention policies within device drivers G06F9/4881

Abstract

Some device drivers support the “least common denominator” features of a device, such as a generic VGA driver which does not provide access to higher resolution or other features supported by a video card. It may be difficult for computer users to know when an enhanced driver is available. A method is provided to notify a user that a device driver on the user'"'"'s system is generic and that an enhanced device driver is available.

Claims

1. A method to replace a generic device driver with an enhanced device driver comprising:

determining that a driver for a device is a generic driver;

determining one or more identifying properties of the device;

reporting one or more of the determined identifying properties of the device to a service;

receiving information about one or more enhanced device drivers from the service;

selecting an enhanced device driver to use;

obtaining the selected enhanced device driver; and

installing the selected enhanced device driver.

2. The method of claim 1 where the service is provided by a device on the Internet.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the service is executed on a server on a local area network.

4. The method to replace a generic device driver with an enhanced device driver of claim 1 where the service is provided by a peer computer coupled via a network to a computer receiving the enhanced device driver.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the selecting step further comprises selecting an enhanced driver when the enhanced driver is the only driver available for selection.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the selecting an enhanced device driver to use step comprises:

collecting configuration information about an operating environment the device is part of; and

determining an optimal enhanced device driver based on the collected configuration information.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the identifying properties include one or more identifying properties of compatible devices.

8. One or more computer readable media with instructions thereon that, when executed, perform method to replace a generic device driver disposed on a computer with an enhanced device driver comprising:

determining that a driver for a device is a generic driver;

determining one or more identifying properties of the device;

reporting one or more of the determined identifying properties of the device to a service;

receiving information about one or more enhanced device drivers from the service;

selecting an enhanced device driver to use;

obtaining the selected enhanced device driver; and

installing the selected enhanced device driver.

9. The one or more computer readable media of claim 8 wherein the service is provided by a device on the Internet.

10. The one or more computer readable media of claim 8 wherein the service is executed on a server on a local area network.

11. The one or more computer readable media of claim 8 wherein the service is provided by a peer computer coupled via a network to a computer receiving the enhanced device driver.

12. The one or more computer readable media of claim 8 wherein the selecting an enhanced device driver to use comprises:

collecting configuration information about an operating environment the device is part of; and

determining an optimal enhanced device driver based on the collected configuration information.

13. The one or more computer readable media of claim 8 wherein the selecting an enhanced device driver to use further comprises selecting an enhanced driver when the enhanced driver is the only driver available for selection.

14. A method of identifying that a device driver is generic, comprising:

determining that the device driver is generic; and

providing a value indicating that the device driver is generic.

15. The method of claim 14 wherein the determining comprises examining the value of one or more bits in the header of the device driver.

16. The method of claim 14 wherein the determining step comprises examining the value of one or more bits within the device driver.

17. The method of claim 14 wherein the determining step comprises performing a database lookup of the device driver file name.

18. The method of claim 14 wherein the determining step comprises:

obtaining identifying data from the device driver; and

performing an database lookup of all or part of the identifying data.

19. The method of claim 14 wherein the determining step comprises examining a plurality of bits in a file associated with the device driver.

20. The method of claim 14 wherein the determining step comprises:

calling an API provided by the device driver which provides one or more return values; and

examining one or more of the returned return values.