PRINTER DRIVER AND APPLICATION DECOUPLING USING EVENT CENTRIC REGISTRATION MODEL

• US 20120147415A1
• Filed: 12/13/2010
• Published: 06/14/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 12/13/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Hutchings, Justin, Gorgenyi, Frank, Yue, Feng, Davis, Darren
• Granted Patent: US 9,182,930 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 358/1.15
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1207 resulting in the user being informed about print result after a job submission
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1224 Client or server resources management
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1259 Print job monitoring, e.g. job status
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1285 Remote printer device, e.g. being remote from client or server

Abstract

Some embodiments of the invention provide a printer user interface (UI) component configured to handle presentation of information to a user during printing operations. The printer UI component may de-couple the rendering and configuration functionality provided by a printer driver from the presentation of information to end users, thereby reducing the risk that applications may crash or hang due to printer driver malfunction. In some embodiments, a registry of events upon which information should be presented to the user is established, and the printer UI component may be registered for some or all of these events, so that when the specified events occur the printer UI component may be invoked to cause information to be presented to the user.

Claims

1. A method for use in a system comprising an operating system, an application which executes under the operating system, a printer driver in communication with the operating system and application, and a printer device driven by the printer driver, the method comprising:

(A) using a component that is separate from the operating system, the application and the printer driver to cause information to be displayed a user of the application, the information relating to printing by the printer device.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the component comprises an application.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the component comprises a body of code written using a scripting language, so that the body of code need not be compiled prior to execution.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the information relates to an event, the system further comprises a repository storing indications of components registered for events, and (A) comprises querying the repository to determine whether the component is registered for the event.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the component receives first information relating to the event from one of the operating system, the application and the printer driver, and passes second information relating to the event to another of the operating system, the application and the printer driver.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein the second information comprises context for the event.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the information that is caused to be displayed in (A) relates to printing being performed by the printer device prior to or during (A) or a status of the printer device.

8. At least one computer-readable medium having instructions encoded thereon which, when executed in a system comprising an operating system, an application which executes under the operating system, a printer driver in communication with the operating system and application, and a printer device driven by the printer driver, perform a method comprising:

(A) upon occurrence of a first event relating to printing by the printer device, querying a repository storing indications of components registered for events to identify a first component registered for the first event; and

(B) using the first component to cause information to be displayed to a user of the application, the information relating to printing by the printer device, the first component being separate from the operating system, the application and the printer driver.

9. The at least one computer-readable medium of claim 8, wherein the first component comprises a standalone executable.

10. The at least one computer-readable medium of claim 8, wherein the first component comprises a body of code written in a scripting language so that the body of code need not be compiled prior to execution.

11. The at least one computer-readable medium of claim 8, wherein the first event is an event raised by one of the operating system, the application and the printer driver.

12. The at least one computer-readable medium of claim 8, wherein the first component receives first information from one of the operating system, the application and the printer driver, and passes second information relating to the event to another of the operating system, the application and the printer driver.

13. The at least one computer-readable medium of claim 8, wherein the second information comprises context for the event.

14. The at least one computer-readable medium of claim 8, wherein the information relates to printing being performed by the printer device or a status of the printer device.

15. A system, comprising:

a repository, storing indications of components registered for events; and

at least one processor programmed to;

upon occurrence of a first event relating to printing by a printer device, querying the repository to identify a first component registered for the first event, the first component not forming part of an operating system, an application that initiates the printing, or a printer driver;

using the first component to cause information to be displayed, to a user of the application, relating to printing by the printer device.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the first component comprises a standalone executable.

17. The system of claim 15, wherein the first component comprises a body of code written in a scripting language so that the body of code need not be compiled prior to execution.

18. The system of claim 15, wherein using the first component to cause the information to be displayed comprises the first component receiving first information from one of the operating system, the application and the printer driver, and providing second information relating to the event to another of the operating system, the application and the printer driver.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein the second information comprises context for the event.

20. The system of claim 15, wherein the information that is caused to be displayed relates to printing being performed by the printer device or a status of the printer device.