Software Plugin Modules for Device Testing

• US 20080229288A1
• Filed: 10/24/2007
• Published: 09/18/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 03/13/2007
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation (Seiko Group)
• Original Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation (Seiko Group)
• Inventors: Nelson, Steve, Rasmussen, Jamie C., Ivashin, Victor
• Application Number:
  US11/923,464
• Publication Number:
  US 20080229288A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 717/127
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3495 for systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3636 by tracing the execution of the program

Abstract

Apparatus having corresponding methods and computer-readable media comprise: one or more plugins each adapted to execute on the computer, wherein each plugin comprises a monitor module adapted to monitor data exchanged between one or more applications executing on the computer and a respective device driver executing on the computer, and a capture module adapted to capture the data.

Claims

1. Computer-readable media embodying instructions executable by a computer, the media comprising:

one or more plugins each adapted to execute on the computer, wherein each plugin comprises

a monitor module adapted to monitor data exchanged between one or more applications executing on the computer and a respective device driver executing on the computer, and

a capture module adapted to capture the data.

2. The computer-readable media of claim 1, further comprising:

a reporting module adapted to transmit the data to a further computer.

3. The computer-readable media of claim 2:

wherein the reporting module adds one or more timestamps to the data.

4. The computer-readable media of claim 1:

wherein the data includes device settings generated by one or more of the applications for the respective device driver.

5. The computer-readable media of claim 1, further comprising:

a plugin manager adapted to perform operations upon the one or more plugins, wherein the operations are selected from the group consisting of

installing the one or more plugins,

removing the one or more plugins,

updating the one or more plugins,

enabling the one or more plugins, and

disabling the one or more plugins.

6. The computer-readable media of claim 1, wherein the one or more device drivers comprise at least one of:

a printer driver;

a scanner driver;

a video driver;

an audio driver; and

a network driver.

7. An apparatus comprising:

one or more plugins each adapted to execute on the computer, wherein each plugin comprises

a monitor module adapted to monitor data exchanged between one or more applications executing on the computer and a respective device driver executing on the computer, and

a capture module adapted to capture the data.

8. The apparatus of claim 7, further comprising:

a reporting module adapted to transmit the data to a further computer.

9. The apparatus of claim 8:

wherein the reporting module adds one or more timestamps to the data.

10. The apparatus of claim 7:

wherein the data includes device settings generated by one or more of the applications for the respective device driver.

11. The apparatus of claim 7, further comprising:

a plugin manager adapted to perform operations upon the one or more plugins, wherein the operations are selected from the group consisting of

installing the one or more plugins,

removing the one or more plugins,

updating the one or more plugins,

enabling the one or more plugins, and

disabling the one or more plugins.

12. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the one or more device drivers comprise at least one of:

a printer driver;

a scanner driver;

a video driver;

an audio driver; and

a network driver.

13. An apparatus comprising:

one or more plugin means for executing on the computer, wherein each plugin means comprises

monitor means for monitoring data exchanged between one or more applications executing on the computer and a respective device driver executing on the computer, and

capture means for capturing the data.

14. The apparatus of claim 13, further comprising:

reporting means for transmitting the data to a further computer.

15. The apparatus of claim 14:

wherein the reporting means adds one or more timestamps to the data.

16. The apparatus of claim 13:

wherein the data includes device settings generated by one or more of the applications for the respective device driver.

17. The apparatus of claim 13, further comprising:

plugin manager means for performing operations upon the one or more plugin means, wherein the operations are selected from the group consisting of

installing the one or more plugin means,

removing the one or more plugin means,

updating the one or more plugin means,

enabling the one or more plugin means, and

disabling the one or more plugin means.

18. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the one or more device drivers comprise at least one of:

a printer driver;

a scanner driver;

a video driver;

an audio driver; and

a network driver.

19. A method comprising:

executing one or more plugins on a computer, wherein each plugin corresponds to a device driver executing on the computer;

monitoring data exchanged between one or more applications executing on the computer and a respective one of the device drivers, and

capturing the data.

20. The method of claim 19, further comprising:

transmitting the data to a further computer.

21. The method of claim 20:

adding one or more timestamps to the data.

22. The method of claim 19:

wherein the data includes device settings generated by one or more of the applications for the respective device driver.

23. The method of claim 19, further comprising:

performing operations upon the one or more plugins, wherein the operations are selected from the group consisting of

installing the one or more plugins,

removing the one or more plugins,

updating the one or more plugins,

enabling the one or more plugins, and

disabling the one or more plugins.

24. The method of claim 19, wherein the one or more device drivers comprise at least one of:

a printer driver;

a scanner driver;

a video driver;

an audio driver; and

a network driver.