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Service retrieval apparatus and service retrieval methodService retrieval apparatus and service retrieval method description/claimsThe Patent Description & Claims data below is from USPTO Patent Application 20090132654, Service retrieval apparatus and service retrieval method. Brief Patent Description - Full Patent Description - Patent Application Claims
This application is based upon and claims the benefit of priority from prior Japanese Patent Application No. 2003-301267, filed Aug. 26, 2003, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a technique of retrieving a desired function among a plurality of home appliances respectively having different functions. 2. Description of the Related Art The following are existing appliance/device connectivity techniques and their characteristics. UPnP (Universal Plug and Play) is a technique of performing retrieval based on the type names of appliances/devices, the type names of devices, and device names. HAVi (Home Audio/Video interoperability) is a technique of performing retrieval based on IDs and attributes (function type names and vendor names) and a standard for AV appliances. There is some technique of performing retrieval based on the functions of appliances as well as the types of appliances. Assume that the number of appliances that can simultaneously access one appliance is determined in advance. For such a case, there is also available a technique (exclusive control) for allowing access to the appliance within this limit (e.g., Jpn. Pat. Appln. KOKAI Publication No. 2001-196636). Conventionally, connection between appliances (devices), has been established by using the type names of appliances (devices), limitations and the like predetermined for the respective appliances. However, since the names of the respective appliances, the name of an appliance to be found at the time of retrieval, limitations of the respective appliances, and the like are statically written in advance in the respective appliances, only static connection relationships can be established. According to the conventional techniques described above, therefore, it is difficult to retrieve an optimal appliance suitable for one of various kinds of requests from various kinds of appliances among various kinds of functions (services) used in the home and appliances that are assumed to be in various states. It is an object of the present invention to provide a service retrieval apparatus and service retrieval method which can easily retrieve optimal appliances suitable for one of various kinds of requests from various kinds of appliances among various appliances which perform various kinds of functions (services) used in the home and which are assumed to be in various states. (1) According to first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a service retrieval apparatus which retrieves, from a plurality of service functions of a plurality of appliances, a service function identical or similar to a first function requested from a first appliance which is one of the appliances, comprising: a first storing unit configured to store a plurality of service data items, each of the service data items including a word corresponding to an input item, a word corresponding to an output item, and an expression corresponding to a condition, the input and output items representing one of the service functions; a second storing unit configured to store a plurality of words and information representing correlations among the words on the basis of meanings of the words; a first receiving unit configured to receive a request data item which is transmitted from the first appliance and includes at least a word corresponding to the input item of the input and output items representing the first function, and an expression corresponding to the condition; an acquiring unit configured to acquire, from the words stored in the second storing unit, a first word set which is a set of words having meanings identical or similar to a meaning of the word corresponding to the input item in the request data item; a retrieving unit configured to retrieve, from the service data items, a group of service data items in each of which one word of the first word set is included as the input item; a first calculating unit configured to calculate a condition similarity between a meaning of an expression corresponding to the condition in each service data item of the group and a meaning of an expression corresponding to the condition in the request data item; a second calculating unit configured to calculate a priority of the each service data item of the group on the basis of a first similarity between the word corresponding to the input item in the each service data item and the word corresponding to the input item in the request data item and the condition similarity; and a first transmitting unit configured to transmit a list to the first appliance, the list including at least the priority an address of an appliance of the appliances which correspond to the each service data item of the group. (2) According to second aspect of the present invention, there is provided a service retrieval method for retrieving, from a plurality of service functions of a plurality of appliances, a service function identical or similar to a first function requested from a first appliance which is one of the appliances, the method comprising: (a) storing a plurality of service data items in the first memory device, each of the service data items including a word corresponding to an input item, a word corresponding to an output item, and an expression corresponding to a condition, the input and output items representing one of the service functions; (b) storing a plurality of words and information representing correlations among the words on the basis of meanings of the words, in the second memory device; (c) receiving a request data item which is transmitted from the first appliance and includes at least a word corresponding to the input item of the input and output items representing the first function, and an expression corresponding to the condition; (d) acquiring from the words stored in the second memory device, a first word set which is a set of words having meanings identical or similar to a meaning of the word corresponding to the input item in the request data item; (e) retrieving from the service data items, a group of service data items in each of which one word of the first word set is included as the input item; (f) calculating a condition similarity between a meaning of an expression corresponding to the condition in each service data item of the group and a meaning of an expression corresponding to the condition in the request data item; (g) calculating a priority of the each service data item of the group on the basis of a first similarity between the word corresponding to the input item in the each service data item and the word corresponding to the input item in the request data item and the condition similarity; and (h) transmitting a list to the first appliance, the list including at least the priority and an address of an appliance of the appliances which correspond to the each service data item. Continue reading about Service retrieval apparatus and service retrieval method... Full patent description for Service retrieval apparatus and service retrieval method Brief Patent Description - Full Patent Description - Patent Application Claims Click on the above for other options relating to this Service retrieval apparatus and service retrieval method patent application. 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