Xerox Corporation

Eric Lambert

Michael William Barrett

Kenneth B Schleede

Christine Miyachi

Christian G Midgley

Robert Benjamin Wilkie

Parul Patel

The present specification discloses methods and systems to enable a peripheral device, which otherwise lacks intrinsic networking capabilities, to be accessible over a network once attached to a local multi-function device, such as computers, laptops, printers, copiers, or other computing devices. An enabling application executing on the multi-function device includes a first layer that communicates with the local peripheral device using a driver specific to the peripheral device, a second layer that abstracts a subset of functions from the first layer and exposes the subset of functions to a third layer, and the third layer which communicates over the network with a client and provides the client access to the subset of functions through standardized calls.

Web service for enabling network access to hardware peripherals

A method, service, system, computer program, etc., provides a list of acceptable authentication servers that a user could use to log in when accessing a networked device, such as a networked printer or document processing device. The embodiments include preparing a module, such as a dynamically loadable module (DLM) for use in the networked system accessed by the users. Each of the networked devices is enabled to accept the DLM. The embodiments forward the DLM to the networked devices as a print job along a print job submission path within the network. The networked devices recognize the DLM as a special job. Further, the networked devices use the DLM to install the XML file on each of the networked devices. Thus, the authentication server lists and authentication programs are updated within each of the networked devices using the DLM.

Updating authentication server lists for users accessing shared access devices

Growing community of inventors

Macedon, NY, United States of America

Eric Lambert