System and method employing script-based device drivers

• US 7,117,503 B2
• Filed: 12/14/2004
• Issued: 10/03/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 05/12/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Sadovsky, Vladimir, Partin, Lyman Cooper, Camara, Franc J., Changuion, Byron
• Primary Examiner(s): LAO, SUE X
• Application Number:
  US11/012,580
• Publication Number:
  US 20050108729A1
• Time in Patent Office: 658 Days
• Field of Search: 719321-327, 719/328, 719331-332, 719/310, 718/102, 718/100, 717/115, 717/114, 717/124, 714/38, 358/1.13
• 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

A computer system and method uses script-based device drivers for operating hardware devices. The script-based driver architecture comprises a scripting driver, a script engine, and a driver script for a given hardware device, such as a scanner. The driver script is generally a text file containing a sequence of programming instructions defining the operational behavior of the hardware device. The scripting driver exports a set of objects whose functions can be called by the driver script to communicate with and control the device. When a request to operate the hardware device is received by the scripting driver, the script engine interprets the programming instructions in the driver script corresponding to the request and invokes the functions of the scripting driver objects called by the programming instructions to carry out the requested device operation.

Claims

1. One or more computer-readable media embodying computer-executable instructions for causing a computing device to implement a method comprising:

providing a driver script for a hardware device, the driver script containing a plurality of programming instructions defining operational behavior of the hardware device, the programming instructions calling functions of system-provided objects for communicating with and controlling the hardware device;

receiving, by a scripting driver, a request from an application for a requested operation by the hardware device;

invoking, by the scripting driver, a script engine to execute the driver script to perform the requested operation;

interpreting, by the script engine, programming instructions in the driver script pertaining to the requested operation; and

invoking, by the script engine, functions of the system-provided objects called by the programming instructions in the driver script pertaining to the requested operation to cause the hardware device to perform the requested operation.

2. One or more computer-readable media as recited in claim 1, wherein the hardware device is an image-capturing device.

3. One or more computer-readable media as recited in claim 2, wherein the hardware device is a scanner.

4. One or more computer-readable media as recited in claim 1, further including the step of exporting, by the scripting driver, the system-provided objects called by the programming instructions in the driver script.