US 7,322,035 B2
Simplified device drivers for hardware devices of a computer system
Vladimir Sadovsky, Bellevue, Wash. (US); Franc J. Camara, Redmond, Wash. (US); Keisuke Tsuchida, Redmond, Wash. (US); and Lyman Cooper Partin, Bellevue, Wash. (US)
Assigned to Microsoft Corporation, Redmond, Wash. (US)
Filed on Mar. 01, 2006, as Appl. No. 11/276,481.
Application 11/276481 is a continuation of application No. 09/809237, filed on Mar. 15, 2001, granted, now 7,047,534.
Claims priority of provisional application 60/190457, filed on Mar. 17, 2000.
Prior Publication US 2006/0133878 A1, Jun. 22, 2006
This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.
Int. Cl. G06F 9/46 (2006.01)
U.S. Cl. 719—321  [719/327] 14 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A method implemented at least in part by a computer comprising:
passing, through a device driver interface to a first device driver, a request. from the application for a requested operation by the hardware device;
calling, by the first device driver, a second device driver through entry point functions of the second device driver, the entry point functions corresponding to a pre-selected set of operation commands generic to different device models and brands of said given device type, and controlling, by the second device driver in response to the calling of the entry point functions by the first driver and translating the pre-selected set of operation commands into operation commands specific to the hardware device, the hardware device to perform the requested operation,
wherein the entry point functions perform actions including setting parameters of the requested operation and initializing the requested operation and the first device driver is not required to have knowledge of the operation commands specific to the hardware device.