Extensible private driver interface

US8826307B2 · kind B2 · utility

Assignee

• Microsoft Corporation · US

Inventors

• Narasimha Rao S. S. Nagampalli · Bellevue, US
• Alireza Dabagh · Kirkland, US
• Alok Manchanda · Redmond, US
• Taroon Mandhana · Redmond, US
• Sharad Mittal · Redmond, US
• Olivier Contant · Redmond, US
• Noel W. Anderson · Fargo, US
• Bernard Aboba · Bellevue, US
• Jerry E. Peterson · Bellevue, US

Key dates

• Filing date: Apr 18, 2008
• Grant date: Sep 2, 2014
• Expiry date: Jul 7, 2031

Classification

• Technology area (CPC G): Physics
• CPC primary: G06F13/102
• WIPO field: Computer technology
• WIPO sector: Electrical engineering

Abstract

A computer with an extensible framework for facilitating communication between a software component installed on the computer and a device driver that executes functions in response to vendor-specific command objects (e.g., OIDs). The framework defines data structures and a standardized format for defining and implementing private interfaces. After selecting a private interface that is commonly supported by a software component and a driver, a private communication path may be established by an operating system component to facilitate the transfer of command information from the software component to the driver. The private communication path allows commands packaged as OIDs to be routed from software components to intended drivers. By defining private interfaces which route commands from software components to intended drivers, the extensible framework mitigates potential incompatibilities that may arise when drivers created by different vendors include OIDs with the same OID value.