Patent ID: 8352492

Claim:
At least one nonvolatile recording medium having instructions encoded thereon which, when executed by a client computer in a system also comprising at least one network and at least one server computer coupled to the client computer via the at least one network, perform a method comprising acts of: (A) after connection to a peripheral device, receiving information from the peripheral device that identifies the peripheral device, the information that identifies the peripheral device comprising one or more of a model identifier and one or more hardware identifiers associated with the peripheral device; (B) generating a first query specifying the information that identifies the peripheral device, the first query requesting metadata relating to the peripheral device; (C) issuing the first query to the at least one server computer via the at least one network; (D) receiving a response from the at least one server computer which specifies at least one network address of the metadata relating to the peripheral device, and which includes information regarding a subsequent communication between the client computer and the at least one server computer, the information regarding the subsequent communication further including a time interval that is to elapse before the client computer issues a next query to the at least one server computer requesting the metadata relating to the peripheral device, the time interval included in the information regarding the subsequent communication having a first value when the metadata relating to the peripheral device is found and a second value when the metadata relating to the peripheral device is not found, wherein the second value is different from the first value; (E) retrieving the metadata relating to the peripheral device at the at least one network address specified in the response; and (F) employing the metadata relating to the peripheral device to present a user interface, the user interface enabling a user of the client computer to configure the peripheral device.