Patent ID: 8482750

Claim:
A processing apparatus capable of communicating with a plurality of apparatuses, comprising: a reservation information storing unit adapted to store reservation information about user-reservations for priority use of the plurality of apparatuses; a determining unit adapted to determine whether or not the number of apparatuses which are not user-reserved for priority use during a predetermined time period among the plurality of apparatuses is greater than or equal to a predetermined number, by referring to the reservation information; and a switching unit adapted to switch whether or not to enable release of a user-reservation for priority use of at least one of the apparatuses user-reserved for priority use during the predetermined time period, based on a determination result of said determining unit, the release of the user-reservation for priority use adapted to release at least one user's reservation for priority use of the at least one of the apparatuses user-reserved for priority use during the predetermined time period, wherein said switching unit is adapted to enable release of the user-reservation for priority use of the at least one of the apparatuses user-reserved for priority use during the predetermined time period, when the number of apparatuses which are not user-reserved for priority use during a predetermined time period among the plurality of apparatuses is equal to the predetermined number, and said switching unit is adapted to disable release of the user-reservation for priority use of the at least one of the apparatuses user-reserved for priority use during the redetermined time period, when the number of apparatuses which are not user-reserved for priority use during a predetermined time period among the plurality of apparatuses is greater than the predetermined number.