Service retrieving apparatus and service retrieving method
First Claim
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1. A document service retrieving system for a data network, comprising:
- a plurality of document service providing apparatus for providing document-related services; and
a document service retrieving apparatus comprising;
a retrieving range setting section for setting a retrieving range in which a document service is retrieved; and
a document service retrieving section for retrieving a document service in the retrieving range that outputs to a document service providing apparatus within the retrieving range and providing a retrieve condition related to a document service and geographic information related to a document service providing apparatus to the retrieve range setting section,wherein the retrieving range setting section sets the retrieving range based on one or more document service retrieve conditions provided by the document service retrieving section and geographical information retrieved by the document service retrieving section from the plurality of document service providing apparatus,the data network has a plurality of regions,the document service retrieving apparatus is a plurality of document service retrieving apparatus.at least one document service retrieving apparatus is disposed in each of the regions,the retrieving range setting section sets at least a part of at least one of the regions as the retrieving region,each of the document service retrieving apparatus further comprises a document service acquiring section for acquiring document service information of each of the document service providing apparatus disposed in the same region as each of the document service retrieving apparatus, andthe document service retrieving section requests one or more document service retrieving apparatus within the plurality of document service retrieving apparatus to retrieve the document services and receives a retrieved result from the one or more document service retrieving apparatus.
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Abstract
When a retrieve request of a service is issued, a service retrieving apparatus according to the present invention sets a retrieve range of services within a wide-area network based upon both a service retrieving request source and a service use condition in accordance with both a geographical view point and communication conditions of networks. The service retrieving apparatus is installed in each of plural networks which constitute the wide-area network, detects a service server contained in each of these networks, and acquires service information. The acquired service information is also notified to the service retrieving apparatus of other networks.
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Citations
24 Claims
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1. A document service retrieving system for a data network, comprising:
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a plurality of document service providing apparatus for providing document-related services; and a document service retrieving apparatus comprising; a retrieving range setting section for setting a retrieving range in which a document service is retrieved; and a document service retrieving section for retrieving a document service in the retrieving range that outputs to a document service providing apparatus within the retrieving range and providing a retrieve condition related to a document service and geographic information related to a document service providing apparatus to the retrieve range setting section, wherein the retrieving range setting section sets the retrieving range based on one or more document service retrieve conditions provided by the document service retrieving section and geographical information retrieved by the document service retrieving section from the plurality of document service providing apparatus, the data network has a plurality of regions, the document service retrieving apparatus is a plurality of document service retrieving apparatus. at least one document service retrieving apparatus is disposed in each of the regions, the retrieving range setting section sets at least a part of at least one of the regions as the retrieving region, each of the document service retrieving apparatus further comprises a document service acquiring section for acquiring document service information of each of the document service providing apparatus disposed in the same region as each of the document service retrieving apparatus, and the document service retrieving section requests one or more document service retrieving apparatus within the plurality of document service retrieving apparatus to retrieve the document services and receives a retrieved result from the one or more document service retrieving apparatus. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
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11. A service retrieving system in a data network having a plurality of regions, comprising:
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a client apparatus including; a first retrieving means for retrieving a position of a service providing apparatus within the data network by communicating with a retrieving apparatus located in the same area; and a communication means for communicating with the service providing apparatus by employing both the position of the service providing apparatus obtained by the first retrieving means and a position of the service providing apparatus obtained by not using the first retrieving means in the data network, the service providing apparatus including a notification means for notifying a position of the retrieving apparatus within each of regions to one of the client apparatus and the retrieving apparatus in another region, and also in which when a notification of the position of the retrieving apparatus within the another region is received, the notification means notifies the notified position of the retrieving apparatus within the another region to a retrieving apparatus located within the same region; and the retrieving apparatus installed in each of region, while the retrieving apparatus includes; a notification means for communicating with the retrieving apparatus located within another region by employing the notified position of the retrieving apparatus within the another region and also for mutually notifying the positions of the retrieving apparatus held by each of retrieving apparatus; and a second retrieving means for communicating with the retrieving apparatus located in the another region by employing the notified position of the retrieving apparatus within the another region in response to the communication of the client apparatus located in the same region so as to retrieve a position of the server apparatus, the second retrieving means providing a retrieve condition to the retrieve ranging section, wherein the retrieving range setting section sets the retrieving range based on the retrieve condition provided by the second retrieving section and geographical information of the service providing apparatus.
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12. A document service retrieving method for retrieving document services provided in a data network, the method comprising:
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setting a retrieving range in the data network; retrieving document services in the set retrieving range that generate document-related output at a document service providing apparatus within the set retrieving range; providing a retrieve condition for retrieving the document services; outputting a request to retrieve the document services and receiving a retrieved result, wherein setting the retrieving range is based on the retrieve condition and geographical information of the document service providing apparatus, the data network has a plurality of regions, and the method acquires information on document service providing apparatus, the method further comprising; setting at least a part of at least one of the regions as a retrieving region; and acquiring document service information from document service providing apparatus disposed in the retrieving region.
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13. A retrieving program for causing a computer to retrieve document services provided in a data network, comprising:
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setting a retrieving range in the data network; retrieving document services in the set retrieving range that generate document-related output at a document service providing apparatus within the set retrieving range;
providing a retrieve condition for retrieving the document services; andoutputting a request to retrieve the document services and receiving a retrieved result, wherein setting the retrieving range is based on the retrieve condition and geographical information of the document service providing apparatus, the data network has a plurality of regions, and the retrieving program further causes a computer to acquire information on document service providing apparatus, comprising; setting at least a part of at least one of the regions as a retrieving region; and acquiring document service information from document service providing apparatus disposed in the retrieving region.
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14. A recording medium for recording thereon a retrieving program capable of causing a computer to retrieve document services provided in a data network, comprising:
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setting a retrieving range in the data network; retrieving document services in the set retrieving range that generate document-related output at a document service providing apparatus within the set retrieving range; providing a retrieve condition for retrieving the document services; and outputting a request to retrieve the document services and receiving a retrieved result, wherein setting the retrieving range is based on the retrieve condition and geographical information of the document service providing apparatus, the data network has a plurality of regions, and the retrieving program further causes a computer to acquire information on document service providing apparatus, comprising; setting at least a part of at least one of the regions as a retrieving region; and acquiring document service information from document service providing apparatus disposed in the retrieving region.
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15. A document service retrieving apparatus disposed in a data network, comprising:
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a retrieving range setting section for setting a retrieving range in which document services are retrieved; a document service retrieving section for retrieving a document service in the retrieving range that generates document-related output at a document service providing apparatus within the retrieving range and providing a retrieve condition to the retrieving range setting section; and a document service acquiring section; wherein the data network has a plurality of regions, the retrieving range setting section sets the retrieving range based on the retrieve condition provided by the document service retrieving section and geographical information of the document service providing apparatus, the retrieving range setting section sets at least a part of at least one of the regions as a retrieving region, the document service acquiring section acquires document service information of document service providing apparatus disposed in the retrieving region, and the document service retrieving section outputs a request to retrieve the document service information and receives a retrieved result. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24)
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Specification