Patent ID: 7738475

Claim:
An information processing apparatus comprising: one or more modules that are interconnected via a system bus; wherein each of one or more said modules includes a functional device, which conforms to a local interface that differs from an interface for said system bus, and performs a predetermined function; and an interface device, which is connected to said functional device via a local bus conforming to said local interface, and connected to another module via said system bus, wherein, when information in a first format conforming to said local interface is supplied from said functional device via said local bus, said interface device converts the information from said first format to a second format conforming to the interface for said system bus and supplies the converted information to said another module via said system bus, when information in said second format is supplied from said another module via said system bus, said interface device converts the information from said second format to said first format and supplies the converted information to said functional device via said local bus, and said local bus includes a message bus configured to exchange messages with other functional devices, and the message bus is configured to output an interrupt signal to the functional device when a message is received via the message bus and the functional device is configured to perform a read operation at the message bus in response to receiving the interrupt signal.