Printer driver with automatic inquiry of user preferences

Abstract

A user interface for controlling peripheral devices including a peripheral option display for presenting peripheral options to a user immediately following selection of the peripheral device.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED PATENT APPLICATION [0001] The present patent application is a continuation patent application of copending and co-owned U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09 / 587,629, filed Jun. 5, 2000, invented by Rono James Mathieson, entitled “Printer Driver With Automatic Inquiry Of User Preferences,” and incorporated by reference herein.FIELD OF THE INVENTION [0002] This invention relates to a peripheral user interface, and specifically to a user interface which negates the need for a user to launch a driver in order to make control changes in the peripheral. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION [0003] It is often difficult for users to set-up peripherals, and particularly peripherals, such as printers in an office network environment, to perform the jobs that the user wants to perform if the user is limited to using current, prior art “print driver” set-up method. The prior art requires the user to actively find and open the driver to control the advanced functions of the devi...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0010] An object of the invention is to provide a user interface which allows a user to select peripheral functions with a minimal number of actions.

Problems solved by technology

It is often difficult for users to set-up peripherals, and particularly peripherals, such as printers in an office network environment, to perform the jobs that the user wants to perform if the user is limited to using current, prior art “print driver” set-up method.

The problem with peripheral devices and the drivers therefor applies to print, fax, scan and multi-function peripheral (MFP) devices.

Because of the difficulty of this approach, few users are able to take advantage of the capabilities of powerful modern office peripherals, or, may do so only with considerable effort.

In addition, considering the increased capabilities of modern office peripherals, a user may want and need to change settings often.

Prior art devices force the user to go through the process of modifying the print driver as described above, which is inefficient and time consuming.

Because of the complexity of modifying a print driver, the process is also error prone.

Perhaps the most irritating aspect of modifying a printer driver is that the modification generally “sticks”—becoming a default setting, so that if the user has printed a document in duplex, landscape and stapled, the next document will also print in duplex, landscape and be stapled, unless the user remembers to reset the printer driver to more conventional settings, such as simplex, portrait, no staple.

U.S. Pat. No. 5,706,411 to McCormick et al., for Printer status user interface and methods relating thereto, granted Jan. 6, 1998, only provides for status display and does not provide a user interface for setting of user preferences.

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