Metadata retrieval for multi-function devices

• US 8,527,554 B2
• Filed: 12/14/2007
• Issued: 09/03/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 12/14/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Jawad, Abed, Bhorania, Aayaz, Perumal, Palani, Saito, Mitsuru, Gubitz, Erik, Ahmed, Farhan
• Primary Examiner(s): Lewis, Cheryl
• Assistant Examiner(s): Hoffler, Raheem
• Application Number:
  US12/002,055
• Publication Number:
  US 20090157595A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,090 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 707/804
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/951 Indexing; Web crawling techniques
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1293 Printer information exchange with computer
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/4411 Configuring for operating with peripheral devices; Loading of device drivers
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management

Abstract

Systems and methods are provided for retrieving metadata relating to a multi-function device. In some embodiments, metadata is retrieved using a plurality of identifiers (e.g., hardware identifiers each identifying at least one function performed by the device) received from the device. The plurality of identifiers are arranged into a sequence, and at least one of the identifiers in the sequence is associated with metadata specifying a characteristic of the device. Using the metadata that is retrieved, a client computer may present an graphical user interface displaying information relating to the device.

Claims

1. A method of identifying functionalities performed by peripheral devices, comprising:

receiving, by a computing device, information from a first peripheral device;

determining, by the computing device, that the information from the first peripheral device comprises a plurality of functionality identifiers, wherein each of the functionality identifiers identifies at least one of a plurality of functions that the first peripheral device is capable of performing;

arranging, by the computing device, the plurality of functionality identifiers into a sequence that is ordered according to levels of specificity of the functions identified by each of the functionality identifiers;

comparing, by the computing device, one or more functionality identifiers of the arranged sequence to metadata that specifies a characteristic of the first peripheral device other than the functions identified by the one or more functionality identifiers;

identifying, by the computing device, an association between at least one of the one or more functionality identifiers and the metadata;

causing, by the computing device, information corresponding to the metadata to be displayed;

receiving, by the computing device, information from a second peripheral device;

determining, by the computing device, that the information from the second peripheral device comprises an identity of a model of the second peripheral device;

associating the identity of the model with other metadata that specifies at least one characteristic of the second peripheral device other than functions that the second peripheral device is capable of performing; and

causing information corresponding to the other metadata to be displayed.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one of the functionality identifiers is assigned by a manufacturer of the first peripheral device.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein further comparing the one or more functionality identifiers of the arranged sequence to metadata comprises:

determining, by the computing device, a deficiency in locally available metadata corresponding to at least one functionality identifier of the arranged sequence.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein comparing the one or more functionality identifiers of the arranged sequence to metadata further comprises:

transmitting, by the computing device, the at least one functionality identifier to a server computer for comparison with server-stored metadata stored on the server computer; and

receiving, by the computing device, at least a portion of the server-stored metadata from the server computer.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein comparing the one or more functionality identifiers of the arranged sequence to metadata comprises:

sequentially comparing to the one or more functionality identifiers to the metadata.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the metadata specifies at least one task relating to configuring the first peripheral device and/or to at least one function that the first peripheral device is capable of performing.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the sequence is ordered such that the sequence begins with a most specific of the functionality identifiers and ends with a least specific of the functionality identifiers.

8. At least one tangible computer-readable storage medium article having instructions stored thereon for causing a client computer to interface with peripheral devices that are operable to perform a plurality of functions, the instructions for executing operations comprising:

receiving, by the client computer, information from a first peripheral device;

determining, by the client computer, that the information from the first peripheral device comprises a plurality of functionality identifiers, wherein each of the functionality identifiers identifies at least one of a plurality of functions that the first peripheral device is operable to perform;

arranging, by the client computer, the plurality of functionality identifiers into a sequence that is ordered such that the sequence begins with a most specific of the functionality identifiers and ends with a least specific of the functionality identifiers, wherein each of the plurality of functionality identifiers corresponds to at least one of the plurality of functions that the first peripheral device is operable to perform;

comparing, by the client computer, one or more functionality identifiers of the arranged sequence to metadata that specifies a characteristic of the first peripheral device other than the functions identified by the one or more functionality identifiers;

identifying, by the client computer, an association between at least one of the one or more functionality identifiers and the metadata;

causing, by the client computer, information corresponding to the metadata to be displayed;

receiving, by the client computer, information from a second peripheral device;

determining, by the client computer, that the information from the second peripheral device comprises an identity of a model of the second peripheral device;

associating the identity of the model with other metadata that specifies at least one characteristic of the second peripheral device other than the functions that the second peripheral device is operable to perform, wherein the other metadata is partially stored by the client computer and is partially stored by another computer; and

causing, by the client computer, information corresponding to the other metadata to be displayed.

9. The at least one tangible computer-readable storage medium article of claim 8, wherein the information from the second peripheral device further comprises an experience identifier.

10. The at least one tangible computer-readable storage medium article of claim 8, wherein the metadata and/or the other metadata specifies a manufacturer of the first and/or second peripheral device, at least one task relating to configuring the first and/or second peripheral device, and/or at least one function that the first and/or second peripheral device is operable to perform.

11. The at least one tangible computer-readable storage medium article of claim 8, wherein comparing the one or more functionality identifiers of the arranged sequence to metadata further comprises:

transmitting, by the client computer, the at least one functionality identifier to the other computer for comparison with the portion of metadata that is stored on the other computer; and

receiving, by the client computer, at least a portion of the metadata stored on the other computer.

12. A computing device, comprising:

a memory and at least one processor that are respectively configured to store and execute instructions that;

receive information from a first peripheral device;

determine that the information from the first peripheral device includes a plurality of functionality identifiers that respectively correspond to functions that the first peripheral device is configured to perform;

arrange the plurality of functionality identifiers into a sequence that is based on the respective specificities of each of the plurality of functionality identifiers;

compare at least some of the functionality identifiers, in accordance with the sequence, to metadata that specifies at least one characteristic of the first peripheral device; and

that

identify an association between one of the at least some of the functionality identifiers and the metadata.

13. The computing device of claim 12, further comprising a storage element configured to store the metadata.

14. The computing device of claim 12, wherein the metadata corresponds to at least one configuration task for the first peripheral device and/or at least one function that the first peripheral device is configured to perform.

15. The computing device of claim 12, wherein the computing device is in networked communication with a server device, and wherein the memory and the at least one processor are further configured to store and execute instructions that:

transmit at least one of the functionality identifiers to the server device for comparison with other metadata that is accessible to the server device; and

that

receive at least a portion of the other metadata.

16. The computing device of claim 12, wherein the memory and the at least one processor are further configured to respectively store and execute instructions that:

cause information relating to at least one task for configuring the first peripheral device to be displayed.

17. The computing device of claim 12, wherein the memory and the at least one processor are further configured to respectively store and execute instructions that:

cause information relating to configuring the computing device to interoperate with the first peripheral device to be displayed.

18. The computing device of claim 12, wherein the memory and the at least one processor are further configured to respectively store and execute instructions that:

receive information from a second peripheral device;

determine that the information received from the second peripheral device includes a model identifier of the second peripheral device; and

associate the model identifier with model specific metadata that specifies at least one characteristic of the second peripheral device.

19. The computing device of claim 18, wherein the memory and the at least one processor are further configured to respectively store and execute instructions that:

cause information corresponding to the model specific metadata to be presented by the computing device.

20. The computing device of claim 12, wherein the sequence is ordered such that the sequence begins with a most specific of the functionality identifiers that identifies a most specific of the functions and ends with a least specific of the functionality identifiers that identifies a least specific of the functions.