The present invention is to allow display based on the setting positions of
devices in selection of a desired device to be used, and facilitate
selection considering the setting positions of the devices. The present
invention can also display equipments so as to allow discrimination
between an equipment included in an image processing apparatus and an
equipment connected on a communication line. Equipments in a network
environment are placed on the first floor (1F), the second floor (2F), and
the third floor (3F) in a building and connected through a network (LAN
1300). For example, a computer (1310) collects device information
including status information and setting position information from usable
input/output devices. For example, status information representing "BUSY"
and setting position information representing "3F-B block" are transferred
from a virtual optical scanner (1302). The computer (1310) displays the
connected input/output devices together with the setting position
information obtained from the devices. An image processing apparatus (100)
has various input/output devices including a reader unit (1), a printer
unit (2), and an image input/output control unit (3). In addition, various
input/output equipments (two optical scanner devices (1302, 1303) and
three facsimile transmission/reception devices (1305, 1306, 1307)) are
connected to the image processing apparatus (100) through a LAN interface
unit (9) and the LAN (1300). A CPU (123) of a core unit (10) manages the
input/output equipments to determine whether they are connected through
the network. When a desired input/output equipment is to be selected,
whether the input/output equipments are connected through the network is
explicitly indicated.
