Patent ID: 8234389

Claim:
A method of controlling communication for an encryption processing unit that is connected to a network connection status acquiring unit, which is connected to a circuit that transmits packets on a network, and acquires a status of a connection to the network for the encrypting processing unit encrypting the packets, and the encryption processing unit connected to an expansion card for connecting to the network, based on the network connection status requested and acquired from the network connection status acquiring unit by the expansion card each prescribed period of time, the method comprising: providing a communication control unit communicably connectable to the encryption processing unit, the network connection status acquiring unit and the expansion card, and that executes: relaying by the communication control unit the network connection status acquired from the network connection status acquiring unit to the encryption processing unit; forcibly by the communication control unit notifying the expansion card that the network connection status is “connected to network,” for a case where the acquired network connection status is “not connected to network” at a time requested by the expansion card; and further providing one or more notifications by the communication control unit that include: notifying that the network connection status is “connected to network” when power of the encryption processing unit is turned on, for a case where the acquired network connection status is “not connected to network” at a time requested by the expansion card, notifying a “not connected to network” status to the expansion card, when the acquired network connection status changes from a “connected to network” status to a “not connected to network” status, and notifying the expansion card of network connection information along with a determined network connection status, when requested by the expansion card after a prescribed period of time has elapsed.