Patent ID: 8755057

Claim:
A method to share favorite image reading apparatuses of a first host apparatus, which is connected to at least an other host apparatus over a network, and to which at least one universal driver capable of controlling a plurality of image reading apparatuses is installed in at least the first host apparatus and the other host apparatus, the method comprising: searching, controlled by the at least one universal driver, for image reading apparatuses and registering at least one of the searched image reading apparatuses to a list of favorite image reading apparatuses at the first host apparatus; selecting at least one of the registered favorite image reading apparatuses to be shared, based at least in part upon a user selection; activating a sharing function to share the selected at least one of the registered favorite image reading apparatuses, by the at least one universal driver; searching for the other host apparatus where the sharing function is activated to share the selected at least one of the registered favorite image reading apparatuses, controlled by the at least one universal driver; receiving a second list of favorite image reading apparatuses to be shared from the other host apparatus according to a request of the first host apparatus when the first host apparatus is connected to the searched other host apparatus, by the at least one universal driver; and registering information regarding the second list of favorite image reading apparatuses to be shared, which is received from the other host apparatus, to the list of favorite image reading apparatuses at the first host apparatus, according to a second user selection so that the first host apparatus uses the information regarding the second list of favorite image reading apparatuses to be shared, which is received from the other host apparatus, irrespective of activating the sharing function of the other host apparatuses.