Patent ID: 7826083

Claim:
An image forming apparatus which is connected to a network and can communicate with an information processing apparatus on the network, comprising: a plurality of image forming means, each of which processes a different PDL (Page Description Language); decision means for deciding a priority image forming means from said plurality of image forming means in accordance with states of image forming means; transmission means for transmitting, in response to an information request transmitted from the information processing apparatus, identification information containing an identifier of said image forming means decided by said decision means so that the information processing apparatus installs a device driver corresponding to the decided priority image forming means; reception means for receiving a search request from the information processing apparatus; response means for interpreting a type designated by the search request and making a response only when the image forming apparatus includes the type; and storage means for, if the type designated by the search request indicates a type of said image forming means, storing correspondence information representing a correspondence between type information representing the designated type and identification information representing an information processing apparatus which has transmitted the search request, wherein said decision means decides, as the priority image forming means from said plurality of image forming means, an image forming means that is added and extended to the image forming apparatus as an option, and wherein if an information processing apparatus which has transmitted the information request exists in the correspondence information stored in said storage means, said decision means does not decide, as the priority image forming means, an image forming means which is added and extended to the image forming apparatus as the option, but decides an image forming means corresponding to the type designated by said search request.