Simple and dynamic configuration of network devices
First Claim
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1. A network device interaction system in a computing device adapted to connect to a network, the system comprising:
- a registry; and
a processor configured to execute a plurality of software components, the components comprising;
an application component adapted to utilize a network device;
a monitor component that detects arrival and departure of the network device on the network by passively listening for the network device, whereby the computing device can determine when the network device is accessible to the application component;
a configuration component that automatically configures the network device for operation with the application component in response to arrival of the network device being detected by the monitor component, by;
receiving metadata for identifying the network device, the metadata comprising a hardware identifier for the network device;
determining configuration information using the hardware identifier for the network device, the configuration information indicating a configuration of the network device and comprising one or more registry keys; and
configuring the system with the configuration information, the configuring comprising setting, in association with the hardware identifier, the registry with the one or more registry keys from the configuration information;
an association component for forming an association between the computing device and one or more other network devices based on user input and for using stored credential information for re-authenticating with a network device of the one or more other network devices to automatically re-associate the network device with the computing device when the network device re-arrives on the network; and
a display component that displays to a user of the computing device an interface indicating associated network devices, the interface, based on an output of the monitoring component, selectively including a representation of the network device in a format that distinguishes between when the network device is available and when the network device is not available,wherein the association between the computing device and the one or more other network devices is formed using a credential.
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Abstract
The present invention relates to a system and method for configuring and managing network devices. The arrival (and departure) of devices on a network can be detected by a monitor. Upon detection, network devices can be simply and dynamically configured with little or no end-user intervention, for instance by automatically loading device drivers and allocating resources for the devices. Furthermore, network devices can be associated with other network devices such as a personal computer to facilitate seamless integration of network devices with a computer operating system.
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Citations
30 Claims
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1. A network device interaction system in a computing device adapted to connect to a network, the system comprising:
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a registry; and a processor configured to execute a plurality of software components, the components comprising; an application component adapted to utilize a network device; a monitor component that detects arrival and departure of the network device on the network by passively listening for the network device, whereby the computing device can determine when the network device is accessible to the application component; a configuration component that automatically configures the network device for operation with the application component in response to arrival of the network device being detected by the monitor component, by; receiving metadata for identifying the network device, the metadata comprising a hardware identifier for the network device; determining configuration information using the hardware identifier for the network device, the configuration information indicating a configuration of the network device and comprising one or more registry keys; and configuring the system with the configuration information, the configuring comprising setting, in association with the hardware identifier, the registry with the one or more registry keys from the configuration information; an association component for forming an association between the computing device and one or more other network devices based on user input and for using stored credential information for re-authenticating with a network device of the one or more other network devices to automatically re-associate the network device with the computing device when the network device re-arrives on the network; and a display component that displays to a user of the computing device an interface indicating associated network devices, the interface, based on an output of the monitoring component, selectively including a representation of the network device in a format that distinguishes between when the network device is available and when the network device is not available, wherein the association between the computing device and the one or more other network devices is formed using a credential. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11)
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12. A method of configuring a network device on a network for use with at least one other network device installed on the network, wherein the network device is a computer peripheral and the at least one other network device comprises a computer, the method comprising:
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receiving, through a user interface on the computer, information defining a credential; associating the computer peripheral with the computer at least by authenticating between the computer peripheral and the computer using the credential; in response to authenticating with the computer peripheral, storing information for re-authenticating with the computer peripheral; locating a driver component associated with the computer peripheral; retrieving the driver component; loading the driver component to facilitate installation of the computer peripheral; detecting that the computer peripheral is no longer on the network; and using the stored information for re-authenticating with the computer peripheral to automatically re-associate the computer peripheral with the computer when the computer peripheral is reconnected to the network. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29)
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30. A computer-readable storage medium comprising computer-executable instructions that, when executed, perform a method of configuring a computer peripheral on a network for use with a computer on the network, the method comprising:
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receiving metadata for identifying the computer peripheral, the metadata comprising an identifier for the computer peripheral; obtaining a credential based on user input received through a user interface on the computer; associating the computer peripheral with the computer at least by authenticating the computer peripheral with respect to the computer using the credential; determining configuration information for the computer peripheral using the identifier, the configuration information comprising driver files and one or more registry keys; and configuring the computer peripheral with the configuration information, the configuring comprising; setting the one or more registry keys in a registry of the computer and in association with the identifier; and loading the driver files onto the computer; and accessing the computer peripheral using channel security; and using stored credential information for re-authenticating with the computer peripheral to automatically re-associate the computer peripheral with the computer when the computer peripheral is reconnected to the network.
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Specification