Driver software installing system

• US 20040187105A1
• Filed: 12/29/2003
• Published: 09/23/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 01/06/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
• Original Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
• Inventors: Inada, Hajime
• Granted Patent: US 7,890,949 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 717/174
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/4411 Configuring for operating with peripheral devices; Loading of device drivers

Abstract

A driver software installing system is provided with a computer connected to an electronic device. The system includes an installation system that performs installation of driver software in the computer in accordance with a procedure of an operating system of the computer, and a setup system that performs setup of the driver software that is installed in the computer by the driver software installation system. Further, the setup system includes an instructing module that instructs the installation system to generate identification information for identifying the driver software when the installation of the driving software is performed, an identifying module that identifies the driver software to be set up based on the identification information generated by the installation system in response to the instruction of the instructing module, and a setup module that performs setup operation for the driver software that is identified by the identifying module.

Claims

1. A driver software installing system, comprising:

a computer communicatively connected to an electronic device;

an installation system that performs installation of driver software in the computer in accordance with a procedure of an operating system of the computer, the driver software enabling the computer to control the electronic device connected to the computer; and

a setup system that performs setup of the driver software that is installed in the computer by the driver software installation system,

the setup system including;

an instructing module that instructs the installation system to generate identification information for identifying the driver software when the installation of the driving software is performed;

an identifying module that identifies the driver software to be set up based on the identification information generated by the installation system in response to the instruction of the instructing module; and

a setup module that performs setup operation for the driver software that is identified by the identifying module.

2. The driver software installing system according to claim 1, wherein the setup system further includes an invalidating module that invalidates the identification information so that the identifying module cannot identify the driver software based on the identification information after the setup module performs the setup operation for the driver software.

3. The driver software installing system according to claim 2, wherein the invalidating module invalidates the identification information by deleting the identification information.

4. The driver software installing system according to claim 2, wherein the invalidating module invalidates the identification information by modifying the identification information.

5. The driver software installing system according to claim 2,

wherein the instruction module instructs the operating system to stored the identification information as generated in storage area, provided in a registry, corresponding to the driver software, and

wherein the identifying module detects the identification information which is not invalidated by the invalidating module from the registry and determines the driver software using the storage area where the identification information which is not invalidated is stored as the identified driver software.

6. The driver software installing system according to claim 2, wherein the invalidating module invalidates the identification information before the installation system starts installation of the driver software.

7. The driver software installing system according to claim 1, wherein the setup system further includes an invalidating module that invalidates the identification information so that the identifying module cannot identify the driver software based on the identification information before the installation system starts installation of the driver software.

8. The driver software installing system according to claim 1, wherein the electronic device is an image generating device.

9. A driver software installing system, comprising:

a computer communicatively connected to an electronic device;

an installation system that performs installation of driver software in the computer in accordance with a procedure of an operating system of the computer, the driver software enabling the computer to control the electronic device connected to the computer; and

a setup system that performs setup of the driver software that is installed in the computer by the driver software installation system,

the setup system including;

an acquisition module that obtains an installation log that is created by the operating system when the driver software is installed;

an identifying module that identifies the driver software to be set up based on the installation log obtained by the acquisition system; and

a setup module that performs setup operation for the driver software that is identified by the identifying module.

10. The driver software installing system according to claim 9,

wherein the installation log includes information related to a storage area occupied by the driver software which is being installed, and

wherein the identifying module refers to a latest log included in the installation log obtained by the acquisition module and identifies driver software based on the information related to the storage area included in the latest log.

11. The driver software installing system according to claim 10,

wherein the installation log further includes at least part of information related to one of contents of an INF file, which is referred to by the operating system when the driver software is installed, and a name of the INF file, and

wherein the identifying module detects, within the installation log, a log including the at least part of information related to one of contents of an INF file and a name of the INF file, and determines the detected log as the latest log.

12. The driver software installing system according to claim 9, wherein the electronic device is an image generating device.

13. A driver software installing system, comprising:

a computer communicatively connected to an electronic device;

an installation system that performs installation of driver software in the computer in accordance with a procedure of an operating system of the computer, the driver software enabling the computer to control the electronic device connected to the computer; and

a setup system that performs setup of the driver software that is installed in the computer by the driver software installation system,

the setup system including;

a saving module that saves system information of the operating system before the installation of the driver software is performed;

a comparing module that compares the system information saved by the saving module with system information updated by the operating system when the installation of the driver software is performed;

an identifying module that identifies the driver software to be set up based on a result of comparison performed by the comparing module; and

a setup module that performs setup operation for the driver software identified by the identifying module.

14. The driver software installing system according to claim 13,

wherein the system information includes a registry in which a storage area used by the driver software is provided, and

wherein the identifying module detects a storage area which was not provided in the registry before the installation of the driver software and is provided in the registry after the installation of the driver software based on the result of the comparison performed by the comparing module, the driver software using the detected storage area being determined as the identified driver software.

15. The driver software installing system according to claim 13, wherein the electronic device is an image generating device.

16. A computer communicatively connected with an electronic device, the computer being implemented with a driver software installing system that installs driver software for controlling the electronic device,

the driver software installing system including:

an installation system that performs installation of driver software in the computer in accordance with a procedure of an operating system of the computer, the driver software enabling the computer to control the electronic device connected to the computer; and

a setup system that performs setup of the driver software that is installed in the computer by the driver software installation system,

the setup system including;

an instructing module that instructs the installation system to generate identification information for identifying the driver software when the installation of the driving software is performed;

an identifying module that identifies the driver software to be set up based on the identification information generated by the installation system in response to the instruction of the instructing module; and

a setup module that performs setup operation for the driver software that is identified by the identifying module.

17. A computer communicatively connected with an electronic device, the computer being implemented with a driver software installing system that installs driver software for controlling the electronic device,

the driver software installing system including:

an installation system that performs installation of driver software in the computer in accordance with a procedure of an operating system of the computer, the driver software enabling the computer to control the electronic device connected to the computer; and

a setup system that performs setup of the driver software that is installed in the computer by the driver software installation system,

the setup system including;

an acquisition module that obtains an installation log that is created by the operating system when the driver software is installed;

an identifying module that identifies the driver software to be set up based on the installation log obtained by the acquisition system; and

a setup module that performs setup operation for the driver software that is identified by the identifying module.

18. A computer communicatively connected with an electronic device, the computer being implemented with a driver software installing system that installs driver software for controlling the electronic device,

the driver software installing system including:

an installation system that performs installation of driver software in the computer in accordance with a procedure of an operating system of the computer, the driver software enabling the computer to control the electronic device connected to the computer; and

a setup system that performs setup of the driver software that is installed in the computer by the driver software installation system,

the setup system including;

a saving module that saves system information of the operating system before the installation of the driver software is performed;

a comparing module that compares the system information saved by the saving module with system information updated by the operating system when the installation of the driver software is performed;

an identifying module that identifies the driver software to be set up based on a result of comparison performed by the comparing module; and

a setup module that performs setup operation for the driver software identified by the identifying module.

19. A method of installing driver software for performing installation of driver software in a computer in accordance with a procedure of an operating system of the computer, the driver software enabling the computer to control the electronic device which is communicatively connected to the computer and setup of the driver software that is installed in the computer,

the method including the steps of:

instructing to generate identification information for identifying the driver software when the installation of the driving software is performed;

identifying the driver software to be set up based on the identification information generated in response to an instruction made in the step of the instructing; and

performing a setup operation for the driver software identified in the step of identifying.

20. A method of installing driver software for performing installation of driver software in a computer in accordance with a procedure of an operating system of the computer, the driver software enabling the computer to control the electronic device which is communicatively connected to the computer and setup of the driver software that is installed in the computer,

the method including the steps of:

obtaining an installation log that is created by the operating system when the driver software is installed;

identifying the driver software to be set up based on the installation log obtained in the step of obtaining; and

performing a setup operation for the driver software that is identified in the step of identifying.

21. A method for installing driver software for performing installation of driver software in a computer in accordance with a procedure of an operating system of the computer, the driver software enabling the computer to control the electronic device which is communicatively connected to the computer and setup of the driver software that is installed in the computer,

the method including the steps of:

saving system information of the operating system before the installation of the driver software is performed;

comparing the system information saved in the step of saving with system information updated by the operating system when the installation of the driver software is performed;

identifying the driver software to be set up based on a result of comparison performed in the step of comparing; and

performing a setup operation for the driver software identified in the step of identifying.

22. A computer program product that controls a computer to install driver software for performing installation of driver software in the computer in accordance with a procedure of an operating system of the computer, the driver software enabling the computer to control the electronic device which is communicatively connected to the computer and setup of the driver software that is installed in the computer,

the computer program product including the instructions of:

instructing to generate identification information for identifying the driver software when the installation of the driving software is performed;

identifying the driver software to be set up based on the identification information generated in response to an instruction made in the step of the instructing; and

performing a setup operation for the driver software identified in the step of identifying.

23. A computer program product that controls a computer to install driver software in the computer in accordance with a procedure of an operating system of the computer, the driver software enabling the computer to control the electronic device which is communicatively connected to the computer and setup of the driver software that is installed in the computer,

the computer program product including the instructions of:

obtaining an installation log that is created by the operating system when the driver software is installed;

identifying the driver software to be set up based on the installation log obtained in the step of obtaining; and

performing a setup operation for the driver software that is identified in the step of identifying.

24. A computer program product that controls a computer to install driver software in the computer in accordance with a procedure of an operating system of the computer, the driver software enabling the computer to control the electronic device which is communicatively connected to the computer and setup of the driver software that is installed in the computer,

the computer program product including the instructions of:

saving system information of the operating system before the installation of the driver software is performed;

comparing the system information saved in the step of saving with system information updated by the operating system when the installation of the driver software is performed;

identifying the driver software to be set up based on a result of comparison performed in the step of comparing; and

performing a setup operation for the driver software identified in the step of identifying.