Patent ID: 7174380

Claim:
A communication terminal connected to, via a network, a plurality of service providers and to a look-up service that registers a plurality of service objects defining services provided by the plurality of service providers, where the communication terminal uses the services of the service provider by using the service objects, the communication terminal comprising: look-up service search means for searching the look-up service in the network; determining means for determining whether said look-up service search means can search the look-up service; first acquisition means for acquiring, if said determining means determines that said look-up service search means can search the look-up service, a desired service object from the searched look-up service by transmitting a service search request to the look-up service and receiving the desired service object, which is searched based on the service search request in the searched look-up service, from the look-up service; multicast notification means for issuing, if said determining means determines that said look-up service search means cannot search the look-up service, a multicast notification to the network in order to request the plurality of service providers to transmit respective service objects; and second acquisition means for receiving a plurality of service objects from the plurality of service providers, the plurality of service objects being transmitted from the plurality of service providers responsive to the multicast notification issued by said multicast notification means, and acquiring a desired service object from among the plurality of received service objects, wherein said second acquisition means rejects a service search request transmitted from another client's apparatus responsive to the multicast notification issued by said multicast notification means.