Patent ID: 7668185

Claim:
A processing apparatus in a tree-type network system that comprises an inquiry apparatus that sends inquiry information requesting that reply-result information be sent, and a plurality of processing apparatuses that receive the inquiry information, where the inquiry apparatus is connected to the plurality of processing apparatuses in a tree shape via communication paths so that the inquiry apparatus is the highest and the plurality of processing apparatuses form a plurality of layers, and the inquiry information that is sent from the inquiry apparatus is successively transferred from the processing apparatuses in a higher order to the processing apparatuses in a lower order, wherein one of the processing apparatuses comprises: an inquiry-information-receiving unit for receiving the inquiry information that is sent from another processing apparatus that is connected in a higher-order layer above the processing apparatus or from the inquiry apparatus; an inquiry-information-transfer unit for transferring the received inquiry information to one or more of the other processing apparatuses that are connected in a lower-order layer below the processing apparatus; a reply-result-information-receiving unit for receiving the reply-result information that includes reply information for the received inquiry information and that is sent from at least one or more of the other processing apparatuses that are connected in the lower-order layer; a reply-information-creation unit for the processing apparatus to create its own reply information for the received inquiry information; a reply-result-information-creation unit for the processing apparatus to create its own reply-result information based on the reply-result information received by the reply-result-information-receiving unit, and the reply information created by the reply-information-creation unit; a reply-result-information-reply unit for sending the created reply-result information to another processing apparatus or inquiry apparatus that is connected in a higher-order layer and that is a transmission source of the inquiry information that was received by the inquiry-information-receiving unit; and a selection unit for selecting a specified number of items of the reply information from among the reply information that is included in the reply-result information that is received by the reply-result-information-receiving unit, and the reply information that is created by the reply-result-information-creation unit; wherein the reply-result-information-creation unit creates the reply-result information that includes the selected specified number of items of the reply information.