Patent ID: 8095925
Filing Date: 2012-01-10
Classification: G06F

Abstract:
1. A method for installing and using a device driver across a network, comprising computer executed method steps of: providing a network device that can be connected to anywhere in the network; providing at least one domain controller and at least one user computer connected to the network; upon detecting a user login to the at least one user computer, searching the network for at least one newly added network device that is added to any point in the network; creating a table of discovered devices comprising discovered devices from searching the network for the at least one newly added network device; comparing the table of discovered devices with a table of currently existing devices to produce a table of to-be-installed devices, wherein the table of to-be-installed devices optionally comprises to-be-updated devices; installing device drivers for the at least one newly added network device onto only the at least one user computer; enabling use of the at least one newly added network device from the at least one user computer so that access from the at least one user computer goes directly to the at least one newly added network device; comparing the table of discovered devices with the table of currently existing devices to produce a table of to-be-deleted devices comprising devices in the table of currently existing devices that are not in the table of discovered devices; and for each device in the table of to-be-deleted devices, deleting the device if a delete grace period is set by a user and the delete grace period is exceeded or if the delete grace period and login attempts are exceeded while the device has been unavailable or undetected, optionally displaying and prompting a seamless popup dialog integrated into an operating system of the at least one user computer, the dialog being optionally invisible to the user, and optionally deleting the corresponding device driver of the device if the device corresponds to an only device entry.