US 2012/0278796 A1 · AUTOMATICALLY INSTALLING DEVICE DRIVERS

Abstract

When a device is connected to a computer, many computers are configured to seek a driver for a device (e.g., accessible over a network), install either the driver for the device (if accessible) or a default driver, and terminate the installation process. However, this process may delay access to the device until the driver is fully installed, and may leave a device in an incomplete state through the default driver, even if a driver is subsequently accessible. Instead, when a device is connected, the computer may promptly install a default driver in order to provide rapid access to the device. The computer may then begin and persist in seeking access to a driver library containing a driver for the device, and upon (eventually) retrieving the driver, may replace the default driver with the driver, thereby achieving full functionality of the device through the proper driver without involving the user.

Claims20

Dependent claims

A method of installing a driver for a device having at least one capability on a computer comprising a processor and a default driver set, the method comprising:

executing on the processor instructions configured to:
select a default driver for the device from the default driver set;
install the default driver for the device;
iteratively detect an accessibility of a driver library;
and
upon detecting accessibility of the driver library:
request a driver for the device from the driver library, and
upon receiving the driver for the device:
uninstall the default driver for the device;
and
install the driver for the device.

8 more elements

A computer-readable storage medium comprising instructions that, when executed on a processor of a device, install a driver for a device having at least one capability on a computer comprising a processor and a default driver set by:

querying the computer to identify a driver for the device;
upon identifying a driver for the device stored on the computer, installing the driver instead of the device driver;
detecting at least one capability of the device;
selecting a default driver for the device from the default driver set supporting the at least one capability of the device;
installing the default driver for the device;
upon detecting a failure to install a default driver for the device, notifying a user of the failure;
detecting an accessibility of a driver library upon an availability event selected from an availability event set comprising:
a periodic event;
a computer restart event;
a device detection event;
a device access event;
a device request event;
a network availability event;
and
a user request event;
upon detecting accessibility of the driver library:
requesting a driver for the device from the driver library;
and
upon receiving for the device a driver comprising a metadata package and at least one application interfacing with the device:
awaiting a safe driver update point;
uninstalling the default driver for the device;
and
installing the driver for the device;
installing the metadata package describing the device;
installing respective applications interfacing with the device by:
presenting to a user an offer to install the application;
upon receiving from the user an acceptance of the offer, installing the application;
presenting to a user an offer to invoke the application;
and
upon receiving from the user an acceptance of the offer, invoking the application;
and
after installing a first driver for the device:
iteratively detecting an accessibility of a driver library;
and
upon detecting accessibility of the driver library:
requesting an updated driver for the device from the driver library, and
upon receiving the updated driver for the device:
uninstalling the driver for the device;
and
installing the updated driver for the device.

37 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Automatically installing device drivers

Life of this patent

Automatically installing device drivers

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims20