JP6406879B2 - Information processing apparatus, control method thereof, and program - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a technique for transmitting data from an information processing apparatus such as a personal computer (hereinafter “PC”) to a display control apparatus such as a projector (hereinafter “PJ”).

  Currently, a network screen transfer system that connects a PC and a PJ via a network has attracted attention.

  In this network screen transfer system, the function of simultaneously projecting PC images to all PJs from one PC to multiple PJs, and the multiple screens of images from multiple PCs with one PJ. A function for displaying the layout is realized. In addition, it is possible to form a network from a plurality of PCs with a plurality of PJs, and to perform projection display with various layouts from each PC to each PJ.

  Now, when a network group is composed of a plurality of PCs and a plurality of PJs in this way, each PC and each PJ can communicate with each other, and the communication protocol must be unified. There is. In response to such a problem, Patent Document 1 describes a method for setting a protocol version between devices in a mobile communication system such as a mobile device, a wireless base station device, and a wireless network control device.

JP 2004-064446 A

  However, Patent Document 1 is a method for automatically determining a unified protocol prior to the start of communication between devices, and a situation in which a device additionally participates in a network group that uses the protocol after the communication protocol is determined. Is not assumed.

In order to solve the above problems, an information processing apparatus according to the present invention forms a session with at least one external device connected via a network using a predetermined communication protocol, and forms the session. Based on the version information of the predetermined communication protocol received by the receiving means, and receiving means for receiving version information of the predetermined communication protocol corresponding to each of the external apparatuses forming the session Selection means for selecting a version of the predetermined communication protocol corresponding to all of the information processing apparatus and all of the external apparatuses forming the session, and a mode of the session a setting means for setting a predetermined by the setting means When the mode is set, the selection means selects the highest or lowest version of the predetermined communication protocol versions corresponding to the information processing apparatus and all of the external apparatuses forming the session. automatically selects the forming means and forming a session for communicating with the version of the more selected the predetermined communication protocol to said selection means.

  According to the present invention, a system can be configured flexibly even with a plurality of apparatuses having different communication protocol versions.

It is an example of the hardware block diagram of PC. It is an example of the hardware block diagram of PJ. It is an example of a conceptual diagram of a network screen transfer system. It is an example of the conceptual diagram of a session state. It is an example of the communication sequence diagram between PC and PJ.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. However, the present invention is not limited to the following embodiments. The embodiments of the present invention show preferred modes of the invention and do not limit the scope of the invention.

[First Embodiment]
<System configuration>
FIG. 3 shows an example of the configuration of the network screen transfer system in this embodiment.

  In the system shown in FIG. 3, PCs 100 a and 100 b that are examples of information processing apparatuses and PJs 200 a and 200 that are examples of display control apparatuses are connected via a LAN network 150. The video displayed on the PC 100a can be projected onto the PJ 200a. Furthermore, it is possible to perform projection display with a layout having a high degree of freedom, such as projecting the image of the PC 100a and the image of the PC 100b onto the PJ 200b in a two-screen layout.

  The PC according to the present embodiment captures the video being displayed on the display (extracts the VRAM image), encodes the captured image into a predetermined format recognizable by the PJ, and transmits the captured image as image data to the PJ on the network. can do. The PJ that has received the image data from the PC decodes and projects the image data. By continuously performing this operation, the PJ can project the same screen as that displayed on the PC. Such a system is called a screen transfer system in this embodiment.

<Configuration of PC>
Hereinafter, the hardware configuration of the PC 100a and the PC 100b will be described with reference to FIG.

  The CPU 101 performs overall control of the PC 100 such as various image processing controls including recording control, communication control, encoding, and decoding in accordance with input signals from each unit and the read program.

  The RAM 102 is a main memory that stores data. The RAM 102 is mainly used as a storage area for various data such as an area for storing or developing a program executed by the CPU 101 and a work area for executing the program.

  The VRAM 103 is used as an area for storing an image to be displayed on the display unit 106 described later. That is, the image stored in the VRAM is an image to be displayed and is a capture target in the screen transfer system described above. Note that the VRAM 103 may be the same as the RAM 102 as long as the speed of the RAM 102 is sufficiently high.

  The ROM 104 stores a boot program that the CPU 101 executes at initialization. In the boot program, an OS recorded in the HDD 105 described later is expanded in the RAM 102 and activated.

  A hard disk drive (hereinafter referred to as HDD) 105 is used for storing various programs such as application programs and OSs and data. It is assumed that an application program for realizing a screen transfer system is installed in the PC 100a and PC 100b of the present embodiment. By executing the application program, the PC 100a and the PC 100b can display a GUI for controlling screen transfer. Through this GUI, the user can give various instructions such as selecting a PJ to be communicated, setting a layout at projection, starting and stopping screen transfer, and the like.

  The display unit 106 displays an image instructed by a display control unit 107 described later. The display unit 106 is, for example, a liquid crystal panel or an organic EL panel.

  The display control unit 107 performs a process of reading an image stored in the VRAM 103 and displaying the image on the display unit 106.

  The operation unit 108 is configured by, for example, a keyboard, a mouse, a touch panel, and the like, and an input operation from the user via these is transmitted to the CPU 101.

  The communication unit 109 communicates with an external device, specifically, the PJ 200 via the communication network 150. The communication unit 109 is configured by an interface such as 1 Gigabit Ethernet (registered trademark), for example. Alternatively, a wired interface such as HDBaseT or a wireless interface such as a wireless LAN may be used.

  The internal bus 110 is a bus that connects the processing blocks described above.

  As a basic operation of the PC in this embodiment, a program operating on the CPU 101 controls the display control unit 107, the display unit 106 captures image data being displayed, and transmits the image data to the PJ 200 by the communication unit 109. It will be.

  Note that when the multi-screen layout display is performed as in the PJ 200b of FIG. 3, the resizing process may be performed before the encoding process.

  The hardware configuration of the PC in the present embodiment is not necessarily limited to the above configuration. For example, a plurality of hardware may share the role as the control unit and function as a unit for realizing the operation as a whole. The same applies to PJ described later.

<Configuration of PJ>
Next, the main configuration of the PJ 200 will be described with reference to FIG.

  The CPU 201 performs various controls of the entire PJ 200 such as recording control, communication control, and various image processing controls in accordance with input signals from each unit and read programs.

  A RAM 202 is a main memory that stores data. The RAM 202 is mainly used as a storage area for various data such as an area for storing or developing a program executed by the CPU 101 and a work area during execution of the program.

  Data such as a program and parameters for operating the PJ 200 is written in the ROM 203 in advance, and the CPU 201 operates according to the contents of the ROM 203.

  The VRAM 204 is used as an area for storing an image projected by the projection unit 206 described later.

  When the image data received from the PC 100 is encoded by an encoding method such as JPEG, the decoder 205 decodes the image data.

  The projection unit 206 displays an image instructed by a projection control unit 207 described later. Specifically, the projection unit 206 includes a liquid crystal panel, a lens, and a light source.

  The projection control unit 207 reads out an image stored in the VRAM 204 and performs control to project the image onto the projection unit 206.

  The operation unit 208 includes a button attached to the housing, a remote control reception unit that receives a user operation from a remote controller (not shown), and the like. User input operations via these are transmitted to the CPU 201.

  A communication unit 209 communicates with an external device, specifically, the PC 100 via the communication network 150. The communication unit 109 is configured by an interface such as 1 Gigabit Ethernet (registered trademark), for example. Alternatively, a wired interface such as HDBaseT or a wireless interface such as a wireless LAN may be used.

  The internal bus 210 is a bus that connects the processing blocks described above.

  Note that the basic operation of the PJ 200 in the present embodiment is to receive image data transmitted from the PC 100 via the communication unit 209 and expand it into a format that can be displayed by the 205 decoder, and then the projection control unit. 207 is controlled to display a projection. In the multi-screen layout display as displayed by the PJ 200b in FIG. 3, the storage destination of the decoding result of the video data received from a plurality of PCs is set to the address of the VRAM 204 in consideration of the display position of each PC video. Is possible.

<Communication processing>
Hereinafter, a specific operation of the screen transfer system of this embodiment will be described. The screen transfer system of this embodiment establishes a screen transfer communication path using the concept of session. Here, the session refers to a logical relationship between PCs and PJs capable of screen transfer. A plurality of PCs and a plurality of PJs can belong to one session. Hereinafter, establishing a screen transfer communication path between a PC and a PJ is also referred to as “making a session” and “creating a session”.

  In the present embodiment, even when PCs and PJs using different versions of communication protocols (hereinafter referred to as communication protocols or simply protocols) coexist, it is possible to appropriately select a protocol to be used and perform sessionization. Become.

  In the following description, application software or the like may be described as a subject of processing for ease of explanation. However, it goes without saying that each control unit that actually loads a program such as application software realizes processing by controlling each unit of the device.

(1) First Session Creation First, a process for sessionizing PC 100a, PJ 200a, and PJ 200b as shown in FIG. 4A will be described. In the example of FIG. 4A, a PC application corresponding to the version 2.00 and 1.00 protocols is operating on the PC 100a. In the following description, the expression “upper / lower version” may be used for the version. A higher function version is a higher version, but since a new version generally has a higher function, in this embodiment, a newer version may be considered as a higher version. PJ200a is compatible with version 2.00 and 1.00 protocols. PJ200b is compatible with version 3.00, 2.00, and 1.00 protocols. A process until the PJ and the PC corresponding to such different protocol versions form a session will be described.

  If sessionization is successful, as shown in FIG. 4A, a communication path (403) for screen transfer is established between the communication path (402) between the PC 100a and the PJ 200a and the PJ 200b. Established. Further, the session information (400) held by the PJ 200a and the session information (401) held by the PJ 200b are the same. Here, as the session information, the number of PJs belonging to the session (here, two) and the information of each PJ belonging to the session (here, the IP address) are shared.

  FIG. 5 is a sequence in which a user a of the PC 100a operates the PC 100a to create a session composed of the PJ 200a and the PJ 200b.

  In T500, the user a operates the GUI on the PC 100a to instruct creation of a new session.

  In T501, the PC 100a displays a PJ list for selecting a PJ to belong to the session. In this PJ list, the PC 100a receives PJ information packets broadcast from the PJ via the network and displays them as a list.

  Here, the PJ information packet will be described. The PJ 200a and PJ 200b broadcast PJ information packets on the network at T502 and T504, respectively. This PJ information packet includes at least the IP address of the source PJ, for example. Here, for simplification of explanation, it is assumed that the PJ information packet is transmitted at this timing, but the PJ before the session is distributed in this way at regular intervals.

  At T503 and T505, the PC 100a updates the PJ list. Specifically, information of PJ 200a and PJ 200b is displayed as PJs that can be selected at the time of session creation.

  In T506, the user a selects PJ 200a and PJ 200b from the PJ list, and instructs sessionization.

  In T507, when the PC 100a transmits a connection request to the PJ 200a and receives a connection OK response from the PJ 200a (T541), the PC 100a establishes a logical connection with the PJ 200a. Note that communication establishment here is different from sessionization, and only communication for enabling transmission / reception of a minimum command or the like is established, and screen transfer cannot be performed yet at this point. Note that the connection may require a configuration that requires password authentication set for each PJ.

  In T508, the PC 100a inquires of the protocol version supported by the PJ 200a, and the PJ 200a returns the protocol version supported by T509. In this embodiment, the PJ 200a replies that it corresponds to versions 2.00 and 1.00. Note that this inquiry and response command is supported by any version of the protocol.

  Similarly, the PC 100a establishes communication with the PJ 200b at T510 and T542, and inquires about the protocol version at T511. At T512, the PJ 200b returns that it corresponds to versions 3.00, 2.00, and 1.00.

  If the corresponding protocol versions of the PJ 200a and the PJ 200b are different, the PC 100 displays a GUI for allowing the user to select a protocol version at T513. In the case of the example in FIG. 5, it is selected whether to use version 2.00 or version 1.00 which is a common protocol version. Note that, as candidates to be selected here, all common protocol versions may be candidates, or only the highest version and the lowest version of the common protocol versions may be candidates.

  After T513, after selecting the protocol version by the user, the PC 100a transmits a sessionization request command to the PJ 200a and PJ 200b that have established the connection at T515 and T516, respectively. The sessionization request command includes the name of the session, the protocol version used in the subsequent communication, the number of PJs constituting the session, and information on the PJs constituting the session. In the sessionization request transmitted at T515 and T516, the same information is stored for these items. For example, when the user selects a higher protocol (version 2.00) at T514, for example, the PJ 200a and 200b are notified that the protocol version 2.00 is used at T515 and T516. The PJ that has received the sessionization request command notifies the PC 100a that it accepts sessionization (T543, T544), and transitions itself to a sessionized state.

  As described in the present embodiment, when a higher protocol version is used, the user can perform image transfer using more functions. For example, in the present embodiment, protocol version 1.00 can only transfer screens, whereas version 1.00 can also transfer audio that is output on a PC. Therefore, when the protocol versions of all the devices are the same, the display of the GUI for allowing the user to select the protocol version may be omitted, and the highest protocol may be automatically used.

  On the other hand, when a lower protocol is selected, the screen transfer function is limited. On the other hand, other PCs and PJs that only support lower protocol versions can be easily joined later in the session. Therefore, even if the protocol versions of all the devices are the same, a form of displaying a GUI for allowing the user to select the protocol version is also conceivable. As described above, there is a possibility that a device that only supports the lower version of the protocol will join later.

  Then, at T517, the PC 100a displays a projection GUI for performing projection control on the session-converted PJ.

  With the above processing, the sessionization processing is completed. That is, each of the PJ 200a and the PJ 200b has a communication path for screen transfer with the PC 100a. Further, since the sessionization request command including the same protocol version information is transmitted to each PJ, in the subsequent communication, the PJ 200a, PJ 200b, and PC 100a can communicate with the common protocol version 2.00.

  If the user selects a lower protocol version at T514, the sessionization request is transmitted using the protocol version 1.00 which is the lower version at T515 and T516. In this case, the PC 100a, PJ 200a, and PJ 200b communicate using the protocol version 1.00.

(2) Participation in Created Session Next, a flow in which the PC 100b joins a created session (a session composed of the PJ 200a and the PJ 200b created by the PC 100a) as shown in FIG. To do. When the session is successfully joined, as shown in FIG. 4B, communication paths (404, 405) between the PJ 200a and PJ 200b constituting the created session and the PC 100b newly joining the session are established. . It is assumed that the screen transfer application executed on the PC 100b is compatible only with the protocol version 1.00.

  Hereinafter, a communication sequence in which the user b operates the PC 100b and participates in the created session configured by the PJ 200a and the PJ 200b will be described with reference to T518 and after in FIG.

  At T518, the user b operates the application on the PC 100b to instruct participation in the session.

  In T519, the PC 100b displays a session list for selecting a session that can be joined. This session list is configured based on session information packets broadcast from a PJ already sessionized over the network.

  In this embodiment, as described in the flow for creating a session, the PJ 200a and the PJ 200b are sessionized as PJs belonging to the same session. Therefore, each PJ broadcasts a session information packet at T520 and T522. ing. The session information packet is configured based on the session request command transmitted from the PC that creates a session at the above-described T515 and T516, and relates to the name of the session, the number of PJs constituting the session, and the PJs constituting the session. Contains information. Here, for simplification of explanation, it is assumed that the session information packet is transmitted at this timing, but the PJ after having been sessionized distributes the session information packet in this manner at regular intervals.

  In T521 and T523, the PC 100b receives the session information packet, and therefore updates the session list. Specifically, information (for example, session name) regarding the session created by the user a is displayed as a session that can be participated. Note that the session information packets transmitted by the PJ at T520 and T522 are the same session, and the PJ information belonging to the session is the same. Since the PC 100b according to the present embodiment performs control so as not to display duplicate sessions, when viewed from the user, the display of the session list does not change at time T523.

  At T524, the PC 100b transmits a request for acquiring detailed session information to the PJ 200b. Note that communication at T524, T525, and T528 to T530 is performed with a minimum command supported by any protocol version.

  At T525, the PJ 200b returns the detailed session information to the PC 100b. The PC 100b that has received the detailed session information updates the session information in T526. In the present embodiment, the detailed information of the session is inquired to the PJ 200b. However, as described above, since all the PJs participating in the same session have the same information, the information may be inquired of the PJ 200a.

  In T527, the user b selects a session to be participated in (in this case, a session to which the PC 100a, PJ 200a, and PJ 200b belong) from the application session list and instructs participation in the session.

  At T528, the PC 100b transmits a connection request (participation request) to the PJ 200a. The connection request packet transmitted at T528 includes information on the PC 100b and information on the protocol version supported by the PC 100b (in the present embodiment, only version 1.00 is supported).

  At T529, the PJ 200a determines whether the PC 100b supports the protocol version used in the current session, and determines whether to participate in the current session. For example, if version 2.00 is selected in T514, it is determined that the PC 100b does not support the protocol version. In this case, the PJ 200a returns a connection impossible response to the PC 100b and rejects the connection.

  In the case where the above processing is sessionized with the higher protocol version, a device that supports only the lower version requests midway participation. In the above example, the PC 100b does not necessarily communicate with the PC 100a, PJ 200a, and PJ 200b, but can communicate with each other if a session is created with version 1.00. Therefore, after T529, in response to a connection request from the PC 100b corresponding to the lower version, processing for prompting re-session in the lower version is performed.

  The PJ 200b that has returned a connection failure response at T529 notifies the PC 100a that a connection request has been received from the lower protocol version PC at T530.

  The PC 100a that has received the notification from the PJ 200a at T530 notifies the user that there is a connection with a lower protocol version at T531. Thereafter, at T532, a GUI for selecting whether to recreate the session is displayed.

  With this configuration, the user who operates the PC 100a can recognize other users who are using lower-layer protocol version applications that cannot participate in the session. When receiving an instruction to recreate a session from the user at T533, the PC 100a notifies the PJ 200a and the PC 100b that the session is to be dissolved at T534 and T535. The session is terminated by this notification, and the PC 100a executes the process from T501.

  As described above, when a session is created, the user can select whether to perform screen transfer using more functions or allow lower-level PCs or PJs to participate by allowing the user to select a protocol version. It is possible to make it select by itself.

  In addition, it is possible to create a session that allows more participants to participate by displaying a GUI that notifies the user that a connection has been made from a lower protocol version and allows the user to select whether or not to recreate the session. Become.

  When using the present invention, when screen transfer is performed in an environment where various protocol versions coexist, it is possible to provide as many functions as possible to the user and create a session in which many users can participate. It becomes possible.

  In the present embodiment, it has been described that an arbitrary PC can participate in a session from the middle. However, a session in which another PC cannot participate from the middle can also be created. This can be set by user setting or the like during sessionization or after sessionization. In addition, when there is a specific operation mode, for example, a mode dedicated to one-to-one communication, a session in which another PC cannot participate from the middle is formed.

  When creating a session that other PCs cannot participate in, the process of displaying the protocol version selection GUI displayed in T513 is omitted, and the application running on the PC 100a automatically selects the highest version. To do. With this configuration, it becomes possible for the user to automatically use a higher protocol version, which increases the possibility of providing more functions to the user.

  On the other hand, the application may be configured to automatically select the lowest version. With this configuration, it is possible to automatically create a session in which other PCs with a larger protocol version can participate, without requiring the user to select a complicated protocol version.

  For example, when the setting is such that other PCs can be joined midway through user settings, etc., or when the operation mode is such that a plurality of PCs or PJs can join, such as a meeting mode May automatically select a lower version as described above.

[Other Embodiments]
The present invention can also be realized by executing the following processing. That is, software (program) that realizes the functions of the above-described embodiments is supplied to a system or apparatus via a network or various storage media, and a computer (or CPU, MPU, etc.) of the system or apparatus reads the program. It is a process to be executed.

Claims (13)

An information processing apparatus,
Forming means for forming a session with at least one external device connected via a network using a predetermined communication protocol;
Receiving means for receiving, from each of the external devices forming the session, version information of the predetermined communication protocol corresponding to each of the external devices forming the session;
Based on the version information of the predetermined communication protocol received by the receiving means, the version of the predetermined communication protocol corresponding to the information processing apparatus and all of the external apparatuses forming the session is the session in any version. selection means for selecting whether to form,
Setting means for setting the mode of the session ,
When the predetermined mode is set by the setting unit, the selection unit is the highest of the versions of the predetermined communication protocol corresponding to the information processing apparatus and all of the external apparatuses forming the session, or Automatically select the lowest version,
It said forming means, the information processing apparatus characterized by forming a session for communicating with the version of the more selected the predetermined communication protocol to said selection means. A display unit for displaying a selection screen for selecting a version of the predetermined communication protocol on a display unit;
Said selecting means, based on the user operation on the selection screen, the one version of a given communication protocol, the information processing apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that choose to form a session with any version . After forming the session by said forming means, the information processing apparatus according to claim 1 or 2 further comprising a receiving means for receiving a participation request from another external device to the already formed session. When the accepting unit receives the participation request from the other external device, the receiving unit receives version information of the predetermined communication protocol corresponding to the other external device, and the forming unit forms the already formed Based on the version of the predetermined communication protocol used in the established session and the version of the predetermined communication protocol supported by the other external device, the other external device is allowed to participate in the already formed session. The information processing apparatus according to claim 3 , wherein the information processing apparatus is determined. If the version of the predetermined communication protocol used by the already formed session is included in the version of the predetermined communication protocol supported by the other external device, the forming means includes the version of the already formed session. The information processing apparatus according to claim 4 , wherein the information processing apparatus determines to join the other external apparatus. If the version of the predetermined communication protocol used by the other external device does not include the version of the predetermined communication protocol used in the already formed session, the forming unit may set the already formed session. 6. The information processing apparatus according to claim 4 , wherein the information processing apparatus determines that the other external apparatus is not allowed to participate. An information processing apparatus,
Forming means for forming a session with at least one external device connected via a network using a predetermined communication protocol;
Receiving means for receiving, from each of the external devices forming the session, version information of the predetermined communication protocol corresponding to each of the external devices forming the session;
Based on the version information of the predetermined communication protocol received by the receiving means, the version of the predetermined communication protocol corresponding to the information processing apparatus and all of the external apparatuses forming the session is the session in any version. And selecting means for selecting whether to form
The forming means forms a session for performing communication with the version of the predetermined communication protocol selected by the selecting means,
The session allows new participation of other external devices even after formation by the forming means,
If the version of the predetermined communication protocol used by the other external device does not include the version of the predetermined communication protocol used in the already formed session , whether to end the already formed session An information processing apparatus characterized by inquiring. An information processing apparatus,
Forming means for forming a session with at least one external device connected via a network using a predetermined communication protocol;
Receiving means for receiving, from each of the external devices forming the session, version information of the predetermined communication protocol corresponding to each of the external devices forming the session;
Based on the version information of the predetermined communication protocol received by the receiving means, the version of the predetermined communication protocol corresponding to the information processing apparatus and all of the external apparatuses forming the session is the session in any version. And selecting means for selecting whether to form
The forming means forms a session for performing communication with the version of the predetermined communication protocol selected by the selecting means,
The session allows new participation of other external devices even after formation by the forming means,
The version of said predetermined communication protocol, wherein the other external device corresponds, if the does not already contain a version of the predetermined communication protocol is used by being formed session, to change the version of the predetermined communication protocol An information processing apparatus that displays a screen for displaying on a display unit. In the case where a mode for forming a session with only one external device is set by the setting means, the selection means is configured to select a predetermined communication protocol corresponding to the information processing apparatus and the external device that forms the session. among versions, most information processing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that the higher version automatically selected. When the setting unit sets a mode in which no other external device can participate in the session that has already been formed, the selection unit is configured to correspond to the information processing device and all of the external devices that form the session. The information processing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 6 , wherein the highest version of the predetermined communication protocol versions is automatically selected. When the setting means sets a mode in which another external device can participate in an already formed session, the selection means corresponds to the information processing device and all of the external devices forming the session. The information processing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 6 , wherein the lowest version among the versions of a predetermined communication protocol is automatically selected. A method for controlling an information processing apparatus,
Forming a session with at least one external device connected via a network using a predetermined communication protocol;
From each external device which forms the session, a receiving step, each of the external device for forming the session receives the version information of the corresponding said predetermined communication protocol,
Based on the version information of the predetermined communication protocol received in the receiving step, the version of the predetermined communication protocol corresponding to the information processing apparatus and all of the external apparatuses forming the session is the session in any version. A selection step of selecting whether to form
Setting the mode of the session, and
When a predetermined mode is set in the setting step, in the selection step, the highest or highest version of the predetermined communication protocol corresponding to the information processing device and all of the external devices forming the session. Automatically select a lower version,
Wherein in the forming step, the control method for an information processing apparatus and forming a session for communicating with the version of the predetermined communication protocol selected by the selecting step. The program for functioning a computer as each means of the information processing apparatus of any one of Claims 1 thru | or 11 .

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