Information processing apparatus and method of controlling same, print control apparatus, method and program, and storage medium with transmission of installation set including printer driver and function expansion module or printer driver without function expansion module

• US 7,619,758 B2
• Filed: 08/30/2005
• Issued: 11/17/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 08/30/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Takagi, Yoshihiro, Uchida, Tatsuro, Kujirai, Yasuhiro, Aritomi, Masanori, Oomura, Hiroshi
• Primary Examiner(s): Haskins; Twyler L
• Assistant Examiner(s): Zheng; Jacky X
• Application Number:
  US11/214,004
• Publication Number:
  US 20060044586A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,540 Days
• Field of Search: 358/1.13, 358/1.14, 358/1.15, 719/321, 709/220, 709/221
• US Class Current: 358/1.13
• 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 3/123 Software or firmware update, e.g. device firmware management
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1288 in client-server-printer device configuration

Abstract

An information processing apparatus for transmitting an installation set of a printer driver to another information processing apparatus, comprises decision unit adapted to decide whether an installation set that activates a function expansion module is to be transmitted to the other information processing apparatus; and transmitting unit adapted to transmit an installation set in which the function expansion module is activated to the other information processing apparatus if the decision unit has decided that the installation set that activates the function expansion module is to be transmitted, and transmits an installation set in which the function expansion module is not activated to the other information processing apparatus if the decision unit has decided that the installation set that activates the function expansion module is not to be transmitted to the other information processing apparatus.

Claims

1. An information processing apparatus for transmitting an installation set of a printer driver to another information processing apparatus based on an instruction of a Point and Print transmitted from the another information processing apparatus, comprising:

a designation unit that designates, in a case where the instruction of the Point and Print is transmitted, whether or not to transmit an installation set that includes the printer driver and a function expansion module in order to expand a function of the printer driver and to be activated, to the another information processing apparatus by using an interface of the information processing apparatus;

a decision unit that decides whether or not to transmit the installation set that includes the printer driver and the function expansion module to be activated to the another information processing apparatus based on a designation of said designation unit; and

a transmitting unit that (i) transmits to the another information processing apparatus, in a case where a transmission of the installation set that includes the printer driver and the function expansion module to be activated is decided by said decision unit, the installation set that includes the printer driver and the function expansion module to be activated, based on the instruction of the Point and Print, and (ii) transmits to the another information processing apparatus, in a case where a transmission of the installation set that includes the printer driver and the function expansion module to be activated is not decided by said decision unit, an installation set that includes the printer driver and does not include the function expansion module to be activated, based on the instruction of the Point and Print.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein an installation set that activates the function expansion module is an installation set that includes the function expansion module and key data that activates the function expansion module, and

wherein an installation set in which the function expansion module is not activated is an installation set that does not include at least one of the key data and function expansion module.

3. The apparatus according to claim 2, further comprising

a file addition unit that copies the key data and the function expansion module, which have been registered in the installation set, to a storage area of an operating system;

a file registration unit that additionally registers names of additional files of the key data and function expansion module, which have been copied to the storage area, in the configuration information of the printer driver; and

a recognition unit that causes an installation control module of the operating system to recognize the fact that the configuration of the printer driver will be changed.

4. The apparatus according to claim 3, wherein said recognition unit causes content of the key data and function expansion module to be recognized by restarting the installation control module.

5. The apparatus according to claim 2, further comprising:

a deletion unit that deletes the key data and function expansion module that have been additionally installed; and

a registration cancellation unit that updates the configuration information of the printer driver in response to the deletion by said deletion unit.

6. The apparatus according to claim 5, wherein if the configuration information of the printer driver has been updated by said registration cancellation unit, said notification unit notifies the another information processing apparatus of the content of the updated configuration information of the printer driver.

7. The apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a judging unit that judges whether the printer driver is being used for the purpose of controlling a printer shared with another information processing apparatus.

8. The apparatus according to claim 7, further comprising a notification unit that notifies the fact that the configuration of the printer driver will be changed to the another information processing apparatus connected to the shared printer, in a case where said judging unit judges that the printer driver is being used for the purpose of controlling the printer shared with the another information processing apparatus.

9. A method of controlling an information processing apparatus for transmitting an installation set of a printer driver to another information processing apparatus based on an instruction of a Point and Print transmitted from the another information processing apparatus, said method comprising:

a designating step of designating, in a case where the instruction of the Point and Print is transmitted, whether or not to transmit an installation set that includes the printer driver and a function expansion module in order to expand a function of the printer driver and to be activated, to the another information processing apparatus by using an interface of the information processing apparatus;

a decision step of deciding whether or not to transmit the installation set that includes the printer driver and the function expansion module to be activated to the another information processing apparatus based on a designation of said designating step; and

a transmitting step of (i) transmitting to the another information processing apparatus, in a case where a transmission of the installation set that includes the printer driver and the function expansion module to be activated is decided by said decision step, the installation set that includes the printer driver and the function expansion module to be activated, based on the instruction of the Point and Print, and (ii) transmitting to the another information processing apparatus, in a case where a transmission of the installation set that includes the printer driver and the function expansion module to be activated is not decided by said decision step, an installation set that includes the printer driver and does not include the function expansion module to be activated, based on the instruction of the Point and Print.

10. The method according to claim 9, wherein an installation set that activates the function expansion module is an installation set that includes the function expansion module and key data that activates the function expansion module, and

wherein an installation set in which the function expansion module is not activated is an installation set that does not include at least one of the key data and function expansion module.

11. The method according to claim 10, further comprising

a file addition step of copying the key data and the function expansion module, which have been registered in the installation set, to a storage area of an operating system;

a file registration step of additionally registering names of additional files of the key data and function expansion module, which have been copied to the storage area, in the configuration information of the printer driver; and

a recognition step of causing an installation control module of the operating system to recognize the fact that the configuration of the printer driver will be changed.

12. The method according to claim 11, wherein said recognition step causes content of the key data and function expansion module to be recognized by restarting the installation control module.

13. The method according to claim 10, further comprising:

a deletion step of deleting the key data and function expansion module that have been additionally installed; and

a registration cancellation step of updating the configuration information of the printer driver in response to the deletion by said deletion step.

14. The method according to claim 13, wherein if the configuration information of the printer driver has been updated by said registration cancellation step, said notification step notifies the other information processing apparatus of the content of the updated configuration information of the printer driver.

15. The method according to claim 9, further comprising a judging step of judging whether the printer driver is being used for the purpose of controlling a printer shared with another information processing apparatus.

16. The method according to claim 15, further comprising a notification step of notifying the fact that the configuration of the printer driver will be changed to the another information processing apparatus connected to the shared printer, in a case where said judging step judges that the printer driver is being used for the purpose of controlling the printer shared with the another information processing apparatus.

17. A computer-readable storage medium storing a program for controlling an information processing apparatus for transmitting an installation set of a printer driver to another information processing apparatus based on an instruction of a Point and Print transmitted from the another information processing apparatus, said program comprising:

a designation module that designates whether to designate, in a case where the instruction of the Point and Print is transmitted, whether or not to transmit an installation set that includes the printer driver and a function expansion module in order to expand a function of the printer driver and to be activated, to the another information processing apparatus by using an interface of the information processing apparatus;

a decision module that decides whether or not to transmit the installation set that includes the printer driver and the function expansion module to be activated to the another information processing apparatus based on a designation of said designation module; and

a transmitting module that (i) transmits to the another information processing apparatus, in a case where a transmission of the installation set that includes the printer driver and the function expansion module to be activated is decided by said decision module, the installation set that includes the printer driver and the function expansion module to be activated, based on the instruction of the Point and Print, and (ii) transmits to the another information processing apparatus, in a case where a transmission of the installation set that includes the printer driver and the function expansion module to be activated is not decided by said decision module, an installation set that includes the printer driver and does not include the function expansion module to be activated, based on the instruction of the Point and Print.