Patent ID: 7535588
Filing Date: 2009-05-19
Classification: G06F

Abstract:
1. A method for a printer driver on a client machine to communicate with a network printer communicatively coupled to a print server, comprising the steps of: loading a shared printer driver from an associated print server to a client machine wherein the loaded printed driver maps print output to a default print queue; searching a computer network for at least one network accessible printer corresponding to the default print queue, which network accessible printer is accessible by the client machine via a data connection between the printer and an associated server; selecting at least one network accessible printer corresponding to the default print queue, which network accessible printer is located by an associated user; retrieving identifier data associated with each selected network accessible printer; retrieving a network address corresponding to the at least one network accessible printer selected by the user; storing the network address, corresponding identifier data, and a network path corresponding to the at least one selected network accessible printer in an internal value table of the client machine; and mapping a port from the at least one selected network accessible printer to a port on the client machine corresponding to the default print queue in accordance with the value table, wherein the default print queue is able to pass through an actual port associated therewith for bidirectional data communication, inclusive of printer status information, with the at least one selected network accessible printer via the downloaded printer driver and the data connection.