Patent ID: 8122458

Claim:
A device communication interface apparatus comprising: a processor; an input and output interface configured to be connected with a device which includes first information; a communication interface configured to: (a) connect, via cable or wirelessly, to a communication network; and (b) communicate with a server on the communication network; and a memory device which stores a first device driver and instructions which when executed by the processor, cause the processor to: (a) after the device is connected to the input and output interface, obtain the first information of the device; (b) using the obtained first information, determine whether the stored first device driver corresponds to the device; (c) in response to the stored first device driver corresponding, to the device, start the first device driver; (d) in response to the device being a first type of device, transmit second information to the server, the second information being input via the input and output interface and the first device driver from the device; and (e) in response to the device being a second type of device, transmit, via the first device driver and the input and output interface, third information to the device, the third information being received via the communication interface from the server; wherein the instructions, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to attach identification information unique to the device onto information to be transmitted to the server, the identification information being obtained from the device.