Apparatus and methods for transferring printer driver preferences
View Patent ↗A system is provided for supporting multiple platforms with common personal preferences for printer drivers. The set preferences for the printer driver are therefore reusable and may be moved from one driver to another. The system involves the provision of a common format for printer driver preferences. When a new printer is brought to a system or a user moves to a station that uses a different printer, the preferences are readily moved to that location. Further, an MIS department may provide a corporate wide printer preference solution, for example for printing a particular page or printing in a particular style. The preferences may not be identical for each printer due to differences in the capabilities of various platforms. The printer preferences overwrite a default value in printers with preferences, to the extent that each printer has the options available. To the extent that these options are not available, the printer reverts to its default setting.
1. A system comprising:
a network of printers and users;
a plurality of printers operatively coupled via said network, capable of performing a set of print features, wherein each print feature from the set of print features includes a keyword describing said features;
a single central administrative workstation computer coupled to a network of client computers, said central administrative workstation configured with:
a processor operatively coupled with a display for presenting a printer driver control interface to an administrative user;
a plurality of previously defined sets of printer driver preferences, wherein each previously defined set is given a set name to identify the set, wherein the plurality of previously defined sets of printer driver preferences are presented to the administrative user by their set names;
a memory for storing the plurality of previously defined sets of printer driver preferences at the central administrative workstation;
an input for accepting administrative modifications to at least one printer driver preference set from among the plurality of previously defined sets of printer driver preferences, forming a modified set, the modified set including a print feature having a keyword which is defined for a first printer but is not defined for at least one additional printer;
wherein said central administration workstation maintains the sole ability to modify said at least one printer driver preference set, thereby enforcing strict control over the at least one printer driver preference set; and
a network interface configured for broadcasting said modified set to at least one client computer operatively coupled with a user-chosen printer from among the plurality of printers;
wherein said central administrative workstation computer is configured for sending the modified set to at least one client computer;
wherein said central administrative workstation computer is configured for automatically modifying a printer driver preference at said at least one additional client computer;
wherein said at least one additional client computer uses said modified set to print a print job to an output device; and
wherein said central administrative workstation computer further comprises a printer driver for performing conflict resolution when a modified set contains a print feature that is not defined for said user-chosen printer, wherein said conflict resolution comprises automatic keyword matching and querying an administrator at said central administrative workstation for a resolution.
2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of previously defined sets of printer driver preferences comprises a plurality of printer driver preference values.