Electrical computers and digital data processing systems: input/ – Input/output data processing – Peripheral configuration
Reexamination Certificate
1999-01-08
2002-01-01
Lee, Thomas (Department: 2182)
Electrical computers and digital data processing systems: input/
Input/output data processing
Peripheral configuration
C710S010000, C710S064000, C709S217000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06336151
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to an electronic device extension system suitable for extending or modifying the feature of a peripheral device, such as a printer, connected to an electronic device, such as a computer.
There often occurs a great leap forward in development of a peripheral device such as a printer which is used while being connected with a personal computer. For example, the software required for driving a printer is upgraded to a higher version within a short period of time together with an improvement in the features of the printer, or the software of a peripheral device, such as a printer, which has been used and connected with a computer must be upgraded at frequent intervals in association with the revision or changing of basic software (i.e., disk operating system) of the computer per se. Conventionally, every time the software of the peripheral device is changed, a floppy disk storing the software is delivered from the manufacturer of the peripheral device, and the software is installed into the computer through use of the floppy disk.
With regard to the electronic device extension system, the following expressions are consistently used throughout the specification.
ELECTRONIC DEVICE: one which is typified by a computer and which permits connection to a peripheral device such as that which will be described below;
PERIPHERAL DEVICE: one which is typified by a printer, is connected to electronic equipment, and permits connection to an external device such as that which win be described below, as necessary: and
EXTERNAL CONNECTED DEVICE: one which is typified by a facsimile unit for fulfilling a facsimile transmission feature and which is connected to a peripheral device and extends features thereof.
Recently, there have been cases where an advanced driver stored in a compact disk which is included with a published magazine is decompressed, and an upto-date driver is installed into the computer through use of the driver, or cases where a target driver is downloaded from the homepage of the manufacturer via the Internet. These conventional methods require much time and effort to install software, and frequently result in failures to improve the features of the peripheral devices at required timing. More specifically, in the event of a problem occurring, the most recent software is often installed in order to solve the problem.
To solve such problems, Unexamined Japanese Patent Publication No. Hei 9-93383 discloses the technology of causing a modem (modulator/demodulator) connected to a personal computer to automatically originate a call to a specifically addressed data processor over a telephone network when the modem receives an update instruction from the computer, whereby a required driver is downloaded from the data processor. This technology enables updating of the driver of the printer connected to the computer or the facsimile transmission feature of the computer using the modem, whenever necessary.
Further, what is called a plug-and-play concept, as typified by Microsoft Windows 95, has recently emerged in the field of computer operating systems. Under this concept, the computer recognizes peripheral devices connected thereto and automatically installs the software required by the peripheral devices.
The technique proposed in the above publication has the advantage of the ability to improve, or to delete problems of, the feature of a peripheral device, such as a printer, and the feature of an electronic device, such as a computer, without use of a medium for software installation purpose, such as a floppy disk. However, this technique suffers a problem of software to be upgraded being limited solely to software to which the computer has issued a data upgrade instruction. More specifically, the software that can be upgraded is limited solely to software related to the devices, such as a printer and a facsimile machine, recognized by the computer.
The plug-and-play concept is also imperfect. Under the concept, the computer identifies a peripheral device to be connected to the computer and determines software to be installed solely based on the result of such identification name. Consequently, during hardware detection, the computer may erroneously recognize as specific peripheral devices a plurality of peripheral devices that use similar circuits, In such a case, even if an attempt is made to install software corresponding to the peripheral device connected to the computer after hardware detection, the computer will deny installation of the software on grounds that the software is not software to be used for upgrading the erroneously-recognized hardware In such a case, laborious procedures are needed; namely, software is first installed to the computer while the peripheral device is disconnected from the computer, and the peripheral device is connected to the computer after the computer has recognized the peripheral device.
FIG. 20
is a block diagram for explaining another example of a problem which differs from the foregoing problem and arises when a computer is connected with a plug-and-play-capable peripheral device correctly recognized by the computer. In the diagram, a computer
1
l is connected to a printer
12
, which is a peripheral device capable of being recognized by the computer
11
. In this case, upon detection of the printer
12
, the computer
11
installs up-to-date software for the printer
12
. In this respect, there are no problems.
If the printer
12
shown in
FIG. 20
is a peripheral device having a comparatively great potential for extension, the owner of the printer
12
can add to the printer
12
a sorter
13
for sorting printed sheets or an image reader
14
for fulfilling a copying function. Thus, while the printer
12
is left as is, accessories (or external devices) can be attached to the printer
12
, thus enabling extension of the features of the printer
12
. In association with addition of accessories, the software of the printer
12
must be revised in order to fulfill these new features. However, when the printer
12
is viewed from the computer
11
, no change arises in hardware. For this reason, the computer
11
detects the printer
12
as remaining unchanged and sets the software for the printer in the same manner as done before. Consequently, if the features of the peripheral device are substantially extended, the thus-extended feature cannot be utilized.
Conventionally, as in the case with the previous example, software compatible with extended features is first installed in the computer. Next, the peripheral device, such as the printer
12
, is connected to the computer
11
. At this time, however, the latest driver software for the printer
12
and the thus installed software concurrently exist in the computer
11
. Installation of additional software, such as a driver, to the computer results in worsening of instability of the operating system. Further, if the operating system of the computer is reinstalled for any reasons or the operating system is upgraded, the software that has been installed for extending the features of the peripheral device in the past is deleted, thus disabling the extended feature of the peripheral device, In this case, there is no alternative but for the operator to recall the special procedures required for installing the software the previous time and to perform the procedures again. Thus, the operator is forced to assume an excessive burden.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is therefore the object of the present invention is to provide an electronic device extension system which permits easy extension or modification of the features of a peripheral device connected to an electronic device such as a computer.
In order to achieve the above object, there is provided an electronic device extension system comprising: an electronic device; a peripheral device connected to the electronic device; storage means provided in the electronic device for storing a program required at the time of connection of the peripheral device; device connection means provided in t
Du Thuan
Fuji Xerox Co. LTD
Lee Thomas
LandOfFree
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