Patent ID: 8171183
Filing Date: 2012-05-01
Classification: G06F

Abstract:
1. An information processing apparatus that performs communication within a system by using identification information for identifying a device, the information processing apparatus comprising: a first device in which a first identifier is uniquely set for the first device; a holding part that holds a second identifier that is settable arbitrarily for a device provided in the system; an arrangement change determining part that determines whether an arrangement of the first device within the system is changed; an identification information acquiring part that acquires identification information corresponding to at least one second device that is connected in the system and that is different from the first device when the arrangement change determining part determines that the arrangement of the first device within the system is not changed; an identification information determining part that determines whether the second identifier to be set for the first device is used in the system as the identification information based on the identification information corresponding to the at least one second device acquired by the identification information acquiring part and the second identifier held in the holding part; and an identifier setting part that sets the second identifier as the identification information of the first device based on the identification information determining part determining that the second identifier is not used in the system, the identifier setting part setting the first identifier as the identification information of the first device further based on the arrangement change determining part determining that the arrangement of the first device within the system is changed.