Patent ID: 7076550

Claim:
A network connection apparatus connected to another network connection apparatus via a radio or a cable communication line to configure a network, the network connection apparatus comprising: an interface unit for sending and receiving data via the communication line; an apparatus information storing unit for storing function information of the network connection apparatus, the function information including a function of the network connection apparatus, format information on a format of contents to be input/output between the network and the network connection apparatus concerning the function, and size information on a size of the contents to be input/output from the network connection apparatus; an apparatus information interpretation unit for interpreting received function information of the another network connection apparatus received by the interface unit; wherein the received function information includes received format information and received size information; and a service definition storing unit for storing service definition information defining a service, the service definition information including at least service format information on the format of cooperative contents to be input/output and service size information on the size of the cooperative contents, wherein the network connection apparatus, when it is connected to the network, notifies the another network connection apparatus connected to the network of the function information of the network connection apparatus stored in the apparatus information storing unit, via the interface unit, and the apparatus information interpretation unit determines to provide the service by determining that the format information included in the function information of the network connection apparatus and the received format information included in the received function information of the another network connection apparatus match to the service format information of the service definition information, and that the size information included in the function information of the network connection apparatus and the received size information included in the received function information of the another network connection apparatus conform to the service size information of the service definition information.