Patent ID: 7720981

Claim:
A processing apparatus that is connectable with a server apparatus through a network, the apparatus comprising: storing means for storing information; device registering means for transmitting a registration request for identification information of the processing apparatus to the server apparatus and receiving a registration-completion response, a continuation identifier, and a validity period of the continuation identifier from the server apparatus, the continuation identifier being identification information assigned to the processing apparatus by the server apparatus after registration completion that allows the server apparatus to authenticate the processing apparatus as having completed registration with the server apparatus; registration recording means for storing in the storing means, when the device registering means receives the registration-completion response from the server apparatus, registration-completion confirmation information indicating that registration with the server apparatus is completed; and controlling means for establishing an always-on communication session with the server apparatus, wherein after the always-on communication session between the processing apparatus and the server apparatus is interrupted, the controlling means, in response to a determination that the registration-completion confirmation information is stored in the storing means, transmits the continuation identifier to the server apparatus within the validity period of the communication identifier to reestablish the always-on connection to the server apparatus without the device registration recording means re-registering the processing apparatus with the server apparatus, and the controlling means, in response to a determination that the registration completion confirmation information is not stored in the storing means, causes the device registration recording means to re-register the processing apparatus with the server apparatus.