Patent ID: 7610270

Claim:
A service retrieval apparatus which provides a retrieval service for retrieving a service provided by a server connected to a network in response to a request from a client and returning a result of the retrieval, the apparatus comprising: a computer configured to function as: a retrieval unit that sets a retrieval condition according to the request from the client and performs a first retrieval over the network for at least a print service or a scan service based upon the set retrieval condition; a retrieval result judgment unit that judges whether or not a result of the first retrieval satisfies judgment criteria set in advance; a retrieval result output unit that outputs the result which is judged to satisfy the judgment criteria, wherein judging to satisfy the judgment criteria comprises: when it is judged that a number of one or more services included in the result of the first retrieval has not reached a lower limit number set as the judgment criteria, the retrieval unit performs a second retrieval that changes a geographic area which is wider in search, the geographic area being an area in which a server providing a service is located, and the retrieval unit performs the second retrieval, wherein: the retrieval unit retrieves a first service location included in a first geographic area in the first retrieval, the retrieval unit retrieves in a second retrieval a second service location included in a second geographic area which is wider in distance and different from the geographic area searched in the first retrieval; and the service locations being locations searchable on the network and identifying the services; and when it is judged that a number of one or more services included in the result of the first retrieval has exceeded an upper limit number set as the judgment criteria, the retrieval unit performs a second retrieval that changes a geographic area which is narrower in search, the geographic area being an area in which a server providing a service is located, and the retrieval unit performs the second retrieval, wherein: the retrieval unit retrieves a first service location included in a first geographic area in the first retrieval, the retrieval unit retrieves in a second retrieval a second service location included in a second geographic area which is narrower in distance and different from the geographic area searched in the first retrieval; and the service locations being locations searchable on the network and identifying the services.