Patent ID: 6864991

Claim:
A network system wherein a first information processing apparatus and a second information processing apparatus are connected via a network, comprising: communication means, for communicating with a plurality of image processing apparatuses to obtain device data for said image processing apparatuses; storage means, for storing the device data obtained with said communication means; transmission means, for, following the receipt of a request from said second information processing apparatus, effecting transmission by said first information processing apparatus to said second information processing apparatus of the device data stored in said storage means; request means, for issuing, to said first information processing apparatus by said second information processing apparatus, a request for the device data that are stored in said storage means; and display control means, for, based on the device data that are transmitted from said first information processing apparatus to said second information processing apparatus, arranging said plurality of image processing apparatuses, and for displaying corresponding device data on a display unit, wherein, to display the device data, said display control means assigns ranks for said image processing apparatuses based on a condition selected by a user.