US Patent No: 6,772,420

Number of patents in Portfolio can not be more than 2000

Using link-layer address to obtain device drivers

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ATTORNEY / AGENT: (SPONSORED)
 

Importance

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Abstract

Methods and systems consistent with the present invention utilize a unique hardware address of a first network device to determine and locate an appropriate driver software for controlling the network device. Once the driver software has been located, it is installed on a network server, or other network device, capable of controlling the first network device. This method operates automatically, absent user intervention, each time a new device enters a network.

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First Claim

Related Publications

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Patent Owner(s)

Patent OwnerAddressTotal Patents
SUN MICROSYSTEMS, INC.SANTA CLARA, CA9061

International Classification(s)

  • [Classification Symbol]
  • [Patents Count]

Inventor(s)

Inventor Name Address # of filed Patents Total Citations
Murray, Freeman San Jose, CA 2 60
Poger, Elliot San Franciso, CA 6 106

Cited Art

Patent Info (Count) # Cites Year
 
HEWLETT-PACKARD DEVELOPMENT COMPANY, L.P. (2)
6,301,012 Automatic configuration of a network printer 105 1998
6,178,468 Real time supply PF plug-and-play installation resources 16 1998
 
MICROSOFT CORPORATION (2)
5,787,246 System for configuring devices for a computer system 171 1994
5,655,148 Method for automatically configuring devices including a network adapter without manual intervention and without prior configuration information 312 1994
 
INTEL CORPORATION (1)
5,559,965 Input/output adapter cards having a plug and play compliant mode and an assigned resources mode 112 1994
 
ROCKSTAR BIDCO, LP (1)
6,330,715 Method and apparatus for managing software in a network system 70 1998
 
SONY ELECTRONICS INC. (1)
6,421,069 Method and apparatus for including self-describing information within devices 45 1998
 
WEBTV NETWORKS, INC. (1)
6,023,585 Automatically selecting and downloading device drivers from a server system to a client system that includes one or more devices 88 1997

Patent Citation Ranking

Forward Cites

Patent Info (Count) # Cites Year
 
CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA (6)
7,316,022 Information processing apparatus, information processing method, alternate response apparatus, response method, control program, and network system 19 2002
7,213,060 Web based creation of printer instances on a workstation 17 2003
7,287,253 Installation of device software and formulation of unique identification information based on time information 14 2003
7,461,178 Distributed processing system and its control method 1 2004
7,779,168 Information processing apparatus, information processing method, and computer-readable memory medium storing program for realizing the method 3 2007
8,205,212 Information processing apparatus, information processing method, alternate response apparatus, response method, control program, and network system 0 2007
 
MICROSOFT CORPORATION (3)
7,401,113 Printer driver identification for a remote printer 9 1999
7,600,227 Automatic detection and installation of client peripheral devices by a server 3 2004
8,341,621 Automatic detection and installation of client peripheral devices by a server 0 2009
 
SUN MICROSYSTEMS, INC. (2)
7,124,228 Bus communication architecture, in particular for multicomputing systems 3 2002
7,444,503 Method and apparatus for delivering device drivers 0 2006
 
AMAZON TECHNOLOGIES, INC. (1)
6,952,715 Universal protocol for enabling a device to discover and utilize the services of another device 11 2003
 
ATERUS SYSTEMS CORP. (1)
7,134,013 Policy distribution point for setting up network-based services 0 2002
 
BOADIN TECHNOLOGY, LLC (1)
8,078,732 System and method for plug and play between host and client 0 2005
 
GROLLEGER, LLC (1)
8,266,300 System and method for plug and play between host and client 0 2011
 
HEIDELBERGER DRUCKMASCHINEN AG (1)
7,495,807 Communication system 0 2001
 
INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION (1)
8,161,146 Method, system, and program product for assigning device identifiers 0 2003
 
MCAFEE, INC. (1)
7,240,102 System and method for providing web browser-based secure remote network appliance configuration in a distributed computing environment 8 2002
 
RICOH COMPANY, LTD. (1)
7,519,729 Method and apparatus for monitoring remote devices through a local monitoring station and communicating with a central station supporting multiple manufacturers 3 2002
 
SCIENTIFIC-ATLANTA, LLC (1)
7,765,280 Downloadable remotely stored device drivers for communication with set-top box peripherals 6 2002
 
SONUS NETWORKS, INC. (1)
7,506,147 Policy distribution point for setting up network-based services 2 2006
 
STEPHEN TIDE CONSULTING L.L.C. (1)
7,664,885 Communication system with automatic configuration of the communication interface 3 2001

Maintenance Fees

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11.5 Year Payment $7400.00 $3700.00 $1850.00 Feb 3, 2016
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