Information processing apparatus, information processing method, program, and information processing system

An information processing method for an information processing apparatus, the method comprising:

• causing a reporting section that includes a first memory to obtain identification information of processing sections that each include a first terminal and a second terminal and to store the identification information, wherein the reporting section is connected to each of a controlling section, which includes a second memory, and the first terminal of each of the respective processing sections through a plurality of individual wired communication lines, the second memory being different from the first memory, wherein each one of the plurality of individual wired communication lines connected to the each of the controlling section and the processing sections is separate from each other individual wired communication line of the plurality of individual wired communication lines, wherein the controlling section is separate from the reporting section and the processing sections, and wherein the controlling section collects the identification information of the processing sections through the second terminal of each of the respective processing sections, stores the identification information in the second memory, and causes the reporting section to store the collected identification information in the first memory, which is different from the second memory;
• causing the reporting section, instead of the processing sections, to report the identification information to another information processing apparatus in response to a request for reporting the identification information, the request being issued from the another information processing apparatus;
• and
• causing, of the processing sections, the processing section specified by the identification information reported to the another information processing apparatus to perform processing corresponding to the request issued from the another information processing apparatus.

A non-transitory computer readable storage medium storing a computer program for causing a computer to execute processing comprising:

• causing a reporting section that includes a first memory to obtain identification information of processing sections that each include a first terminal and a second terminal and to store the identification information, wherein the reporting section is connected to each of a controlling section, which includes a second memory, and the first terminal of each of the respective processing sections through a plurality of individual wired communication lines, the second memory being different from the first memory, wherein each one of the plurality of individual wired communication lines connected to the each of the controlling section and the processing sections is separate from each other individual wired communication line of the plurality of individual wired communication lines, wherein the controlling section is separate from the reporting section and the processing sections, and wherein the controlling section collects the identification information through the second terminal of each of the respective processing sections, stores the identification information in the second memory, of the processing sections and causes the reporting section to store the collected identification information in the first memory, which is different from the second memory;
• causing the reporting section, instead of the processing sections, to report the identification information to another information processing apparatus in response to a request for reporting the identification information, the request being issued from the another information processing apparatus;
• and
• causing, of the processing sections, the processing section specified by the identification information reported to the another information processing apparatus to perform processing corresponding to a request issued from the another information processing apparatus.

An information processing apparatus comprising:

• an obtaining section that obtains identification information of processing sections that each include a first terminal and a second terminal from a reporting section instead of the processing sections, the processing sections, the reporting section, and a controlling section being included in another information processing apparatus, the processing sections holding the identification information, and the reporting section obtaining the identification information from the processing sections and storing the identification information;
• a selecting section that selects, from the obtained identification information of the processing sections, the identification information of the processing section to be processed;
• and
• an executing section that causes the processing section corresponding to the selected identification information to execute predetermined processing,
• wherein the reporting section that includes a first memory is connected to the controlling section and the first terminal of each of the respective processing sections through a plurality of individual wired communication lines, wherein each one of the plurality of individual wired communication lines connected to the each of the controlling section, which includes a second memory, and the processing sections is separate from each other individual wired communication line of the plurality of individual wired communication lines, the second memory being different from the first memory, wherein the controlling section is separate from the reporting section and the processing sections, and wherein the controlling section collects the identification information of the processing sections through the second terminal of each of the respective processing sections, stores the identification information in the second memory, and causes the reporting section to store the collected identification information in the first memory, which is different from the second memory.

An information processing method comprising:

• causing an obtaining section to obtain identification information of processing sections that each include a first terminal and a second terminal from a reporting section that includes a first memory instead of the processing sections, the processing sections, the reporting section, and a controlling section, which includes a second memory, being included in another information processing apparatus, the processing sections holding the identification information, the reporting section obtaining the identification information from the processing sections and storing the identification information, and the second memory being different from the first memory, wherein the reporting section is connected to each of the controlling section and the first terminal of each of the respective processing sections through a plurality of individual wired communication lines, wherein each one of the plurality of individual wired communication lines connected to the each of the controlling section and the processing sections is separate from each other individual wired communication line of the plurality of individual wired communication lines, wherein the controlling section is separate from the reporting section and the processing sections, and wherein the controlling section collects the identification information of the processing sections through the second terminal of each of the respective processing sections, stores the identification information in the second memory, and causes the reporting section to store the collected identification information in the first memory, which is different from the second memory;
• causing a selecting section to select, from the obtained identification information of the processing sections, the identification information of the processing section to be processed;
• and
• causing an executing section to cause the processing section corresponding to the selected identification information to execute predetermined processing.

A non-transitory computer readable storage medium storing a computer program for causing a computer to execute processing comprising:

• obtaining identification information of processing sections that each include a first terminal and a second terminal from a reporting section that includes a first memory instead of the processing sections, the processing sections, the reporting section, and a controlling section, which includes a second memory, being included in another information processing apparatus, the processing sections holding the identification information, the reporting section obtaining the identification information from the processing sections and storing the identification information, and the second memory being different from the first memory, wherein the reporting section is connected to each of the controlling section and the first terminal of each of the respective processing sections through a plurality of individual wired communication lines, wherein each one of the plurality of individual wired communication lines connected to the each of the controlling section and the processing sections is separate from each other individual wired communication line of the plurality of individual wired communication lines, wherein the controlling section is separate from the reporting section and the processing sections, and wherein the controlling section collects the identification information of the processing sections through the second terminal of each of the respective processing sections, stores the identification information in the second memory, and causes the reporting section to store the collected identification information in the first memory, which is different from the second memory;
• selecting, from the obtained identification information of the processing sections, the identification information of the processing section to be processed;
• and
• causing the processing section corresponding to the selected identification information to execute predetermined processing.

An information processing system comprising:

• a first information processing apparatus that has a reporting section that includes a first memory, a controlling section that includes a second memory, and processing sections that each include a first terminal and a second terminal, the reporting section obtaining identification information of the processing sections and storing the obtained identification information, and the second memory being different from the first memory;
• and
• a second information processing apparatus that issues, to the first information processing apparatus, a request for reporting the identification information;
• wherein the reporting section in the first information processing apparatus, instead of the processing sections, reports the stored identification information to the second information processing apparatus in response to a request issued from the second information processing apparatus, wherein the reporting section is connected to each of the controlling section and the first terminal of each of the respective processing sections through a plurality of individual wired communication lines, wherein each one of the plurality of individual wired communication lines connected to the each of the controlling section and the processing sections is separate from each other individual wired communication line of the plurality of individual wired communication lines, wherein the controlling section is separate from the reporting section and the processing sections, and wherein the controlling section collects the identification information of the processing sections through the second terminal of each of the respective processing sections, stores the identification information in the second memory, and causes the reporting section to store the collected identification information in the first memory, which is different from the second memory,
• the second information processing apparatus specifies the processing section by using the identification information selected from the reported identification information and issues a request for predetermined processing to the specified processing section, and
• of the processing sections in the first information processing apparatus, the processing section specified by the second information processing apparatus performs the predetermined processing.

An information processing method comprising:

• causing a reporting section that includes a first memory in a first information processing apparatus to obtain identification information of processing sections that each include a first terminal and a second terminal in the first information processing apparatus and to store the obtained identification information;
• and
• causing a second information processing apparatus to issue, to the first information processing apparatus, a request for reporting the identification information;
• wherein the reporting section in the first information processing apparatus, instead of the processing sections, reports the stored identification information to the second information processing apparatus in response to a request issued from the second information processing apparatus, and wherein the reporting section is connected to each of a controlling section, which includes a second memory, and the first terminal of each of the respective processing sections through a plurality of individual wired communication lines, the second memory being different from the first memory, wherein each one of the plurality of individual wired communication lines connected to the each of the controlling section and the processing sections is separate from each other individual wired communication line of the plurality of individual wired communication lines, wherein the controlling section is separate from the reporting section and the processing sections, and wherein the controlling section collects the identification information of the processing sections through the second terminal of each of the respective processing sections, stores the identification information in the second memory, and causes the reporting section to store the collected identification information in the first memory, which is different from the second memory,
• the second information processing apparatus specifies the processing section by using the identification information selected from the reported identification information and issues a request for predetermined processing to the specified processing section, and
• of the processing sections in the first information processing apparatus, the processing section specified by the second information processing apparatus performs the predetermined processing.