Patent ID: 8677246

Claim:
A user interface (UI) control apparatus comprising: a UI list storage unit configured to store a UI list which is information listing at least one UI program stored in said UI control apparatus; a UI list obtaining unit configured to add information on a UI program stored in a remote appliance to the UI list stored in said UI list storage unit, the remote appliance being connected to said UI control apparatus via a communication path, and the UI list including, for each of a plurality of UI programs registered in the UI list, information indicating (i) a function of the UI program, (ii) an appliance which holds the UI program and a location of the UI program in the appliance, and (iii) at least one of a version and a usability of the UI program; a UI obtaining unit configured to, in a case where a UI program selected by a user from the UI list with the UI program added to the UI list is not stored in said UI control apparatus, (i) search the remote appliance for the selected UI program by identifying, from among the plurality of UI programs registered in the UI list, a UI program (a) having a function that is the same as a function of the selected UI program, (b) having at least one of a version and a usability higher than at least one of a version and a usability of the selected UI program, and (c) being held in the remote appliance, and (ii) obtain the identified UI program from the remote appliance; and a displaying unit configured to display, by executing the obtained UI program, a UI on a display of either said UI control apparatus or an appliance including said UI control apparatus.