Simplified walk-up print driver installation
An apparatus and method for loading and configuring a print driver onto a PC/workstation such that upon completion the PC/workstation is fully enabled to send print jobs to a printer connected on a network includes a unique methodology which eliminates virtually all of the steps, data entry, and decision points that a user would typically encounter. This printer-resident system includes the ability to have the target printer, upon a simple printer front panel pushbutton request, synthesize a complete installer program that is then written to a removable storage device, e.g., USB flash drive. Once written, the storage device is removed from the printer and installed on the user's PC/workstation. The user then accesses the flash drive contents and runs the installer program executable. The installer program, owing to the fact that it was created on the target printer, has all the information needed for a one-click, fully automated installation process.
1. A method for walk-up, fully automated installation process, the method comprising the steps of:
accessing replicable printer instructions, including an installer program, for an uniquely identified printer selected by a user as the printer the user wants to access;
commanding said printer to synthesize a complete installer program including an unique printer identification and activation date;
writing the replicable installer program for the unique printer identification and activation date to temporary storage device;
communicating the installer program to a user device; and
executing the installer program on said user device by installing and accessing the temporary storage device contents for the unique printer identification and activation date.
2. A computer program stored in a computer-readable medium for causing a computer to execute the method according to claim 1 .
3. The method of claim 1 for communicating the installer program to a user device further comprising communicating at least some of the installer program via the web.
4. The method of claim 1 , said accessing step further comprising using a front panel pushbutton request, the user is able to command the printer to synthesize a complete installer program that is then written to a removable storage device for the unique printer identification and activation date.
5. The method of claim 1 , said temporary device comprising USB thumbdrive, cell phone or other portable device.
6. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
querying and detecting whenever the network printer's hardware configuration has changed for the unique printer since the last activation date;
accessing a complete configuration information record (CIR) at the new date maintained by the printer's embedded controller with the print driver;
reviewing said CIR to determine what specific feature(s) and/or function(s) have changed; and
automatically updating instructions accordingly so that the print driver functionality residing on the user device is synchronized with the printer's current hardware state at any date and state.
7. The method of claim 6 , further comprising creating the incremental installation program on the uniquely identified printer using the web server so that the program has all the information needed for an updated device driver.
8. The method of claim 1 , further comprising monitoring one or more dedicated customer support web servers for postings of new releases of print driver software, comprising:
detecting new releases of print driver software for the uniquely identified printer on the web server;
updating CIR to reflect this new information post last check date;
querying with the print driver the embedded controller to determine if updated driver code is available;
prompting the user for permission to execute the automatic driver installation process; and
installing the update.
9. The method of claim 8 , further comprising creating the incremental installation program on the uniquely identified printer using the web server so that the program has all the information needed for an updated device driver.
10. A system for installing replicable printer installment instructions for an uniquely identified printer selected by a user, comprising:
a. transportable temporary memory device responsive to uniquely identified printer comprising a printer driver at an access time through a connection at the printer that is alternately in communication with a computing network for activating the printer using said identification for printing;
b. replicable printer installment instructions loaded on said memory device comprising replicable printer installment instructions transferred from said printer using a printer communication port and loaded on said temporary memory with an unique printer identification and an access time;
c. user device capable of communication with said temporary memory, and alternately communication with said network, for receipt and installation of said replicable printer installment instructions comprising said unique printer identification and time; and
d. confirmation instructions to ensure said replicable printer installment instructions were correctly installed on the user device prior to activating printing using said user-selected printer.
11. The system of claim 10 , said communication further comprising wireless communication.
12. The system of claim 10 , said printer further comprising a front panel pushbutton request to allow the user to command the printer to synthesize a complete installer program that is then written to said removable temporary memory for the unique printer identification and activation date.
13. The system of claim 10 , said temporary device comprising USB thumbdrive, cell phone or other portable device.
14. The system of claim 10 , further comprising further communication instructions for querying and detecting whenever the network printer's hardware configuration has changed for the unique printer since the last activation date;
accessing a complete configuration information record (CIR) at the new date maintained by the printer's embedded controller with the print driver;
reviewing said CIR to determine what specific feature(s) and/or function(s) have changed; and
automatically updating instructions accordingly so that the print driver functionality residing on the user device is synchronized with the printer's current hardware state at any date and state.
15. The system of claim 10 , further comprising monitoring instructions for further communicating with one or more dedicated customer support web servers for postings of new releases of print driver software, comprising:
detecting new releases of print driver software for the uniquely identified printer on the web server;
updating CIR to reflect this new information post last check date;
querying with the print driver the embedded controller to determine if updated driver code is available;
prompting the user for permission to execute the automatic driver installation process; and
installing the update.
16. The system of claim 15 , further comprising confirmation reports for the uniquely identified printer using the web server so that the user has all the information needed for the print status of said user device at said time.
17. The system of claim 10 , further comprising temporary memory comprising one of an USB thumbdrive, cell phone or entertainment device.
18. The system of claim 10 , said unique identification further comprising an access account so that the user could be pre-authorized for a printing account on the user device.
19. The system of claim 10 , said communication further comprising printer generated updates and alerts for new hardware, such as finishers, software/firmware updates, and media status.
20. A method for enabling a printer having a print driver to query and detect whenever the network printer's hardware configuration has changed if change is detected, the method comprising the steps of:
accessing said printer's complete configuration information record (CIR) maintained by the printer's embedded controller;
using said print driver to parse this CIR to determine what specific feature(s) and/or function(s) have changed and automatically updating the print driver functionality residing on a user device so that it is synchronized with the unique printer at that time including a current hardware state.
21. The method of claim 20 , further comprising enables an embedded controller to monitor a dedicated customer support web server for postings of new releases of its print driver software, comprising
detecting a new release of print driver software on a web server; and
updating said CIR to reflect this new information if it is determined updated driver code is available by prompt the user for permission to execute the automatic driver installation process.
22. A non-transitory computer readable media that can be executed by a processor for fully automated installation process, comprising:
a code segment for accessing replicable printer instructions, including an installer program, for an uniquely identified printer selected by a user as the printer the user wants to access;
a code segment for commanding said printer to synthesize a complete installer program including an unique printer identification and activation date;
a code segment for writing the replicable installer program for the unique printer identification and activation date to temporary storage device;
a code segment for communicating the installer program to a user device; and
a code segment for executing the installer program on said user device by installing and accessing the temporary storage device contents for the unique printer identification and activation date.
23. A method for walk-up, fully automated installation process, the method comprising the steps of:
accessing replicable output device instructions, including an installer program, for an uniquely identified output device selected by a user as the output device the user wants to access;
commanding said output device to synthesize a complete installer program including an unique output device identification and activation date;
writing the replicable installer program for the unique output device identification and activation date to temporary storage device;
communicating the installer program to a user input device; and
executing the installer program on said user input device by installing and accessing the temporary storage device contents for the unique output device identification and activation date.
24. The method of claim 23 , said output device further comprising a networked document scanner device to configure the user input device with the network scanner device driver.