Automatic detection and installation of client peripheral devices by a server

• US 8,341,621 B2
• Filed: 09/03/2009
• Issued: 12/25/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 12/09/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Brockway, Tad Dennis, Appiah, Madan Mohan R., Overton, Adam J., Bahl, Ritu
• Primary Examiner(s): Vu, Tuan A
• Application Number:
  US12/553,279
• Publication Number:
  US 20100070969A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,209 Days
• Field of Search: 717165-178, 709/203, 709/208, 709/220, 358/1.15, 710/8, 710/10, 710/104, 726/4
• US Class Current: 717/176
• 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 3/1225 Software update, e.g. print driver, modules, plug-ins, fonts
• 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
• 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 67/51 Discovery or management thereof, e.g. service location protocol [SLP] or web services
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]

Abstract

A server-client system is configured to automatically detect and install peripheral devices, such as printers, scanners, etc. that are attached to a client. The server is configured to detect the peripheral device and install a driver that is compatible with the peripheral device. The I/O queue created for the peripheral device is redirected to the port to which the peripheral device is connected.

Claims

1. A method for automatically configuring a server for use with a peripheral device connected to an input/output port of a client computer, the method comprising:

detecting a connection from the client computer by the server and establishing a session for the client computer;

sending from the server to the client computer one or more requests for an enumeration of client peripheral devices physically connected to the client computer, the one or more requests directing the client computer to detect a presence of the peripheral device by accessing system device registry information on the client computer and determining a peripheral identifier that uniquely identifies the peripheral device physically connected to the input/output port of the client computer;

receiving the peripheral identifier at the server;

based on the received peripheral identifier, installing on the server a peripheral driver and a queue for use with the peripheral device that is physically connected to the client computer; and

automatically redirecting data from the queue on the server to the input/output port of the client computer to which the peripheral device is physically connected.

2. The method recited in claim 1, further comprising:

physically removing the peripheral device from the input/output port of the client computer; and

removing the peripheral driver used with the peripheral device identified by the received peripheral identifier.

3. The method recited in claim 1, further comprising:

physically removing the peripheral device from the input/output port of the client computer; and

uninstalling the peripheral driver used with the peripheral device identified by the received peripheral identifier.

4. The method recited in claim 1, wherein the identified peripheral device is a Plug And Play compatible peripheral device.

5. The method recited in claim 1, wherein the identified peripheral device is a printer.

6. The method recited in claim 1, wherein receiving the peripheral identifier further comprises receiving a Plug and Play identifier corresponding to the peripheral device .

7. The method recited in claim 1, wherein receiving the peripheral identifier further comprises comparing a first enumeration of peripheral devices received from the client computer by the server with a second enumeration of peripheral devices received from the client computer by the server.

8. The method as recited in claim 1, further comprising the server not detecting the peripheral device or not identifying the peripheral device.

9. A client/server computer system, comprising:

at least one client that is physically connected to a printer through an input/output port of the at least one client, the at least one client operating to detect a presence of the printer by accessing system device registry information of the at least one client to receive a peripheral identifier uniquely identifying the printer newly connected to the input/output port of the at least one client; and

a server comprising;

a printing subsystem configured to receive the peripheral identifier from the at least one client in response to at least one request by the printing subsystem to the at least one client for an enumeration of peripheral identifiers corresponding to printers connected at the at least one client;

an automatic detection unit that determines a printer driver associated with the peripheral identifier and installs the printer driver on the server, including setting up a print queue on the server for the printer; and

a peripheral mapping unit to automatically redirect printer data from the print queue on the server to the input/output port of the at least one client to which the printer is physically connected;

wherein the at least one client establishes a connection with the server and transmits the peripheral identifier to the server; and

wherein the server detects the connection from the at least one client, establishes a session for the at least one client, and sends a signal to the at least one client to commence communications therewith.

10. The client/server system as recited in claim 9, wherein the printer is a Plug And Play compatible printer.

11. The client/server system as recited in claim 9, wherein the printing subsystem received the peripheral identifier without requiring interaction by a user.

12. The client/server system as recited in claim 9, wherein the printer driver is installed without requiring interaction by a user.

13. The client/server system recited in claim 12, further comprising the server being configured to not detect the printer and to not identify the printer.

14. A method for automatically configuring a server for use with a peripheral device connected to an input/output port of a client computer, the method comprising:

detecting a connection from the client computer by the server and establishing a session for the client computer;

initializing one or more data structures to provide the session for the client computer and sending a signal to the client computer to commence communications with the server;

sending from the server to the client computer one or more requests for an enumeration of client peripheral devices physically connected to the client computer, the one or more requests directing the client computer to detect a presence of the peripheral device by accessing system device registry information on the client computer and determining a peripheral identifier that uniquely identifies the peripheral device physically connected to the input/output port of the client computer;

receiving the peripheral identifier at the server; and

based on the received peripheral identifier, installing on the server a peripheral driver for use with the peripheral device that is physically connected to the client computer.

15. The method recited in claim 14, further comprising:

physically removing the peripheral device from the input/output port of the client computer; and

removing the peripheral driver used with the peripheral device identified by the received peripheral identifier.

16. The method recited in claim 14, further comprising:

physically removing the peripheral device from the input/output port of the client computer; and

uninstalling the peripheral driver used with the peripheral device identified by the received peripheral identifier.

17. The method recited in claim 14, wherein the identified peripheral device is a Plug And Play compatible peripheral device.

18. The method recited in claim 14, wherein the identified peripheral device is a printer.

19. The method recited in claim 14, wherein receiving the peripheral identifier further comprises receiving a Plug and Play identifier corresponding to the peripheral device.

20. The method recited in claim 14, wherein the session provided for the client computer by the server is within a machine that is logically independent from one or more other machines on the server that concurrently support one or more other sessions for one or more other client computers.