Patent ID: 8171182
Filing Date: 2012-05-01
Classification: G06F,H04N

Abstract:
1. A method of supporting, by a computer, a peripheral device connected to the computer, wherein the computer is installed with (a) an OS (operating system) and (b) a control program that controls the peripheral device via a network, the method comprising the steps of: a step (i) in which the control program, which is activated when the OS is activated, notifies the OS of peripheral device connection information as if the peripheral device is connected, irrespective of connectivity between the peripheral device and the computer; a step (ii) in which the control program, after the peripheral device connection information indicating as if the peripheral device is connected is notified to the OS in step (i), checks whether or not the peripheral device is connected to the computer when the control program receives a command for activating the peripheral device, without the use of a dedicated resident program or device to monitor connectivity; a step (iii) in which the control program notifies the OS of an error when the checking step finds that the peripheral device is not connected to the computer; and a step (iv) in which the control program controls the peripheral device to be activated when the checking step finds that the peripheral device is connected to the computer.