Default peripheral device selection based on location

• US 8,112,552 B2
• Filed: 02/25/2008
• Issued: 02/07/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 02/25/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Lee, Jian, Olivier, Frank, Yuan, Tao
• Primary Examiner(s): Tsai, Henry
• Assistant Examiner(s): Nam, Hyun
• Application Number:
  US12/036,292
• Publication Number:
  US 20090216912A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,443 Days
• Field of Search: 710/8, 709/226
• US Class Current: 710/8
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/4411 Configuring for operating with peripheral devices; Loading of device drivers

Abstract

In accordance with one or more aspects of the default peripheral device selection based on location, a current location of a computing device is obtained. A mapping record of default peripheral devices to locations is accessed to identify a default peripheral device corresponding to the current location of the computing device, and the identified default peripheral device is returned as a current default peripheral device for the computing device. Additionally, an identification of a peripheral device to be a default peripheral device can be received. A mapping of the current location of the computing device to the identified default peripheral device can also be stored.

Claims

1. One or more computer hardware storage media having stored thereon multiple instructions that, when executed by one or more processors of a computing device, cause the one or more processors to:

allow automatic default peripheral device selection based on a current location to be enabled and disabled;

receive an identification of a peripheral device to set as a default peripheral device;

determine whether automatic default peripheral device selection based on a current location is enabled;

responsive to determining automatic default peripheral device selection based on a current location is disabled, set the received identified peripheral device as a single default device for the computing device; and

responsive to determining automatic default peripheral device selection based on a current location is enabled, further cause the one or more processors to;

obtain a current location of the computing device without user input specifying the current location;

set the received identified peripheral device as a default device for the current location;

detect a change in the current location of the computing device to a different location;

access a mapping record of default peripheral devices to locations to identify a default peripheral device corresponding to the different location of the computing device; and

return the identified default peripheral device as a current default peripheral device for the computing device.

2. One or more computer hardware storage media as recited in claim 1, wherein to obtain the current location of the computing device is to obtain a network location that identifies a network to which the computing device is currently coupled.

3. One or more computer hardware storage media as recited in claim 1, wherein to obtain the current location of the computing device is to obtain GPS coordinates indicating the current location of the computing device.

4. One or more computer hardware storage media as recited in claim 1, the instructions further causing the one or more processors to obtain the current location and access the mapping record to identify the default peripheral device corresponding to the current location of the computing device each time the current location of the computing device changes.

5. One or more computer hardware storage media as recited in claim 1, wherein the default peripheral devices comprise printers, and wherein the instructions further cause the one or more processors to obtain the current location, access the mapping record, and return the identified default peripheral device in response to a request to print a document being made.

6. One or more computer hardware storage media as recited in claim 1, the instructions further causing the one or more processors to maintain a mapping record of default peripheral devices to locations for each type of multiple different types of peripheral devices.

7. One or more computer hardware storage media as recited in claim 1, wherein the mapping record comprises a mapping of default printers to locations, and wherein the identified default peripheral device is an identified printer.

8. One or more computer hardware storage media having stored thereon multiple instructions that, when executed by one or more processors of a computing device, cause the one or more processors to:

receive an identification of a peripheral device to be a default peripheral device;

obtain a current location of the computing device without user input specifying the current location;

store a mapping of the current location of the computing device to the identified default peripheral device; and

display a user interface configured to allow automatic default peripheral device selection based on a current location of the computing device to be enabled and disabled, the user interface further configured to enable a user to select a particular peripheral device to set as a default peripheral device for a location only when automatic default peripheral device selection based on a location is enabled;

receive an identification of a peripheral device to be a default peripheral device;

determine whether automatic default peripheral device selection based on a current location of the computing device is enabled;

responsive to determining automatic default peripheral device selection based on a current location is disabled, set the received identified peripheral device as a single default device for the computing device; and

responsive to determining automatic default peripheral device selection based on a current location is enabled, further cause the one or more processors to;

obtain a current location of the computing device without user input specifying the current location; and

store a mapping of the current location of the computing device to the received identified peripheral device as a default device for the current location.

9. One or more computer hardware storage media as recited in claim 8, the instructions further causing the one or more processors to:

receive a user selection of a second location other than the current location of the computing device;

receive a user selection of a second peripheral device to be a default peripheral device for the second location; and

store a mapping of the second location to the second peripheral device.

10. One or more computer hardware storage media as recited in claim 8, wherein to obtain the current location of the computing device is to obtain a network location that identifies a network to which the computing device is currently coupled.

11. One or more computer hardware storage media as recited in claim 8, wherein the peripheral device comprises a printer, and wherein the mapping comprises a mapping of the current location of the computing device to the identified printer.

12. One or more computer hardware storage media as recited in claim 8, the instructions further causing the one or more processors to display a user interface configured to enable a user of the computing device to select a particular one of multiple peripheral devices to be a default peripheral device for each of multiple locations.

13. One or more computer hardware storage media as recited in claim 8, wherein to store the mapping is to store the mapping in an operating system registry.

14. A method for displaying a user interface on a computing device, the method comprising:

displaying a user interface comprising a first portion including one or more options configured to allow a user to enable and disable automatic default peripheral device selection based on a current location of the computing device, wherein the current location of the computing device is detected without user input specifying the current location, wherein the default peripheral device is determined, at least in part, from a mapping record of default peripheral devices to locations;

displaying a second portion, within the user interface, including one or more options configured to enable the user to select a particular one of multiple peripheral devices to be a default peripheral device for each of multiple locations, at least one of the multiple locations comprising a “

no network”

location;

receiving an identification of a peripheral device to set as a default peripheral device;

determining whether automatic default peripheral device selection based on a current location is enabled;

responsive to determining automatic default peripheral device selection based on a current location is disabled, setting the received identification of a peripheral device as a single default device for the computing device; and

responsive to determining automatic default peripheral device selection based on a current location is enabled, setting the received identification of a peripheral device as a default device for a current location of the computing device.

15. A method as recited in claim 14, wherein at least one of the multiple locations is a network location that identifies a network to which the computing device is coupled.

16. A method as recited in claim 14, the second portion further including one or more options configured to enable the user to add a mapping of a default peripheral device for the computing device to a location.

17. A method as recited in claim 14, the second portion further including one or more options configured to enable the user to remove a mapping of a default peripheral device for the computing device to a location.