Selecting a device driver for a peripheral device adapted to operate on a network and simplifying secondary printer installation

• US 6,957,437 B1
• Filed: 12/23/1999
• Issued: 10/18/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 12/23/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Original Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Inventors: Johnson, Monte G., Bogia, Douglas P.
• Primary Examiner(s): An, Meng-Al
• Assistant Examiner(s): CAO, DIEM K
• Application Number:
  US09/471,333
• Time in Patent Office: 2,126 Days
• Field of Search: 709321-327, 709/310, 719321-327, 710/8, 710/10
• US Class Current: 719/327
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1204 resulting in reduced user or operator actions, e.g. presetting, automatic actions, using hardware token storing data
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1254 Automatic configuration, e.g. by driver
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1288 in client-server-printer device configuration
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/4411 Configuring for operating with peripheral devices; Loading of device drivers

Abstract

A method and system for automatically configuring a computer peripheral device connected to a computer network. The method and system both retrieve the Industry of Electrical and Electronic Engineering standard 1284 device identification stored in the peripheral device and select an appropriate device driver for installation of the device. Upon completion of an initial device driver installation, a subsequent user is provided with information pertaining to a previous installation of the driver in order to simplify a current installation of the driver.

Claims

1. A method of configuring a computer for installation of a peripheral device, the method comprising:

preparing a print server to retrieve a first device identification from a memory of the peripheral device, the print server, the peripheral device, and the computer being connected via a computer network, wherein the print server is directly connected to the computer, and the peripheral device is indirectly connected to the computer;

comparing the first device identification to device names on a list of names associated with device drivers, the list and the drivers being stored in a memory of the computer;

selecting for use an associated device driver if the first device identification matches one of the names, wherein at least a portion of a routine for the preparing, comparing, and selecting operations is stored in a memory of the computer, and at least a portion of the routine for the preparing, comparing, and selecting operations is stored in a memory of the print server;

determining whether the peripheral device and the corresponding selected device driver have a previously identified installation problem using historical information stored in a database of the print server;

retrieving countermeasure information required to resolve the identified installation problem from the database; and

providing the countermeasure information to a user to enable installation of the selected device driver.

2. A method according to claim 1 further comprising:

translating the first device identification into at least a second device identification if the first device identification does not match one of the names;

comparing the at least second device identification to the device names; and

selecting a driver from the list if the at least second device identification matches one of the names.

3. A method according to claim 2 further comprising alerting a user if the second device identification does not match one of the names.

4. A method according to claim 2 wherein the device identifications conform to an IEEE 1284 signaling standard.

5. A method according to claim 4 wherein the first device identification includes at least manufacturer and model key values.

6. A method according to claim 5 wherein the translating includes a database look-up using alternate names and key values.

7. A method according to claim 5 wherein the translating includes concatenating the manufacturer and model key values.

8. A method according to claim 5 wherein the translating further includes removing the manufacturer key value.

9. A method according to claim 4 wherein the first device identification includes a compatibility identification key field.

10. A method according to claim 2 wherein the translating includes a database look-up.

11. A method according to claim 1 wherein the peripheral device is a printer.

12. A method according to claim 1 wherein the computer network is compatible with the Microsoft®

Windows®

Operating System.

13. A method according to claim 1 wherein the selecting occurs automatically.

14. A system comprising:

a computer network including a number of computer devices connected thereto, the computer devices including a print server, a computer, and at least one printer, wherein the print server is directly connected to the computer, and the at least one printer is indirectly connected to the computer, wherein a memory in the at least one printer stores a first printer identification data string, and a processor associated with the computer includes (i) a comparator for comparing the first data string to a device name on a list of device drivers stored in a memory of the computer indirectly connected to the at least one printer via the computer network, and (ii) a selector selecting a device driver from the list if the first identification data string matches one of the names, wherein at least a portion of a routine for the comparing and selecting operations is stored in a memory of the computer, and at least a portion of the routine for the comparing and selecting operations is stored in a memory of the print server, and the processor determines whether the at least one printer and the corresponding selected device driver have a previously identified installation problem using historical information stored in a database of the print server, and retrieves countermeasure information required to resolve the identified installation problem from the database, and provides the countermeasure information to a user to enable installation of the selected device driver.

15. The system according to claim 14, further comprising:

a translator translating the first identification data string into at least a second identification data string if the first identification data string does not match one of the names;

wherein the comparator compares the at least second identification data string to the device names and the selector selects a driver from the list if the at least second identification data string matches one of the names.

16. The system according to claim 15, further comprising:

an alerting mechanism for alerting a user if the second identification data string does not match one of the names.

17. The system according to claim 15 wherein the device identification strings conform to an IEEE 1284 signaling standard.

18. The system according to claim 17 wherein the first device identification data string includes at least manufacturer and model key values.

19. The system according to claim 18 wherein the translator concatenates the manufacturer and model key values.

20. The system according to claim 19 wherein the translator removes the manufacturer key value from the identification data string.

21. The system according to claim 17 wherein the translator searches a database and uses alternate key values.

22. The system according to claim 17 wherein the identification string includes a compatibility identification key value.

23. The system according to claim 15 wherein the translator searches a database.

24. The system according to claim 14 wherein the computer network is compatible with the Microsoft®

Windows®

Operating System.

25. A method of installing printer drivers in a plurality of computers of a computer system, the computer system also including a printer and a print server, the plurality of computers, the printer, and the print server being connected via a computer network, wherein the print server is directly connected to the plurality of computers, and the printer is indirectly connected to the plurality of computers, the method comprising:

installing at least one of the printer drivers in a first computer during a first installation and storing information associated with the first installation in a memory of the print server;

retrieving information associated with the first installation from the memory during a second installation, the information associated with the first installation including a first identification data string;

retrieving a current identification data string from a memory of the printer indirectly connected to the plurality of computers via the computer network, the current identification data string being associated with the second installation;

comparing the first identification data string with the current identification data string;

determining whether the printer and at least one of the printer drivers have a previously identified installation problem using historical information stored in a database in the print server;

retrieving countermeasure information required to resolve the identified installation problem from the database; and

installing at least one of the printer drivers in a second computer based upon the information associated with the first installation and the countermeasure information, wherein at least a portion of a routine for the preparing, comparing, and installing operations is stored in each memory of the plurality of computers, and at least a portion of the routine for the preparing, comparing, and installing operations is stored in a memory of the print server.

26. A method according to claim 25 further comprising installing the printer drivers in the computer if the first identification data string does not match the current identification data string and storing information associated with the installing, when the first identification data string does not match the current identification data string, in the memory of the print server.

27. A method according to claim 25 wherein the first and current data strings are IEEE 1284 ID data strings.

28. An article of manufacture comprising a machine readable medium having recorded thereon instructions, the article of manufacture being stored within a computer, such that when the instructions are executed, the instructions cause a computer processor to:

transmit instructions to a print server to prepare the print server to retrieve a first device identification from a memory of a peripheral device connected to the print server, the print sever, the peripheral device, and the computer being connected via a computer network, wherein the print server is directly connected to the computer, and the peripheral device is indirectly connected to the computer;

compare the first device identification to device names on a list of names associated with device drivers, the list stored in a memory of the computer indirectly connected to the peripheral device via the computer network;

select for use an associated device driver from the list if the first device identification matches one of the names;

determine whether the peripheral device and the corresponding selected device driver have a previously identified installation problem using historical information stored in a database;

retrieve countermeasure information required to resolve the identified installation problem from the database; and

provide the countermeasure information to a user to enable installation of the selected device driver.