Synchronizing device association data among computing devices

• US 9,032,106 B2
• Filed: 06/28/2013
• Issued: 05/12/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 05/29/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Inventors: Hutchings, Justin A., Peterson, Erik O., Nagarajan, Arun Babu, Wojtaszek, Kyle P., Lannin, J. Adrian, Hain, Robert F., Greeff, Esaias E., Sanghvi, Niket A., Adams, Samuel David, Duhon, David W.
• Primary Examiner(s): Nam, Hyun
• Application Number:
  US13/931,690
• Publication Number:
  US 20140359170A1
• Time in Patent Office: 683 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 710/8
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 13/10 Program control for peripheral devices G06F13/14 - G06F13/42 take precedence
• 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 13/385 for adaptation of a particular data processing system to different peripheral devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/00 Security arrangements for protecting computers, components thereof, programs or data against unauthorised activity
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/4411 Configuring for operating with peripheral devices; Loading of device drivers
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/4451 User profiles; Roaming

Abstract

Device association data for peripheral devices, which is data used to connect to the peripheral devices, is maintained and synchronized across multiple computing devices associated with a user account on a service. When a new peripheral device is associated with a computing device, device association data for the new peripheral device is added to the computing device. The device association data for the new peripheral device is also sent to the service, which provides the device association to the other computing devices from which the user logs into his or her account, and those other computing devices in turn automatically associate themselves with the peripheral device. Device use data describing how a user desires to use the peripheral device on one computing device, as well as changes to the device association data on one computing device, can similarly be synchronized across the multiple computing devices.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving, from a service in response to a user logging into a user account of the service, device association data for each of one or more peripheral devices maintained and synchronized with the user account, the device association data for a peripheral device describing how to connect the peripheral device to a computing device;

determining which of the one or more peripheral devices can be automatically made available for use with the computing device;

displaying, for at least one of the one or more peripheral devices that cannot be automatically made available for use with the computing device, a prompt to provide additional credentials; and

automatically making available for use with the computing device only those of the one or more peripheral devices that can be automatically made available for use with the computing device.

2. A method as recited in claim 1, further comprising maintaining, on the computing device, a copy of device association data for peripheral devices that can be automatically made available for use with the computing device as well as a copy of device association data for at least one peripheral device of the one or more peripheral devices that cannot be automatically made available for use with the computing device.

3. A method as recited in claim 2, further comprising:

displaying an indication of the at least one peripheral device that cannot be automatically made available for use with the computing device; and

installing the at least one peripheral device on the computing device in response to a user input authorizing installation of the at least one peripheral device.

4. A method as recited in claim 1, further comprising, for a peripheral device that is capable of being made available for use with the computing device but cannot be automatically made available for use with the computing device, marking the peripheral device as to be made available for use with the computing device.

5. A method as recited in claim 1, further comprising:

receiving, in response to displaying the prompt, user input specifying the additional credentials; and

making available for use, using the additional credentials, the at least one of the one or more peripheral devices that cannot be automatically made available for use with the computing device.

6. A method as recited in claim 1, the device association data for at least one peripheral device having been provided to the service by an additional computing device as a result of the additional computing device connecting to the at least one peripheral device at the additional computing device.

7. A method as recited in claim 1, the device association data for at least one peripheral device having been provided to the service by the computing device as a result of the computing device previously connecting to the at least one peripheral device.

8. A method as recited in claim 1, the device association data for at least one peripheral device having been provided to the service by the at least one peripheral device.

9. A method as recited in claim 1, the determining comprising applying one or more rules to identify which peripheral devices cannot be automatically made available for use with the computing device, and the automatically making available for use comprising automatically making available for use with the computing device the one or more peripheral devices except for the peripheral devices that cannot be automatically made available for use with the computing device.

10. A method as recited in claim 1, further comprising:

receiving, from the service, device use data for at least one of the one or more peripheral devices, the device use data for a peripheral device identifying particular settings for the peripheral device; and

applying the particular settings to the at least one peripheral device installed on the computing device.

11. A method as recited in claim 1, further comprising:

receiving, from the service, a change to device association data for at least one of the one or more peripheral devices; and

updating the device association data maintained on the computing device for the at least one peripheral device based on the change.

12. A method as recited in claim 1, further comprising:

receiving, from the service, an indication that at least one of the one or more peripheral devices has been deleted; and

no longer making the at least one peripheral device available for use with the computing device.

13. A computing device comprising:

a data store to store device association data for peripheral devices, the device association data for a peripheral device describing how the computing device is to connect to the peripheral device; and

a device association data synchronization module configured to;

receive, from a service in response to a user logging into a user account of the service, device association data for each of multiple peripheral devices maintained and synchronized with the user account;

determine which of the multiple peripheral devices can be automatically made available for use with the computing device;

automatically make available for use with the computing device ones of the multiple peripheral devices that can be automatically made available for use with the computing device; and

generate a record to indicate a peripheral device as to be made available for use with the computing device in response to the peripheral device being capable of being made available for use with the computing device but not capable of being automatically made available for use with the computing device.

14. A computing device as recited in claim 13, the device association data synchronization module being further configured to maintain, on the computing device, a copy of device association data for peripheral devices that can be automatically made available for use with the computing device as well as a copy of device association data for at least one peripheral device of the multiple peripheral devices that cannot be automatically made avail

15. A computing device as recited able for use with the computing device. in claim 14, the device association data synchronization module being further configured to:

display an indication of the at least one peripheral device that cannot be automatically made available for use with the computing device; and

install the at least one peripheral device on the computing device in response to a user input authorizing installation of the at least one peripheral device.

16. A computing device as recited in claim 13, the device association data synchronization module being further configured to send device association data to a service.

17. A computing device as recited in claim 13, the device association data synchronization module being further configured to:

display, for at least one of the multiple peripheral devices that cannot be automatically made available for use with the computing device, a prompt to provide additional credentials;

receive, in response to displaying the prompt, user input specifying the additional credentials; and

install, using the additional credentials, the at least one of the multiple peripheral devices that cannot be automatically made available for use with the computing device.

18. A computing device as recited in claim 13, the device association data for at least one peripheral device having been provided to the service by the at least one peripheral device.

19. A computing device as recited in claim 13, the device association data synchronization module being further configured to receive the device association data, determine which of the multiple peripheral devices can be automatically made available for use with the computing device, and automatically make available for use with the computing device ones of the multiple peripheral devices that can be automatically made available for use with the computing device while logged into the user account from the computing device.

20. A method comprising:

logging into, from a computing device, a user account of a service;

receiving, from the service, device association data for each of one or more peripheral devices maintained and synchronized with the user account, the device association data for a peripheral device describing how to connect to the peripheral device, the device association data for at least one peripheral device having been provided to the service by an additional computing device as a result of the additional computing device connecting to the at least one peripheral device at the additional computing device;

determining which of the one or more peripheral devices can be automatically installed on the computing device;

synchronizing changes in the device association data between the computing device, the service, and the additional computing device for the one or more peripheral devices; and

automatically installing on the computing device only those of the one or more peripheral devices that can be automatically installed on the computing device, and maintaining on the computing device a copy of device association data for peripheral devices that can be automatically installed on the computing device as well as a copy of device association data for at least one peripheral device of the one or more peripheral devices that cannot be automatically installed on the computing device.