Patent ID: 8368905

Claim:
A method for providing information from a printer driver, comprising the steps of: accepting a request for information concerning the printer driver; in response to the request: obtaining configuration information including a list of one or more function filters, wherein for each of the one or more function filters, the configuration information stores a corresponding reference; inquiring about function information from at least one function filter of a plurality of function filters in accordance with a reference to the at least one function filter stored in the configuration information; obtaining, from the at least one function filter, the function information including at least one current function of the at least one function filter, as a result of the inquiring; determining whether the obtained at least one current function is a restricted function requiring performance of a first function and a second function, wherein the first function corresponds to the at least one function filter and the second function corresponds to at least another function filter; determining whether the obtained at least one current function is executable based on function information obtained for the second function from the at least another function filter if the obtained at least one current function is the restricted function; and providing the obtained function information for the at least one function filter and the at least another function filter to a requesting source of the request, wherein the obtained function information includes a result of the determining whether the at least one current function is executable.