Patent ID: 8090875

Claim:
A connecting device that connects together at least a first device manufacturing processing apparatus being of a first type of device manufacturing processing apparatuses and a second device manufacturing processing apparatus being of a second type of the device manufacturing processing apparatuses, comprising: a receiving section that is connected to the first device manufacturing processing apparatus and receives information sent from the first device manufacturing processing apparatus using a method that is suitable for receiving information sent from the first device manufacturing processing apparatus, the information being physical information measured by or provided to at least one of the device manufacturing processing apparatuses used in production of an object; an identification section that identifies the type of the first device manufacturing processing apparatus and the type of the second device manufacturing processing apparatus; a conversion section that is connected to the receiving section and converts information received by the receiving section into information that is suitable for information receiving by the second device manufacturing processing apparatus that is different from the first device manufacturing processing apparatus based on a selected one of a plurality of conversion files; and a transmitting section that is connected to the conversion section and the second device manufacturing processing apparatus and transmits information that has been converted by the conversion section into information that is suitable for information receiving by the second device manufacturing processing apparatus to the second device manufacturing processing apparatus, wherein the plurality of conversion files are housed within the connecting device and may be altered by a user receiving the information, the selected one of the plurality of conversion files is selected based on the identified types of the first and second device manufacturing processing apparatuses, and the second device manufacturing processing apparatus is designated at the time the information is sent from the first device manufacturing processing apparatus.