Patent ID: 7240118

Claim:
A network-connectable apparatus, comprising: a restricting device adapted to restrict access to the network-connectable apparatus by another apparatus in accordance with a status of the network-connectable apparatus; a detecting device adapted to detect whether a request from the other apparatus is a request for inquiry about update of a file; a discrimination device adapted to discriminate, based on detection by said detecting device, whether a file corresponding to a file cached by the other apparatus has been updated, wherein said discrimination device makes its discrimination in accordance with time information included in the request; and a sending device adapted, in the case where the access to the network-connectable apparatus by the other apparatus is not restricted by said restricting device, selectively to send information representing that the file corresponding to the file cached by the other apparatus has not been updated, to the other apparatus, or to send the updated file to the other apparatus, in accordance with the discrimination by said discrimination device, and, in the case where the access to the network-connectable apparatus by the other apparatus is restricted by said restricting device, to send information representing that the access is rejected to the other apparatus, regardless as to whether or not the file corresponding to the file cached by the other apparatus is updated, wherein the information representing the access-rejection is information for describing a screen image which indicates in the other apparatus the reason for the access restriction.