Patent ID: 7324227

Claim:
A connection apparatus for automatically connecting a connection source over a network to a predetermined connection destination using a trigger signal issued upon initial power-up; wherein the connection source is a printer and the predetermined connection destination provides maintenance for said printer over said network; wherein said connection source comprises: information about said predetermined connection destination; menus of maintenance offerings; connecting method information; and connecting means for making a connection request to said predetermined connection destination based on said information about said predetermined connection destination, menus of maintenance offerings, and connecting method information and, given a permission, for automatically connecting to said connection destination; said connection request including a connection source identification for identifying said connection source; and wherein said predetermined connection destination includes plural connection source identifications for identifying a plurality of connection sources; the predetermined connection destination comprises: receiving means for receiving said connection request from said connection source; judging means which, upon interpreting said connection request, judges whether said connection source is a predetermined connection source or not by checking said connection source identification against said plural connection source identifications; and permission granting means which, if said judging means judges said connection source to be a predetermined connection source, grants connection permission to said connection source, wherein the connection means determines whether the connection is a continuous connection or a connection upon contact such that a continuous connection enables the printer to be continuously actively connected to the network and connection upon contact enables the printer to be connected to the connection source upon an event at the printer.