Patent ID: 7859601

Claim:
A signal processing apparatus for processing an input signal, comprising: signal processing means for processing the input signal, the signal processing means having predetermined functions; determining means for determining whether a second apparatus is connected; and control means for changing the function of the signal processing means in a first mode when the second apparatus is connected and is compliant to a function in which the signal processing means functions in optimal cooperation with the second apparatus, and for maintaining a current function of the signal processing means in a second mode when the second apparatus is connected and non-compliant, and for maintaining a current function of the signal processing means in a third mode when the second apparatus is not connected, wherein compliancy is determined based on whether a returned function ID in response to a compliancy determination is received, and wherein the signal processing apparatus has an ID table comprising a plurality of function IDs, each of the plurality of function IDs is associated with processing information comprising processing tasks to be shared between the signal processing device and a connected compliant second apparatus, wherein, when the second apparatus is connected, the signal processing apparatus requests a function ID, and when a function ID is received, the signal processing apparatus refers to the function ID table to retrieve the processing information associated with the received function ID, and wherein a function of the signal processing apparatus and a function of the second apparatus is changed in accordance with the processing information retrieved, and wherein the signal processing apparatus changes from performing a plurality of tasks simultaneously to performing less tasks after a connections to the connected compliant apparatus.