Apparatus and method to configure a device, such as a printer, over a network
US6618162B1 · kind B1 · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Jan 26, 1999 |
| Grant date | Sep 9, 2003 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Jan 26, 2019 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
- CPC primaryH04N2201/0082
- WIPO fieldAudio-visual technology
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
A device such as a printer, includes non-volatile memory storing a communications kernel. Upon startup, a microprocessor executes the communication kernel to prompt a host to download a setup kernel to the device. The microprocessor may verify the downloading using a check sum calculation. The microprocessor may execute the setup kernel to determine the operational characteristics on the device. For example, the microprocessor may interrogate the hardware elements of the device to determine a set of hardware characteristics. The microprocessor may also interrogate the device to determine a set of user selectable setup options and may further interrogate the device or a nonresident register for ownership and access attributes for selected modules and software. The microprocessor may link a number of resident and non-resident library modules, selected based on the operational characteristics. The library modules are dynamically linkable to reconfigure the software as operational characteristics change. The invention employs a dual kernel system, including a minimal communications kernel and a setup kernel to customize the device.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.