Information processing apparatus and function expansion method

A function expansion method, comprising the steps of:

• receiving, by an information processing apparatus, index information about one or more expansion functions from an external expansion server realized by being linked to predetermined services provided by an external service server connected via a network, wherein the index information contains;
• i. information representing a required data file format with which an upload service provides an upload operation,
• ii. information representing an availability of an upload service of a plurality of upload types to the information receiving unit, and
• iii. information about a plurality of services that provide the same type of expansion function;
• displaying, by the information processing apparatus, a menu of information representing the expansion functions on a display screen, based on the index information;
• wherein the menu of information dynamically indicates different upload types of available upload services that are compatible with the information receiving unit;
• the menu is a contextual menu in which, when the user specifies an object on the display screen, all available upload services and their corresponding operations that are compatible with the object are displayed on the display screen and subsequently selectable for downloading in accordance with a user selection;
• downloading, by the information processing apparatus, software for executing the expansion function based on location information of the software when the expansion function being executed in accordance with a user selection on the menu on the display screen;
• wherein the location information is contained in the index information as address information representing the storage location of the software, and
• using, by the information processing apparatus, the downloaded software to execute the expansion function based on the operation selected by the user, and
• periodically updating the index information indicating that a new operation is available for the object, and automatically adding the new operation for the object into the contextual menu.