ASSIGNMENT OF CONTROL OF PERIPHERALS OF A COMPUTING DEVICE

• US 20110202689A1
• Filed: 06/17/2010
• Published: 08/18/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 02/12/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Koenig, Michael F., Mitra, Kanchan, Creasey, Jack, Snyder, Ira, Srinivasan, Jai
• Granted Patent: US 9,104,252 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 710/9
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/038 Control and interface arrangements therefor, e.g. drivers or device-embedded control circuitry
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/4411 Configuring for operating with peripheral devices; Loading of device drivers

Abstract

Techniques for enabling software-assisted assignment of control of peripherals (e.g., assigning ownership of or assigning access to the peripherals) by a computing device. In accordance with techniques described herein, assignment of control of peripherals is aided by input from software facilities that instruct a peripheral management facility regarding assignment of peripherals. Software facilities may instruct the peripheral management facility in different ways. In some cases, a software facility may instruct the peripheral management facility how to assign control of a peripheral in a particular way, while in other cases a software facility may instruct the peripheral management facility how to assign control of a group of peripherals. In other cases, a software facility may not instruct a peripheral management facility how to assign control of peripherals, but may identify one or more groups of peripherals for which control should be assigned as a group.

Claims

1. A method for assigning control of peripherals connected to a computing device, the method comprising:

identifying a peripheral connected to the computing device;

receiving an instruction regarding assigning control of the peripheral; and

assigning control of the peripheral based at least in part on the instruction.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving the instruction comprises receiving the instruction from a driver for the peripheral.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving the instruction regarding assigning control of the peripheral comprises receiving an instruction regarding assigning control of one or more peripherals connected to the computing device, the two or more peripherals forming a composite peripheral.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein assigning control of the peripheral based at least in part on the instruction comprises assigning control of the peripheral to a user specified by the instruction.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein assigning control of the peripheral comprises assigning control of the peripheral to a user session specified by the instruction.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein assigning control of the peripheral based at least in part on the instruction comprises assigning control of two or more peripherals together, the two or more peripherals being identified by the instruction.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein assigning control of the peripheral comprises assigning ownership of the peripheral.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein assigning control of the peripheral comprises assigning access rights for the peripheral.

3. The method of claim 3, further comprising:

registering at least one software facility as a potential source of instructions regarding assigning control of peripherals, the at least one piece of software comprising the driver; and

following the identifying and prior to the receiving, querying at least one potential source of instructions regarding assignment of the peripheral.

10. At least one computer-readable storage medium encoded with computer-executable instructions that, when executed by a computing device, cause the computing device to carry out a method for assigning control of peripherals connected to a computing device, the method comprising:

identifying a peripheral connected to the computing device;

receiving an instruction from a driver for the peripheral regarding assigning control of the peripheral; and

assigning control of the peripheral to a user session based at least in part on the instruction.

11. The at least one computer-readable storage medium of claim 10, wherein receiving the instruction regarding assigning control of the peripheral comprises receiving an instruction regarding assigning control of two or more peripherals connected to the computing device, the two or more peripherals forming a composite peripheral.

12. The at least one computer-readable storage medium of claim 10, wherein the method further comprises:

registering at least one software facility as a potential source of instructions regarding assigning control of peripherals, the at least one piece of software comprising the driver; and

following the identifying and prior to the receiving, querying at least one potential source of instructions regarding assignment of the peripheral.

13. The at least one computer-readable storage medium of claim 10, wherein assigning control of the peripheral to a user session based at least in part on the instruction comprises assigning control of two or more peripherals together, the two or more peripherals being identified by the instruction.

14. The at least one computer-readable storage medium of claim 10, wherein the method further comprises, following the assigning:

receiving a second instruction regarding assigning control of the peripheral, the second instruction being received from a source other than the driver; and

assigning control of the peripheral to a different user session based at least in part on the second instruction.

15. The at least one computer-readable storage medium of claim 10, wherein assigning control of the peripheral comprises assigning ownership of the peripheral.

16. An apparatus comprising:

at least one processor programmed to;

identify a peripheral connected to the computing device;

receive an instruction regarding assigning control of the peripheral; and

assign control of the peripheral based at least in part on the instruction.

17. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the at least one processor is programmed to receive the instruction from a driver for the peripheral.

18. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the at least one processor is programmed to receive the instruction from a software application executing on the apparatus.

19. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the at least one processor is programmed to assign control of the peripheral based at least in part on the instruction by assigning control of two or more peripherals together, the two or more peripherals being identified by the instruction.

20. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the at least one processor is programmed to assign control of the peripheral based at least in part on the instruction by assigning ownership of the peripheral.