KR20020001046A - Driver registration system - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE: A driver registration system is provided to reduce burden of maintaining and managing driver files related to a computer of a user and easily confirm a driver related to specific peripheral equipment by connecting to the system and registering driver files related to peripheral equipments through a communication network. CONSTITUTION: An Internet server system(10) is connected with client computers(100a,100b, 100c) of users through the Internet and receives driver file information of the corresponding client computers or peripheral equipments of the other computer from each client computers(100a,100b, 100c). The Internet server system(10) provides or downloads stored driver file information to the corresponding client computers according to request of the client computers(100a,100b, 100c). A network interface enables a WWW server to transmit and receive data packet according to the TCP/IP protocol through the Internet. A plurality of Web documents is formed with HTML and is transmitted to client computers(100a,100b, 100c). for being displayed on a screen. Server script programs within ASP files receive driver file information from the client computers for storing the same in a database, and enables client users to refer or download driver file information related to the own computer. An ADO(ActiveX Database Object) enables the script programs to access the database by the ODBC(Open Database Connectivity) protocol. The database includes a plurality of tables and is managed by the ADO through the ODBC protocol.

Description

Driver Registration System

The present invention relates to a computer system, and more particularly, to an online computer system for providing an information service to a user through a communication network.

The hardware of a personal computer (PC) is in the form of a plurality of parts assembled. These components can be roughly divided into those installed outside the main body such as a monitor, a keyboard and a mouse, and those installed inside the main body such as a multimedia card or a disk drive. With the exception of the motherboard on which the central processing unit (CPU) is mounted, most components, or peripherals, are driven by driver software, which is typically loaded on a diskette or CD and supplied by the component manufacturer. Thus, a computer user will usually have more than six or six driver diskettes or CDs for one computer.

These driver diskettes or CDs, when combined with the instructions for the drivers, i.e., manuals, take up a significant amount of volume, and thus a computer user may have difficulty maintaining and managing the driver diskettes or CDs. In particular, when a computer user upgrades a specific driver, two or more driver diskettes or CDs coexist, and in this case, the computer user may be confused about which is the latest if they want to reinstall the driver software later. This issue of driver management is particularly serious when there are multiple computers, for example, when there are multiple computers with different specifications in one office space or at home, or when an individual has both desktop and notebook computers. Can be done.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made to solve the above-mentioned problems, and the user can access the driver through the network to register the driver files for the peripheral devices of his computer and later check which driver file is his own or download the driver if necessary It is a technical problem to provide a registration system.

1 is a view showing a preferred embodiment of a driver registration system according to the present invention.

2 is a view showing in more detail the Internet server system shown in FIG.

3 illustrates the types of tables created in a database and the field structure of each table in a preferred embodiment.

4 is a diagram illustrating a directory structure of driver files and manual files stored in a hard disk of an Internet server system.

FIG. 5 shows main programs of server script programs inserted into active server page files. FIG.

6 is a view showing an example of an initial screen provided to a client computer web browser by the Internet server system of the present invention.

7 illustrates an example of a screen for inputting, changing, or deleting driver information or downloading a driver file.

8 illustrates an example of a user interface for finding / changing a driver.

9 is a view showing an example of a driver warehouse screen.

10 is a view showing an example of a brand PC model selection menu.

11 is a view showing an example of a brand PC driver confirmation screen.

12 illustrates an example of a driver file selection window to be uploaded.

13 is a diagram illustrating an example of a question and answer screen;

The driver registration system of the present invention for achieving the above technical problem is connected to the client computer of the user through a communication network to receive and store driver file information for the user computer, the user to store the driver file information for the user computer Allows you to query. Here, the user computer may be the same as the client computer, but may be different from each other, or may register the driver file information for a plurality of user computers through one client computer. The driver registration system includes a first storage means and a server. The first storage means is used to store driver file information for the user computer. The server receives the driver file information from the client computer, stores it in the first storage means, and provides the driver file information to the client computer in response to a request from the client computer.

The server preferably includes registration software and confirmation software. The registration software receives the driver file information for the user computer from the client computer and stores it in the first storage means. The verification software, in response to the request of the client computer, calls the driver file information for the user computer from the first storage means and provides it to the client computer. The registration software and verification software are preferably implemented by server scripts such as PHP or ASP, but may also be implemented as other component software.

In addition, the server preferably includes a second storage means and driver download software so that the client computer user can download the driver file if the client file does not have a driver file suitable for his computer. The second storage means is used to store a driver library comprising a plurality of driver files for each of the plurality of computer peripherals. In response to a request of the client computer, the driver download software calls a specific driver file designated by the user from the driver library stored in the second storage means and provides it to the client computer. Driver download software can also be implemented as server scripts such as PHP or ASP, or other component software.

In a preferred embodiment, the driver registration system of the present invention includes a manual library for various computers and peripherals. Thus, a client computer user can access and download or refer to the system of the present invention even if there is no manual for his computer or a particular peripheral device. For this purpose the server preferably comprises a third storage means and a manual reference software. The third storage means is used to store a manual library containing manual files for each of the plurality of computer peripherals. The manual reference software calls the specific manual file selected by the client computer from the manual library stored in the third storage means to provide the specific manual file contents to the client computer. In this case, the specific manual file may be downloaded or referred to on a web browser according to a user's selection.

Hereinafter, with reference to the accompanying drawings will be described in detail a preferred embodiment of the present invention.

1 shows a preferred embodiment of a driver registration system according to the present invention.

The driver registration system is implemented by the server system 10 connected to the Internet. The Internet server system 10 may be connected to the client computers 100a, 100b, and 100c of the user through the Internet, and peripheral driver files of the client computer or another computer from each of the client computers 100a, 100b, and 100c. Accept and store the information. In addition, the Internet server system 10 provides driver file information stored for the client computer or downloads the driver file according to the request of the client computers 100a, 100b, and 100c.

Illustrating peripheral devices that can be registered in the Internet server system 10 according to the present invention, a monitor, a printer, a graphics / video card, a sound card, a modem, a CD-ROM system, a CD-R / CD-RW system, a DVD -ROM system, TV receiving card, scanner, Ethernet adapter (LAN card), ISDN adapter, video camera, digital camera, digital camcorder, Internet phone, MP3 player, digitizer, BIOS, mouse, keyboard, game controller, IDE controller, SCSI Controllers, hard disks, super disks, ZIP drives, jazz drives, MPEC cards, DDRs, security devices, encoder-decoders, tablets, hard racks and motherboards. In addition, the Internet server system 10 according to the present invention can register not only bootable diskettes and virtual CDs but also drivers related to hand PCs and PDAs.

FIG. 2 shows the Internet server system 10 shown in FIG. 1 in more detail.

The Internet server system 10 is a World Wide Web (WWW) server (hereinafter abbreviated as 'web server') and allows the web server 12 to transmit and receive data packets according to the TCP / IP protocol over the Internet. Network interface 14, a plurality of web documents 16 in hypertext markup language (HTML), and an application 20 and a database 28. In addition, the Internet server system 10 includes a hub (not shown) and a router (not shown) for connecting to the Internet through the network interface 14. Meanwhile, the Internet server system 10 physically includes a large storage medium such as a hard disk. The web documents 16, the application program 20, and the database 28 may be stored in a hard disk. have. In addition, the hard disk stores a library for all driver files in the market, and a library for manual files for the computer and driver files. The driver file library and the manual file library may be provided in separate recording media, respectively.

The web server 12 is implemented using, for example, Netscape Enterprise Server of America Online or Internet Information Server of Microsoft Corporation. The web documents 16 are documents that are transmitted to the client computers 100a, 100b, and 100c and displayed on the screen, and each document file is prepared in hypertext markup language (HTML) and provided in units of screens. Such web documents 16 may include, for example, an initial screen, a system introduction screen, a member registration screen, and the like. Some of the web documents 16 are Active Server Pages (ASPs) that contain server scripts 18, such as VBscript. In a variant embodiment, ASP files may be implemented as PHP files including PHP scripts, and other scripting languages may be used. In addition, some of the web documents 16 may include client scripts, such as JavaScript, that run on the client computers 100a, 100b, 100c, and may also include a CGI interface.

The server script programs 18 in the ASP files receive driver file information from the client computers 100a, 100b and 100c and store it in the database 28, where the user of the client computer 100a, 100b and 100c Allows you to view or download driver file information for your computer. In the preferred embodiment, most of the applications required for the Internet server system 10 to perform driver registration and information provision functions are implemented by server scripts in ASP files. However, the Internet server system 10 may include other program modules or objects 22 of separate components or the like in addition to such script programs.

ActiveX Database Objects (ADOs), on the other hand, allow script programs 18 in ASP files to access the database 28 by means of Open Database Connectivity (ODBC) protocol 26. When ADO 28 is called by any one of the server scripts 18 or other application 22 in the ASP files, it accesses database 28 via ODBC protocol 26 and returns database 28 to it. ), Add data, select saved data, modify or delete it, or provide it to the calling program.

The database 28 may be implemented using Oracle, Informix or MS SQLserver. The database 28 includes a plurality of unit DBs, that is, tables. FIG. 3 shows the types of tables created in the database 28 and the schematic field structure of each table in the preferred embodiment. Examples of such tables include member table 32, member driver table 34, brand PC table 36, driver table 38, question and answer table 40, bulletin board table 42, information bank table ( 44, the event table 46, etc. are mentioned. As described above, in a preferred embodiment such a database 28 will be managed by the ADO object 24 through the ODBC protocol 26. However, in other embodiments of the present invention, the database 28 may be linked to the application program by other interlocking means such as JDBC.

In Fig. 3, the member table 32 stores user names (ID) and passwords assigned by the system for each registered member, and personal details such as addresses, social security numbers, telephone numbers, and e-mail addresses. In addition, the member table 32 stores the number of computers registered by each registered member, the initial registration date, and the latest registration information modification date data.

The member driver table 34 stores specific driver information for computers registered by each registered member. That is, the member driver table 34 includes a registered member ID for each registered computer, an operating system (OS) applied to the computer, a model name for all peripheral devices, or a driver name. In the system according to the present invention, each registered member can register driver information for a plurality of computers. In order to support such a plurality of computer registrations, in a preferred embodiment, a plurality of member driver tables 34 can be operated assuming that each registered member has a plurality of computers. The first registration computer of each member is stored in the first member driver table 34a, and subsequent registration computers are sequentially stored in the next table 34b, ... However, in another embodiment of the present invention, a separate record may be generated for each computer while operating only one member driver table 34.

The brand PC table 36 stores information about computer models being produced by each computer manufacturer. This information includes, for example, a built-in OS for each computer model and data for each peripheral device. The information stored in the brand PC table 36 may be provided as a reference for each registered member or site visitor, and may be referred to for performing an online after-sales service for each registered member.

In the preferred embodiment, a separate table 38a, 38b, 38c, ... is generated for each peripheral device as the driver table 38. Each table, for example, the sound card table 38a, includes a model name, a manufacturer, an OS (if available only in a specific OS environment), a registration date, a hard disk directory in which a registration source and a driver are stored, a hard disk directory in which a manual is stored, and a manual. It includes fields such as a file name. Here, the registration source indicates whether it is purchased or provided from the corresponding manufacturer or uploaded from the registered member.

The question and answer table 40 stores the question content of the site visitor and the answer data thereof, and the bulletin board table 42 stores the announcement about the site visitor. The information bank table 44 stores other reference materials, and the event table 46 stores information about events that take place at the site. On the other hand, the database 28 may be provided with a separate question and answer table for each driver file. In this case, the answers to the questions registered in the question and answer table for each driver may be provided from the corresponding product manufacturer. As a result, computer users can easily answer questions about the product, and product manufacturers can reduce the burden of after-sales service.

Meanwhile, the driver registration system of the present invention provides a plurality of driver files and manual files so that a registered member can provide a driver file or a manual file to a member when a registered member needs a driver file or a manual required for his or her computer. Store them on a hard disk. 4 illustrates a directory structure of driver files and manual files stored in a hard disk of the Internet server system 10. In a preferred embodiment, the driver files and the manual files are each stored in a separate directory. Subdirectories are formed for each peripheral device in the driver file directory and the manual file directory, and subdirectories are formed for each model in the peripheral directory. Each directory stores driver files or manual files for that model.

As described above, the directory location of each driver file and the directory location and file name of each manual file are recorded in the driver table 38 of the database 28. Most of the driver files and manual files stored in the hard disk are secured and stored by the Internet server system 10 operator. However, in the case of special driver files, such as driver files for a computer purchased from a foreign country, a registered member may upload a file he / she holds while registering driver information for his computer.

5 shows some of the important of server script programs 18 in ASP files. In a preferred embodiment, server script programs 18 include driver file registration program 52, driver upload program 54, driver file information verification program 56, driver download program 58, and manual reference program 50. ), A manual download program 62.

The driver file registration program 52 receives driver file information for the user computer from the client computers 100a, 100b, and 100c and stores it in the database 28. If the driver file for the user computer is not in the hard disk of the Internet server system 10, the driver upload program 54 creates a directory on the hard disk and receives the driver file from the client computers 100a, 100b, and 100c. Indent it and save it. Then, the driver upload program 54 stores information about the driver uploaded from the client computers 100a, 100b, 100c and stored in the hard disk in the driver table 38 of the database 28.

The driver file information checking program 56 calls the driver file information requested by the client computers 100a, 100b, 100c from the database 28 in response to the request of the client computers 100a, 100b, 100c. 100a, 100b, 100c). In response to a request from the client computers 100a, 100b, and 100c, the driver download program 58 calls a specific driver file designated by the user from the driver library stored in the hard disk of the server system and downloads it to the client computer.

Meanwhile, in response to a request of the client computers 100a, 100b, and 100c, the manual reference program 50 calls a specific manual file designated by the user from the manual library stored in the hard disk of the server system, and displays the contents of the client computer 100a. , 100b, 100c). In response to a request of the client computers 100a, 100b, and 100c, the manual download program 62 calls a specific manual file specified by the user from a manual library stored on the hard disk of the server system, and loads this file into the client computer 100a, 100b. , Download to 100c).

Hereinafter, the operation of the Internet server system 10 shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 will be described.

6 shows an example of an initial screen provided by the Internet server system 10 of the present invention to a web browser of client computers 100a, 100b, and 100c. On one side of the initial screen, an ID and password input window for registering a registered member is arranged, and a plurality of function selection buttons including a "My Room" and a "Driver Bank" button are included at the top.

When the user presses the "My Room" button after entering the member ID and password, the web document hyperlinked to this button is transferred to the client computer 100a, 100b, 100c web browser, and the screen shown in FIG. 7 is displayed. On the screen of FIG. 7, a user may input, change or delete driver information for his computer. The user may also download drivers for specific peripherals of his computer.

If you want to enter or change the driver information for your computer, the user presses the "Find / Change" button for the driver on the screen of FIG. Pressing the "Find / Change" button invokes and displays an HTML document hyperlinked to this button. In this case, the screen of FIG. 8 is displayed while the client script included in the HTML document is executed. If you want to register a driver for your computer, you can find it in the driver's warehouse and register it. If you don't have your driver in the driver's warehouse, you can upload it yourself.

When the user clicks the "Browse and save in the driver warehouse" button and then the "OK" button, the ASP file hyperlinked to this button is called and the script in the ASP file is executed. The list for that driver is thus called from the driver table 38 and sent to the client computer. At this time, the driver warehouse screen of FIG. 9 is displayed. Meanwhile, the screen of FIG. 9 may be directly called by the "driver warehouse" button on the screen of FIG.

In the screen of FIG. 9, a user may register collectively for all peripheral devices when the computer to be registered is a brand PC manufactured by a famous manufacturer. If the user's computer is a built-in PC, the registration process is performed for each peripheral device. In the case of a brand PC, a model selection menu as shown in FIG. If a specific model is selected in the model selection menu, the driver confirmation screen of FIG. 11 is displayed. After confirming the driver mounted on the computer to be registered and pressing the "Save Inward" button, the corresponding driver information is stored in the member driver table 34. On the other hand, if the user computer is a built-in PC, the user can sequentially select each peripheral device on the screen of Figure 9, and can follow the registration procedure for each peripheral device.

On the other hand, if there is no driver used in the driver list of the system and wants to upload his driver file, the user presses the "Find in My Computer" button on the screen of Figure 8 and then press the "OK" button. At this time, the client script in the web document for implementing the screen of FIG. 8 or the web document hyperlinked to the "confirmation" button is executed to display the file selection window of FIG. 12, thereby allowing the user to designate a driver file. In this case, when the driver is composed of several files, it may be uploaded in directory units. Specify the file to upload and press the "Open" button to start the upload. The uploaded driver file is temporarily stored in a temporary directory on the hard disk. The system operator performs a classification operation on the driver, saves it to an appropriate location on the hard disk, and inputs the contents into the relevant driver table 38. When a file is uploaded in this way, it is desirable to ensure safety by checking whether a driver is infected with a virus with a virus inspection program.

If a registered member has a problem with his computer and wants to install a new driver, the member can access the system of the present invention and check the driver for the related peripheral device. In this case, if the driver does not have the corresponding driver, the driver file may be downloaded. When a driver for a specific peripheral device is to be downloaded, the user may display the download status display window for the driver on the screen of FIG. 7 and then press the "download" button. When the "Download" button is pressed, the ASP file hyperlinked to this button is called and the driver download program 62 in the ASP file is executed, so that the driver for the peripheral device is read from the hard disk and the download is started.

13 shows an example of a question and answer screen. In a preferred embodiment, the question and answer is provided with a separate screen for each peripheral device. In particular, question and answer fields for each peripheral device may be broken down by manufacturer. In addition, a separate question and answer column may be provided for the brand PC. Through this detailed question and answer, the user can easily and quickly obtain a response to their question. In particular, the answer may be provided by a corresponding manufacturer representative in a question and answer field provided for each manufacturer. Based on this question and answer and the driver and software upgrade service described below, the system operator or each driver manufacturer and software manufacturer of the present invention may actually provide an online after-sales service or a remote control after-sales service.

On the other hand, the system operator of the present invention may provide a service for notifying the driver user by e-mail when a specific driver is upgraded or modified and changed. In this case, the driver may be attached to the e-mail and transmitted to the user. However, in the modified embodiment, the e-mail can only be notified that the driver has changed, and the user can connect to the server system to download the driver. These services allow each registered member to update and maintain the latest and correct drivers for the devices on their computers. In addition, in the preferred embodiment of the present invention, in addition to the driver change notification, even if a specific software other than the driver is changed, it is possible to notify all registered members or some registered members by e-mail. Meanwhile, in addition to the storage and upgrade service for the electronic manual and the driver, the system of the present invention may also provide the storage and upgrade service for the BIOS or the patch file.

On the other hand, the system of the present invention, in addition to providing a product-specific educational material for the bulletin board, each device, or peripheral device for question and answer, it is also possible to separately operate a product use testimonial bulletin board that accepts and displays the product user of each user. . Also, a device specialized shopping mall may be operated based on the contents of these materials. In this case, the shopping mall may be built in the Internet server system 10 shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, or may be linked to the Internet server system 10 shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 after being built in a separate server. have.

On the other hand, in recent years, many of the servers on the Internet are membership-based, in which case each member must enter his or her username and password when logging in to the server. However, since the user name and password for each site is different from each other, users often need to check their user name and password through other channels such as e-mail or telephone. In order to solve this problem, the Internet server system 10 shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 may allow each user to register and inquire a user name and password for each of the sites to which he or she subscribes.

When providing such a service, a button for registering or inquiring a user name and password is preferably added to the initial screen of FIG. 6. The database 28 of FIG. 3 preferably includes a table for storing the user name and password of each member. At this time, when each member registers a plurality of user names and passwords, the user name and password for each site may be recorded as separate records in one table. In addition, the script programs illustrated in FIG. 5 preferably include accessing a database according to a user's request to add, modify, or delete a user name and password. The Internet server system 10 of FIG. 2 preferably includes a firewall to prevent inappropriate visitors or users from stealing other users' usernames and passwords. Through such a user name and password registration service, the user can easily check this even if he / she cannot remember his / her username and password for the site to which he registered. The user name and password registration service may be operated separately from the driver registration service of the present invention.

Those skilled in the art to which the present invention pertains will understand that the present invention can be implemented in other specific forms without changing the technical spirit or essential features. Therefore, the above-described embodiments are to be understood as illustrative in all respects and not as restrictive. The scope of the present invention is shown by the following claims rather than the detailed description, and all changes or modifications derived from the meaning and scope of the claims and their equivalents should be construed as being included in the scope of the present invention. do.

As described above, the system of the present invention allows users to connect via a communication network to register driver files for peripheral devices of their computer and later to check which driver file is their own or download it if necessary. Thus, a computer user using the system of the present invention can greatly reduce the burden of maintaining and managing driver files for his computer, and can dedicate the space of a desk, chest of drawers, or file cabinets for storing driver files for other purposes. Will be. In particular, if you have multiple computers, you can easily determine which driver is for a particular peripheral on each computer. If you upgraded a particular peripheral more than once, what drivers are available for the peripherals currently attached to your computer? You can easily check the recognition.

In addition, the system of the present invention maintains a manual library for each peripheral device and provides the contents to the user, so that the computer user does not need to keep the manual for each peripheral device of his computer. You can connect to the server to answer questions about computers and peripherals. In addition to the driver file management function, a manual providing function may reduce the need for a computer user to receive after-sales service.

In particular, the system of the present invention may operate in conjunction with computer manufacturers. In this case, computer manufacturers may register directly with the system of the present invention whenever new peripherals and drivers are developed. Through driver file management, manual library maintenance and question-and-answer fields, the system of the present invention can increase the benefits for computer users as well as significantly reduce the after-sales costs of computer manufacturers.

Claims (11)

A driver registration system that is connected to a client computer of a user through a communication network to receive and store driver file information about the user computer, and enables the user to inquire the driver file information about the user computer. First storage means for storing the driver file information for the user computer; And A server which receives the driver file information from the client computer, stores the driver file information in the first storage means, and provides the driver file information to the client computer in response to a request of the client computer; Driver registration system having a. The method of claim 1, wherein the server Registration software for receiving the driver file information for the user computer from the client computer and storing it in the first storage means; Verification software, in response to a request from said client computer, calling and providing said driver file information for said user computer from said first storage means to said client computer; Driver registration system having a. The method of claim 1 or 2, wherein the server Second storage means for storing a driver library comprising a plurality of driver files for each of a plurality of computer peripherals; Driver download software which, in response to a request of the client computer, calls a specific driver file designated by the user from the driver library stored in the second storage means and provides it to the client computer; Driver registration system further comprising. The method of claim 3, wherein the server Third storage means for storing a manual library including a manual file for each of the plurality of computer peripherals; Manual reference software for calling the specific manual file selected by the client computer from the manual library stored in the third storage means and providing the specific manual file contents to the client computer; Driver registration system further comprising. The method according to claim 1 or 2, Second storage means for storing a manual library including a manual file for each of the plurality of computer peripherals; Manual reference software for calling a specific manual file selected by the client computer from the manual library stored in the second storage means to provide the specific manual file contents to the client computer; Driver registration system further comprising. The method according to claim 1 or 2, Second storage means for storing the user name and password of the user for a system other than the driver registration system; Password registration software which accepts the user name and password from the client computer and stores them in the second storage means; Password confirmation software for calling the user name and password from the fourth storage means and providing them to the client computer in response to a request of the client computer; Driver registration system further comprising. The method according to claim 1 or 2, First notification means for informing the client computer that the driver file has been upgraded when the driver file is upgraded, thereby enabling the user to download the upgraded driver file; Driver registration system further comprising. The method of claim 7, wherein Second storage means for storing predetermined software; Second notification means for informing the client computer that the predetermined software has been upgraded when the predetermined software is upgraded, thereby allowing the user to download the upgraded software; Driver registration system further comprising. The method according to claim 1 or 2, Second storage means for storing a BIOS for the user computer; Notification means for informing the client computer that the BIOS has been upgraded when the BIOS is upgraded, thereby allowing the user to download the upgraded BIOS file; Driver registration system further comprising. The method according to claim 1 or 2, Notifying means for notifying the client computer that the patch file exists when there is a patch file for a predetermined software in the user computer, thereby allowing the user to download the patch file; Driver registration system further comprising. The method according to claim 1 or 2, Means for providing product usage bulletin boards for accepting and displaying the use of computer peripheral devices by a plurality of users; And Peripheral commerce means for accepting an order for said computer peripheral device and performing a payment for it; Driver registration system further comprising.