Method for installing driver software, information processing apparatus that employs the method, computer program for performing the method, and storage medium for storing the computer program

1. An information processing apparatus that is connected to at least one local image recording apparatus and connected to at least one network image recording apparatus through a network, the information processing apparatus comprising:

an operating section through which a user specifies a desired image recording apparatus from among the at least one local image recording apparatus and the at least one network image recording apparatus and a plurality of user-selected options of the desired image recording apparatus;

an information obtaining section that obtains information on availability of options of the desired image recording apparatus, and writes the information on the availability of options of the desired image recording apparatus and information on the plurality of the user-selected options of the desired image recording apparatus into driver software, wherein the information obtaining section allows the user to alter a setting of at least one of the user-selected options and writes the altered setting into the driver software; and

an installing section that installs the driver software into the information processing apparatus, the driver software containing the information on the availability of options of the desired image recording apparatus and the information on the plurality of user-selected options of the desired image recording apparatus.

2. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising an image recording apparatus searching section that searches the at least one local image recording apparatus and the at least one network image recording apparatus;

wherein the user selects, through said operating section, one of the at least one local image recording apparatus and the at least one network image recording apparatus searched by said image recording apparatus searching section.

3. The information processing apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein said image recording apparatus searching section displays the information on the availability of options of the at least one local image recording apparatus and the information on the availability of options of the at least one network image recording apparatus so that the user selectively writes into the driver software either the information on whether the options of the at least one local image recording apparatus should be used or the information on whether the options of the at least one network image recording apparatus into the driver software should be used.

4. The information processing apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein either when said image recording apparatus searching section fails to detect the at least one local image recording apparatus and the at least one network image recording apparatus or when said information obtaining section fails to obtain the information on the availability of options of the at least one local image recording apparatus and the information on the availability of options of the at least one network image recording apparatus, said installing section sets a default setting to the driver software.

5. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein said information obtaining section indicates to the user when said information obtaining section fails to obtain the information on the availability of options of the at least one local image recording apparatus and the information on the availability of options of the at least one network image recording apparatus.

6. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the information on the availability of options of the desired image recording apparatus and the information on the plurality of user-selected options are written into the driver software before the driver has been installed into the information processing apparatus.

7. The information processing apparatus according to claim 6 , wherein the options include at least one of duplex printing, additional tray, font, medium size, and reduction of the number of printed pages.

8. The information processing apparatus according to claim 6 , wherein resource information is written into the driver software before the driver is installed into the information processing apparatus.

9. The information processing apparatus according to claim 8 , wherein the resource information includes at least one of form data and page description language.

10. A method for installing driver software for an information processing apparatus that is directly connected to at least one local image recording apparatus and is connected to at least one network image recording apparatus through a network, the method including the steps of:

specifying a desired image recording apparatus from among the at least one local image recording apparatus and the at least one network image recording apparatus and the plurality of user-selected options of the desired image recording apparatus;

obtaining information on availability of options of the desired image recording apparatus,

writing the information on the availability of options of the desired image recording apparatus and information on the plurality of user-selected options of the desired image recording apparatus into driver software;

allowing the user to alter a setting of at least one of the user-selected options and writing the altered setting into the driver software; and

installing the driver software into the information processing apparatus, the driver software containing the information on the availability of options of the desired image recording apparatus and information on the plurality of user-selected options of the desired image recording apparatus.

11. The method according to claim 10 , wherein specifying a desired image recording apparatus comprises searching the at least one local image recording apparatus and the at least one network image recording apparatus before specifying a desired image recording apparatus.

12. The method according to claim 10 , wherein installing the driver software comprises displaying the information on the availability of options of the desired image recording apparatus so that a user writes into the driver software the information on whether the options should be used.

13. The method according to claim 10 , further comprising indicating to the user that the information on the availability of options of the desired image recording apparatus cannot be obtained, if the information on the availability of options of the desired image recording apparatus cannot be obtained.

14. The method according to claim 13 , wherein installing the driver software comprises writing default information into the driver software, if the searching the at least one local image recording apparatus and the at least one network image recording apparatus fails to detect any image recording apparatus or if the obtaining information on the availability of options of the desired image recording apparatus fails.

15. A storage medium that stores a computer program with an instruction that commands a computer system to execute the method according to claim 10 , wherein the computer program is read by a computer from the storage medium.

16. The method according to claim 10 , wherein the information on the availability of options of the desired image recording apparatus and information on the plurality of user-selected options are written into the driver software before the driver is installed into the information processing apparatus.

17. The method according to claim 16 , wherein the options include at least one of duplex printing, additional tray, font, medium size, and reduction of the number of printed pages.

18. The method according to claim 16 , wherein resource information is written into the driver software before the driver is installed into the information processing apparatus.

19. The method according to claim 18 , wherein the resource information includes at least one of form data and page description language.