Patent ID: 8499145

Claim:
A device setting apparatus configured to connect to a counterpart apparatus through a network, the device setting apparatus comprising: a storage device configured to store information specifying a procedure to be performed by the device setting apparatus to cause the counterpart apparatus to perform a user request; a communication device configured to send a secure communication request to the counterpart apparatus to start secure communication via a secure interface protocol; a processor including a process determiner device configured to determine whether the counterpart apparatus is capable of performing secure communication based on whether a response is received by the communication device in response to the secure communication request and contents of the response when the response is received in response to the secure communication request to generate a first determination result; and a process manager device configured to execute operation of setting secure communication for the counterpart apparatus according to the determination result indicating that the counterpart apparatus is not capable of performing secure communication, and to cause the communication device to send a request for performing the user request to the counterpart apparatus using a secure communication interface protocol or an insecure communication interface protocol, wherein after the operation of setting the secure communication for the counterpart apparatus is executed, the process determiner device determines whether the procedure to be performed by the device setting apparatus to cause the counterpart apparatus to perform a user request is one of one or more procedures that require secure communication or one of one or more procedures that do not require secure communication to generate a second determination result, and when the second determination result indicates that the procedure is one of one or more procedures that do not require secure communication, the process manager device causes the communication device to send a communication setting change request to the counterpart apparatus that causes the counterpart apparatus to change a communication setting from a value that requires the secure communication interface protocol to a value that requires the insecure communication interface protocol; and send the request for performing the user request to the counterpart apparatus using the insecure communication interface protocol.