Network technique for troubleshooting

• US 7,284,044 B2
• Filed: 12/02/2002
• Issued: 10/16/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 03/30/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation (Seiko Group)
• Original Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation (Seiko Group)
• Inventors: Akasaka, Yoshihiko, Sato, Kei, Teraoaka, Yuji
• Primary Examiner(s): Caldwell; Andrew
• Assistant Examiner(s): BLAIR, DOUGLAS B
• Application Number:
  US10/307,524
• Publication Number:
  US 20030115302A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,779 Days
• Field of Search: 709/217, 709/218, 709/221, 704/8, 717/173, 717/178
• US Class Current: 709/221
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/0733 in a data processing system embedded in an image processing device, e.g. printer, facsimile, scanner
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/0748 in a remote unit communicating with a single-box computer node experiencing an error/fault remote testing G06F11/2294
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/0793 Remedial or corrective actions recovery from an exception in an instruction pipeline G06F9/3861; by retry G06F11/1402; for recovering from a failure of a protocol instance or entity H04L69/40
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/10 File systems; File servers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/082 the condition being updates or upgrades of network functionality
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0823 characterised by the purposes of a change of settings, e.g. optimising configuration for enhancing reliability for optimising operational conditions of wireless networks H04W24/02
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/34 involving the movement of software or configuration parameters network booting or remote initial program loading [RIPL] G06F9/4416
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/40 for recovering from a failure of a protocol instance or entity, e.g. service redundancy protocols, protocol state redundancy or protocol service redirection management of faults, events, alarms or notifications in data switching networks H04L41/06
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols

Abstract

In response to a user'"'"'s selection of a troubleshooting instruction element on a troubleshooting page displayed on a client 200 by a browser, the client 200 transmits a transfer request of a troubleshooting program to servers 110 and 120. The servers 110 and 120 transfer the troubleshooting program according to the transfer request. The troubleshooting program is automatically activated on the client 200 on completion of its download to the client 200, in order to execute a troubleshooting procedure.

Claims

1. A driver auto installation device constructed as an independent device to automatically install a driver program, which is applicable to a peripheral device linked with a client computer, into the client computer via a network,

the driver auto installation device comprising:

an auto installation selection window output module that outputs an auto installation selection window to the client computer via the network to allow the client computer to selectively input an auto installation instruction for installation of the driver program;

a driver storage module that stores multiple driver programs respectively applicable to multiple peripheral devices;

a driver output module that outputs one of the multiple driver programs stored in the driver storage module to the client computer to be downloaded to and installed in the client computer;

a storage location output module that outputs a specified storage location of a specific driver program, which is

applicable to a certain peripheral device, in the driver storage module to the client computer, in response to a storage location output request sent from the client computer together with information regarding the certain peripheral device;

a linguistic file storage module that stores multiple linguistic files written in multiple different languages, where each of the multiple linguistic files records a character string in one of the multiple different languages to be displayed on a driver download window of the client computer in the course of downloading the driver program;

an installer storage module that stores a driver installer program that is downloaded to the client computer to be automatically activated in the client computer and is used to install the specific driver program into the client computer,

the driver installer program activated in the client computer acquiring the information regarding the certain peripheral device linked with the client computer, sending the storage location output request together with the acquired information to the storage location output module for output of the specified storage location of the specific driver program applicable to the certain peripheral device, and sending a driver output request together with the specified storage location of the specific driver program to the driver output module for output and download of the specific driver program stored in the specified storage location by the driver output module to the client computer,

the driver installer program activated in the client computer examining a linguistic environment of the client computer, downloading a linguistic file corresponding to the examined linguistic environment of the client computer from the linguistic file storage module to display the character string recorded in the downloaded linguistic file on the driver download window of the client computer, and installing the specific driver program, which is downloaded in response to the driver output request, in the client computer; and

an installer output module that outputs and downloads the driver installer program stored in the installer storage module to the client computer, in response to an entry of the auto installation instruction on the auto installation selection window by the client computer.

2. The driver auto installation device in accordance with claim 1, wherein the information regarding the peripheral device includes a model of the peripheral device and a type of an operating system used in the peripheral device.

3. The driver auto installation device in accordance with claim 1, wherein the network is the Internet.

4. The driver auto installation device in accordance with claim 3, the driver auto installation device being actualized by a Web server.