Web based creation of printer instances on a workstation

• US 20030200292A1
• Filed: 04/15/2003
• Published: 10/23/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 04/23/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Carcerano, Christopher John, Kemp, Devon James
• Granted Patent: US 7,213,060 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/222
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/4411 Configuring for operating with peripheral devices; Loading of device drivers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0253 using browsers or web-pages for accessing management information
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/12 specially adapted for proprietary or special-purpose networking environments, e.g. medical networks, sensor networks, networks in vehicles or remote metering networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/14 Session management for real-time applications in data packet communications networks H04L65/1066
• 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 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols

Abstract

Web based installation of a printer in a printers folder on a workstation for peer-to-peer communication over a network between the workstation and the printer, by downloading a printers html page to the workstation, the printers html page providing hyperlinks of printers that can be added to the workstation, selecting a hyperlink for a printer to be added to the workstation, in response to the selecting step, extracting identification information of the selected printer from the selected hyperlink and executing a component object to install the printer, wherein, the component object calls a function that automatically obtains printer configuration information and print driver information based at least in part on the extracted identification information, automatically configures the printer and installs a print driver based on the obtained printer configuration information and print driver information, and creates a locally managed instance of the printer on the workstation. In a case where the component object is not installed on the workstation, an executable file (CAB) that includes the component object and the function (DDI) is downloaded such that, when the CAB file is executed, the DDI is installed and the component object is executed.

Claims

14. Computer-executable process steps for installing a printer in a printers folder on a workstation for peer-to-peer communication over a network between the workstation and the printer, the process steps comprising the steps of:

downloading a printers html page to the workstation, the printers html page providing hyperlinks of printers that can be added to the workstation;

selecting a hyperlink for a printer to be added to the workstation;

in response to the selecting step, extracting identification information of the selected printer from the selected hyperlink and executing a component object to install the printer, wherein, the component object calls a function that performs the steps of;

automatically obtaining printer configuration information and print driver information based at least in part on the extracted identification information;

automatically configuring the printer and installing a print driver based on the obtained printer configuration information and print driver information; and

creating a locally managed instance of the printer on the workstation.

1. A method of installing a printer in a printers folder on a workstation for peer-to-peer communication over a network between the workstation and the printer, the method comprising the steps of:

downloading a printers html page to the workstation, the printers html page providing hyperlinks of printers that can be added to the workstation;

selecting a hyperlink for a printer to be added to the workstation;

in response to the selecting step, extracting identification information of the selected printer from the selected hyperlink and executing a component object to install the printer, wherein, the component object calls a function that performs the steps of;

automatically obtaining printer configuration information and print driver information based at least in part on the extracted identification information;

automatically configuring the printer and installing a print driver based on the obtained printer configuration information and print driver information; and

creating a locally managed instance of the printer on the workstation.

2. A method according to claim 1, wherein the identification information of the printer is a network address of the printer.

3. A method according to claim 2, wherein the network address is an IP address of the printer.

4. A method according to claim 1, wherein the identification information is a DNS name of the printer.

5. A method according to claim 1, wherein the identification information is a NetBios name of the printer.

6. A method according to claim 1, wherein the printer is a virtual printer.

7. A method according to claim 1, wherein the function comprises a dynamic device installer.

8. A method according to claim 1, wherein the function obtains the printer configuration information and print driver information from a remote device.

9. A method according to claim 8, wherein the remote device is an FTP server.

10. A method according to claim 1, wherein the function further performs the step of automatically creating a port for communication with the printer.

11. A method according to claim 1 further comprising, after the selecting step, downloading an active server page to the workstation, the active server page including scripts for performing the extracting and executing steps.

12. A method according to claim 1, wherein, in a case where the component object to be executed is not installed on the workstation, downloading an executable file that includes the component object.

13. A method according to claim 12, wherein the executable file is a CAB file that includes the component object and the function, the executable file installing the function on the workstation and subsequently performing the function call to execute the function.

15. Computer-executable process steps according to claim 14, wherein the identification information of the printer is a network address of the printer.

16. Computer-executable process steps according to claim 15, wherein the network address is an IP address of the printer.

17. Computer-executable process steps according to claim 14, wherein the identification information is a DNS name of the printer.

18. Computer-executable process steps according to claim 14, wherein the identification information is a NetBios name of the printer.

19. Computer-executable process steps according to claim 14, wherein the printer is a virtual printer.

20. Computer-executable process steps according to claim 19, wherein the remote device is an FTP server.

21. Computer-executable process steps according to claim 14, wherein the function further performs the step of automatically creating a port for communication with the printer.

22. Computer-executable process steps according to claim 14 further comprising, after the selecting step, downloading an active server page to the workstation, the active server page including scripts for performing the extracting and executing steps.

23. Computer-executable process steps according to claim 14, wherein, in a case where the component object to be executed is not installed on the workstation, downloading an executable file that includes the component object.

24. Computer-executable process steps according to claim 23, wherein the executable file is a CAB file that includes the component object and the function, the executable file installing the function on the workstation and subsequently performing the function call to execute the function.

18-1. Computer-executable process steps according to claim 14, wherein the function comprises a dynamic device installer.

19-2. Computer-executable process steps according to claim 14, wherein the function obtains the printer configuration information and print driver information from a remote device.

25. A computer-readable medium on which are stored computer-executable process steps for installing a printer in a printers folder on a workstation for peer-to-peer communication over a network between the workstation and the printer, the process steps comprising the steps of:

downloading a printers html page to the workstation, the printers html page providing hyperlinks of printers that can be added to the workstation;

selecting a hyperlink for a printer to be added to the workstation;

in response to the selecting step, extracting identification information of the selected printer from the selected hyperlink and executing a component object to install the printer, wherein, the component object calls a function that performs the steps of;

automatically obtaining printer configuration information and print driver information based at least in part on the extracted identification information;

automatically configuring the printer and installing a print driver based on the obtained printer configuration information and print driver information; and

creating a locally managed instance of the printer on the workstation.

26. A computer-readable medium according to claim 25, wherein the identification information of the printer is a network address of the printer.

27. A computer-readable medium according to claim 26, wherein the network address is an IP address of the printer.

28. A computer-readable medium according to claim 25, wherein the identification information is a DNS name of the printer.

29. A computer-readable medium according to claim 25, wherein the identification information is a NetBios name of the printer.

30. A computer-readable medium according to claim 25, wherein the printer is a virtual printer.

31. A computer-readable medium according to claim 25, wherein the function comprises a dynamic device installer.

32. A computer-readable medium according to claim 25, wherein the function obtains the printer configuration information and print driver information from a remote device.

33. A computer-readable medium according to claim 32, wherein the remote device is an FTP server.

34. A computer-readable medium according to claim 25, wherein the function further performs the step of automatically creating a port for communication with the printer.

35. A computer-readable medium according to claim 25 further comprising, after the selecting step, downloading an active server page to the workstation, the active server page including scripts for performing the extracting and executing steps.

36. A computer-readable medium according to claim 25, wherein, in a case where the component object to be executed is not installed on the workstation, downloading an executable file that includes the component object.

37. Computer-executable process steps according to claim 36, wherein the executable file is a CAB file that includes the component object and the function, the executable file installing the function on the workstation and subsequently performing the function call to execute the function.