Patent ID: 7197580

Claim:
A computer readable storage medium having a service listener, when executed, detects network-connected hardware device, the service listener comprising: the service listener operable in a computer; at least one listening module component operating without a search request containing instructions for receiving messages indicative of a specific class of hardware device present on a network and for requesting the creation of a logical representation of any hardware device for which a message is received wherein the logical representation is a device node; and an installation component containing instructions for locating a device driver in the network and installing the device driver for the hardware device present on the network, wherein the service listener is implemented in user mode wherein the service listener notifies an operating system of the computer of an arrival of the hardware device and wherein the installation component contains instructions for informing all applications running on the computer of the presence of the network-connected hardware device wherein the network-connected hardware device appears as a locally-connected device to the computer.