Data processing: software development – installation – and managem – Software program development tool – Translation of code
Reexamination Certificate
2000-02-08
2001-07-31
Powell, Mark (Department: 2122)
Data processing: software development, installation, and managem
Software program development tool
Translation of code
C707S793000, C707S793000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06269481
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention pertains to the field of computer systems. More particularly, the present invention relates to a technique for installing device drivers for computer system peripheral devices.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Modem personal computer systems are often characterized by a main computer, or host device, to which one or more peripheral devices may be coupled. Typical peripheral devices that may be used in such a system include keyboards, pointing devices, monitors, printers, mass storage devices, and audio or visual input/output devices. Generally, for any particular peripheral device, the main computer must be programmed with special software that permits the main computer to communicate with the peripheral device—this software is often referred to as the device driver for the peripheral device.
Many computer systems rely upon the user to manually load the appropriate device drivers whenever a new peripheral device is connected to the main processing system. This approach places an undesirable burden upon the user. In other cases, a computer system might be sold to the user with a number of device drivers already installed. Some of those drivers may simply reside in memory without being used if the corresponding peripheral devices are not purchased or are simply not connected by the user, thus wasting valuable memory space. This approach becomes especially undesirable as the number of different peripheral devices which could potentially be used with the computer system increases. A third approach which avoids this type of waste is to pre-load the appropriate driver into a non-volatile memory within the peripheral device; the main computer could then load the appropriate driver from the peripheral device when the peripheral device is connected to the system. This approach has the disadvantage, however, of requiring additional memory space to be provided in the peripheral device, which adds to the cost of the device.
Therefore, it is desirable to provide a technique by which the appropriate drivers for all peripheral devices connected to a computer system are automatically installed in the computer system. It is further desirable that only those device drivers for peripheral devices that are actually connected are so installed, so as to avoid unnecessary consumption of memory in the computer system. It is further desirable that such a technique avoids storing device drivers on individual peripheral devices.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention includes a method of installing a device driver in a host processing device coupled to a peripheral device. In the method, a device code is received from the peripheral device. The device code is then transmitted to a remote processing system. An appropriate device driver is then received from the remote processing system in response to the transmission of the device code to the remote processing system.
In another aspect of the present invention, the remote processing system receives the device code from the host processing device and uses the device code to select an appropriate device driver for the peripheral device from a number of stored device drivers. In particular embodiments, communication between the host processing device and the remote processing system is implemented over a network, such as the Internet.
Other features of the present invention will be apparent from the accompanying drawings and from the detailed description which follows.
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Bucher Tim
Perlman Stephen G.
Das Chameli C.
Powell Mark
WebTV Networks Inc.
Workman & Nydegger & Seeley
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