Facsimile and static presentation processing – Static presentation processing – Emulation or plural modes
Reexamination Certificate
2000-10-06
2004-11-23
Poon, King Y. (Department: 2624)
Facsimile and static presentation processing
Static presentation processing
Emulation or plural modes
C358S001150, C713S001000, C713S002000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06822753
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a computer readable medium for setup purpose (hereinafter called simply “setup computer-readable medium”) and a setup method, both of which make a printer be adaptable for use with a computer preinstalled with WINDOWS 98 or the like.
The present application is based on Japanese Patent Application No. Hei. 11-286061, which is incorporated herein by reference.
2. Description of the Related Art
WINDOWS 95/98 (registered trademarks which are owned by Microsoft corporation in the U.S. and registered in U.S. and other countries) are equipped with a function called Plug&Play (usually abbreviated as “PnP”). By means of this function, a PnP-compatible device added to a computer system is automatically identified, and software (or a driver) required for activating the device is automatically installed on a computer.
More specifically, when a PnP-compatible device is additionally connected to a computer, WINDOWS retrieves an INF file pertaining to the device from a folder named ¥WINDOWS¥INF. Here, an INF file (also called a “setup information file”) is a file in which there is defined information required for setting up a driver; for example, information about the name and location of a driver to be installed in WINDOWS for activating the device and information about a folder into which a driver is to be installed. An INF file is retrieved on the basis of a vender ID or a device ID assigned to and acquired from an additionally-connected device.
In a case where an INF file pertaining to the additional device can be successfully retrieved, a folder having a driver stored therein and the name of the folder are identified on the basis of the information described in the INF file. On the basis of the result of identification, a driver for activating the device is automatically installed (without involvement of operations to be performed by the user).
In a case where an additionally-connected device is brand new and where an INF file pertaining to the device is not stored in the folder ¥WINDOWS¥INF, an “Add New Hardware Wizard” is executed.
For example, in a case where a printer having a universal serial bus (USB) interface is connected to a computer as a first printer through use of a USB cable, a dialogue box which is shown in FIG.
15
and indicates a necessity for using a driver for a USB printer (i.e., a USB port driver) appears on a display of the computer. When the user clicks the “NEXT” button in the dialogue box, a dialogue box for selecting a retrieval method shown in
FIG. 16
appears on the screen. When the user clicks the “NEXT” button in the dialogue box, a dialogue box for specifying a location from which a driver is to be retrieved (i.e., a location where an INF file of a driver is stored), such as that shown in
FIG. 17
, is displayed. The dialogue box shown in
FIG. 17
appears as a result of a certain folder within a network drive being specified as a retrieval location in response to a dialogue box which has been displayed as a result of the user clicking the “NEXT” button in the dialogue box shown in FIG.
16
. In a case where an INF file of a USB port driver is stored on a floppy disk or CD-ROM, a floppy disk driver or a CD-ROM driver is specified as a retrieval location through the dialogue box.
When the user clicks the “NEXT” button after having specified a retrieval location, an INF file pertaining to a USB port driver is retrieved from the thus-specified retrieval location. In a case where the INF file has been retrieved successfully, there is displayed a dialogue box indicating that preparation for installing the driver has been completed, such as that shown in FIG.
18
. When the user clicks the “NEXT” button in the dialogue box, actual installation of a driver is commenced. Upon completion of installation of the driver, there is displayed a dialogue box showing completion of driver installation, such as that shown in FIG.
19
.
By means of clicking the “FINISHED” button in the dialogue box, the user terminates the wizard, whereupon a wizard for installing a driver of the printer connected to the computer by way of the USB cable is started.
First, a dialogue box as shown in
FIG. 20
is displayed. When the user clicks the “NEXT” button in the dialogue box, a dialogue box for selecting a retrieval method (see
FIG. 16
) is displayed. When the user clicks the “NEXT” button in the dialogue box, a dialogue box for specifying a retrieval location (see
FIG. 17
) is displayed. When the user clicks the “NEXT” button after having specified a retrieval location, an INF file pertaining to a driver for the printer “EPSON Stylus Photo 800” connected to the computer is retrieved from the thus-specified retrieval location. A dialogue box indicating that preparation for installing a driver has been completed, such as that shown in
FIG. 21
, is displayed.
When the user clicks the “NEXT” button in the dialogue box, the “ADD PRINTER WIZARD” is commenced. As a result, there is displayed a dialogue box for assigning a name to the printer, such as that shown in FIG.
22
. When the user clicks the “NEXT” button in the dialogue box, actual installation of a printer driver is commenced. After completion of installation of the printer driver, a program named “Vendor Setup” is initiated for creating a folder and an icon of Readme.txt. After completion of creation of a folder and an icon, there is displayed a dialogue box indicating completion of installation of the printer driver, such as that shown in FIG.
23
. When the user clicks the “FINISHED” button in the dialogue box, there is displayed a dialogue box shown in FIG.
24
. When the user clicks the “FINISHED” button in the dialogue box, printer setup is completed.
In a computer preinstalled with WINDOWS 95/98, a USB printer becomes available when the user performs the foregoing setup operations. Although the previously-described wizards require cumbersome operations (i.e., the user must click many buttons), the wizards enable a person who understands the messages appearing in the respective dialogue boxes to set up a printer without fail. However, the wizards may cause the person who uses only a browser and does not have any knowledge about computers to perform a faulty operation. In a case where a faulty operation is performed, as a natural result a USB printer fails to become available. In some cases, a faulty operation brings a computer into a state in which wizards are not executed even when the computer is restarted.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention is aimed at providing a setup computer-readable medium for setup purpose and a setup method which enable virtually anybody to set up a sprinter very simply without fail.
To this end, the present invention provides a setup computer-readable medium for making a printer be adaptable for use with a computer which utilizes an operating system and has an interface of first type and a parallel interface, the operating system retrieving a setup information file pertaining to an added device from a specific location and installing a driver pertaining to the device in accordance with the retrieved setup information file. More specifically, the setup computer-readable medium stores a port driver file of first type which is a port driver file of first type for causing the interface of first type to act as a port of first type for use with the printer, a setup information file for the port driver of first type including location designation information about a location in which the port driver file of first type is recorded, a printer driver file for the printer, and a setup program for causing the computer to perform processing pertaining to a printer driver installation step of installing a printer driver for the printer in accordance with the printer driver file, on the assumption that the printer is connected to a parallel port, and processing pertaining to a copy step of copying the setup information file to the specific location and copying the port driver file of first type t
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