Patent ID: 8645975

Claim:
An information processing apparatus, comprising: an operating system for managing a device; a processor for executing a program; a detecting unit configured to, detect an additional function data file located outside of a driver package, wherein the operating system does not recognize the additional function data file, wherein said additional function data file including a description of an added function that is provided in addition to a device driver which has been already installed in the information processing apparatus by searching outside of the driver package for the device driver within the information processing apparatus; a checking unit configured to receive, from the detecting unit, the detected additional function data file and comparing the detected additional function data file and model information which is already stored in a print setting area of a predetermined information storage area and to identify a device corresponding to the detected additional function data file; and a storing unit configured to, store the detected additional function data file in the predetermined information storage area located outside of the driver package and inside the information processing apparatus, wherein the storing includes converts the function data file into a format suitable for the driver package and the detected additional function data file is recognized as a logical device by the operating system so as to maintain contents of the driver package without changes and wherein the operating system is configured to send the detected additional function data file stored in the predetermined information storage area and the driver package to an external apparatus connected to the information processing apparatus via a network in response to a request from the external apparatus so as to reflect the detected additional function data file in the driver package.