Apparatus for performing plug and play, digital A/V system using the same and method thereof

A digital image processing system including a plug and play apparatus comprising:

• a device searching module for searching an external device connected to the digital image processing system through a predetermined interface;
• a connection state analyzing module for determining whether the searched external device is previously connected to the digital image processing system when the external device is connected to the digital image processing system by comparing the type of connected device and a connection state before searching the external device;
• a storing unit for storing information about the type and the previous connection state of the searched external device;
• an information managing module for searching detail information of data stored in the connected external device and outputting the searching result;
• a reproducing function verifying module for determining whether the data stored in the connected external device is processable by the digital image processing system based on the searching result from the information managing module;
• and
• a plug and play module for displaying the determination result from the reproducing function module and a selection menu for controlling the connected device to perform a target function according to a user's input.

A method of performing a plug and play function for a digital image processing system comprising:

• a) searching an external device connected to the digital image processing system through a predetermined interface;
• b) determining whether the searched external device is previously connected to the digital image processing system when the external device is connected to the digital image processing system by comparing the type of connected device and a connection state before searching the external device;
• c) storing information about the type and the previous connection state of the searched external device;
• d) searching detail information of data stored in the connected external device and outputting the searching result;
• e) determining whether the data stored in the connected external device is processable by the digital image processing system based on the searching result;
• and
• f) displaying the determination result and a selection menu for controlling the connected device and performing a target function according to a user's input.