Patent ID: 7688461

Claim:
A distributed peripheral device control method for controlling the interaction between an information device and a peripheral device in communication with the information device, comprising requesting the peripheral device to perform a specified task, sending device identification information identifying the peripheral device to a server in communication with the information device, the server having access to at least one peripheral device driver, selecting a device driver corresponding to the peripheral device in dependence upon the device identification information, establishing a virtual port at the server to form part of a communications link between the server and the information device and associating the virtual port with the selected device driver, employing the server to perform, on behalf of the information device and using the selected device driver, peripheral device-dependent processing operations relating to the performance of the task to produce device-dependent data, and sending the device-dependent data to the virtual port for onward transmission to the peripheral device via the information device to enable the peripheral device to perform the specified task.