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.

1 . A user interface for providing an alternate means of printing a document on a computer to a printer comprising: 
 a printer option display generated by the printer's device-specific options driver software for presenting printer-specific peripheral options to a user immediately following selection of the printer from a command bar icon in an independent vendor's PC application wherein the independent vendor's PC application initiates the printing sequence activating the printer's device-specific options driver software, and wherein said printer option display includes a printer-specific user interface.    
   
   
       2 . The interface of  claim 1  which includes a bypass function for de-selecting said printer option display.  
   
   
       3 . A user interface for providing an alternate means of printing a document on a computer to a printer comprising: 
 a printer options display generated by the printer's device-specific driver software which automatically displays printer options in a printer option display including a printer-specific user interface to a user immediately following selection of a printer icon from a command bar in an independent vendor's PC application which includes access to a printer as a secondary function wherein said printer options display includes a printer-specific user interface, wherein the independent vendor's PC application initiates the printing sequence activating the printer's device-specific options driver software.    
   
   
       4 . The interface of  claim 3  which includes a bypass function for de-selecting said printer option display.  
   
   
       5 . A print device-specific user interface for providing an alternate means of printing a document on a computer to a printer comprising: 
 a printer-specific driver which presents, upon selection of a printer icon, a print option device-specific display including a printer-specific user interface, wherein the independent vendor's PC application initiates the printing sequence activating the printer's device-specific options driver software; and    a bypass function for de-selecting said printer-specific display.    
   
   
       6 . A peripheral-device user interface for a peripheral device coupled to a computer system, comprising: 
 a peripheral-device user interface generated by a device driver for the peripheral device in response to selection within an application by a user of an operation provided by the peripheral device, the application being independent from the device driver for the peripheral device.    
   
   
       7 . The peripheral device user interface according to  claim 6 , wherein the operation provided by the peripheral device is a scanning operation.  
   
   
       8 . The peripheral device user interface according to  claim 6 , wherein the operation provided by the peripheral device is a printing operation.  
   
   
       9 . The peripheral device user interface according to  claim 6 , wherein the operation provided by the peripheral device is a facsimile transmission operation.  
   
   
       10 . The peripheral device user interface according to  claim 6 , wherein peripheral device user interface includes a bypass function for disabling device driver from generating the peripheral device user interface.  
   
   
       11 . A method of generating a peripheral-device user interface for a peripheral device coupled to a computer system, the method comprising: 
 receiving an indication from an application that a user has selected an operation provided by the peripheral device;    activating, in response to the received indication, a device driver for the peripheral device, the device driver for the peripheral device being independent from the application; and    generating a peripheral-device user interface in response to activation of the device driver for the peripheral device.    
   
   
       12 . The method according to  claim 11 , wherein the selected operation provided by the peripheral device is a scanning operation.  
   
   
       13 . The method according to  claim 11 , wherein the selected operation provided by the peripheral device is a printing operation.  
   
   
       14 . The method according to  claim 11 , wherein the selected operation provided by the peripheral device is a facsimile transmission operation.  
   
   
       15 . The method according to  claim 11 , wherein peripheral-device user interface includes a bypass function for disabling device driver from generating the peripheral-device user interface.