Abstract: A physical location is learned for a resource communicating with a network. A global resource locator (GRL) tag is assigned to the resource. The GRL tag includes at least a description of the physical location of the resource. The GRL tag is communicated over the network. A client receives the GRL tag and extracts the description of the location of the resource. The GRL tag may include a coordinate system and coordinates for the resource identifying the location of the resource. The GRL tag may also include a descriptive label of the resource. The GRL tag is either stored on the resource or in a list of resources on a server. GRL tags may be searched by applying user selected search criteria to the GRL tag. An example of user selected search criteria is a comparison of the location of the user to the location of the resource.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for tracking a plurality of image devices in a network is provided including steps of detecting an imaging device change in the network, communicating the detected change to a database tracking the plurality of image devices in the network, and updating the database based on the detected change.

Abstract: A system and method install a device driver for a device. A browser is used to browse to a website where a driver resides. The browser downloads executable code. Either the browser or a user provides the executable code information about the device. The executable code builds a list of available drivers for the device from the drivers stored at the driver website. Either the executable code or a user selects a driver from the list of drivers for the device. The executable code downloads the selected driver and stores it locally. The executable code then installs the selected driver.

Abstract: A printer driver is installed on a client computer. The client requests the driver from a print server. The print server identifies a printer served by the print server. The print server retrieves a driver for the printer and a description of the printer's capabilities. The driver and the description are packaged into an electronic mail (e-mail) message and sent to the client. Software installed on the client unpackages the driver and the description from the e-mail and installs the driver on the client. The software also creates a port on the client and attaches the port to the printer driver.

Abstract: A system and method install a device driver for a device. A browser is used to browse to a website where a driver resides. The browser downloads executable code. Either the browser or a user provides the executable code information about the device. The executable code builds a list of available drivers for the device from the drivers stored at the driver website. Either the executable code or a user selects a driver from the list of drivers for the device. The executable code downloads the selected driver and stores it locally. The executable code then installs the selected driver.

Abstract: An object device wirelessly communicating with at least one node is located. The nodes wirelessly communicating with the object device are discovered. The nodes are discovered either by querying nodes to discover whether the object device is wirelessly communicating with the nodes or querying nodes to discover devices wirelessly communicating with each node, generating an index of devices wirelessly communicating with each node and the nodes to which each device is wirelessly communicating, selecting the object device from the index, and reading the index to discover the nodes wirelessly communicating with the object device. For each node wirelessly communicating with the object device, a location of a coverage area for the node is discovered. The location of the coverage area for each node is discovered by either reading the location of the coverage area for each node or reading a node location and calculating the location of the coverage area from the node location.