Xerox Corporation

David M Chapin

Jonathan Edmonds

Mark L Hanson

Patrick Kevin Sheehan

Brian Robert Glass

William Robert Thompson

Andrew T Stutzman

A method, non-transitory computer readable medium and apparatus for automatically installing a connection to a device on a recipient endpoint device via an email are disclosed. For example, the method includes opening a device list application on an endpoint device, wherein the device list application includes one or more devices that are connected to the endpoint device, receiving an indication to share the one or more devices with the recipient endpoint device, opening an email interface with an attachment containing information associated with the one or more devices, receiving an email address associated with the recipient endpoint device and transmitting the email with the attachment, wherein the attachment is for automatically installing the connection to the one or more devices on the recipient endpoint device when the attachment is activated within a second device list application that is opened on the recipient endpoint device.

Sharing devices via an email

A system and method enable a local area network connected mobile device to discover, via an ancillary wireless communication channel, a local area network connected device and install the appropriate driver and network configuration information when the mobile device and network connected device are brought into physical close proximity with each other.

Network device discovery

Methods and systems for permitting a rendering device, such as a printer, to be automatically configured at the time of device driver installation, regardless of the means utilized to install the driver are disclosed. In general, a device driver (e.g., a printer driver) is associated with the rendering device. The device driver includes a driver default configuration. The driver default configuration can be initially set in the rendering device via an embedded network server (e.g., an embedded web server) in the rendering device. The driver installer can then query the driver default configuration as set on the rendering device. The driver can then be automatically adjusted prior to the installation of the driver, in response to querying the driver default configuration by the driver installer. The rendering device can be implemented as a printer, a scanner, a multi-function device, a photocopy machine, and the like.

Printer controlled default driver configuration

A system for installing a printer driver for a printer connected on a network includes a printer driver for the printer; an installer, located on a host device connected on the network, responsive to activation, for listening for the printer's identification, and responsive to receipt of the printer's identification, for installing the printer driver on the host device; and a beacon, located at the printer, responsive to an input, for broadcasting the printer's identification on the network.

Growing community of inventors

Gresham, OR, United States of America

David M Chapin