Simple and dynamic configuration of network devices

Abstract

The present invention relates to a system and method for configuring and managing network devices. The arrival (and departure) of devices on a network can be detected by a monitor. Upon detection, network devices can be simply and dynamically configured with little or no end-user intervention, for instance by automatically loading device drivers and allocating resources for the devices. Furthermore, network devices can be associated with other network devices such as a personal computer to facilitate seamless integration of network devices with a computer operating system.

1 . A method for re-associating a first device with a second device over a network, the method comprising:
 associating, based on authentication, over the network the first device with the second device;   storing authentication information used to perform the authentication;   detecting, by the second device, a re-arrival of the first device on the network subsequent to a departure of the first device from the network subsequent to the associating; and   automatically re-authenticating and re-associating, based on the stored authentication information and in response to the detecting, over the network the first device with the second device.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1  further comprising trusting, based on the authentication, the first device. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2  wherein, based on the trusting, the re-authenticating does not require user intervention. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1  further comprising sharing, over the network via the second device, the first device with at least one other device on the network. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the associated first device and second device and the re-associated first device and second device encompass a master-slave relationship. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , the associating and the re-associating further comprising:
 detecting, by the second device, an arrival or re-arrival of the first device on the network; and   automatically loading and executing, in response to the arrival or re-arrival, a driver component for the first device on the second device.   
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 6  further comprising producing, in response to the executing, a functional device object component configured for managing functionality of the first device via a communication channel over the network. 
     
     
         8 . At least one computer-readable media storing computer-executable instructions that, when executed by a computing device, cause the computing device to perform a method for re-associating a first device with a second device over a network, the method comprising:
 associating, based on authentication, over the network the first device with the second device;   storing authentication information used to perform the authentication;   detecting, by the second device, a re-arrival of the first device on the network subsequent to a departure of the first device from the network subsequent to the associating; and   automatically re-authenticating and re-associating, based on the stored authentication information and in response to the detecting, over the network the first device with the second device.   
     
     
         9 . The at least one computer-readable media of  claim 8 , the method further comprising trusting, based on the authentication, the first device. 
     
     
         10 . The at least one computer-readable media of  claim 9  wherein, based on the trusting, the re-authenticating does not require user intervention. 
     
     
         11 . The at least one computer-readable media of  claim 8 , the method further comprising sharing, over the network via the second device, the first device with at least one other device on the network. 
     
     
         12 . The at least one computer-readable media of  claim 8  wherein the associated first device and second device and the re-associated first device and second device encompass a master-slave relationship. 
     
     
         13 . The at least one computer-readable media of  claim 8 , the associating and the re-associating further comprising:
 detecting, by the second device, an arrival or re-arrival of the first device on the network; and   automatically loading and executing, in response to the arrival or re-arrival, a driver component for the first device on the second device.   
     
     
         14 . The at least one computer-readable media of  claim 13 , the method further comprising producing, in response to the executing, a functional device object component configured for managing functionality of the first device via a communication channel over the network. 
     
     
         15 . A system configured for re-associating a first device with a second device over a network, the method comprising:
 the second device configured for associating, based on authentication, over the network the first device with the second device;   the second device further configured for storing authentication information used to perform the authentication;   the second device further configured for detecting a re-arrival of the first device on the network subsequent to a departure of the first device from the network subsequent to the associating; and   the second device further configured for automatically re-authenticating and re-associating, based on the stored authentication information and in response to the detecting, over the network the first device with the second device.   
     
     
         16 . The system of  claim 15 , the second device further configured for trusting, based on the authentication, the first device. 
     
     
         17 . The system of  claim 16  wherein, based on the trusting, the re-authenticating does not require user intervention. 
     
     
         18 . The system of  claim 15 , the second device further configured for sharing, over the network via the second device, the first device with at least one other device on the network. 
     
     
         19 . The system of  claim 15  wherein the associated first device and second device and the re-associated first device and second device encompass a master-slave relationship. 
     
     
         20 . The system of  claim 15 , the associating and the re-associating further comprising:
 detecting, by the second device, an arrival or re-arrival of the first device on the network;   automatically loading and executing, in response to the arrival or re-arrival, a driver component for the first device on the second device; and   producing, in response to the executing, a functional device object component configured for managing functionality of the first device via a communication channel over the network.