Abstract: A method of implementing a universal print driver in the Windows® V4 print architecture is provided. The method includes monitoring an event log to detect one or more trigger events relating to a printer instance of a connected printing device; upon detection of a trigger event, scheduled poll interval expiration, and/or an on-demand request, comparing a print driver currently associated with the printer instance to an actual model of the connected printing device and determining whether the print driver needs to be switched from an old printing device model to the connected printing device model. If the print driver needs to be switched, then mapping data is used to automatically look up a name of a printing device model entry corresponding to the connected printing device model in an INF file, among other things.

Abstract: A print driver's feature selection GUI can thus be utilized by a user to initiate a special, private print job when the user selects a feature, such as a picture Watermark, which is dependent on one or more files which are only present on the client (e.g., a client PC or other client computing device in a client-server printing environment). That private print job is used in a novel way as disclosed herein to “shuttle” the file to the print server. The print server interprets these private jobs in a special manner and caches the files contained within for use by subsequent normal print jobs. Unlike a normal print job, nothing will be sent to the printer in the case of these private print jobs.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for managing filters in a filter pipeline in a print driver used with an image production device. The method may include configuring a filter pipeline in a print driver with one or more proxy filters, each proxy filter including logic to invoke an associated processing filter to perform functions similar to a corresponding processing filter alone, and enabling the print driver to be at least one of certified and digitally signed with the proxy filter without the associated processing filter being known or present.

Abstract: Embodiments relate to systems and methods for auto-configuring installable device options in a Windows™ print queue. Software and other resources are provided to enable print drivers based on the version 4 print architecture to perform auto-configuration of installable options for printing devices which do not support the protocols and/or queries required by the native means of auto-configuration supported by the Windows™ 8 operating system. A setup module can install tasks under the task scheduler including a task which is triggered by print queue related events, along with a polling task to detect printer device changes. These tasks can invoke a printer configuration module which in turn invokes two transient child processes to supply the print driver with printer configuration data in the expected native format used by the Windows™ 8 operating system.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for managing filters in a filter pipeline in a print driver used with an image production device. The method may include configuring a filter pipeline in a print driver with one or more proxy filters, each proxy filter including logic to invoke an associated processing filter to perform functions similar to a corresponding processing filter alone, and enabling the print driver to be at least one of certified and digitally signed with the proxy filter without the associated processing filter being known or present.

Abstract: The disclosure relates to a computerized method and system for implementing a multi-tiered approach to defining printer driver configuration settings. A printer driver configuration management utility allows establishing settings for multiple printer drivers and multiple printing devices with a single multi-tiered configuration file. In a network environment the configuration file is stored in a location accessible by a client prior to utilizing a printer. A single multi-tiered configuration file makes it possible to pre-configure and post-configure multiple printer drivers. Compatible installed printer drivers check for the configuration file and update settings accordingly. Each setting may have rules of behavior such as a default value, enforced default value, value setting lock and disallowance of a value. An alternate value, such as a secondary value, can be deferred to when a primary setting value is not supported for a particular driver.