Patent ID: 7415536

Claim:
An address notification method comprising, upon receiving a query about an address of a first apparatus from a second apparatus, sending a query about the address of the first apparatus to a third apparatus; conducting a connection test with the first apparatus using the address of the first apparatus obtained from the third apparatus; and notifying the second apparatus of the address of the first apparatus obtained from the third apparatus, wherein before a result of the connection test has been obtained, the second apparatus is notified of, as an expiration time of the address of the first apparatus, a second expiration time shorter than the first expiration time of the address of the first apparatus that is obtained from the third apparatus together with the address of the first apparatus, and wherein after an affirmative result of the connection test has been obtained, the second apparatus is notified of, as an expiration time of the address of the first apparatus, a third expiration time based on the first expiration time of the address of the first apparatus that is obtained from the third apparatus together with the address of the first apparatus.