Patent ID: 7295986

Claim:
An information processing apparatus for sending and receiving an information signal to and from an electronic apparatus, comprising: communication management means for managing a communication on a home network system, wherein said communication management means provides a transmission mechanism for sending and receiving information signals between apparatuses connected to said home network system, monitor an operation status of said home network system and provide a corresponding information to other means; software module acquiring means for acquiring, directly from said electronic apparatus, a software module used for writing and reading product history information which includes at least one of purchase information and repair information concerning said electronic apparatus, wherein said software module acquiring means automatically acquires said software module when said communication management means detect that said electronic apparatus is connected to said home network system; software module installing means for identifying the software module acquired by said software module acquiring means, for installing said software module on said information processing apparatus and for uninstalling said software module on said information processing apparatus, wherein said software module installing means uninstalls said software module when said communication management means detect that said electronic apparatus is pulled out of said home network system; and product-history updating means for updating the product history information stored in said electronic apparatus by sending messages for reading/writing the product history information to said electronic apparatus via said home network system and receiving responses to said messages from said electronic apparatus, with the use of said software module installed by said software installing means.